#very different vibe then when france visits…

[chaoticprussia]

old hurt feelings.

[mrs-johansson]

Escape from LA - Lisa Manobal x Fem!Depp!Reader

Part 4:

A few articles were written about Blackpink coming to see my shows in LA and how Lisa and I had dinner but nothing serious.

A couple of weeks went by as the tour kept going, visiting cities all around the US. I loved every minute of being on stage finally and seeing my fans sing the new songs.

Lisa and I talked every day. With the time difference, it was a little difficult to keep our conversation going but we managed most of the time. I did a little digging because I wanted to know who she was involved with, who this said boyfriend was, and dude… She could do so much better. Yeah, he was awfully rich and influential in France but damn.

I started writing some songs in my free time, being inspired by a lot of things lately and it’s always relaxing to me when I can write.

It was already the end of March when the tour reached New York. And since I’ll have 15 shows in Madison Square Garden, we’ll be here for a while.

“So when are you leaving New York?” Lisa asked over the phone as I walked around the arena. “On the 15th. I have two off days,” I said. “Two? Isn’t that way too few?” “I’ll be fine. How was the show yesterday?” I asked as I sat down at the back of the arena staring right at the already built stage. “It was so fun. Such a good vibe from everyone, I loved it. I can’t wait for you to see it,” Lisa’s excited voice made me smile from ear to ear. “Ah me too, I'm already looking for dates when I can just run off to a show.” “Summer is still so far, you sure you won't have any free days sooner?” “I don’t think so but I’ll check again later. When’s your next show by the way?” I asked. “8th of April. Tokyo, I haven’t been there in so long.” “It seems like I’ll only reach Asia in years, but it’s just a couple of months.” “Yeah, your tour is so long, I don’t know how you do it.” “I will lay in bed for a whole year after this tour ends,” I said and Lisa chuckled which made me smile. She has such a good aura all the time, it’s so energizing.

We talked for a little while then I had to go to rehearsal so we hung up. I got my mic and the dancers arrived soon too. Went through the whole show with everyone, checking the speakers and mics and instruments then I got into hair and makeup before finally sitting down to have an early dinner.

***

“Okay, your favorite part of the show… Reading signs. These get crazier with every day so let’s see…” I walked around the stage looking at different signs that people were trying to rise higher and higher. I spotted the first interesting one before lifting the mic to my mouth and pointing at the girl who held the sign. “Hello there, do you mind me reading your sign out loud?” I asked and she said go for it. “Alright your sign says, I’ve bought a ticket to all of your MSG shows hoping you’ll sing ‘I’m yours’ at one of them,” I said and the crowd cheered loudly which made me laugh. “But that’s unreleased and old,” I said to her and everyone around her screamed that it’s a good song. “Maybe we’ll do that song, who knows?” I spread my arm out before moving to another part of the stage looking for more signs. Then I saw one and the word Blackpink grabbed my attention quickly. “Collab with Blackpink?” I read it out and the audience literally erupted. I let my head hang as I laughed. “Guys, I literally just met them. But wouldn’t that be cool? They are so nice,” I said with a smile. “Okay okay, one more then we’ll continue the singing,” I spoke into the microphone and searched for the last sign. When I found the one I went down to one of my knees to get a better look. “With this one, don’t be weird,” I looked at the whole crowd then back at the sign and its owner. “Hi, what’s your name?” I pointed at the girl. “Hannah,” she screamed and I was surprised how loud she was. “Hi Hannah, you have a very interesting sign there,” I said and she laughed. “But it’s true!” She said. “Well, can I read it?” I asked and she nodded enthusiastically. “So the sign has… a picture of me and an Englishman…” I said and the audience screamed. I chuckled, holding my head not knowing how crazy it would make the crowd. “Saying… I’m a child of divorce,” I said but the last word muffled into a laugh. “But we’re friends guys, there’s no trouble for you all,” I stood up and spread my arm, trying to make it into a joke. “Okay now, should we sing some more?” I asked and the crowd cheered. The music started in seconds and the show went on.

“Thanks, guys, great job,” I walked through backstage as I got rid of my mic and walked back to my dressing room to get changed. My phone rang as soon as I opened the door and saw the picture of my best friend on the screen. “Hey dude, what’s up?” I put the call on speaker. “I just wanted to tell you I just landed in the city, we can go out to dinner,” spoke Hailee from the other side of the call. “Sure thing, I’ll change and I’m ready. Where are you?” I picked some clothes and started to change while I waited for Hailee’s answer. “I’m on the way to the venue, I’ll be there in like 10 minutes,” she said. “Okay, tell the driver to come into the venue, I’ll let them know you’re coming.” “Cool, see you.”

Soon Hailee arrived and after I spoke to a couple of people, I made my way to the car. “What’s uuuup?” I opened the car door and Hailee looked up from her phone and smiled. “Hey, bro!” We hugged and I got in the car and we got on the road to the restaurant.

“How was the show?” Asked Haiz. “Really fun. It’s crazy that there’s 14 more here, I could basically move in,” I said then a text popped up on my phone.

Lisa💋

“What’s that?” Asked Hailee from across me and I just closed my phone shaking my head. “No one,” I shrugged and she raised her eyebrow. “Who are you texting with?” She asked, leaning a bit forward. “Just my sister,” I put my phone in my lap, trying to move it further from her. “I know you, who is it?” She asked more aggressively and she reached for my phone. “Nobody!” I took hold of my phone and held it far from Hailee so she couldn’t reach it. “Dude, just tell me!” She grabbed my arm and took my phone. “Okay! I’ll tell you if you give my phone back,” I said and she stopped for a second. “Tell me and I’ll give it back,” she said, holding the phone protectively. “You know Blackpink,” I started and Haiz nodded. “They came to the shows in LA since Lily is friends with Jennie and the girls came along and stuff-“ “Which one of them?” Hailee interrupted my speech and got to the main thing. “It’s Lisa. We kinda had a moment and we’ve been talking since,” I explained and she had a growing smile on her face. “Ooh, that’s juicy. Why didn’t you tell me?” She handed my phone back. “Well she kinda has a boyfriend but it’s also PR so it’s tricky but also not. But she’s so fun… and hot and sweet,” I leaned my head back to the seat. “And what kind of moment did you have?” She asked with a smirk. “We kissed. Then had a very short make-out sess. Dude, it was so good. It was hot and exciting and also sweet, I haven’t felt that in a long time. She gave me adrenaline and we met for two days,” I explained and Hailee smiled. “So what’s up with this boyfriend? Is he famous?” She asked and I searched him up on Google and gave her the phone. “Oh… yeah he is uhm… he has some money,” she cleared her throat and handed the phone back. “Is he competition though?” Hailee raised an eyebrow. “She said they tried dating but it didn’t work out but I’m not sure about that,” I said. “Well, what did she text?” Asked Hailee and I went to my messages and then read her text out loud. “‘I just got your gift! Thank you so much, I love it!’ With lots of heart emojis.” “Ooh, what did you send her?” “Yellow roses, those are her favorite.” “That’s cute.”

We soon arrived at the restaurant and we had a great dinner and caught up on recent events. The paparazzi were there once again even though we tried to keep it low-key.

***

As the shows passed by, I started to feel really comfortable on stage in New York and I had lots of fun. The fans didn’t lose their energy even at the fifth and sixth show which was so good to see. I was enjoying every minute and it felt so electric to be there that I never wanted to stop.

When the 10th show rolled around I started to feel a little tired so I was happy to have an off day tomorrow.

Lisa and the girls will have another show tomorrow in Tokyo before they have a two-week break and as I know she’s going to Paris for a little then they go to Vegas to prepare for Coachella. She said she would try to come but won’t promise anything. Not gonna lie I was hoping she would show up even just for a day.

I was back on stage in just a blink of an eye. My off day just flew away as I slept kind of the whole day.

“So we have 4 more shows left to go here in New York. How was it so far?” I walked along the stage, trying to see more of everyone. The crowd cheered loudly, and I just couldn’t contain my smile. “Aw, it’s so nice to hear this. You know when we started I was a little afraid of how my stamina would be but so far you guys give me so much energy and I am so thankful that you keep coming to the shows. I’m forever grateful for your love,” I spoke into the mic and I slightly bowed as the audience expressed their love. “This will be my longest-running tour and I honestly can’t wait to see more of you all around the world. I’m excited for what’s yet to come and I love how dedicated you guys are, coming to multiple shows and camping outside the arenas. I will thank you for this for the rest of my life and more!” I spoke so honestly because today I felt extra special because of the fans and the amazing things they do for me. “And now… for the next bit, we’re gonna slow things down…” I walked back to the mic stand at the main part of the stage. “This is Pretty Boy.”

***

“Hey pretty girl,” I picked up Lisa’s call. It was late at night by the time she called. I was just sitting on the balcony having some wine and writing a little.

Lisa chuckled over the phone and I instantly smiled as I heard. “Hey 아름다운(beautiful),” she said and I stopped for a second. “Ooh, what does that mean?” I asked, clearly still not picking up on Korean. “It means beautiful,” said Lisa, and I felt heat fill my cheeks and I just chuckled. “You really need to teach me some basic Korean, I need to know what you are all talking about when you put me on speaker. Every time you do that I just hear yelling,” I said and Lisa laughed. “I will teach you, but you’ll have to prepare yourself, it’s hard.” “You speak 6 languages and I speak two. If it’s hard for you I will pass out by just learning.” “Nooo, you’ll be great at it,” she encouraged. “Hopefully. How’s Paris by the way?” I asked, then sipped my wine. “I haven’t done anything yet. I’ve been in the hotel since yesterday.” “And any plans while you’re there? Or just relaxing?” “No plans just hanging around. How was your day off? Did you sleep enough?” Asked Lisa. “Yeah, basically slept all day. It was so nice, I barely got out of bed,” I said. “You need to have breaks more often or do something for your health, your schedule is terrible,” Lisa spoke and I smiled at how cute it was that she looked after me. “I know, but I’m doing great. I sleep, eat, and train so I can keep up with the shows, no need to worry.” “Yeah yeah. The girls have been missing you,” said Lisa, and I smiled. “Aw I miss them too, can’t wait to see all of you,” I said and there was silence for a couple of seconds. “I miss you, it’s been boring here,” Lisa’s now softer tone reached my ear. “I miss you too… Can’t wait to kiss you,” I said a little shy and nervous about her reaction. “Ugh don’t tempt me to just get on a plane and fly there,” Lisa groaned and I chuckled. “Would it be so bad?” I smirked as I moved my things inside. “No, but at least we will be in the same country in a couple of days,” she said. “Yeah, just a couple hours away then, that's an improvement. How’s Coachella coming together?” I asked while I got under the cover of my bed. Only left one light on by the bed and just laid there, listening to Lisa talk. She was telling me all about their prep for Coachella and how exciting it was for them but the only thing I could focus on was how husky her voice sounded and how I wish we were in the same place. “Did you fall asleep?” The question brought me back to focus. “No, I’m here. I just… nothing. I hope I’ll make it in time for the show, I’m just way too excited to see you perform. Although I will probably blend in with the fans because I’ll be screaming every song and jumping around,” I smiled knowing that something like that would happen but maybe I exaggerated a little. “I will notice you, I’m sure.” My smile grew even more and I think I blushed even. This back-and-forth flirting was fun not gonna lie.

[supermarketcaferankings]

Morrison's Café, Morley, UK

Let us introduce ourselves. We are Frances and Sharon, two friends with one burning question: why are there so many reviews of fancy, expensive restaurants and nothing for the supermarket café, adored by, and accessible to, the common man? We have made it our mission in life to visit as many supermarket cafés as the bus services will allow, because what is more important than being the change you wish to see in the world?

Today we have come to the Morrison's café in Morley, with our friend, [REDACTED].

What Frances had: Hot chocolate and biscoff cheesecake (£4)

What Sharon had: Pot of tea and Victoria sponge cake (£4)

What [REDACTED] had: Oasis (£2) and sausage, egg, chips and beans (£6.50)

Vibes: 4/5 ⭐

The café is hidden away from the rest of the supermarket which leaves an atmosphere distinctly different from that of most supermarket cafés. We sat in a comfortable booth. It was lively yet pleasant, with a wide range of ages visiting today (very family friendly). The wall decor had a pleasant variety of ambiguous text, but sadly no photos of food, and very nice lighting fixtures. There was also poor phone signal, for which a star is lost. The booth did have the store manager's email address asking for feedback which was unique but not unwelcome.

Service: 2/5 ⭐

It's hard to give a ranking for service at a café which is mostly self service, although there is hot food brought to your table if you order it. Ordering is done via a self service machine, and cold food, snacks and drinks can then be taken from a counter. Frances and I did wonder if this system is open to abuse, but perhaps Morley is above such things. There are two self service hot drinks machines, one of which was out of hot chocolate. The hot food took around 20 minutes to arrive, but staff were friendly, and generous with ketchup sachets. The café gains extra points because when we asked to confirm if we could just take what we'd ordered from the counter, we were happily informed that drinks had free refills. A cheap day out!

Quality: 3/5 ⭐

The cakes were nice, although we suspect not made on site. Sharon would have preferred an option for real sugar as well as just sweeteners, and the tea was Tetley's and not the far superior Yorkshire Tea. Frances agreed that the hot chocolate was fine. For the hot food, the eggs, chips and beans were decent, but the sausages were the highlight, with [REDACTED] commenting that they reminded him of his childhood.

Price: 3/5 ⭐

[REDACTED] believes that £2 for an Oasis was "egregious", however unlimited hot drinks and a cake for £4 is very reasonable indeed. Perhaps [REDACTED] should have got a hot drink too.

Finally, we come to our last, yet most important, criteria: would we propose to the love of our life in this café?

We think no. As a busier café, your words of tender love may get lost in the background hum. Also, we suspect that if you proposed in this particular supermarket café, the locals would just stare, and that's just not the reaction you want to start the rest of your life with.

Overall rating: ⭐⭐⭐

Average rating for Morrison's cafés: ⭐⭐⭐

[hetaliaimaginesin2022]

Can we get yandere france headcanons? if you do yandere i mean, no pressure if you don't :)

This takes place in an au since I find it kind of hard to slot the yandere stuff in canon I personally don't see the appeal with Yandere stuff, but this shit is so fun to write, it like a crime drama, so if you want it, I'll deliver lol

TW// I did not soften this, he's a manipulative stalker who's enamored with you and I treated it as such, so this could potentially be triggering for those who have been in a controlling/abusive relationship, if you feel you could be affected negatively by reading that, please do not read it, your mental health is far more important than Tumblr likes

Yandere France Headcanons

He's very idealistic and sees the best in the object of his affection

He sees you as a perfect, delicate flower to be protected and admired, he believes you can do no wrong and puts you on a pedestal high above everyone else, you are his petit(e) ange

In his mind, you two are together, and have been for a while, in a passionate whirlwind of mutual attraction, love, and romance

He swept you off your feet from the very first day he saw you in his little corner café and ever since then, you two have been madly in love

Realistically, you've only had some light surface level conversation with him, asking him about his day while you order a drink and pastry

François' coffee and pastry shop, named Fleur de Café, is place you visit rather regularly, the cozy vibe and aesthetically pleasing food and drinks make it the perfect place to study or do work, especially since the nice, pretty owner has the habit of giving you extra baked goods (which he started doing the third time you came in)

When you visit the cafe, he often compliments things like your smile, your outfit, and your makeup (if you wear any), he comes off as very genuine and unassuming

If you off handedly express that you're looking for a job, he would jump at the chance to offer you an interview, keeping it under the guise of simply "helping one of his sweetest, most loyal costumers"

He would be over the moon if you agreed, using the opportunity to get to know you more, learning more about you; like your hobbies, interests, dislikes, and the details of your private life

Because he views you as flawless, he would be incredibly shocked if he found out you did anything that differed from his dreamy, fantasy view of you

Any bad habits like smoking, drinking, or doing drugs would leave him astounded, anything 'heavier' would make him completely speechless

While you may think this could potentially be a dealbreaker for him, he views any behaviors that don't fit in his picturesque view (including if you were to turn down his advances) as minor hiccups in the road to your beautiful relationship, minor things that can be worked around

If you were to fall into his rose scented trap and begin a relationship, he would seem like the perfect partner, always showering you with compliments and gifts and taking you out on frequent dates

Pretty early on he would offer to let you move in, he gets lonely without you after all, so your constant company would be wonderful

Suddenly you find yourself spending less and less time with family and friends, the majority of your time would be spent around your wonderful boyfriend

While he might be an obsessive stalker, he doesn't view it that way in the slightest and wholeheartedly believes that whatever the two of you have is a healthy, nurturing relationship

He would never use force against you and would get incredibly defensive if anyone implied otherwise

No, instead he would use his charisma and charm (Read: manipulation) clouded in flowery words to keep you by his side and reliant on him

You can't find your phone? He will help you look for it when he's done with this croissant batch, you're so silly for constantly misplacing it, why don't you help him in the meantime?

You're upset that he doesn't want you to leave the house today? Well, it's a dangerous world out there, he's just protecting you, how about you go out with him tomorrow when he needs to go grocery shopping?

He's being too overbearing? Ange, he loves you, how could you say something so hurtful like that to him?

Any issue you have about his behavior, he'd wave it off, insisting that he just cares about you so much, and clearly he does, he's done so much for you

Some people would describe the way he loves you as "overbearing" or "dangerous", but he just likes to call it devoted

[standingonmyjuicebox]

It all started with a Cab.

No, not a taxi. That's the wrong kind of cab. I'm talking about Cabernet Sauvignon. A Bordeaux grape that made it's way to America and is found to grow beautifully in California. Cab Sauv is the baby of Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Franc (both Bordeaux grapes). It's a big, bold, rich, fruity grape that offers high alcohol, high tannin and a full body. It pairs well with steak and also works as a cocktail wine. It's a great way to get into wine for beginners, and for more experience wine nerds it's a great varietal to collect and age. But I'm a little deep in the weeds. Let me slow it down...

Here's the quick story. I have been bartending since the day I turned 21. I had wanted to be a bartender since I was a kid and watched "Cocktail"...who didn't want to be Tom Cruise in that movie? Spinning bottles and making the girls smile and making a ton of money in the process. Who didn't want to move down to the islands and open a place called "Cocktails and Dreams"?

I worked at every bar I could. Dive bars, theater bars, restaurant bars, wine bars. I worked private events and catering events. Never did weddings. The opportunity just never arose. I also worked in a ton of restaurants and a server and a cook. I was a professional actor, which meant I was also a service industry professional. But it wouldn't become my career until around the year 2020. Some big cataclysmic event happened that sent my destiny in another direction. WINE!

But I think we need to start from the beginning.... Wine wasn't a big deal in my family. My aunt would drink Kendal Jackson, Turning Leaf, Franzia. And when I stole some I hated it. At the college parties when Boone's Farm and 2 Buck Chuck went around I understood it was swill and was only going to lead me to a severe hangover or upchucking and ruining the vibes.

When I started bartending, I was in this little dive bar in South Bend. My boss was an older woman who owned the place and I would pour her this awful white wine from a 1 liter bottle. That's all I really thought wine was. Just bitter grape juice with high ABV that I poured for people who had pour taste.

But there just had to be more to it! They wouldn't make movies like "Sideways" if wine wasn't a bigger deal. I had to keep exploring. I would go to the stores and try to find wine that I liked, but it felt like I reading another language. I mean...I was...but even the english words in wine culture seemed foreign and scary. I found a sweeter red wine that I managed to drink a couple bottles of, until I chugged one at a house party and turned the toilet bright purple. That was the end of that. I stuck with mixed drinks and beer for years after.

But then I moved to California and met a girl who would later become my wife. She grew up in a much different way than I did. She grew up in a well to do family, in California with a father who loved the wine world. My wife introduced me to wine by taking me to Temecula and Santa Barbara. I would go visit her parents with her and her dad would bring out bottles of California Cabs that were easy to drink. He wasn't looking to pair the bottle with food, it was a cocktail wine...and that's exactly what I was looking for.

I learned that I just needed to keep exploring the wine world. I still had no idea that I was going to dedicate my life to becoming a Somm. That wouldn't happen for another twelve to thirteen years. At this time I was just enjoying the fact that I was in California chasing my dreams and enjoying what I considered a sophisticated adult beverage. I was growing up and I was very proud to be around people who had more sophisticated pallets than I had.

As a budding sommelier, I don't drink as much California Cab as I used to. Southern Australia, Chile, Bordeaux, Washington state also offer some absolutely stunning expressions of Cab Sauv. But I still get together with my father-in-law and we pop open our favorite Paso Robles Cabs and share in the sense of nostalgia and comfort that these wines offer. He was truly the person who sent me on the path to love wine. He would deny this if you asked him, but it's true.

We went to Paso Robles and Santa Barbara multiple times. Each time I'd learn a little more. I'd watch some documentary, take James Suckling's Masterclass, read an issue of Wine Enthusiast. I was trying to understand this world. It would be a decade before I really got my sea legs and felt like I understood what the wine world was all about. (More on that later.)

I remember going to restaurants watching Bob pour over the wine book. I remember thinking, "Thank God he's doing this. I don't know what any of that means!" He was always trying to learn more about wine as well. The beauty of being a "professional wine guy" is that I am able to take us further down the rabbit hole than we thought we could go. The further down we go, the more fun it is. Having someone on the journey with you makes it all the more fun. My wife and mother-in-law enjoy the finer wines that come from it, though they seem to not be as excited about learning about malolactic fermentation and botrytis.

So, in closing, one question remains unanswered. What was the bottle that made me fall in love? What was that California Cab? It wasn't just one bottle. It was Soul Of A Lion from Dauo. I remember being up on Daou mountain, a light breeze blowing and the sun shining. A glass of the most beautiful Cabernet I had ever tasting resting in my hand standing with my future wife and father-in-law looking over the vines. "This feels like heaven."

Daniel Daou, founder of Daou, aimed to make the best Cabernet Sauvignon possible. He knew that he needed to find a place with the Calcareous Clay soils like Bordeaux. He found them in Paso Robles, CA where he became one of the first wine makers to bring and Cabernet Sauvignon clones. The result speaks for itself. If you ever get a chance to get a bottle, I recommend it. The feeling of that first sip is something I continue to chase. That chase used to be a hobby, but now it's my profession.

[kittenwalker]

reader and evan go to a big vacation trip in bahamas, mexico, brazil, italy, south africa, bali after the end of dahmer and it’s just eat pray and love vibe surrounding in their own love bubble

notes : omg finally done with this story, it has really occupied my days but also school is mostly what's making me write so slow. but I finally have a 3 week break!!! so more evans to come😉

part 1 ( it’s kinda connected but you don’t have to read it )

After the whole argument on whether Evan should take a break, he has chosen to listen to you. But what was even better is that Evan extended his break for a few more months, so now you had almost 2 full years of Evan to yourself. Spending every month, day, hour, minute, and second with his love. You even persuaded him to travel around a few countries with you, going to the Bahamas, Italy and France. Now you can finally have your 2 month getaway with Evan, thinking about nothing but enjoying life.

First, you went to the Bahamas, the land of beautiful oceans and pristine beaches. This country was your suggestion to visit as you wanted to experience snorkelling in their clear blue water. You also wanted to go to their pig island and swim with the cute little pigs. Of course, you also had to visit the famous pink beach, you had seen pictures about it online and couldn’t resist. But, woah, was it more beautiful in real life than in photos. It was more of a soft coral pink than a vibrant pink and you liked it better that way. You and Evan had a little picnic at the pink beach and it was definitely a great experience. You sat there eating and enjoying the view of nature while Evan wandered off to explore.

 Most of these places you went to were all your idea as Evan just wanted to spend time with you. So you let him choose the last place to visit before you head off to another country. He chose to relax during the last day on Coco Plum Beach, you both brought a mat and just sat on it while looking at the sunset. You also brought along a book so you can read it while listening to the sea waves. You both also went and played with the swing placed in the ocean, near the shore. But before you both left, Evan had a surprise to give you. Closing your eyes, you heard something jiggle until he told you to open your eyes. You did as told and in front of you was Evan holding out a string filled with seashells attached to it.

“ I picked out pretty seashells I found from every beach and made them into a bracelet. Now you can wear the memories of this trip with you everywhere you go. “ 

So that was why he was always wandering away. 

You were speechless, it’s such a small act that Evan did but oh did it make you tear up. Evan saw you getting all touched and giggled at your reaction. He reached out for your hand and slipped on the self-made bracelet, it fitted perfectly. Running your fingers through all the seashells while smiling to yourself. You looked up and saw Evan snapping a picture of you while you were in your daze, a few tears slipping out without you knowing. Evan used the pad of his thumb and swiped the tears away, giving you a soft tender kiss. Breaking apart and leaning against each other's foreheads until you realised the sky was now fully dark. So you decided to pack up and head back to your hotel, tomorrow is when you leave this beautiful sight but you would be travelling to your next destination to see a different type of beauty.

-

The second destination the couple was exploring was Rome, Italy. This was Evan’s choice of location as he wanted to visit all the attractions, especially the Biblioteca Vallicelliana as Evan had a secret soft spot for books. So you went there first on your second day in Rome as you’ve spent your first day sleeping in the hotel due to being very jet-lagged.

When you walked into the library, you could see Evan’s eyes light up. A big smile plastered onto his face, it was very cute to see Evan’s nerdy side come out. You too liked reading books, but definitely not as much as him. Evan would always carry a book with him or when he had a break from acting he’d pick up a book. So to him, this place was a wonderland in his eyes. In all honesty, the place itself was stunning. The place felt like you were in a dark academic era like you were living your true harry potter dream. 

The both of you spent about one and a half hours in the library, reading the books, and taking pictures for memories. The library was a magnificent place to visit, it was so calming and relaxing.  ' Maybe I should visit the library more often in my hometown. ' you thought

-

Time skip 

It was the last day of your trip in Rome, and for the last day, you decided to spend it visiting all the famous restaurants and eating their delicious food. For breakfast, you and Evan had scrambled eggs with pancakes paired with a bowl of yogurt with fruits in it. It was pretty good, the pancakes were really soft and fluffy but it’s quite a simple meal.

For lunch, Evan found a cute booth restaurant where they provided props for you to take pictures. The food there was also great but Evan and you were way too distracted with all the goofy photos you both had taken. Your favourite photo that was printed out was Evan wearing a horse mask and you couldn’t stop laughing hysterically.

It was the last few hours before leaving Rome, so Evan suggested ending the trip with a fancy dinner. When you thought fancy, you didn’t expect it to be this luxurious. It was a rooftop dinner, and you could see all the beautiful building lights and the sunset. It was a breathtaking view, and of course, you took a lot of pictures. You couldn’t resist, the moment had to be snapped down so you could look back on it in the future. The food they served was also spectacular, it was definitely worth the visit.

Sadly, your trip to Rome was over and you were almost at the end of your vacation. Looking at the bright side, you and Evan still had one more country to travel to.

-

Paris, France

This choice was a mutual agreement between the two of you, but in your head, the only reason you wanted to travel to Paris was that you wanted to propose to Evan under the Eiffel tower. The ring you got him was just a simple silver band that had both your initials engraved inside. Yea it’s kinda funny because you, the girl, were the one proposing as according to society men should always do it. But you didn’t care, you had dated him for about 5 years now and you knew he was the right one. Not one relationship you were in has lasted this long, sure you both had your ups and downs in this relationship. But no couple is perfect without a few arguments. It’s normal and what’s more important is that the both of you are still together, loving each other. You were deciding to do it on the second last day of the trip, at midnight when the Eiffel tower lights up.

Little did you know, Evan had the same plans.

-

Two days before the proposal 

Evan had the brilliant idea to go to a nearby pub and get absolutely wasted. You didn’t drink much as you were in a country you aren’t familiar with. Unlike Evan, he went all out and now you were dragging him back to the hotel. 

“ Hey who are you and where are you taking me? I already have a girlfriend, a very beautiful one. “ Evan slurred

What he said made you guffawed, if only he could see himself and how cute he was. Evan looked at you confused, not understanding what was making you laugh. You kept quiet about the real ‘ secret ’ to see what other nonsense comes out of his drunken brain. 

“ Why are you laughing? My girlfriend is great and you would never compare to her. Only she can take my heart, she has it and it’s never gonna change. “ Evan made an angry pout

“ Oh really? “ you chuckled 

Evan nodded then sloppily, banged his head onto your shoulder and fell into tight sleep. You were already walking to your hotel room when he passed out so you didn’t need to carry his weight anymore. Flopping him down onto the soft bed and stripping his clothes that reeked of stale beer, replacing them with a fresher pair. 

As you were walking to the bathroom to brush your teeth so you could join Evan in bed, you felt hands on your waist and a breath against your neck. The hot breathing was replaced with lips, making wet trails down as he tried pulling off your shirt. Drunk-horny Evan was always something else, but you knew he wasn’t really controlling his mind so you didn’t want to do anything he might not be aware of. Carefully removing his head that was buried in your neck and cupping it.

“ Uh uh, we can’t make love yet when we’re not even married. Not until you put a ring on this finger. “ you joked, pointing to your ring finger.

“ Really? Then I guess I’ll have to marry you now. “ Evan mumbled as he got onto one knee

You chuckled to yourself as you pulled up sloppy Evan off the ground, bringing him back into bed to snuggle. As you much rather cuddle with your love than have a sexy time right now, definitely not when you’re about to propose. You wanted the moment to be perfect and full of love before you proposed, wanting it to be special and memorable. 

-

The day of the proposal

For Evan’s plan, he wanted to bring Y/n somewhere cosy. Just them and no one else, he was thinking about watching a movie while having a picnic in the park at night. Getting all her favourite snacks and watching the movie she most adored, the notebook. And as they walk back, strolling hand in hand is when he will surprise her by getting onto one knee. Oh, what a dream it sounds like.

But Y/n had a different idea, she wanted to snuggle in bed and sip on champagne before going to the Eiffel tower because ‘ she wanted to see the pretty lights ‘. Nope almost the opposite, she wanted him to feel warmth in his heart as she kneels on her knee while the lights of the tower sparkles behind them once the clock hits 11.45 pm, the last Eiffel tower light show of the day. She wanted him to be the one feeling special in the moment.

Of course, they both didn’t know what each other was planning behind their backs so let the fun begin.

-

You both sat there in bed, snuggling and drinking champagne while watching a random movie that played on the television, just like how you wanted to. Until Evan abruptly suggested we go have a picnic at a park near the hotel. It was quite late already so you were confused about why he wanted to go but anything that made him happy.

Wearing sweatpants and one of Evan’s hoodie before packing even more coverage with them as the weather in Paris was starting to get chilly. Evan sneaked some snacks into his bag with his computer and, of course, the magic velvet box. You as well brought the square box, dropping it into your pocket so after the picnic you could propose.

Walking to the park hand in hand with the love of your life whose smile shined in the moonlight, making yourself smile. Finding a patch of grass near a tree, you laid the mat over the ground and put down your things. You sighed as you sat down against the trunk of the tree, listening and gazing into beautiful nature.

“ Close your eyes “ Evan instructed 

Scrunching your face in confusion but did as told anyway. You heard some rustling, concerned about what he was doing but as you opened your lids, a gasp slipped out. He had his computer opened with the notebook on the screen and all your favourite junk foods laid out. Evan would never watch the notebook with you, he thought it was ’ way too cheesy ‘ so the fact he’s watching it with you now is absolutely fortuitous. He also bought your ideal binge-eating snacks that Evan always avoided from your sight so you wouldn’t buy it because ‘ it was way too much salt ‘. Today you were supposed to surprise him but oh did the turntables. 

Evan came to your side and lay next to you, getting more comfortable, as you laid your head onto his lap using it as a cushion. You watched the movie intently as you snacked until feeling a pair of eyes staring at you, looking up you found the culprit. Instead of watching the movie, Evan decided to watch you.

“ Hey focus on the movie it’s on the good part ’’ you said snapping your fingers at him

“ I enjoy this movie better ’’ he mumbled staring at you

Looking at the time in the corner of the computer and seeing it was an hour before the last light show on the tower. It took about a good 30 minutes to walk from here so you closed his laptop and packed away everything, making Evan the one puzzled now.

“ Come on, I had a great time here but it’s my turn to surprise youuu. '' you dragged Evan up

Holding his hand you ran all the way there as now you had 40 minutes left, not letting your lateness ruin your plan. But because of your sprinting, Evan never got the chance to make the moment romantic and pop the question. As you were getting closer to the beautiful attraction, you had 15 minutes left so you gotta be quick. 

Finally, you reached the front of the tower and stopped to catch your breath.

“ Evan, I know you have a lot of questions, but they are going to be answered soon. “ you panted in between your words.

Checking your phone time, 11.41 pm, 4 more minutes, you have to speed things up. Turning Evan around to face the other side.

“ What are yo- “

“ Close your eyes “

Trusting you, he did as you said. Patiently waiting for what you were going to do next. Kneeling, you took out the square box and waited for another minute for the lights to be activated. As time passed, you told Evan to turn around and on cue, the lights sparkled into the night.

“ Evan, I know this might seem weird but I couldn't wait any longer. I just know deep down in my heart you are the one, the one to my forever. Whenever I see your smile shine in the moonlight, it reminds me how in love I am with you. You brought me sunshine when I only saw rain, You bubbled up laughter in me when I only felt pain. Evan, you are the light to my darkness, the puzzle piece I was missing. So please, complete the last piece of the picture by accepting my devotion to you. “

Evan was shocked, frozen on the spot. His silence was starting to make you nervous until he also kneeled, pulling out a velvet box and opening it. It displayed a beautiful coral ring and instead of a normal band, it was a daisy-banded ring. Realisation struck upon you at what was happening, he wanted to propose today as well but at the park.

A tear fell from your left eye, out of joy, not sadness. 

“ Y/n, when I laid my eyes upon you I already knew you were the source of my happiness. When we went on our first date, stargazing, you don’t know how much harder I fell for you. You might of not know but I’m pretty sure the stars above us knew how fast my heart was beating for you. No matter how many times the world rewrote our lives and reality, I know I will always fall for you. You have my heart, please don’t give it back. “

More tears decided to join your previous one and right as you both confessed the love you had for each other, the lights shut off leaving you two in the moonlight. You ran towards Evan and hugged him, sobbing onto his shoulder.

“ Yes yes yes “

Evan chuckled and reached for your left hand, carefully slipping the shiny ring onto your shaking hand. You did the same, taking the ring out of the box and putting it where it belongs. Smiling brightly at each other, Evan leaned in and kissed the tip of your nose and then your lips. The kiss was slow and warm, full of love but before you knew it the tender kiss became a passionate, hungry make-out sesh. 

“ Can I finally make love with you now? Since we’re now engaged “

i don’t really like what i wrote but this took way too long to not post :,)

[doks-aux]

WIP Thursday

I missed WIP Wednesday because I was experiencing The Symptoms, and then this thing ended up throttling me in the middle of work today, so perhaps it was kismet. It's something different from the fic I've been working on before, but I'm very excited about it.

Contents: Child death, generalized bad vibes

“Kids?” The soft call heralded a softer knock at the door. “It’s me.” Shifting his burden to one arm, William grasped the handle of the safe room door and eased it open just enough for the both of them to slip inside. His steps wavered as it closed, and he paused a moment to lean back against it as his head gave a little spin. He hadn’t expected to visit tonight or he certainly wouldn’t have been drinking beforehand, but plans had... changed. Unexpectedly. And he didn’t want to appear visibly inebriated in front of the kids even if they should still be too young to really notice. They’d always been very perceptive for their ages. So he stood with his back against the door, dripping rain water onto the concrete floor (he’d have to remember to clean up before he left so he didn’t piss off the janitorial shift first thing tomorrow) and letting his eyes adjust to the dark. Across the room, propped against the wall, the slumped, hollow form of a bear took shape from the shadows. William beamed. “Hey, Gare-bear.” Now able to see, his gaze swept right towards the corner, where a striped, spindly marionette sat perched on a stack of boxes. “Hey, Charlie.”

Silence answered his greetings, but he didn’t take offense. It was hardly fair to expect them to use mouths they no longer really had, after all. And they always found ways other than words to speak to him when they really needed. With his bundle cradled safely back in both arms, he started across the floor towards the looming bear costume. Towards Garrett. “I’m sorry it’s been a little while since I’ve come to visit,” he began, head tipped forward contritely. “I know it must get lonely back here. You almost never get to see the others.” The active animatronics were kept on their stages unless they needed to be brought to the back rooms for repairs or maintenance checks, and even then it was rarely to the safe room. “And your Uncle Henry... Well...” Henry hated it back here. Hated the decommissioned Fredbear and Security Puppet that William wouldn’t let him get rid of. Hated how William kept sneaking back here to talk to them like they were their own precious dead-and-buried children and not the soulless machines that had failed them. But they hadn’t failed them. They had saved them. They kept them close. He had failed them. He had failed them. He had failed them, he had failed them, hehadfailedthemhehadfailedthemhehadfail-- “You know your father loves you, Charlie.” He snapped his gaze to the marionette, its wide, white face staring back expectantly. “He just... He misses you. And he doesn’t understand.” William had tried to make him understand, he truly had. But it only ever upset his friend and partner even more, and he worried that if he pushed too hard, Henry might end up knowing too much far too soon. “But he will,” he reassured his honorary niece, smiling at her still vessel. Had her head been canted to the left like that just a moment ago? Maybe. He knew she was listening either way. “I promise you, poppet. We’ll help him understand, and we’ll... We’ll be a family again. Just like before.” They’d all be a family again. Henry would be happy again, and Frances would bring Sammy back, and Elizabeth and Michael would be safe under his roof where they belonged, and Charlie would be ruining her dress in the dirt again, and Garrett would smile at him again with his own mouth and not the gaping, stained jaws of the thing that had killed-- “But until then!” William gasped, voice rising sharp and quick, cracking at the peak. “I’ve brought you some company.” He held the bundle in his arms forward like an offering at the altar, the little form wrapped head-to-toe in a thick tarp and tied with twine at both ends and the middle to keep out the rain. And keep in the blood and the bone and the brain-- “A n-new... Ugh...” He swallowed the taste of bile at the back of his throat, ignoring the tremor in his stomach, his voice, his arms. “A new friend to stay with you. Their name is Cassidy.”

[papirouge]

I've noticed something as a Christian in the US that I feel gets overlooked in the Faith outside of the Catholics and other non-Evangelical/Protestant groups. I'm relatively new so feel free to correct if I misunderstand. But I think that what the Catholics get right is helping their fellow man out and actually being there in the sense of helping people. Like, I noticed when I volunteer at local crisis pregnancy centers or participate in protests outside abortion clinics in my area that there's a lot of Catholics, and they're so warm and friendly and non-judgmental, you can tell they care. They're not heckling the girls going in or telling them they're going to Hell, they just give them love and support, and try to point out the pregnancy centers nearby. They seem to sympathize and work out of love, which is the most important theological virtue if I recall the Matthew Gospel correctly. Like Faith, Hope, and Love are the three I'm thinking of. Like, if you don't have Love you're not any better than a banging cymbal or something, I can't recall the direct quote. But in so many Evangelical congregations I've visited they're so insular or like "oh we love Jesus and our neighbor" but then are so cliquey it's just frustrating, like they're possessed not by the Holy Spirit. Like, we're here to love one another and to do God's work, why can't they get that right? Might be ranting, but any help enlightening the situation might be helpful, the Spirit seems to be pulling me toward Catholicism anyway, they actually seem to embody what Jesus taught compared to so many I've seen in the US. God Bless you and keep you friend.

Thank you 🩵

I've always said that Catholics were incredibility based when it came to social issues. Here in France a lot of catholic NGO give free food and shelter to homeless and asylum seekers. "Less judgmental" that's exactly it. They don't have the same heartless behavior as US Evangelicals who think their nationalism, "tradition" and xenophobia somehow equals Christianism.

When I was a kid had a very old catholic lady used to randomly come into my house and gave us food and clothes for my entire family - we an African immigrant family. It's only later/growing up that I realized how helpful she had been during a good chunk of my childhood. I'll never forget that. And by that I mean that regardless the stuff I say abt Catholics and their idolatrous worship and off base catechism, I still have carved in my heart a deep respect for them as a community and people. Humanly speaking I feel like I vibe more with Catholics lol (especially Catholic women)

I think that Catholic have the perk of having the pope representing them, so unllke protestant they don't feel the urge to seek for representation or validation from political parties or cultural entities. That being said, I always found funny how some Catholics seething against the pope and openly disrespected him. The spirit of rebellion of this generation is quite insane. Maybe it's me, but while I can imagine the apostles not understanding Jesus and maybe disagreeing with him in their inner self at times, I do not imagine them fool enough to openly mock and clown him like those so called modern Christians do. (this is how you blaspheme against the holy spirit btw).

But I personally wouldn't recommend you to enter any Christian sect, whether it's Catholic, protestant, Orthodoxy...Jesus came to establish THE Church, not churches. Division is from the devil, and the only division that comes from Christ is the one dividing the weat from the chaff (Matthew 3:12). There cannot be different truths cohabiting (within the weat)..and there's no truth in the chaff that ends up in the fire. Jesus is the way, THE Truth, and the Life. Not several truths.

Anon, I'm sure you get along non Christian as well, right? and we all know absolutely lovely non Christians who yet display more Christlike behavior than actual Christian. It still wouldn't come to your mind to stop being Christian just because "good people" happen to not being Christian.

I think the reasons so many Christian lose faith/their salvation is because they establish their faith based on what they see and how it makes them feel. Trust me, if I had to base my faith from what I see of it, I would've reverted after a few a few months of conversion. That's how BAD the Christian rep is right now. That's how ugly the world is and how wide satan's grip is onto this world.

I'm convinced that not even 10% of people claiming to be Christians actually have the holy spirit anyway. There are things that you cannot say, support or do while cohabiting with him. Never forget that the he left King Saul so much his sins became unbearable (which is something free gracers/one saved always saved can't explain - unless they want to admit the holy spirit has a better resistance to sin since Jesus crucifixion? 🤔). Have you even been around someone so energetically toxic you couldn't be around them? Well that's how the holy spirit feels with those people. They are insufferable. Rebellious, disrespectful (against the government, people, etc.), have no fruits...

Anyway, feel free to share you rant, anon, I love sharing inputs with like minded Christians. I recently volunteered at a Christian organization and I'm eager to talk about Jesus to people lol

[la-cocotte-de-paris]

Hi! Weekend ask…

why is your best friend your best friend?

Oooh this is a lovely question! Four people come to mind. And yes, this is going to be a love letter to my friends (a platonic love, but a love nonetheless). You have been warned!

Person 1: Let's call her M. She is my oldest friend. We met in secondary school and we hit it off in the first few weeks of our first year there and the rest is history. ;P We've seen each other at our worst, yet we still love each other like sisters. We've supported each other no matter what, in whatever little way we can. We are so similar in some ways yet so different in most, but we still respect each other. There's just this mutual understanding that never needed to be spoken, and we've had this since day one. We're just on the same wavelength, I suppose. We've never even truly fought, which is insane, given we've known each other ten years now.

Person 2: She'll be called N. We were flatmates in my final year of university, and she was on Erasmus at my uni. It was during covid restrictions, but the final autumn/winter of them, so people were still a little nervous, naturally. She said hello first, I think, when I went into the kitchen for the first time or so. And yeah, much like M, we got along like a house on fire very quickly! Similar yet different, we complemented each other, I think. We'd watch movies together a lot and talk for HOURS every evening (bar when we were freaking out over assignments, but we'd still try to talk every now and then). I saw her as my little sister by the time our academic year had finished and we had to part ways. We still keep in touch, despite being in different countries again. She's just wonderful <3 Fun, outgoing, smart, pretty, sharp wit, impeccable style -- she's awesome. My final year at university really would have had such a different vibe if we didn't end up crossing paths by being flatmates. Hell, I'm sure I wouldn't have done certain things if it wasn't for her being by my side.

Person 3: G! We met in the first year of university, near the start. We got along pretty well -- to the point it seemed myself, G and another friend and fellow coursemate at the time were a solid Trio in uni. I guess that's what happens when fellow gays find each other and it's the first time being away from home for extended periods of time. It's like there's this unspoken understanding and we just click if the energy is good. G's SO fucking smart and absolutely hilarious, and really nice. His conversations are NEVER boring. We still have the occasional intellectual conversation when we can. I managed to meet up with him when I returned from France and it was so lovely, as it had been over a year since we last saw each other. And, like everyone on this list, we can meet and chat and it's like time never passed. It's a bizarre but beautiful feeling. We can have our petty spats, but I can never stay mad at him forever.

Person 4: NT. Another icon. Met in first year of uni, but we got to know each other better over the years of our course -- especially consolidating the friendship in our final year. We had similar schedules so we'd often walk to/from college together and vent or rant about our day, or our worries - both academic and life in general. She's so smart too, hilarious, we can literally talk about ANYTHING and it'll become interesting because she will know some random-ass fact that's somehow related (and i love that sm<33). We've joked that we're practically the same person, just with a few tweaks (different hair colour, slightly different fashion style). Her taste in music is one of the best I've ever come across. I would always scribble down a song name or artist while visiting her. And you'd be guaranteed something nice to smoke while visiting. ;) We have not kept in regular contact the past few months, but I still adore her, and I wish her (like everyone who is my friend) nothing but the best <333

[thehitchhikerguide]

Season 1, Episode 3: Split Decision

Finally we get to an episode I remember watching back in the day. Even though I knew what was going to happen in this one, I was still very excited to re-visit it as I remember it being kind of bizarre.

We start with the opening theme music and then, wait what's this?

Who is this guy? We've spent all our time establishing a relationship with Page and then we see someone else?

Oh so he does exist! I guess this was one they couldn't re-shoot with the new Hitchhiker so they kept it as is. I knew I had seen a version with him in it, so it must have been this episode.

They actually used to play this one quite a bit in syndication despite the fact that it's a totally different guy. I honestly don't know why they bothered to re-shoot the other ones when they couldn't do this for all of them, but whatever. I was curious if somehow the Hitchhiker ends up more integrated with the plot.

This episode actually takes a different approach and instead of starting with the main character driving, we see him in his office. This is Jake, a down-on-his-luck real estate agent who has some interesting vintage phones on his desk.

I guess instead of having a phone with multiple lines, he just has two different phone lines? At first he doesn't seem like your average Hitchhiker protagonist since he's pretty dorky and you can't really imagine any sexy situations with this guy, but this is HBO after all.

I'm not sure he's actually talking to anyone on these phones since he happens to accidentally hang up the phone with the other receiver, yet the caller is supposedly still on the line.

How is that possible?

Anyways, it's time for driving so we can figure out how the Hitchhiker fits into this plot. Wacky music starts playing when we see this character's crappy car. I guess this is to establish that he is indeed very desperate and bad at his job. Hearing this music I expected a bunch of clowns to start coming out of it. But instead it looks like the car is about to burst into flames.

He meets the Hitchhiker while Jake is lost in some suburban neighborhood. He approaches him to ask him if he knows the road of the house he's trying to visit and he just points.

I guess this was why they couldn't re-shoot this because the editing would probably look pretty bad. My main question with this scene is, is this guy hitchhiking in some residential neighborhood? Isn't that a bit creepy?

The Hitchhiker seems to know him after he drives away since he tells the camera that Jake seems to think he's charming sort of a guy. Wow this hitchhiker sounds really Canadian and much friendlier than the one we are used to. I definitely prefer the creepy vibe that Page gives off more, but this was interesting. Anyways, charm can sometimes fool the charmer, or so the Hitchhiker says.

Jake drives up to the house he's been asked to sell. This guy really doesn't look like a Jake, more like a Herman or a Norman or some gross dorky name. We meet sisters Frances and Priscilla Packard played by real life actress sisters Audrey and Judy Landers. Now here are some actresses that look familiar. I know Audrey from singing that Tits and Ass song in the A Chorus Line movie. Judy Landers was in that Stewardess School movie which I caught 10 minutes of on Comedy Central back in the 1990s. Audrey actually went to Julliard and somehow she is still in this show. Both had made a number of television appearances in the 1980s so they are very familiar character actresses. Both are very good in this episode playing dumb sexy blondes which is basically their M.O.

They also like to dress as magician assistants around the house. This is because their father who left them this house was a famous magician.

Jake was very subtle when meeting these bodacious babes.

Get a good look Constanza?

He also says to one of them "You should have a sign that says 'beware of bush!'" Considering what happens to this guy in this episode, I think he should maybe take his own advice.

He also comments on how he likes the mounds in the garden. Real smooth.

There is some wackiness where he thinks both sisters are actually the same person until they appear together.

Of course being a classy guy he says "Stereo blondes! This is going to be delightful." I guess due to the unfreezing process he seems to have no inner monologue.

As he moves through the house we see a lot of cutlery imagery. One uses a chain saw, he runs into a hand saw, there is a random guillotine in the living room. Very curious.

There is also a bear in the closet. Oh Canada!

After the house tour, we learn that the sisters have trouble sharing. They had a doll someone gave them once and they had to split it down the middle so they didn't have to share it.

You can see here this doll is perfectly in tact with not even a seam down it, but somehow...

Jake is back in business as he gets to show his two new clients each a new home they can buy after they sell the home they are in.

This lady seems to be the only person to realize how disgusting this guy is.

The first sister gets shown a nice modest house. She gets horny when she finds out it has a fireplace and immediately strips and seduces Jake. Good Lord.

The second sister is shown a condo complete with creepy mannequins. He turns on the fireplace and we find out that fireplaces turn this sister on too.

There is a weird jump cut with this scene. My guess was the actress was too disgusted having to pretend to have sex with this guy and they had to cut out a facial expression.

At some point he does say the line "Let's slide into escrow together." Yuk.

I have to say the score on this episode with the wacky music is really distracting. Jake goes back to the house sometime later because he finds out the girls are not going to sell the house. Both sisters are just hanging out in their underwear.

Oh and one of them is making a sandwich. I'm sure this is doing it for someone right now.

They let Jake know that they both like him and they can't share him so they are not going to sell the house. He does seem more concerned with the fact they won't sell than the fact that these sisters are both after him. They both want him for some reason so his solution is that both of them can have him. They decide to take a photo to commemorate this moment.

There seems to be something happening behind him. Watch the birdie!

Wow that's a perfectly sliced sandwich! Ta-dah!

This scene has weird blocking, I couldn't tell how they got to this spot. And why is there no blood?

We end with the sisters walking through their garden talking about what new things they were going to plant in their mounds. The Hitchhiker has a voiceover, but we see his reflection in the door meaning he has been creeping around this neighborhood the whole time. He informs us that Jake would do anything for a sale and now he's a permanent fixture in the house.

Wait a minute...mounds in the garden? Are all those mounds other bodies of people they have done this to? Who is supposed to be the villain here?

I did like this episode. It was still crazy even without any supernatural elements. And it's nice to see that Nicholas Campbell wasn't completely erased from existence.

This is the last of the first season that was shot with the first Hitchhiker. The next one is the start of season 2 where I think they have finally figured out how the Hitchhiker fits into the series. I can't wait to find out what happens next.

[modernmanblues]

i’ve just realised i haven’t done an official review of all the places i’ve been to this year and since i’ve been to so many, i will try to keep it short and sweet. i might even divide this review in two parts. anyways, without further ado here we go:

starting off with the countries down undah

australia

-the koalas and joeys were absolutely adorable. shame i didn’t go to the bigger zoo (taronga) to hold a koala but you know, there is always a next time.

-this is very american of me to say, but i had one of the best McDonald’s burgers at sydney airport. i usually go out of my way to go to the nearest McDonald’s in any country i go as it always fascinates me how international menus differ from the standard macca’s menu in US

-scenery was okay

-bondi beach was pretty. it gave southern france vibes.

-downtown sydney had some great areas for running (esp in the morning when not too crowded)

-i went there during their winter. i would like to go back to experience their summer to see what it’s like.

-overall, Sydney like a diluted version of London

overall rating: 7/10

new zealand

-absolutely stunning views

-i only went two cities (Auckland and Queenstown), but i was still amazed with the view both places had to offer

-i would say NZ is a cross between England and Ireland with regard to the scenery

-food was okay. they basically eat like the english. meat and potatoes, that sort of thing.

-queenstown was absolutely breathtaking.

-again, similar weather to australia when i went. i would love to go back and experience their summer as well

-would be nice to explore the northern end of the island to the southern end (personally, i would love to visit Stewart Island for obvious reasons)

overall rating: 10/10

moving on to european countries

england

-london is london. business as usual. didn’t spend too much time there as i have already been there a few times as i was more interested in exploring the countryside. anyway, the tube is always fun to ride. not to miss!

-i really enjoyed driving “on the wrong side” didn’t take long for me to learn the rules of the road there. absolutely worth renting a car especially if you’re wanting to explore england’s rural areas.

-now, the countryside (i went to Banbury bordering the Cotswolds, Peak District and Lake District) and i was truly amazed with just how stunning the views were in these places

-oxford was also very stunning. loved exploring oxford university and the vicinity.

-food was okay.

-liverpool and manchester are literally the loves of my life (and yes i am biased about those places for personal reasons). I want to back again and again and again and ag-

overall rating: 10/10

..i will stop here and do a part 2 (maybe 3 as well)

[hopelesslygaysstuff]

I guess it's a good thing for someone who's going to study abroad 😂 I have never met so many people in such a short amount of time, honestly, and it is both really nice and tiring

THERE IS, and I think it's one of the most known thing of the city (but I haven't visited it yet tho, oups)

That's so nicee!!

I can't wait for winter to come either. It may snow, and apparently they set up ice rinks in large squares, I am so excited for this 💛 ALSO THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT, I CAN'T WAIT TO SPEND CHRISTMAS HERE

Ahah, yes, that's true. It's the same time in Czechia and France, so no problem for me 😌 How much of a difference is there with where you are from?

I also didn't have to deal with the expensive plane tickets. I am always surprised by how fucking expensive tickets to travel US-Europe are 💀

Well, it is very different. I can't really judge as I am only here as an Erasmus student, so it's known to be easiest buuut it is definitely less oppressive than the French system. I kinda feel like I am breathing again since I am here, and I can enjoy my studies without pressure

Then I guess you are going to love it there. Next week, the temperatures won't be above 10°, and it'll only get worst 🥲 I am from the South of France, so I am really not used to cold winters 😭

(I am glad it is okay then, I didn't mean to disrespect you or anything 💛)

Oh yeah, I'm an introvert so socializing is a lot for me but I'm just gonna tough it out because I'll never be able to study abroad again. Like this is a once in a lifetime opportunity for me and I'm sooo happy i'm able to go even if it's only for like 3 weeks.

YESSSS Christmas in Europe sounds like such a vibe!!!! I'll be able to celebrate with my family and then leave on a plane like right after haha. And yeah... it's hella expensive. I don't even wanna talk about how much I spent on plane tickets.

Studying without pressure sounds so relaxing I literally cannot wait. It's also nice bc I'm only taking one class so it's gonna be extra chill!

Omg good it's gonna be cold! Do you guys use celsius for measuring temperature over there?

Oh you should totally choose an anon emoji haha so I know it's you when you're in my inbox ♡

[jacobgdavis-blog]

RECAP OF TRIP TO FRANCE

Thursday, May 23 thru 29, 2024

DAY 5 - Mont St. Michel, Tuesday, May 28, 2024

This day would be an entirely different vibe than the American and WWII-history-heavy devotion of yesterday. Mont St. Michel was somewhere I visited on a whirlwind tour of Europe 21 years prior during a study abroad program. The site occupies a near-mythical status for me in my mind.

Located on a sometimes-island just off the coast of northern France, when the tide comes in, the hilltop fortress becomes a true island only accessible by a modern bus & pedestrian bridge. Over a dozen parking lots were stacked along the coast. Free shuttles were available but the long pilgrimage to the island on-foot across the bridge as the fortress on the horizon got closer and closer was an experience all unto its own.

Two decades prior, I only have a vague memory of Mont St. Michel feeling like a magical place that I promised myself I’d come back to someday. It’s honestly more touristy than historically significant, but the Medieval cobblestone roads and ancient structures at the top are 100% real. I was worried the visit wouldn’t live up to the hype in my own head, but to my absolute pleasure, it did… and then some.

The day-trip also had some complicated logistics. We had set out west from Caen for 1.5 hours only to know we’d have to come back to Caen later that evening to gas up our rental van, return it to Enterprise, and catch a 2-hour train ride back to Paris for our last evening in France. We managed it though, and it all worked out.

The whole exercise of the day-trip to Mont St. Michel is pretty much the same for everyone: Arrive in the morning, climb to the top to tour the abbey (if you can make the very non-handicap-accessible climb; The massive crowds certainly thin out as you get closer to the top) and then back down thru the cobblestone streets with unmatched views from the top along the ramparts. Numerous gift shops, coffee shops, and casual-to-fine-dining restaurants are available throughout the trek up or down. The island’s cuisine is most famous for its omelettes with oldest continuously in-business restaurant (specializing in omelettes, of course) allegedly being open since 1872.

When we got to the top, we got to hear a church service in the abbey which consisted of nuns and monks chanting and singing their liturgies. I got very emotional at the service, not really for religious reasons as a much as just taking inventory of all we had done in the week and in light of my now ever-present circumstance with a Stage 4 cancer diagnosis. It was a good thing I had sunglasses on because I was a bit of a mess. I had been looking forward to this trip for 5+ months after dreaming it up but not executing 7 years prior. We had finally made it happen. It was everything I had hoped for, and it was coming to an end. I guess to some degree, besides my family life which is most important to me, this trip gave me some purpose amidst the hardest last 9 months of my life, a life I love living and that was potentially wrapping up too early for my and my family’s liking. I was feeling relatively good health-wise since the new year and on this trip particularly, despite having had a chemotherapy treatment the day before departure.

I got separated from the group at the top thinking they had started to make their descent, but they were really just lallygagging in gift shops. 😉 With bad cell reception in such a remote place, it was hard to communicate, and when texts actually would go thru, the place was such a maze that it was hard to describe exact whereabouts. I was already emotional, and I was starting to get upset that I’d be potentially experiencing the scenic descent down the ancient pathways alone which is the opposite of what I envisioned. Danny came and found me, and I’m not too proud to say, I broke down and let it all out with him, swearing him to secrecy that I couldn’t keep my emotional shizz together. I ended up pulling myself together after about 5 minutes, having been lost but now found! We all met back up and ended up having a leisurely lunch on the way down at a cave of a restaurant toward the top.

We walked all the way back to the van, covering an unbelievable amount of ground. Danny drove back, hitting rush hour traffic in Caen on the way back. He was a pro having drive his band’s tour van all over the U.S. multiple times and having just navigated Spain with Kelsey via rental car the weeks prior. The only real fiasco occurred when I was turning in the rental and dropped an entire bottle of red wine on the ground. The French workers at Enterprise were actually incredibly gracious to me, a clumsy American, as they mopped up the wine and broken glass off the tile. We made our train in time, and were back in Paris just after 9pm. What a day.

We had one last night in France, and we spent it grabbing souvenirs, taking solo walks, and having dinner in separate groups. Ben, Grant, my dad, and I unwisely, but perhaps desperately, stopped at a place called Broadway Cafe which was Paris’s idea of what NYC was like. We had some very subpar Neapolitan pizzas while Jed got his kiddos trinkets, and Danny ate some mediocre escargot at a restaurant near our hotel. We joined up briefly after dinner, and said our goodnights to Grant and my dad as Ben and I joined Danny and Jed for one last night of local beers (Kronenbourg 1664 on this evening) and oysters. We finally retired exhausted, 2-to-a-room instead of 3-to-a-room this time on this solo night in Paris at Jardin Le Brea Hotel located in a more upscale part of town. The hotel was very nice, if not extremely compact in the most Euro-ways (e.g. one-person elevator barely able to accommodate luggage), but we had little time to enjoy it minus a really good shower and a quick 7am breakfast before our car transfer to the airport at 7:15am the next morning.

[le-souriant]

#MusicMonday Review - September 2023

#MusicMonday is the hashtag I've been using for quite a while to share music recommendations from up-and-coming artists. Always fresh, and always different, trying to look for trends before they become one. You can check August's review for more music.

This month's music will take you through different atmospheres, and settings. Sit back, relax, give it a listen or two, with a word from the artists themselves. 🎧

Lazy Guns – In My Shadow

Wear your crown with your head held high You tell everyone you live in the sky But what do you do when your kingdom crumbles You're falling down and I watch you tumble

We wake up this month in beautiful Sunshine Coast, Australia for a 2000s Rock revival about being always better than those who envy you:

"The song came about around three years ago while we were writing the album and was written by myself [band member Jack] and our older sister, Paris Smith.

Shadow is kind of a vengeful track and opens the door to a slightly darker side of our album. The song is ultimately about rising up against someone that has hurt you, and realizing that you are better that that person, and that they will always be 'in your shadow'."

Dakota Avenue – Skin

I feel, completely to blame for the uproar. We kissed, it’s not my fault that you want more. You feel, the way you feel because you’re… We talk, the way we talk because you’re… unhappy with him.

You’re unhappy with him. You’re unhappy within. You’re unhappy within your skin.

We move to Manchester, England for an alt-mospheric track about making someone so pissed, they can’t even find where their keys are:

"It is about the way people behave badly because of their own negative impression of themselves, and how the people around them may feel feel upset or somehow responsible. I think it’s more a reflection on myself and my friends at a time we weren't very happy!"

Silver Springs – Glow

Walk down the same old streets full of familiar faces Go for a drink visit the same old places Early in the morning, alone in the cold I see it clearer than in used to Be reborn again and let the past grow old

From Stockholm, Sweden, an ethereal Indie track about being stuck, losing it all, with nowhere to go:

"That song just came very naturally, I think I wrote it in just a couple of hours. It sort of sums up a feeling I had when I had to move on from something that was really important to me, I didn’t want to look back but I also thought everything new and current felt very boring and grey. And then in the last part of the song it’s more about moving on and accepting that things have to change.

It was like a brief but intense therapy session to write the song and I don’t think I realized at the time how personal the song really is. 😁"

The Semi-Supervillains – Here Comes Trouble

And I like a surprise; but I realize She's gone; and I keep hitting snooze I wake up at the crack of noon I look up; I ain't got a clue She's gone

Next stop, Weirton, West Virginia for some Classic Rock vibes about running as fast as I can, even if you don't wanna leave, before you may get a shotgun pointed at you:

"Here Comes Trouble is a contemporary blues rock track inspired by the modern garage rock juggernauts. The lyrics and story in the song are from a personal experience sparing few that is common for the average young American man. Getting laid and sneaking out of the house before her dad kicks finds you there!"

Parade – Electric Fear

Have you known this electric fear The one that hides your pain.

I'll tell you how it feels to live on pills

The harder you fall The pressure you felt The weight on your shoulders The weight of the world

Our last destination is Marseille, France for a Post Punk track that takes us to that place where happiness was never meant for real:

"Electric fear has different meanings, one would be against the alienation of working in big companies, never listening to your own feeling, just act as a robot until the day ends.

It also relates to my depression, and pills that always comes within. It doesn’t matter if it's drug pills or medicine pills as both interact with your mind.

We wrote the music together and [band member] Nico found very quickly this theme that we consider the chorus of the song and then we put that all together. At first it was the same line repeated over and over and we finally fixed it with the bridge so that it can be a proper song."

Listen to them and much more on the complete Playlist:

[ootyhoneymoon]

Enrapturing Your Faculties: Seeing the Sprouting Time of Yakimour Roses in Ooty

Settled in the quiet Nilgiri Slopes of Southern India, the charming town of Ooty, otherwise called Udhagamandalam, is a heaven for nature darlings and a focal point for sightseers looking for break from the hurrying around of city life. While Ooty's scene flaunts lavish tea gardens, rambling eucalyptus timberlands, and unblemished lakes, one of its most lovely attractions is the yearly sprouting time of Yakimour Roses. You can enjoy this by booking ooty honeymoon .

Yakimour Roses, an uncommon and novel types of roses initially hailing from the renowned Yakimour Valley in France, have found a second home in the Nilgiris. These roses are famous for their enamoring scent, dynamic tones, and stunning magnificence, making the Yakimour Rose Nurseries in Ooty a must-visit objective during the blossoming season by booking ooty honeymoon packages

Here's the reason seeing the blossoming time of Yakimour Roses in Ooty is an encounter that will charm every one of your faculties:

Visual Enjoyment: As the Yakimour Roses sprout, the rose nurseries are changed into an uproar of varieties. Columns upon lines of roses in different tints - from profound reds and delicate pinks to striking yellows and unadulterated whites - make a shocking visual display. The very much kept up with gardens and the cautious game plan of these lovely roses make for an ideal setting for photographic artists and nature fans.

Sweet-smelling Happiness: The scent of Yakimour Roses is not normal for some other. The air is loaded up with their sweet, inebriating fragrance, making each step you take in the nursery a tangible enjoyment. The fragrance waits in the air, leaving guests in a condition of olfactory delight.

Quiet Mood: The nurseries give a peaceful and tranquil climate, permitting you to interface with nature and departure the everyday turmoil. Walking around the rich green pathways and taking in the magnificence of the roses, encompassed by the cool mountain air, can be a reviving encounter.

Occasional Pleasure: The sprouting time of Yakimour Roses in Ooty commonly happens from pre-summer to late-spring, normally among April and June. This is when Ooty appreciates wonderful climate, making it the ideal opportunity to investigate the town's normal excellence.

Photography Heaven: For photography fans, the Yakimour Rose Nurseries offer a beautiful setting to catch the quintessence of Ooty's regular magnificence. Whether you're an expert photographic artist or just somebody who appreciates taking depictions, the dynamic roses and the peaceful environmental factors create for phenomenal photograph open doors.

Social Experience: Ooty, known as the "Sovereign of Slope Stations," isn't just about its regular excellence. The town likewise offers a special mix of neighborhood culture and custom. Guests can investigate close by tea domains, find out about the historical backdrop of Ooty, and enjoy nearby cooking.

All in all, seeing the sprouting time of Yakimour Roses in Ooty is a tangible banquet that ought to be on each nature darling's list of must-dos. The mix of dazzling visual magnificence, charming scent, and the by and large quiet vibe makes it a remarkable encounter. In this way, on the off chance that you intend to visit Ooty, time your excursion with the blossoming time of Yakimour Roses to drench yourself in the otherworldly universe of these phenomenal blossoms and make enduring recollections. Embracing Tastefulness: Enriching with Yakimour Roses in Ooty

Embracing polish through designing with Yakimour roses in Ooty can change any space into a lovely and captivating climate. Yakimour roses are known for their dazzling blossoms and novel scent, going with them an ideal decision for making a sumptuous and refined environment. Here are a few hints and thoughts for enriching with Yakimour roses in Ooty:

Pick the Right Variety Range: Yakimour roses come in different tones, so select shades that supplement the current style of your space. Delicate pastels like pale pink or rich white are frequently utilized for an exquisite, immortal look, while more profound tones like blood red or burgundy can add a hint of show.

Rose Courses of action: Make dazzling rose game plans involving Yakimour roses in containers, flower bundles, or focal points. Consider blending them in with other Ooty-developed blossoms like orchids, lilies, or lavender to change up your flower style.

Exquisite Table Settings: For unique events or regular polish, put Yakimour roses on your feasting table. Enhance each spot setting with a solitary rose or make a highlight with a lavish bouquet. Utilize fine china, precious stone glasses, and flatware to finish the look.

Flower Petal Pathways: Dissipate Yakimour flower petals along pathways or on the floor to make a heartfelt and welcoming climate. This is especially charming for occasions like weddings or private social events.

Scented Candles and Yakimour Roses: Consolidate the aroma of Yakimour roses with scented candles to improve the mood. Decide on rose-scented candles to supplement the flower subject or pick a reciprocal fragrance like lavender or vanilla.

Room Class: Brighten your room with Yakimour roses to make a quiet and heartfelt climate. Put a jar of roses on your end table or sprinkle petals on your bed for a bit of extravagance.

Open air Spaces: Don't restrict yourself to indoor stylistic theme. Use Yakimour roses to decorate open air spaces like nursery parties or outdoors feasting regions. Beautify arbors, passages, and open air tables with these delightful blossoms.

Do-It-Yourself Undertakings: Get imaginative with Yakimour roses by integrating them into Do-It-Yourself projects. Make your own rose-scented blend, rose-imbued oils, or rose water for use in different embellishing and culinary applications.

Rose-Decorated Gifts: While giving gifts, use Yakimour roses as embellishments. Attach a solitary rose or a little bouquet to the gift bundle with a glossy silk strip for an exquisite final detail.

Keep up with Newness: To guarantee your Yakimour roses stay new, change the water in their containers consistently, trim the stems, and get them in a cool area far from direct daylight and drafts.

Recollect that the way to improving with Yakimour roses in Ooty is to keep things elegant and not pack your space. Less can frequently be more with regards to making an exquisite air. Whether you're improving your home or facilitating an occasion, Yakimour roses will add a dash of complexity and magnificence to any setting in Ooty.

[umichenginabroad]

Paris Week 2: "les deux châteaux! "

Matthew Sinanis

Salut tout le monde!

It has been quite an eventful week here in Paris and I've done more than I could have ever initially expected. After getting to know my fellow peers abroad, I have found a group that shares my interests in exploring and going on spontaneous adventures.

We started off our week by going to Disneyland Paris! Compared to the United States, Disneyland Paris plays into French culture by displaying the "Sleeping Beauty" castle as opposed to the "Cinderella" castle which is shown in Florida. The park was incredibly fun and very interesting, especially since most of the interactive characters on the rides would speak French, which initially felt very confusing but ended up adding to the experience.

Paris has shown me how to have a true appreciation for food and view it just as important to French culture as the massive monuments and museums. One of the more intimidating experiences was taking my friends to try a French delicacy at dinner this week, Escargot. The experience was very enjoyable and I believe we all collectively agreed that once you stopped focusing on what you were eating, the escargot was very good. During the week, I continued my French food tour by trying the well-known onion soup, some more delicious fruit-flavored gelato, and assembling an amazing charcuterie picnic under the Eiffel Tower. I have also begun cooking this past week and have been really trying to push my culinary limits and cook some amazing dishes.

This week I have discovered one of, if not, my favorite place in Paris, that being Montmartre. Montmartre is an area in Paris where the Basilica de Sacré Coeur stands at roughly 500 feet tall in the northern 18th arrondissement. The church itself is breathtaking but the vibe of the area truly defines Parisian culture. At the top of the hill, you are left with an amazing visual of Paris's right bank, a view that reveals a different side of the city.

After classes, I have been attempting to slowly check off my ever-expanding list of museums to visit. A couple of the highlights from these trips have been visiting Le Centre Pompidou, La Musée Rodin, and Rivoli 59. Le Centre Pompidou seemed very out of place in the Marais area due to its size, yet the hundreds of modern art displays and the views from the 6th floor have shown me why it is an incredibly popular and appreciated addition. La Musée Rodin allowed me to see some incredible sculptures, including the world-renowned "Thinker". Rivoli 59 is a very unique art exhibit because it allows you to walk through the building as the artists are working and appreciate the creativity and diversity of artistic styles of Parisian artists.

Bringing us to the weekend, we started our Saturday off by heading slightly outside of Paris to the palace and gardens of Versailles. When we arrived at the palace, we were immediately met with the sight of the large golden gate at the front of the complex. Inside it was honestly as amazing as everyone makes it out to be. The halls were filled with lavish gold, murals, and sculptures that were honestly amazing to see.

On Sunday we woke up bright and early (literally at 5 am) to go to Mont Saint Michel in Normandy, France. The trip was 4 hours long to get up to Normandy and then we took a 15-minute shuttle to reach the foot of Mont Saint Michel. It is a massive castle-like structure that hosts a breathtaking abbey and village surrounded by a tidal zone. This is by far one of the most amazing places that I have ever been in my entire life.

Overall I have had a great week in Paris and the other areas of France and am so grateful to have seen some of these surreal places. Looking forward I have planned a couple more trips to London and Switzerland so I will keep you all updated with those trips soon!

À bientôt! Au revoir :)

Matthew Sinanis

Aerospace Engineering

Engineering in Paris