#when people used to queue up outside the shops because we were only allowed inside one person at a time

[hedgehog-moss]

I want to know all the scandalous gossips of your village. Is that weird?

It's understandable! I'm not into gossip except when it's animal-related but as a frequent library-goer (a place mainly frequented by elderly women) I end up overhearing a lot of stuff and some of it is somewhat fascinating.

One of my favourite pieces of local gossip is about the Cursed Inn—not the main street inn which is very loved as are its owners, but another inn just outside the village, whose owners keep changing and always seem to meet a tragic end. There have been drownings, kitchen-related accidents (? I don't know), incredibly dramatic divorces, the Fire of 1982, and so on, but the inn is very well-situated (on a hilltop so all the rooms have amazing views) so it always finds new owners.

The new buyers never believe locals about the curse, of course. The people who currently run the inn bought it just before covid started (which is obviously curse-related) (well, people aren't claiming the global pandemic was caused by this modest local curse in the French countryside but you have to admit the timing is suspect), and their son's bakery in another village has recently gone out of business, which is obviously due to the fact that his relatives run the cursed inn. Why else would a bakery go out of business.

Anyway—why is the inn cursed? Because it was built with Resistance money. During WWII, Allied forces would sometimes parachute coffers of money in specific locations for resistants in the mountain maquis, to buy weapons and supplies for sabotage operations, etc, and one day this random cow herder in the village suddenly had enough money to buy this nice plot of land and start building an inn. Everyone strongly suspected he'd stumbled upon some of that parachuted money while herding his cows, and most locals shunned him and his inn (though it still prospered thanks to tourists.) The guy ended up hanging himself for unrelated reasons (family drama) (but still), then the next owners went bankrupt after trying and failing to start an additional fruit tree business on the property. Locals didn't dislike the new owners, who weren't related to the original one, but the reaction was along the lines of "of course they went bankrupt, no one's going to prosper in that place" because of cosmic justice or something. It's been 70+ years and people are still vaguely ill-disposed towards the inn that was built with resistance money and whenever something bad happens to the latest owners the general sentiment is "they live in the cursed inn, what did they expect."

[accidentally-in-fictional-love]

For the emoji ask! absolutely LOVE your writing

🎲-dealer's choice +🩹 and ✏️ - maybe 🎲 comes down with a bad cold/flu and, with no real idea how or desire to take care of themselves, needs someone to remind them that they're worth taking care of?

We All Fall Down - Bob Taylor/Reader

Warnings: Gender-neutral reader, no use of Y/N, panic attacks, hurt/comfort, Bob needs a lot of help.

Wordcount: 6356

Summary: You knew everything about your neighbour, or so you thought, apart from his name, but when you end up the only one willing to help him when he falls under the weather, you might just get your chance to finally learn it.

Notes: My first Bob reader! This request was actually perfect because I'd been wanting to write this exact scenario for him for months, so this was the perfect excuse to bump up this idea from my personal list to my queue ;w; so thanks! As much as I'd love to just take care of him forever, I get the feeling that he wouldn't be too okay with getting help while he's got a bad fever, so get ready for the hurt before he gets any comfort and I hope you enjoy QwQ 💗💗💗

Summer was giving way to fall outside of your windows, the leaves already starting to change now that September was underway. You loved this time of the year, there was something special about autumn that always made you so content while you curled up on the porch with hot cocoa in your favourite sweater. It was the season of comfort, and you really wished you didn't have to go to work today as you shot your alarm a glance and groaned. You got up fast, the fresh air blowing through your windows urging you to get up and come feel the cooling breeze after such a rough summer all the way, and you didn't stop until you got to your car and saw your estranged neighbour picking up his daily newspaper from the end of the driveway. 

You waved to him as you always did but he didn't return it, his eyes on the ground as he grabbed his paper and headed back inside, and you noticed that he was looking a little rough before the door shut, it opened just enough to allow him entrance yet again. You shrugged and headed for work, your window down and music blaring the whole way there as you breathed in deep. You picked up a morning coffee and sipped at it until you parked, people already waiting to get inside the shopping center like a pack of rabid wolves. You didn't envy the cashiers on mornings like this, your cushy job just stocking shelves allowing you to easily avoid customers' wrath so long as you had more aisles to escape to. 

Today was going to be one of those days again, and you took your sweet time casually unloading your boxes as you traveled back and forth between the storage area and the shelves that were already getting swamped with early fall hunters. They ate up everything that was orange and leafy, the Halloween stuff wouldn't be out for another couple weeks still, so this was their time to get in everything else before that battle began. You caught the eye of your co-worker when two old ladies fought over the cutest wreath in the crafts section, and you both chuckled as you let them be and kept on working.

You were in the kids section redressing the mannequins in sweaters and jeans instead of t-shirts and shorts when you saw him again, and something about him made you pause a little as he perused. He didn't have children, you knew he didn't after being neighbours with him for so many years, but he still hung around the mannequins you'd already dressed with an expression like a father who'd lost his child. You didn't bother him, letting him stare until someone else approached and he anxiously looked over to them and left, and the next time you saw him he was looking amongst the toys until he found a rather cute teddy bear and picked it up. 

Again you didn't bother him, waiting to see if maybe he was getting it for someone or himself, but when a young kid sprinted past him he came back to life and watched him go, his eyes then landing on you. He put the bear back and quickly walked away, and you almost followed him when a younger co-worker walked up to you and made a show of shivering.

‘He's creepy, isn't he?’ she asked even though he might still be within earshot, and you quickly spun to get her to quiet her voice a little. ‘No, really, all he does is look at the kids' stuff and sometimes buy kid clothes, but I've never seen him come in with anyone, isn't that weird?’

‘Maybe he has nephews,’ you dismissed, not wanting to reveal that not only was she right in that he lived alone but that he was also your neighbour; that would get around fast, then they'd be pressing you for information like crazy, and you didn't want that for either of you. ‘Anyway, aren't you supposed to be on register this morning?’

‘Oh yeah, I closed real quick to tell you we need you, it's so busy they're opening up the extras so I'm finding everyone I can to bring to the front until it calms down.’

So much for your cushy shelving job.

You nearly jogged to your station of choice when you saw the lines already stretching out further than they should, the usual call of, ‘I can take whoever's next!’ earning you your own line in seconds flat. You plastered your biggest smile on before starting to ring them up, and by the time the lines thinned again you were sore and so sick of the colour orange. You closed your eyes and cracked your back the moment you got a break when you heard a small noise to your right, and you quickly apologized when you saw that it was him again; he'd found something he wanted, some clothes again just like she'd said, but you didn't say anything about it as you flashed him a more genuine smile and got his total.

‘I take it you didn't want the bear?’ you asked pleasantly, but he was so far away from you mentally that he barely registered your voice with a small, ‘Huh?’ ‘The bear, from earlier, I saw you checking it out, didn't want it in the end?’

‘No, no, sorry I-’ He cut himself off to cough a moment, his eyes scrunched tight as he held his fist in front of his closed mouth so he wouldn't cough all over your station. Your eyebrows furrowed at the sight when you remembered that he hadn't looked too good that morning, and now that you were face to face you could definitely see that he was paler than usual; there was a light beading of sweat on his forehead that only worsened with his coughing, the bags under his eyes were pronounced, and the flush on his cheeks wasn't from the social interaction, it was something else as the cough subsided and he hazily looked up at you. ‘Sorry, I'll just pay and… how much…?’ 

He could barely form a sentence he was so sick, and the clothes remained waiting at the end of your station as his legs then gave out and he crumbled to the floor. Everything stopped as heads turned and whispers filled the air, and you sprinted around to him to make sure he was okay and that he hadn't hit his head on the counter behind him. He hadn't, but he'd banged up his knee pretty good on the way down, and his ankle was twisted uncomfortably underneath him, but he didn't notice either as he started coughing again until he couldn't breathe. ‘Should we call an ambulance?’ someone above you asked, and you shook your head and took his temperature.

‘I'll bring him, I know where he lives for after,’ you said without a care, they could ask you all the questions you want later, right now he needed someone to actually give a damn about him. ‘Hey, go grab me some cold medicine from the pharmacy real quick, I'll pay for it later, and that blue bear from the kids aside,’ you told your nearest co-worker as your supervisor showed up, yourself and a kindly patron with long blonde hair and a friendly smile helping to get him on his feet so he could be taken to his car, you already knew it down to the plate number and you didn't want to leave it here while he was home.

‘What's happening?’ your supervisor asked the moment your neighbour was standing, and it was then it hit you that you knew where he lived, what his car looked like, what his plate numbers were, and his usual habits, but you'd never even learned his name. 

‘This man is sick, I'd like to take him to the doctor's, get him checked out, I'll work extra shifts this weekend to make up for it,’ you pleaded, and he looked between all the waiting faces before sighing and getting out of your way, he wouldn't make a scene over you helping a sick man, that'd be bad for business.

‘Fine, be here all the earlier on Saturday if you don't catch what he's got, could we get someone to sanitize this station so this register can be opened back up?’ he called into the crowd, and you and the other man helped carry him all the way to his car while your co-worker rang up everything and followed after you. You quickly located his car and stole his keys so he wouldn't have to walk so far, your neighbour not even noticing when you reached into his coat pocket to find them. 

He leaned against the patron up until you drove up, and he was carefully sat into the front seat beside you with his things set into the back, a wave given to the man and a whisper for your co-worker to make sure you picked up whatever he got as thanks. She nodded and rushed back in and then you were off, your neighbour slowly coming back to lucidity when he saw he was moving.

‘Where are we going?’ he mumbled softly, and you just barely told him you were heading for the hospital when he started to panic. ‘No, no- I wanna go home, please take me home-!’ he pleaded desperately, his hands weakly pawing at the car door even though you were still moving.

‘Okay! Okay, I'll take you home, please just sit still, we're almost there,’ you relented immediately at his panic, but he didn't calm until he saw that you were telling the truth. He was a wreck by the time you pulled into his driveway, his hands on the door again and forcing you to stop early when it flung open before you could even reach the end. He stumbled all the way to his front door, his hands in his pockets and searching for his keys until his panic grew again. 

You ran up behind him with them in hand, and he flinched when he heard you coming like he expected you to hurt him, which only made you feel worse as you handed them over and allowed him to search for the right one; he looked even sicker from the mental strain, and you gave him a moment to calm down and unlock his door while you grabbed the bag from the car. You did, and he did, but the moment you started to walk back to him he slammed the door in your face, just a glimpse of his returning panic showing on his own.

‘Hey, please open up, I just wanna make sure you're gunna be okay,’ you said to the wood, but the sound of the lock turning was his reply to that.

‘What's in that bag?’ he demanded with another cough, already forgetting that he'd been right there when you'd asked for everything inside.

‘Just some cold medicine,’ you told him but he didn't believe it, his cough getting worse.

‘No, there's too much inside for just that, what else is in there?’ He needed to know, this was really freaking him out for some reason, and you looked at the bag before telling him to go to his kitchen window. You met him there, and he pushed aside the curtains to make sure you weren't lying as you took out the medicine, still sealed, then the clothes he'd left behind, and you were just about to show him the bear when his eyes fluttered shut and he fell again. You heard the loud crash of him knocking whatever was on his counter to the floor with him, and you ran back to the door and tried desperately to open it.

‘Hey! Are you okay? I can help, please just let me help!’ you called to him through the wood, and you pressed your ear against it tight for any sign of movement until the slow sound of the click reached you again. You instantly turned the handle and carefully opened the door up, your neighbour slouched against the wall and breathing heavily in his fever. ‘I need to get you to the hospital, you could really be sick,’ you told him as you brushed aside his bangs and felt his forehead, but he just shook his head and moaned sickly.

‘No, please, don't make me go… I'll be good… I can finish them…’ You could barely make out what he said, but once you replayed it over in your head you felt your chest ache, and it was then you finally looked up and saw the state of his home; the walls were absolutely covered in hand drawn mazes, one big sprawling beast that looked more like a spreading infection than a decoration. The stuff he'd knocked over had been a stack of dirty plates with food still on them, he hadn't been eating much lately because of this cold, and every single window was closed and only making the air stuffier around him.

‘I won't, but tell me where your room is, I'll make you some soup or something while I'm here,’ you offered, but he managed another head shake before his vertigo worsened and he looked ready to vomit.

‘Don't, no more, I can do it…’

There was no use talking to him like this, he was too sick to even register who you were right now, so you left him a moment to look around. Most of his doors led to the wrong rooms, the bathroom, a closet, a second bigger closet, an empty room, and the final led to a locked door. You were about to ask if that was it but he couldn't hear you, his eyes shut tight while he coughed and moaned and rubbed his throat and arm, he must've banged it up as well when he fell. 

You didn't know what to do, he needed proper bed rest and there was no way you'd be able to get him into your house when he was that eager to get home, so you shot him a glance before running across the yard and grabbing a few things. You returned with the sleeping bag you bought for camping but never really used, as well as all three of your couch cushions so he wouldn't be sleeping on the floor, since he only had an armchair of his own in his empty living room. 

For someone who always looked so put together it was surprising how he lived this way, but you again didn't say anything as you made up his bed and ran home again for some supplies. This time you returned with a few spare pillows, some bottled water to keep nearby, and every single can of chicken noodle soup you had left in your cupboards, something he definitely wouldn't have based on the discarded TV dinner trays in his open trash in the kitchen. 

When his makeshift bed was made, you crawled your way back over to him, making sure to be careful not to startle him as he just laid there, breathing. You still didn't know his name, but you really wished you did as you approached, your hands a safe distance away as you whispered to get his attention.

‘Hey, come this way, okay? I just want you to lay down,’ you said gently, and when his eyes opened again it was like he was looking right through you. ‘You need to rest, I'll stay with you until your fever comes down, so please work with me here…’ When he didn't object you attempted to slip his arm around your shoulder, your own going behind his back, and he whimpered the entire way to the cushions; you couldn't wrap your head around it, he'd always been timid, but he never failed to flash you a smile and a wave when he got his mail, although now you were starting to realize how forced it might've been. He wasn't put together at all, he was hanging by a thread in here, all of it was a facade and it only broke because he'd gotten so sick and had no one to look out for him. 

He didn't understand what his bed was supposed to be at first, but as soon as he felt it was soft he laid down, three cushions clearly not enough as his feet hung over the small edge and rested on the floor. You frowned and grabbed his chair cushion, noting the stack of unopened mail next to the ashtray full of old cigarette butts without a word, and brought it over to him, his shoes gently removed so he wouldn't get dirt on either it or your sleeping bag. His socks were a rich red, quite the contrast to everything else being so beige and brown, and when his feet were all tucked in you moved on to his coat.

He wouldn't need it, but he fought you the entire time you tried to get it off of him, like he was afraid of what would happen if he lost it, and you shushed him and brushed his hair out of his eyes until he was calm, his arms easily sliding through the sleeves when he realized in his haze that you weren't going to hurt him and that he was much too hot. You tossed it out of the way, his head set down on your comfiest pillow when you were done, and he sank into it like he'd forgotten what a pillow felt like. That didn't bode well for you, and you shot the locked room another glance as you got up and went to clean up the mess he'd made now that he was comfortable.

You worked fast, he didn't seem to have ants waiting at the ready but you still didn't want to dawdle and give him one more thing to worry about just in case you missed something, and while you were at it you filled up the sink and got ready to do the dishes, just to help him out. 

When that was done you went back to your original task of giving him some cold medicine and getting him on the right track to being healthy again, or, as healthy as he could be due to the lack of proper food he seemed to eat, and you made a mental note to see what he was running short on seeing as he wouldn't be going anywhere anytime soon. You cracked open the seal on the cap, thankful that your co-worker had grabbed a bottle and not the capsules, he wasn't in a good enough state for any pills, and you filled it up to the line and prepared some water to wash it down as you positioned yourself next to his head.

‘Head, drink this, you'll start to feel better in no time,’ you told him, and he cracked open an eye, looked at the strange coloured liquid in the small, plastic cup, and fully freaked out.

‘No!’ he practically shrieked, swatting it from your hand and spilling it all over you, staining your work shirt purple and making you flinch as the medicinal smell filled your nostrils almost aggressively. He flopped off of the cushions and bumped into his coffee table, completely tangled up in the sleeping bag as he looked around and attempted to figure out where he was, but he was home, and you were just trying to help him, how was his fever so bad that he couldn't get that?’

‘Please, you're getting too worked up, you'll make your fever worse,’ you pleaded with him, the stains ignored in favour of getting this man back onto his cushions. ‘What do you want me to do to prove to you that I'm doing this for you?’

‘Drink it!’ he implored you, pointing to the knocked over and thankfully capped medicine bottle. ‘Show- show me it's okay!’

You weren't sick, but being this close to him might end up making you you were pretty sure, so you decided to humour whatever he asked as long as it got him taking this medicine, laying down, and hopefully having something to eat today. ‘Okay, here I go, it's okay,’ you said slowly as you poured just enough to show him, you didn't want to take a full dose, and you held it up and swirled it around to prove that it was there before grimacing and throwing your head back. 

It'd been a long time since you took any cold meds this way, the liquid caps were so much easier, and you felt like a kid again as you scrunched up your face and grabbed the water you were planning on giving him. You rinsed out your mouth before showing him it was gone, it was safe, and he looked between it and you before deciding that you were telling the truth.

‘Okay,’ he repeated before sniffling, you should really grab him a box of tissues as well soon, and he climbed back onto the cushions and waited for you to pour him some more. He was almost like a child, and you chalked it down to the fever exaggerating his apparent paranoia as you poured again, held it out for him to take, and let him swallow it himself. He mirrored your earlier expression before you handed him some water, and instantly having the liquid seemed to help as he downed more than half the bottle and handed it back to you. You took it and helped him lie back down, and his stomach grumbled the moment he was tucked in again.

‘When's the last time you ate?’ you added him, but he was already starting to fall asleep, all the exertion from his panicking knocking him right out. You went back to the kitchen and did a quick scope of the area, a lot of his food ready-made or instant just as you predicted, and most of everything that wasn't frozen past their due dates. You grabbed the bag you'd used for the mess and started to clear out all the expired food, the bag eventually growing too heavy and needing to be thrown out and replaced before it was even full. You hauled it to the curb and grabbed a new one when you returned, and he hadn't moved an inch as he panted and sweated through the fever.

You took a break to sit with him, a cup full of water next to you as you wet the washcloth you'd found in his sink drawer and dabbed at his forehead with it until he looked a little less pained in his sleep. His face softened and he stopped fidgeting as much as he was cooled, and you saw that he was actually quite handsome when he wasn't panicking. He still whimpered in his sleep like something was troubling him even then, and when you were done cooling him you cracked open the kitchen window and did the dishes as quietly as possible. 

It was strange, being here and cleaning instead of being at work, but you knew you couldn't leave him after all that, and you didn't want to set him off again by sending over a stranger to do this in your place when he'd reacted badly enough to you. When everything in the kitchen was cleaned you gave him a glance, made sure he was still sleeping, and moved onto his bathroom, because you knew if you stopped there then things would go back to stagnating, unfortunately. It was small, a quick clean, but it was clear he wasn't a big fan of chemicals when you found only towels and toilet paper in the ensuite closet. 

You ducked back home again to grab your own, gave the place the deepest clean it'd probably ever had, and let it also air out as you shut the door and kept the sterile smell away from the rest of the house. You couldn't help it, but since you'd started you couldn't stop, and you found yourself tidying his two closets as well, since they were sparsely filled and mostly just needed a bit of organization. You sat on the floor and refolded everything in the smaller one with the shelves, sorting all the knick knacks and containers while you were at it so things would be easier to find and grab, and you took another break to cool him down and make sure he was okay before tackling the bigger closet.

You moved all his coats to either end of the space based on the season, you felt he might appreciate the separation, a little order in his life to make things easier without needing to rifle through the entire bunch when he had this much available space. You did the same to his shoes, although that took less time seeing as he only had two more pairs, and the one looked like he hadn't even worn them yet, like he was saving them until his current pair finally wore down. 

When you were satisfied you checked out the spare room again, making sure there really was nothing in it, and when you confirmed that yes, he just wasn't using this room outside of drawing on the walls, you let your curiosity lead you back to the only door that wouldn't allow you entrance. It was stranger still to have his bedroom locked when he wasn't in it, and you were about to see if you could find the key out of sheer curiosity when you heard him make a sound from around the corner. You immediately returned to him, he was awake and looking around again like he didn't know where he was, and there was a moment of returning panic on his face when he saw you appear and approach him in his own home. 

‘It's just me, how're you feeling?’ You let him get reaccustomed to your presence as you sat back down, giving him as much time as he needed as he checked out the bed you'd made for him in slight confusion.

‘B-better,’ he rasped, clearly still sick, but now lucid enough to see that you weren't a danger to him, although he did linger on the dried and slightly sticky purple stain on your otherwise clean shirt, ‘what're you doing here?’

‘You collapsed at the store where I work so I brought you home, you know you had a bad fever earlier, right?’ you asked, and he felt his forehead with an equally sweaty hand. ‘Here, you're still too warm.’ You gently pushed his hand aside and felt him yourself, definitely still warm, but less so, and you wet the washcloth and attempted to dab at his forehead again before he pulled away.

‘Why are you doing this for me?’ He said it so softly you almost missed it, his eyes not even looking at you as he leaned away from the dripping cloth.

‘I wasn't going to just leave you here,’ you answered honestly, but it didn't make him feel better and you could see it on his face as he gripped the sleeping bag under his pale hands. 

‘You didn't have to, I can take care of myself, y’know, I've been sick before, I've survived worse,’ he muttered, and it didn't sound like a joke in the slightest, his tone concerning you mixed in with what he'd said earlier.

‘So, I should've brought you home and just… what, gone back to work?’ you confirmed with a frown, and he nodded in reply, like that was what he genuinely wanted. ‘You say you can take care of yourself, but you could barely stand, you weren't cleaning up, I wasn't even sure if you were eating or drinking, how could I leave… Bob, if you won't take care of yourself, then who will?’

He looked up at you, meeting your eye in surprise at the mention of his name. ‘How did you-?’

‘Your mail, I saw it on the front of the top envelope, but I didn't open any, don't worry,’ you quickly explained, and he glanced at said mail before turning back to you.

‘I can take care of myself, I always have,’ he mumbled almost to himself as he drew his legs up to his chest, and again he drew your attention to his arm when he rubbed at it.

‘That doesn't mean you have to, though, not on your own,’ you tried, and when he didn't move you shifted a little closer to him and dabbed at his forehead again when you saw how red his face was getting. He didn't flinch away this time, actually leaning into your touch as you cooled him, and when the water ran down his face just a little he closed his eyes and looked more relaxed than he had all day. ‘I know we haven't really talked much, or at all, really, but we've been neighbours for a while now, and… I hope this doesn't sound rude but I haven't seen anyone else around here, do you… do you have anyone you could call in case your fever comes back? You really shouldn't have to do this on your own.’

‘I'll be fine.’ He went to get to his feet without looking at you, and you hoped you hadn't offended him before he staggered on the cushions and nearly toppled over again, he really shouldn't be standing. You hurried up to support him but he didn't want it, now determined to make you leave now that you'd not only called him out on his loneliness, but also seen the state of his place no doubt; no one else had gotten this close and he couldn't have you be the first, and you didn't know whether to leave him or insist on staying as he walked to the door and opened it. ‘Thank you for your help, but I can handle it from here, you should just- go back to work or something.’

‘Wait, at least let me do this,’ you insisted as you headed over to the now clean counter, and you saw the way his eyes looked over everything you'd cleaned when you took out one of the cans of soup you'd brought over. ‘I have a trick for this, now that you're awake I'd like to teach it to you.’ He hesitantly looked you over, his eyes shifting between what you'd done and what you were about to do, and he thought it over before shutting the door again. He nodded and joined you by the counter, and you quickly opened the can before going to his freezer. ‘I know it's not from scratch, but it can really make a plain can of soup that much better,’ you began as you grabbed the few things that had survived his cold, a bag of frozen veggies and some celery added to the counter along with a big pot. ‘I tend to just use the carrots, but I think you could use a little extra, if you don't mind me saying.’

He didn't speak, just watched you work with the odd cough and sniffle as you dumped one can, quickly joined by a second, into a pot along with the veggies and celery after you'd chopped up the still fresh sections. He didn't have much in the way of cooking, clearly he didn't do it outside of his usual meals, and you waited until the pot began to boil before giving in and rushing home. 

He watched the stove for you while you grabbed what you were missing, and when you returned you found him leaning over the pot and breathing in the lovely smells. You quickly diced the onion and added in the parsley, dill, and lemon, and you had no idea how well it was going to work with the peas and green beans but if he liked it then you'd consider this a success. 

You waited until it was all cooked, a quick sip followed by a bigger bite of everything making you moan in hunger, you'd worked up quite the appetite while you'd been cleaning you realized, and he looked less ready to throw you out as you set it to a simmer and grabbed a bowl. Crackers were one of the few things he still had, and you pulled out a sleeve for him after presenting him with the steaming soup, Bob licking his lips and looking ready to cry even though it was such a simple recipe. ‘See, nothing beats homemade, but I can at least spice this up for you, you aren't allergic to any of that, are you? I should've asked first, I'm sorry-’

‘I'm not, but thank you, for asking, I mean,’ he said softly as he lifted the spoon, and he blew on it a couple times before taking his first bite; some colour came back to him as the tastes penetrated his cold and allowed him the simple joy of good, hot soup while sick, and he ignored the crackers completely as he sat on his cushionless chair and scarfed it all down. It was still too hot, and he kept burning his tongue when he didn't want to wait at first, but the bowl was empty before he knew it, and life looked good on him as he looked back over to the stove. ‘Uh…’

You didn't let him ask, gladly refilling his bowl for him as well as bringing him some water, and you weren't sure if it was because you'd opened the window earlier but it certainly felt lighter in there as he dug in again. You smiled at him, seeing him like this was much nicer than whatever was troubling him before, and you considered him okay enough to leave just like he wanted as you gathered your coat and keys.

‘You're leaving?’ You froze mid-step on the way to the door, Bob staring at the floor when you turned back to him. ‘I mean, you aren't gunna have any?’ You hadn't planned on it, you'd made it all for him, but you felt you couldn't resist as you set your things back down and grabbed a second bowl from the cupboard. You didn't fill it as much as his, you still wanted him to have most of it, and you made sure to save him all the good stuff before pulling up a cushion and sitting opposite him on the floor. ‘...It's been a while since I had anything like this, not since I left home,’ he confessed to you as you ate, but you didn't pry, you knew he had more secrets than what you'd seen so far. ‘It's nice, the food and… and getting to eat with someone, I didn't think I'd be able to have something like this again, after…’

Your curiosity was killing you, but you quelled it by reaching across the table and placing your hand over his, not taking it, not making him feel trapped, but just showing him that you were there.

‘Well, anytime you wanna have it again, or any other meal, or even just someone to sit with you when you're sick again, you can always call me, I'm right next door,’ you promised him, and the look of hope on his face was both relieved and tragic at the same time over something so small. 

‘Does that include today, or do you still have to go to work?’ he asked, and when you smiled at him he flipped his hand to hold yours for that extra bit of comfort. 

‘I already told my boss I'd work Saturday for this, I've got nothing else going on today,’ you admitted since there was a very good chance he didn't even remember going to the store with how out of it he was. ‘Oh, that reminds me-’ You grabbed the bag you'd moved to the counter when you cleaned, and he watched you go in a relaxed silence until he saw you pull out what you'd brought him. ‘You nearly left these at the checkout so I wanted to make sure- what's wrong?’

‘Can you forg- it's nothing, thank you, I'll pay you back,’ he said dismissively, nervously, his eyes anywhere but on you or perhaps the items as you frowned and set them down. 

‘It's fine, don't worry about it,’ you replied as you went to join him again, but something had changed, and he now seemed aware that you were in his house, that you were surrounded by the mazes he'd drawn all over the walls. ‘Hey, I may not know what's going on, and you don't have to tell me, but at least for today will you let me finish taking care of you?’ you asked with a small smile, and he looked behind you before deciding that yes, he'd actually like that, his own forced smile mirroring yours before it turned into something soft and genuine.

You liked this smile a lot more you also decided as you got back to your soup, Bob watching you eat before joining you on the floor. His posture was a lot more relaxed than you'd ever seen before as he finished off his second bowl and went for thirds to your delight, and when his fever came back a bit later, he actually allowed you to let him lay his head in your lap while you dabbed at his forehead. 

You didn't know if he'd ever tell you about the mazes, or the room, or why he'd reacted so strongly to you today, but you could be patient with him as you brushed his hair out of the way, his eyes closing as he fell back into an easy sleep in the safety of your arms, the crisp smell of fall and the hearty scent of the soup filling his empty house and making it feel a little more like a home.

[readyplayerhobi]

Flower | 29

; Hoseok x Reader

;Genre: Fluff, slight angst

; Warnings: Discussions of periods and contraception

; Word Count: 4.6k

; Synopsis: You finally decide to take a dip into the world of online dating and find the Flower dating app. One of the top matches for you proves to be a guy who looks to be your complete opposite; tattooed, pierced, a metalhead and oh…incredibly handsome. What happens when you throw caution to the wind and reach out to him?

; A/N: I know it’s taking a long time for me to update this but I hope you enjoy it :D Please reblog if you do and let me know what you think my commenting on this or sending me an ask!

; Flower Masterpost

-

“Hey, meeps,” You hear Hoseok’s voice calling to you from the end of the aisle, his new nickname for you now gaining its own nickname as well. “If sunflower oil is made from sunflowers, and coconut oil is made from coconuts...then baby oil…”

He trails off, raising his eyebrows and giving you a scandalous look as he holds up a bottle of baby oil. For a moment, you just stare at him blankly before sighing and rolling your eyes in amusement. Taking the bottle from him, you place it back down onto the shelf before linking your arm through his.

Thankfully, he lets you direct him back to the little section they have in this makeup and skincare store that’s fully dedicated to Korean beauty. This is one of those strange stores where they have tons of products that are basically on sale yet also have branded stuff alongside it. Not that you cared though; it had the Korean brands you swore by for your skin and you were more than tempted to try out the Japanese beauty stand next to it.

For someone who isn’t particularly bothered about the whole concept of skincare, though you had managed to convince him to at least improve his routine, Hoseok was being a pretty good boyfriend right now. He hadn’t complained about the half an hour you’d spent perusing the makeup to find new stuff to put into your collection and he still wasn’t complaining as you filled your basket with face masks.

If anything, he’d managed to entertain himself quite well. 

But you think he was being good purely because you’d gone with him to a concert last night. It had been for one of his favourite bands, Metallica, and he’d ended up with a spare ticket as Jungkook had ended up ill with food poisoning. He had been about to go on his own, but you hadn’t liked the thought of him being lonely so you’d gone with him.

You’d recognised some of the songs they’d played from whenever Hoseok played them in the car or the house but it hadn’t been your scene. Still, it had been fun enough and you’d more than enjoyed seeing Hoseok happy as he’d rocked out to his beloved band.

It did mean that you were exceptionally tired today though as the two of you hadn’t gotten home from the stadium they’d performed in until after 2 am. That had been the closest performance apparently and you’d been shattered, sleeping until well after 11 am. Hoseok had promised you a day of relaxation, which you’d jumped on by asking him to do a full Korean skincare routine with you tonight.

He’d agreed, and you’d eagerly dragged him out to this store to replenish your supplies. The makeup was just because it was there and you couldn’t resist it. Already you were coming up with ideas for looks in your head that you could create and then put onto your Instagram. Moving places had meant that you hadn’t done many looks lately and you were eager to change that.

Especially now that you had a yard to take nice photos in. Hoseok and you had both been working hard on the weekends and evenings to transform the yard from the overgrown mess it had been into something nice. Nothing too amazing or expensive as it wasn’t your own house but nice enough that it made from some pretty aesthetic photos.

Placing a final bottle of moisturiser in your basket, you smile at Hoseok and hold it up proudly. He just looks at you in amusement for a second before smiling back.

“All done! We can go to pay now.” While you pay for all your new stuff, he goes and waits outside for you. Which you discover means he intently window shops at the video game store, getting that look on his face when he wants to do something.

Feeling that your bladder is a little too full right now, you glance over to where the public restrooms are and move over to Hoseok. “You can go in if you want, I’m going to the restroom so I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

He takes your bag for you like the gentleman he is before disappearing inside, immediately making a beeline for the Playstation 4 section. You have a feeling he might be about to drop some money given how interested he’d been in some of the new games that have been released in the last few months.

Any thoughts of games are wiped from your mind very quickly though when you’re on the toilet. The sight of red staining your underwear has your eyes widening in horror as you realise that your period has decided to make an early appearance. For a moment you simply stare, brow creasing before you reach for your bag and grab your phone.

The period app you use says that you shouldn’t have started for another four days and you curse your body for doing whatever it likes. Scowling at the stain, you attempt to clean it before sighing in defeat, acknowledging that at least you were wearing black jeans today.

Another rummage in your bag causes you to find another problem, this one sending ice water running through your veins. Grabbing it and placing it onto your knees, you visually scan through every space and almost pull out the entire contents before letting out a small sound of despair.

You had no tampons.

Cursing to yourself quietly, you finish up and make do with an almost ridiculously large amount of toilet paper. Rushing out, you wash your hands before moving over to the machine that always had condoms, sanitary pads and tampons.

Only to see the ‘sold out’ sign on both the buttons you need. Groaning quietly, you do a little dance of frustration as you realise there are not even any other women in the restroom for you to ask. Not that you would. As if your social anxiety would allow for that!

So instead you have to slink outside and into the game shop, lip jutting out in a slight pout as you become hyper-aware of yourself. Can other people smell the blood? What if you leak through all the toilet paper and it does somehow show through your jeans?! What if you leak through onto a chair!

Hoseok wanted to get something to eat after this and you were dreading having to sit there for ages. Playing with your fingers nervously, you move over to where he’s crouched in front of the PS4 stand. He already has two game cases in his hand and is reading the back of another one, your bag of goodies on the floor between his feet.

Glancing up at you, he grins brightly before showing the cover of one of the cases he’s got.

“Look! The Spider-Man game is on sale! You want to play this, right?” Absentmindedly, you nod. The back of your mind takes in the fact that he’s also got Divinity: Original Sin 2 in his ‘buy’ hand and the other case he’s considering is the Doom remake. You wish that you could let him browse more but the drug store wasn’t close by and you didn’t want to just abandon him suddenly.

Still, the thought of what was going on down below was overwhelming and you found yourself shaking his shoulder slightly.

“Hey, are you done? Can we go?” Reaching down, you take your bag back and stand back as he rises, the crease between his brows letting you know he’s a little confused as to why you’re suddenly rushing him. He knows full well that there’s nothing important you need to do.

Still, though, he doesn’t question it and instead nods slowly. While he goes and pays for the games he’s buying, you go to wait by the entrance. Wrapping your arms around your waist, you realise that the low ache in your back that you’d had for a day or so was one of those early symptoms you got of your period.

Only you hadn’t thought anything about it. Not when you’d spent a few hours last night stood up. You’d just thought it was because you’d done a lot of work in the yard combined with the concert. Apparently not.

You’re pretty much already walking in the direction of the drug store by the time Hoseok comes out, causing him to have to jog to catch up with you. All you can think about is whether or not walking faster or slower would make things worse.

“Woah, hey, where are we going?” Hoseok asks, matching his speed to yours. You’re just thankful that there are not too many people out shopping today because it would only increase your stress levels if there was a big queue that you had to wait in or something.

“Just, to this store.” Admittedly, you’re not being very open and honest right now. But you’re embarrassed. Hoseok is fully aware of your periods and that they’re very much a thing that happens. They’d become a little more irregular recently as you’d had a copper IUD put in around a month before moving in with him.

Nothing drastic or anything, but then again they were also sometimes longer and a little heavier than you were used to when you were on the pill. It wasn’t exactly something you enjoyed talking about with anyone though; Soyeon and Chungha were pretty open about this kind of stuff but you had always mostly stayed quiet whenever they talked about it.

Which was silly. They were women who fully understood what you were going through and Hoseok understood that it was a monthly event. So it wasn’t like he’d be shocked to find out or anything. If anything, you’d probably done a bit of a bad job in explaining some things to him as you’d always got too shy whenever he’d asked things.

That was bad, you were well aware. But you’d only really got comfortable talking about sexual things with him. You knew that there were guys who thought it was gross that women bled for a week or so. Hoseok had never made those kinds of comments, but still. You were a work in progress.

“We’ve already been in here, why are you dragging me like Jason Voorhees is running after us with a knife?” He whines when you enter the store. You’re not surprised he’s confused because he’s right, you had come in here earlier and picked up what you needed. Still, though, he follows close by.

“I thought we didn’t need anything else.” Comes from him next, his lip pouting and you get the sense that he wanted to spend more time in the game store. A rush of guilt and shame washes over you, causing you to grip his hand even tighter as you shuffle awkwardly in place for a moment.

Finally in the store though, you realise just how silly you’re being with him. It’s not like he’s going to get outraged or upset. And you’re sure he’d have been much more willing to come along if he hadn’t been dragged along half the street with no idea what was happening.

Leaning into him, you cough slightly before swallowing as you feel yourself go hot with anxiety.

“My period started.” You whisper, keeping the words quiet enough so that he can hear them without having anyone else overhear. Though the rational part of your mind knew that you shouldn’t give a flying fuck what anyone else thought. It was a natural, bodily function and all that.

Your mind has never quite done things rationally though.

Hoseok has heard you though, you can tell by the way his head tilts to the side ever so slightly. But his expression is blank for a moment before his brow creases in obvious confusion, lips pursing as he contemplates what you’ve just told him.

“Okay...so why are we here?” Annnnd there it is. That famed male obliviousness to female problems. You couldn’t get annoyed at him though, not when he was good with you on everything else. He was cute.

“It’s early? And I have nothing to use. So I need to buy some.” His face changes immediately when he understands finally, mouth curving into an ‘o’ shape as he lets out a noise of recognition. It then contorts into worry for you, his eyes glancing down to your crotch area with wide eyes.

“Wait, so that means you’re...just…” He creates a rushing gesture with his hands, imitating a waterfall as he makes a ‘whoosh’ noise with his mouth. It’s a little too loud for your liking and you hiss at him, poking at his stomach before quickly pulling him over to the menstrual health aisle.

“I’ve used some toilet paper but it probably won’t last. It’s come on pretty hard and fast today. Please don’t laugh.” You beg him and his face sobers immediately, eyes darting over your own as he takes in your distressed appearance. Licking at his lips, he inhales deeply before nodding.

“Okay, you use tampons, right? So like...which ones? You never keep the box.” Automatically he starts to look over all the boxes of tampons; staring at the brands, types and absorption levels like he’s reading signs in Mandarin or something. It makes you want to laugh, despite the situation.

You appreciate his eagerness to help though, even when he points at random boxes with absolutely zero knowledge of what it was.

“What’s the difference in the brands? Is there a difference? Or is it like...when you buy those store brand biscuits and realise they taste the same as the branded biscuits only to find out that they’re made in the same factory and just relabelled?” That makes you snort with amusement, particularly as he’s now holding up a box of Tampax and a store brand to try and see the difference.

He’s not finished yet though, and even though you still feel the urgency to just grab some and run, you can’t help but let him entertain you. Because that’s what he’s doing. You’re not oblivious, you’ve realised over time that if you’re feeling anxious or uncomfortable or shy, Hoseok will often use humour to distract you away from your negativity.

It’s nice, which is why you let him carry on for a minute or so more.

“What are the drops for? And what’s the difference between regular and super? I mean, I think you’re pretty super but is this like...super big or something? Wait, is this plastic?! How does it absorb blood if it’s plastic?” Rolling your eyes at him, you bite your lip to stop the laughter that wants to escape before reaching past him to grab the box you usually buy.

Lifting it, you decide for a quick crash course in tampons. As your boyfriend, you never know when you might need him to run out to the store for some and the last thing you need is him bringing the entirely wrong type back.

“I use Tampax, purely cos it’s just the brand I’ve always used and I’m familiar with it. Super and regular are like the absorption so you’d use a super for the first few days when a period is heaviest. Hence why I’m getting these. The drops are the absorption rating too basically and it’s not plastic, that’s just the applicator that makes it easier to insert.” You say it all pretty quickly, but quietly enough that only he hears. 

Not that there’s any need, the store is loud enough that your conversation can’t be overheard and on top of that, there’s no one in this aisle anyway. But Hoseok nods thoughtfully, scanning the front of the box carefully.

“When we get home, I think I need a crash course in periods because I’m feeling pretty useless and dumb right now.” Laughing, you lean up to kiss his cheek quickly before heading in the direction of the cashiers.

“We can do that for you. It’s better to be educated after all. This is where I find out that you have this bizarre knowledge that is unbelievably wrong and I cringe.” Hoseok doesn’t answer back to that, causing you to look back and chuckle at his meek shrug and wince.

“What can I say? I’ve never had a girlfriend long enough to learn and education in high school was terrible. I’m not even gonna try to defend myself.” Humming lightly, you grin at him as you pay before heading out of the store. Looking in the direction of the toilets, you twist your lips as you consider your options.

“You want to eat at that place, right?” You ask, nodding your head towards the Japanese place that was down the opposite end of the street. Hoseok looks that way and nods, confirming his desire to you. Already you can feel your stomach rumble as you imagine the delicious food.

“Okay, we’ll just go there and I’ll go straight to the restroom in there. Come on.” Reaching you, you take his hand and smile up at him, your walk not so hurried now compared to before. Not that you aren’t completely aware of the fact that you’re free bleeding from your vagina right now, but walking faster might just aggravate it more. 

You had what you needed, so now you could relax a little more.

-

“Why are there so many steps in this? Don’t you get bored?” Hoseok mumbles, his words a little slurred due to the fact you’re rubbing serum into his cheeks. He’s already been here for ages in the bathroom as you’d used a cleanser to clean his face before exfoliating and then using toner on some cotton pads. 

You could tell that he was amused by the whole situation, even though he’d seen you do this many times before. But it was different experiencing it for himself you supposed. Still, he looked so adorable and you cooed to him, squishing his cheeks even more in amusement.

“No. It’s relaxing. You’re supposed to relax.” That makes him scowl, the expression not nearly as intense as he was going for given you’ve got his lips in the cutest pout. Still, you’re finished with that part so you let him go, laughing as he runs his fingers over his skin.

“I’m not relaxed. More...manhandled.” Scoffing, you roll your eyes as you get to work rubbing the serum you need into your skin, focusing on your eyes. The dark circles beneath them were far too...well dark for your liking.

“Okay, how’s your skin lately? Dry? Oily?” Frowning at you, he twists his lips as he considers your question. He’s been taking better care of his skin than he had been before dating you, but you knew that he still didn’t care that much. Surprisingly though, he has an answer for you.

“Dry?” Nodding to yourself, you reach through your box of face masks and pull out a moisturising one. Handing it over to him, you take your own and rip it open, pulling out the mask and carefully putting it on. Hoseok watches you intently before opening up his mask, his face immediately twisting into a cringe.

“Ewwww, oh my god. Why is it so slimy?!” He whines, holding it over the sink like it’s some monster that might kill him. With the mask on your face, you can’t laugh properly like you want to.

“Stop being a baby and put it on.” With a little more whining, he does so, lining it up and putting it onto his face. What follows is then complaints that it’s also cold and feels weird, causing you to roll your eyes at him once more as you help to smooth out any creases in it.

“Right, we’ve got to keep this on for twenty minutes so let’s go watch some Netflix,” Looking over him, you take in how he still manages to look handsome even with a white sheet mask on. “It’s not fair that you always look so good. Honestly.”

Hoseok just shrugs before licking his lips, his reaction immediate as he registers the foul taste. “Oh fuck me, what the fuck. This tastes fucking vile!”

“...you’re not meant to eat it, babe, they don’t make it for the taste.” He washes his hands in the sink to get rid of the remaining residue before following you out to the couch in the living room, Netflix still paused on the large television screen. Kasumi is curled up on her cat tree, fluffy body small as she sleeps quietly.

For around ten minutes, neither of you speak as you continue to watch Warrior Nun. It’s surprisingly got both your attention hooked, so you’re a little surprised when Hoseok suddenly speaks up and distracts you.

“Hey...I know this is a weird time to talk about this but after your whole period thing today it reminded me. So, I’ve been thinking lately. You definitely don’t want kids...right?” He looks at you and you get the impression he would raise his brow if he could. When you nod in response, he blows out a breath slowly.

“Okay...how would you feel if I said I wanted to get a vasectomy? I mean, I know you’ve said you don’t want kids but there’s always a chance that you might and a vasectomy is pretty final. Despite what people say.” Now it’s your for your expression to be mostly hidden by your face mask, your eyes widening until your eyelashes are uncomfortably touching the edges of the holes.

“You want that? I thought guys normally got all weirded out at that prospect. And I don’t want kids, ever. Full stop. Are you sure?” Of all the things you were going to be discussing tonight, you did not expect it to be this. It’s almost amusing that Hoseok has decided right now is the time for something so serious, when you both look so silly.

“I do. I just...I don’t want to risk a pregnancy and I know you’re scared of that too. Also, it’d put less stress on you, I know most birth control is usually aimed at women except for condoms and it’s a lot easier for me to get a vasectomy than for you to get anything done.” That makes you snort in acknowledgement, shifting on the couch until you pull your leg up and wrap your arms around it.

“Yeah, because god forbid a woman not want to fulfil her natural duty and pop out a kid, right?” 

“I’ve been looking into it, I’m pretty sure I could get one. If not, I’ll just talk the doctor’s ear off until they let me. Because it’s gonna happen. It’s way easier and less stressful than anything you have to do.” His dual concern for not wanting to cause an accidental pregnancy that neither of you wanted along with not wanting the burden to fall too heavily on you warms you, causing you to reach out and grasp his hand tightly as you squeeze at it.

“Is it easy? Or quick?” 

“Apparently. Some guys say it doesn’t hurt at all, others said it hurts. But...I’m pretty sure I want it. I just wanted to check with you that you’d be okay with the idea too. As I said, it’s final.” Hoseok smiles at you as best he can, causing you to shuffle a little closer to him. You’d like to rest your head against his shoulder but you’d just get it covered in face mask gunk.

“I mean, it’s your body. It doesn’t have anything to do with me.” Pointing this out to him, you look up and tilt your head, your statement almost a question.

It makes him sigh and focus on your hands, shifting them until he could interlink his fingers with your own. You let him do so, figuring he should probably be taking the lead in this conversation. It is about him after all.

“We’re in a relationship. A serious relationship and this decision would affect both of us. It’s cutting off the chance for biological kids, despite people saying you might be able to reverse it. I feel you should have a say too.” Nodding slowly, you hum lightly as you consider his words carefully.

“Well, if you want it then I’ll support you completely. I never want children so you don’t have to worry about that. It’s your decision, but I just want to make sure you think it over properly and do research, okay? Don’t go rushing into it.” That makes him snort in amusement.

“Meeps, if there’s one thing you should know by now; it’s that men do not take decisions regarding their dick and balls lightly. You can be damn sure I’m going to be 100% in my decision if I’m going to let someone come near my balls with a scalpel or somet.” The way he says this is so matter of fact that you can’t help but laugh, the sound not as big or bright as you’d like it to be given you still had your mask on.

“Man, I can’t believe I’m talking about someone knifing my balls while I’m sitting here looking like a dollar store Michael Myers.” Hoseok points at himself, his bemusement clearly obvious despite his poor Halloween costume and you giggle softly.

Reaching out, you run your fingers through his hair that’s currently being held back by a bandana and smile at him softly. “Come on, let’s go get these off and start looking human again.”

Hoseok follows you immediately, already peeling the face mask off and making casual comments about how the mask isn’t as slimy as it had once been. You take off your own and drop it into the small bin in the bathroom, making sure that he does the same.

“Okay, rub it in and pat it dry. Make sure you get the excess to go on your throat and stuff, it’s good for your skin there too.” Hoseok looks in the mirror, his face shining obscenely from the residue leftover and grimaces.

“Ew, this feels...gross,” One hand presses to his skin, rubbing it in and cringing. “Is this what it feels like when I cum on your face?”

The comment is so random that you pause for a moment, all thoughts disappearing as you comprehend what he’s just said. A glance at him makes you realise he���s being completely serious, his expression focused on rubbing his face as you’d told him. It’s moments like this that make you love him even more, the blasé comments he makes that are so funny and yet also x-rated.

“No...not really. That’s more...well it’s not all over, you know? And it’s thicker than this. And I don’t know why I’m explaining this to you. You know what your cum feels like.” A snort from him gives away his bemusement.

“Yeah, but I’ve never smeared it all over my face before.”

“Maybe you should. Experience it for yourself for once. It’s not all that good for you by the way, despite what people say. It has protein but it’s not enough to make it worthwhile or anything, so don’t think I’m going to be asking you for your special facials anytime soon.” Looking away from him, you grab the next item on your routine before looking at him with a smirk.

“Damn, there goes my plan to be self-sufficient. Could’ve made a whole organic spa thing out of it.” 

[slyttherins]

Unexpected flame (part 5) | Fred Weasley x Sirius Black’s daughter

Hermione - along with Crookshanks - arrived at the start of August. She had brought her whole trunk and school stuff, having no plan to return home before the start of the new school year.

As expected, Ginny didn't waste time filling her in on the latest gossip inside the house. Juliet wished she had kept it to herself, as there was really nothing to tell, but according to Ginny, it was big news.

The three girls were sitting in Ginny and Hermione's room, eating freshly baked pumpkin cookies and catching up when Ginny brought it up.

''So...are we gonna ignore the elephant in the room?''

''Yes.''

''No.''

Juliet glared at Hermione. She usually didn't pay interest in gossip, which left Juliet surprised.

''What? I want to be let in on the juicy gossip too. All I know is what Ginny told me, which isn't much.''

''Because there isn't much to tell.''

Ginny rolled her eyes. ''Rubbish.''

''Come on, Juliet. You kissed Fred, there must be something to tell,'' Hermione encouraged.

Perhaps they did a little more than kissing, but she figured Ginny didn't need - or want - to know that. No one wants to hear that their brother fingered their best friend while they were asleep next door.

Juliet shifted uncomfortably and glanced at Ginny. ''Don't you think it's a bit weird that I tell you this? He's your brother.''

''But you're my best friend and I want to know about your love life...even if it involves my brother. There's things I do not want to know, but I trust you to not add too much details I don't want to hear.''

Juliet had no intentions of telling them all the details - she wanted to keep some parts of her night with Fred private -, but told them just enough to satisfy their curiosity.

''How was it? The kiss,'' Hermione asked.

Ginny scoffed. ''I bet they did more than kissing.''

''We did not.''

''You're lying!''

''Am not.''

''Quit it. Fred told George already and George told me-''

''He told George?! I can't believe him-''

A mischievous grin broke on Ginny's face. ''Got you. I knew you were lying!''

Juliet gaped.

Just then, George walked down the hallway and stopped at her door. ''What is she lying about?'' he asked, stopping in the doorway.

''She and Fred had sex.''

.

Once everyone had gone to bed, Fred slipped in Juliet's bedroom. It had become their night routine.

They'd sit on her bed and talk until late, until one of them started to feel sleepy. Sometimes, like tonight, clothes were removed and kisses were exchanged, but that didn't change their status. Juliet and Fred were friends. Or, perhaps a little more.

Hermione didn't approve of their arrangement, not a fan of these ‘friends with benefits’ thing, but Juliet had simply shrugged. They weren't doing anyone harm, they were just two friends having fun behind closed doors.

They rolled on their sides, facing each other as Fred caressed the pale skin of Juliet' shoulder in the half moon's glow. ''Funny how we didn't tell anyone, but somehow they all know.''

''All but our parents,'' Juliet corrected.

''Thank Godric! Mom would murder me.''

Molly wasn't against her children having sex. She knew they'd get to that at some point in their life, but she'd rather they waited till they were old enough to be responsible and safe. As in, responsible enough to not get a girl pregnant or catch an STD. She'd also rather it doesn't happen under her roof.

Although Fred was of age and that Grimmauld Place wasn't her house, Mrs. Weasley was sleeping on the floor above and she'd be livid if she knew what Juliet and him were up to while they were asleep.

''Same for my dad, but he'd murder you.''

''Murdered twice? What a heavenly way to die.''

Juliet laughed.

.

''Where do you think you're going, young ladies?'' Molly asked, catching Juliet and Ginny laughing as they came down the stairs, small purse on their shoulders and shoes on, looking like they were heading outside.

''Shopping,'' Juliet replied, passing her purse over her head to wear as a crossbody. ''We're meeting up with Luna in Diagon Alley.''

Juliet was hoping to get her hands on that quick-dry ink Remus told her about. Being a left handed, ink always smudged on her parchemin and got on her hands and it annoyed her.

''By yourself? While V- the Dark Lord has returned?'' Molly shook her head. ''That's not happening. Please take your shoes off and send a letter to Miss. Lovegood to inform her that you aren't going.''

''Mom! Are you being serious?'' Ginny asked,

''We didn't move here

''Juliet and Luna will be there. I'm not gonna be by myself.''

''What's the matter, Molly? I'm hearing you scream from the end of the hallway,'' said Sirius, coming out from the office.

For once, Molly was relieved to see him, assuming he'd be on her side. ''Your daughter and mine want to go to Diagon Alley,'' she informed Sirius.

Unfortunately for Mrs. Weasley, Sirius didn't react the way she had hoped him to.

''Oh, have a lovely day. Bring me back some ice cream from Florean Fortescue's ice cream parlour, will you Juliet?''

Molly looked at Sirius with a scowling look on her face. ''Is that all you have to say?''

Sirius looked confused. ''Do you need any money?''

Wrong answer.

''You're allowing her to go out? Have you forgotten why the Order has been reconstituted?'' Molly was fuming at, according to her, his his irresponsibility and lack of common sense.

''Of course not,'' Sirius said with a dry, almost angry tone. Voldemort was a soft subject for him. How could Molly think he could forget about that tragic night? ''But, I'm not gonna shelter her inside this bloody house. I'm the only one who is in hiding, not her. Juliet can go out if she pleases.''

''You know she can't use magic outside school, right? What if they get attacked by him or his followers? They know who she is.''

''I trust that Remus taught her how to defend herself. And, I'll go to Cornelius Fudge myself if they punish her for using magic as self defense while underage.''

.

Diagon Alley was bonded with people. Being one of those hot summer days, the queue at the ice cream parlour was really long so the girls decided to go to Obscurus Books instead, by Luna's request.

''It's unfortunate that Ginny couldn't come.'' Luna adjusted her funky looking, pink sunglasses.

''Her mom wasn't keen on letting her go to Diagon Alley knowing that You-Know-Who has returned. I get that she's protective of her children, but it's unlikely that the dark wizard will show up in the middle of the day,'' Juliet explained.

Luna stopped in front of a less busy shop. ''It's here.'' She pointed at the sign over the shop's door. Obscurus Books.

They walked inside and an old man greeted the girls at the front of the shop, informing them on their latest book releases.

Juliet had never been to this place before. It was nothing like Flourish and Blotts. Much smaller and not filled to the brim with books. According to Luna, this place had a much better selection of books about magical creatures.

Luna immediately strolled to her favorite section and began skimming through books. ''Oh! I almost forgot to tell you, I received a letter from Neville this morning.''

''Neville?'' Juliet repeated, cocking an eyebrow.

''Daddy and I were having trouble with one of our plants so I wrote to Neville about it last week. Turned out he simply forgot to water them...'' Luna explained, not surprised by her father's defective memory. ''Neville also told me about the new, very rare plant he got for his birthday. A Mimbulus mimbletonia, I believe? I've seen on in a book, it looks fascinating.''

A Mimbulus mimbletonia? Juliet had no clue what that was. Perhaps she should pay more attention in Herbology this year?

[stephiramona]

The tale of two cities according to Heiko and Stephi - Part 270

Here in Germany, things are getting more and more normal. But many other things are not how they were before, that's what we call "the new normal". For example, shops are open now but they need a so-called "hygiene concept". You usually find a disinfectant at the entrance, customers and employees need to wear masks, and you need to keep a distance of 1,5 m to the next person. Depending on the size of a shop only a specific number of customers are allowed to be in the shop. To achieve that, shops came up with different systems to count the people inside: some shops have a doorman who counts everyone who gets inside or outside, some count with a chip or handbag that you get at the entrance and have to give back when you leave, and some count with shopping trolleys. If there is no handbag, chip, or shopping trolley you need to wait until someone leaves the shop. When you walk through shopping miles (first photo shows Cologne´s shopping mile, second one shows Munich´s) these days you will see queues of people waiting outside to get in. And that is still strange but slowly I get used to such things. What you definitely need these days when buying something is patience. And for everyone who works in a shop you need good nerves because there are always people who don't want to wait, don't wear masks or want to discuss the restrictions. And that makes life for everyone who works there really hard. This week's praise to everyone who is still friendly and follows the rules of the shops and criticism for everyone who wants to argue with the employees, because it's not their fault.

[singledarkshade]

Not The Clone You Were Expecting

Summary: Waking confused, Phil Gasmer soon finds he has a rescue mission with no idea how to do it. Author’s Notes: This was written for the RipChat Holiday Gift Exchange and is my gift to @kalinara. My prompt was: I would like a story involving Phil Gasmer, either physically present or the parts of him that still exist in Rip. Thanks to @incendiaglacies for reading through this for me and making sure it made sense.

Enjoy He felt strange as he woke, like his mind was filled with cotton wool.

His last memory was being held down by two of the three men who had abducted and tortured him while the third moved closer carrying a metal band that he knew would kill him.

And he was sure he had died.

Somehow there was consciousness again, and he could hear voices. Although they sounded far away there was something familiar about them, recognition tickling at the back of his mind.

The voice suddenly became clearer, as though his ears popped.

“He looks identical. Even the scars are the same,” a woman near him mused.

“They have to be,” a man replied, filling him with a vague feeling of anger, “We have to ensure Gideon believes him to be Hunter. If he is missing any scar or freckle, she will know immediately that something is wrong.”

Confusion filled him, everyone had claimed he was Rip Hunter. Why was it different now?

Forcing his eyes open, the bright light stabbed into him, but he managed to focus finally. Bemusement filled him as he saw himself lying on the table across from him, strapped to a table.

“Phil,” the other version of himself called urgently, “Elude protocol.”

The man and woman frowned turning to Phil’s doppelganger strapped to the bed while Phil’s hand moved without thought and he pressed his left thumb into his right wrist. The world around him dissolved and suddenly he was in a completely different room.

“What the hell is going on?”

All Phil Gasmer wanted to do with his life was make movies with his friend George, and maybe get high on occasion. Then his life went insane from the moment the people who called themselves Legends appeared in it. He discovered the people in his movie were real, and that he apparently wasn’t who he thought he was but one of the characters he’d created, Rip Hunter.

Which was without a doubt depressing as hell considering all Phil knew about the man’s backstory.

And that was before he was abducted and tortured by three men who spent most of their time arguing amongst themselves.

Looking around the new surroundings, Phil found he was in a room, lit by a strip of lighting above his head. There was a desk and chair in one corner with a chest of drawers in another. Realising he was only dressed in a hospital robe, Phil opened the top drawer relieved to find several lots of clothes, all in his size.

Dressing quickly in dark denims, a grey t-shirt and a dark blue shirt, Phil then pulled on a pair of boots he found before he began to look around properly. There was a mirror on the wall and Phil moved to check if it gave a clue to where he was.

Looking at himself Phil frowned to see his hair was shorter and lighter than he remembered, his beard was gone, which annoyed him because he’d liked it, but there was a light scruff across his jaw.

Phil jumped when a beam of light covered his face, and he realised he was being scanned.

“Mr Gasmer…Phil,” his own face appeared before him, “I know this is strange but if you’re here then I am in trouble and you’re the only person who can help me.”

Phil stared at himself before sighing, “Rip Hunter.”

“One thing I can promise you is that you’re not actually me this time,” Rip continued, “If you’re seeing this then someone has managed to capture me and used cloning technology,” he paused for a moment before explaining, “I made a few arrangements just in case something like this happened, which is a longer story than I can tell you right now. I implanted a few additional pieces of knowledge in your mind, and I’m sorry but you’re the only one I can trust.”

Phil frowned confused but waited in silence.

“If you haven’t found them already,” Rip continued, “There are clothes in the top drawer, and in the drawer beneath that are a few weapons as well as some other kit you will need. Check the computer, all you require is to place your palm on the scanner, and it will know who you are. All the information you need can be found there.”

With that the recording ended and Phil was alone again.

 Phil frowned as he realised there was no way out of the room that he was in. He couldn’t find a door, there was no window and no hidden levers. All he wanted to do was leave and hide and be free from all the insanity.

But…

Rip Hunter had been the man trapped across from him when he’d woken, he’d done something to ensure Phil would escape their captors, and the least Phil could do was try to help the other man.

Opening the second drawer, Phil winced when he found several knives along with a gun and what looked like a watch of some kind. Closing the drawer without taking anything out, Phil moved to the desk and took a seat.

A rectangle on the desk lit up and nervously Phil placed his hand upon it. The computer sprang to life, and a blue head appeared on the screen.

“Greetings, Mr Gasmer,” the male voice came with an accent that reminded him of Rip, “My name is Graham, and I am an AI.”

“Like Gideon?” Phil asked.

“Precisely,” Graham replied, “Captain Hunter has charged me with providing you with assistance.”

“Okay,” Phil said before asking, “Help with what?”

“Your existence here shows that a concern he held has come to pass,” Graham continued, “In order to rescue Captain Hunter, you will require assistance. Unfortunately, the Waverider is not an option as, whoever has managed to abduct Captain Hunter, has done so in order to capture the ship.”

“Then who can help me?” Phil sighed.

Graham paused for a moment before replying, “Currently I am unable to answer that question as I do not know the state of the world outside these walls. Once you leave the building then I will have access to the required information.”

“How do I leave?” Phil demanded annoyed.

“In the second drawer you will find what looks to be a watch,” Graham explained, “This is called a Time Courier, it has been designed specifically by Captain Hunter to ensure that only you and he are able to use it. Once you activate the Time Courier, I shall be downloaded to it allowing me to guide you.”

Phil grimaced, moving over to the drawers again he pulled out the Time Courier and attached it to his wrist, this time taking the weapons as well.

“If you open the bottom drawer,” Graham spoke up before he could ask, “There is a bag along with currency for you to use, as well as other technology for this time period.”

Following the instructions, Phil found a rucksack. He was surprised by how much money was in it and frowned in confusion at the shiny black rectangle that was also inside it.

“This is a mobile phone,” Graham explained to him, “It will be connected to your Time Courier so all you are required to do is switch it on,” at Phil’s frown of confusion, he added, “Press the button at the side and when the number pad appears enter the code 2059. Once that is done it will connect automatically to the Time Courier and all you need to do is leave it on whilst in the bag.”

Phil followed the instructions, sliding the phone into a pocket inside the bag which looked like it would be safe. Reluctantly he added the knives and gun to the bag.

“Okay,” Phil whispered, “I’ve got everything. What now?”

“There is an earbud in the front pocket of the bag,” Graham said, “Put it in your ear and press once to activate it.”

Following the instructions once more, Phil winced when something jabbed his ear when he activated the earbud.

“That will ensure it does not fall out,” Graham said, this time in his ear as opposed to surrounding him, “And now it is time to leave.”

A scraping noise made him turn to see a door opening behind him, and a cold breeze filled the room making Phil shiver.

“There is a coat in the cupboard,” Graham told him, as another door opened where a long dark blue coat hung.

Phil slid it on before pulling the rucksack over one shoulder and stepping out into the unknown.

 Noise was coming from the end of the corridor that Phil was walking along. Reaching the end, he found two doors and frowned.

“Which way?” Phil asked softly.

“The door to your left leads into the bar of the public house we currently reside,” Graham told him, “While the door to your right leads to the street.”

Phil grimaced, “I could do with a drink.”

“Alcohol will not be conducive to rescuing Captain Hunter,” Graham noted disapprovingly.

Sighing Phil said, “I still need something to eat and drink.”

“There is a shop close by which will provide you with sustenance,” Graham assured him.

Grimacing Phil took the door to his right and stepped out into the street. He blinked in the bright light and jumped when a large lorry flew past him.

“Turn to your right and walk one hundred feet,” Graham told him, “There is a convenience store where you can obtain provisions.”

Phil walked in the direction the AI sent him, finding the shop easily. Walking in he located bottles of water, sandwiches and cookies.

“In order to pay,” Graham said in his ear, “Simply present your Courier to the small box at the till. It will pay for your food.”

“It will?” Phil asked before musing, “Cool.”

When he reached the front of the queue, the bored looking kid behind the till scanned his items then looked up waiting. Nervously Phil placed the Time Courier at the box, surprised when the kid handed him a receipt.

Taking his shopping, Phil put some of it in his bag before leaving the shop.

“Where to now?” Phil asked as he ate several cookies and drank the water while walking away from the shop.

“Head towards the park at the end of this street,” Graham told him, “Once there I shall open a portal to your next destination. This shall lead to the individual who will be able to assist you in your mission.”

A little worried that Graham hadn’t given him any actual information on where he was going, Phil continued to walk. He had no idea where he was but didn’t want to ask in case someone took notice of him. Once more he was in a world completely different to the one that he knew, the cars, clothes, hairstyles, and technology screamed this at him, but Phil decided until he knew he was safe from whoever had Rip then he wasn’t talking to anyone.

Reaching the park, he continued to walk and stalled when day suddenly became night, as the park became a street with houses surrounding him.

“Graham?” Phil called, “Where am I?”

“The house at the end of the street is your destination,” Graham told him, making Phil sigh that there was no further information provided.

But demanding answers would waste time and it was just easier to follow instructions for the moment. Heading to the detached house Phil saw a neat lawn at the front and two lights on inside. One upstairs and one downstairs.

Hitting the bell, Phil held his breath hoping that whoever answered was friendly. Listening to the sounds of the owner coming to answer, Phil sighed in relief seeing the man who opened the door was someone he recognised and knew would be able to help him.

“Rip?” Jax demanded.

Phil winced and shrugged, “Not exactly.”

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

 Jax smiled as his little girl toddled towards him, catching her in a tight embrace when she reached him and pressing kisses to her cheeks while she giggled away.

“Alright,” Sadie laughed, “Come on Miss Martina, it’s bath time. Say goodnight to daddy and we’ll go play in the bubbles.”

Martina giggled, “Nyny, Dada.”

“Night night,” Jax hugged her, before passing the two-year-old to her mother.

Sadie smiled, starting to sing to their daughter as she took Martina upstairs leaving Jax to his work. He was taking several engineering courses so he could put his knowledge of the things he’d learned on the Waverider to good use and had two assignments to finish for the end of the week.

About an hour into his studying the doorbell rang, sighing in annoyance Jax put his pen down and opened the door to the last person he expected.

“Rip?”

The man standing there shrugged, “Not exactly.”

The American accent and hesitant demeanour made Jax stare in astonishment and he finally asked, “Phil?”

Relief filled the man’s face, “Yes. I’m sorry for just turning up and I know this is strange, but I need your help.”

“Come on in,” Jax told him, stunned that once again the film student was in front of him.

Phil stepped inside and headed into the lounge when Jax motioned him through. Looking up the stairs to see Sadie watching concerned, he said, “It’s something from my time with the Legends.”

She nodded, “Okay.”

He smiled relieved she understood before heading to where Phil was standing looking nervous and worried.

“Just letting my wife know there’s not a problem,” Jax assured the other man, “Grab a seat and tell me what’s going on.”

Sliding his bag off, Phil sat awkwardly on the edge of the couch and began to explain what had happened to bring him to Jax’s doorstep.

Jax rubbed his hand across his eyes, “Okay, let me see if I’ve got this right. You’re not Rip but a clone with all of Phil’s memories, completely separate from Rip who is in trouble?”

Phil nodded, “That’s the basics.”

“So, this AI you have?” Jax asked.

“Oh, yeah,” Phil pulled his right sleeve up and said, “Graham?”

“Yes, Mr Gasmer,” a male voice with an English accent stated as a blue head hologram appeared from what looked to be a Time Courier.

Phil smiled slightly, “Can you answer all of Jax’s questions?”

“Of course,” Graham replied, “Mr Jackson, what can I assist you with?”

Jax mused for a moment, “Explain how Phil isn’t Rip this time.”

“In case something like this happened,” Graham stated, “Captain Hunter made arrangements so that Mr Gasmer’s consciousness alone would be transferred into any cloned body amongst a few other additional pieces of information.”

Jax and Phil swapped confused glances before Jax asked, “What pieces of information?”

“As it is likely Captain Hunter has been taken in order to take control of the Waverider,” Graham continued, “Then he has transferred certain proprietary information to Mr Gasmer.”

Jax frowned, “What exactly does that mean?”

Phil shrugged confused.

“It means that the information the people who are currently holding Captain Hunter are after is no longer in his mind,” Graham explained, “But in Mr Gasmer’s.”

 Phil rubbed at his fingers worriedly as he listened to Graham, suddenly jumping at the AI’s pronouncement.

“Hold on,” Phil spoke up, “What information is in my head?”

Jax nodded, “That’s a really good question and,” he added, “You keep saying Captain Hunter, not Director. When did Rip set all this up?”

“Captain Hunter activated me three weeks after he left the Waverider following the destruction of the Spear of Destiny,” Graham explained, “Gideon streamlined the plan, and the last update was three days after the Waverider was stolen from the Time Bureau.”

Phil noted Jax looking guilty but didn’t want to ask because right now he didn’t want to lose focus.

“What information do I have?” Phil asked the AI again.

“I do not hold those specific details,” Graham replied, making the two men groan in annoyance.

“Well, that’s helpful,” Jax sighed, “Okay, why did you come here?”

Phil frowned, “This is where Graham brought me. I thought you’d be able to help me rescue Rip.”

Jax stared at him making Phil squirm slightly, “You’re looking for my help on a rescue mission?”

Phil nodded, “I have to.”

“Why you?” Jax demanded, “Why not just call Sara and the Legends?”

“Because Rip said I can’t,” Phil replied, “The people who have him want the ship and Gideon so we can’t give them a chance to take it. Although I am surprised, they’re not already looking for him this time.”

Jax frowned, he began to pace before sighing, “I thought Rip was dead. They all do.”

“Why?” Phil asked softly.

“He overloaded the time core trying to stop a time demon,” Jax explained, “Sara told me that it vapourised him.”

Phil took a soft breath, “I didn’t know anything about that. All I know is I can’t leave him there.”

Sighing Jax nodded, “Okay. Graham, do you know how to find Rip?”

“As per Captain Hunter’s instructions,” Graham spoke up, “Now that I have guided Mr Gasmer to a safe haven, I will shut down.”

Phil stared at the watch, “What? Why did you get me to bring the weapons, and the money?”

“This was to ensure you came here. The money is yours to build a new life,” Graham told him, “Although you and Captain Hunter are two different people there are specific traits you share.”

“The need to save people,” Jax noted with a knowing roll of his eyes.

“Precisely, Mr Jackson,” Graham replied, “However, Captain Hunter did not want you to risk your life, Mr Gasmer. Therefore, I wish you well.”

Phil gasped, “Wait.”

Horror filled him as the only chance he had to save Rip shut down.

 Jax watched Phil desperately try to reactivate the AI with no success. Leaving the room, he found the communicator Sara had provided him with when leaving the ship.

Just in case.

Jax stared at it for several minutes, the Legends were the best bet for rescuing Rip. He had a wife and a daughter to take care of. Running around time and space was not part of his life anymore. Putting it back with a sigh, Jax returned to the lounge where Phil was looking defeated.

“I don’t know how to fix it,” he sighed to Jax, “He didn’t leave that information in my head.”

Jax grimaced, “Give me the Courier.”

“What?”

“Give me it,” Jax told him again, “I should be able to get some information off it.”

Hope touched Phil’s face and he quickly undid the watch strap, “Are you sure?”

Jax shrugged, “It’s possible. Rip taught me how to fix Gideon, so I should be able to get some information.”

Pulling out his tools, Jax grabbed his tablet and connected the Courier. He paused and turned to Phil who was hovering anxiously.

“How about you have something to eat,” Jax suggested, “While I do this?”

Hesitantly Phil nodded, “Thanks. I am kinda hungry.”

Jax quickly heated up some of the casserole his mother had dropped off earlier and gave the man a plate. Once Phil was eating, Jax got back to work. The fact that Rip had trained him meant that Jax knew the programming quirks Rip had that were not in the manual he’d been given to read. Therefore, he recognised the little things Rip had put in that would probably have confused someone else. And it took only about an hour for him to get into the main program.

“Got it,” Jax said, seeing Phil jerk awake who’d closed his eyes after finishing his meal and fallen asleep.

“You have?”

Jax nodded, “Okay, bypassing Graham so he can’t just shut us down again and…” he tapped in a few more instructions, “Got it.”

Phil moved to look at the screen, “Does it help?”

Jax mused as he scanned the screen, “Typically Rip didn’t leave any real information but,” he smiled, “I think I can locate him.”

“How?”

“If I’m reading this right,” Jax told the other man, “Then, using the beacon in your arm that activated the transporter to get you out of there, I can backtrack to where Rip is being held and transport us there.”

 “Are you sure about this?” Sadie asked softly after Jax explained everything.

Jax nodded, “Rip is my friend and I have a feeling if I don’t then Phil will try to go after him alone. The last time he fought that I know of, he attacked me with a rolled-up script and that didn’t do any damage.”

Sadie chuckled and wrapped her arms around him, “You’ll be safe though, right?”

“Believe it or not,” Jax smiled, “I know what I’m doing. We also have the element of surprise.”

Sadie sighed, “Okay. Just be careful.”

Jax kissed his wife quickly, “I will be but if we’re not back here in an hour I need you to contact Barry and his team to come after us with the information I’ve left them.”

Nodding Sadie sighed, “I will. But I trust in you.”

Hugging her tightly Jax hoped his confidence wasn’t misplaced and he’d be back here soon. Tiptoeing into the nursery, Jax took a peek at his baby girl who was fast asleep cuddling her favourite teddy. Her tiny bow mouth was moving as though she was drinking from her bottle.

Kissing her forehead, Jax smiled, “Love you, Munchkin.”

Martina sighed happily in her sleep and he shook his head wondering how he got to be so lucky. Taking a quick breath, he headed down to where Phil was waiting for him. He looked nervous but determination covered his face.

“Are you ready?” Jax asked, picking up Rip’s pistol and setting it.

Phil frowned, “Shouldn’t I have that?”

“Do you know how to use it?” Jax asked, when Phil shook his head he said, “Then I’ll take the pistol.”

Grabbing his tablet, still connected to the Courier, Jax reconnected the strap to Phil’s arm so it worked again.

“This won’t accidentally land us inside a cell,” Phil asked, “Will it?”

Jax grimaced, “Hopefully not.”

“Well, that makes me feel safe,” Phil rolled his eyes.

“Do you want to do this?” Jax demanded.

“Sorry,” Phil winced, “I’m ready when you are.”

Jax took a quick breath and murmured a small prayer to whoever was listening before activating the Courier. He was surprised when the world around them dissolved, unlike his previous experiences with the Time Courier.

And suddenly they were no longer in his house.

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

 Rip watched his captors argue as they tried to work out another plan to capture the Waverider. Eston Hayes, the leader was someone Rip knew well from his early days as Time Master. Ironically enough he’d been captured by Rip breaking into a cloning factory.

Thankfully, the partitioning of his mind so that any attempt to transfer it to a clone meant they got Phil had worked. Now Rip hoped Phil had found Graham and was safe well away from Hayes.

“Having problems?” Rip asked amused when Hayes walked over to the cell they were currently holding him in.

“You think you’re smart, Hunter,” Hayes snarled at him, “That little trick of yours won’t stop me for long.”

Rip shrugged, “I don’t want to tell you your business but the equipment you’re using means that it won’t be able to remap my mind. Shame you wasted your one chance.”

At the confusion that covered the other man’s face that he quickly tried to hide Rip chuckled again, “You might want to check with your tech person how your equipment works. Or a ten-year-old child since they might have more information.”

“You think you’ve won something,” Hayes snapped, “But all you’ve done is ensure we will take the Waverider by force and the AI will be damaged.”

Rip stared at him before replying, “You’ll get nowhere near Gideon. Trust me on that one.”

“With you as my prisoner,” Hayes chuckled, “Trust me I know that Time Master AI’s are programmed to protect their Captain.”

Rip shrugged, “You don’t know Gideon.” He took a seat on the cot in his cell and smiled, “I’ll wait while you work out your next step.”

Hayes glared at him before stomping over to his crew once more. Grabbing the young guy who was supposed to be his technical expert and throwing him through the door towards the other room that held the machine. Hayes then moved the others out, yelling at them all to fix things for him or face the consequences.

Rip let out a long breath hoping he could work out a way to escape before Hayes managed to devise a feasible plan. Out the corner of his eye Rip spotted a shift in the light. Confused he stood and moved so he could see the other corner of the room, stunned that Jax and Phil were standing there.

 Jax let out a sigh of relief when they materialised outside the cell but hidden from the people who held Rip. He winced slightly when Rip spotted them and swore.

“What the hell are you two doing here?” Rip whispered harshly as Jax moved to the keypad.

“It’s a rescue,” Jax replied, “You remember what that is right?”

Rip glared at him, “I left explicit instructions with Graham to get Phil to safety then shut down.”

“Phil and I decided you don’t get to do that,” Jax replied, he managed to unlock the door and frowned at Rip, “Are you coming?”

Rip walked out the cell and, to Jax’s amazement, rested his hand on Phil’s shoulder concerned, “Are you okay?”

Phil nodded.

“Okay,” Rip smiled, taking the pistol Jax offered him, “We need to destroy all the equipment, stop Hayes and his team then make sure they can’t make any further trouble.”

“I’m guessing he’s an old friend of yours,” Jax noted as he followed Rip.

Rip sighed, “Time Pirate. It was one of my first missions to apprehend him and his crew who were, believe it or not, robbing a cloning factory.”

“What’s your plan?” Phil asked.

Rip frowned in thought, “There is a main panel just at the back of the control console. Phil, I need you to basically pull out every wire you can find. Jax, overload the system. I’ll deal with Hayes and his people.”

“There’s four of them and one of you,” Phil noted.

Rip gave a slight shrug, “I’ll be fine. Destroying the machine is the priority.”

Concern still covered Phil’s face, “Are you sure?”

As they stood face to face the only way Jax could tell the two men apart was their clothes. And the fact Rip had his pistol.

Rip nodded, “Trust me, I know what I’m doing.”

“Come on,” Jax caught Phil’s arm, “Let’s do this.”

 Rip took a slow deep breath to focus himself, he still felt a little off after the mind scan. Ensuring the partition worked so Phil’s consciousness had been transferred only had taken concentration and it had been exhausting but Gideon was in danger and he wasn’t going to let Hayes, or anyone else, harm her.

“I want the codes,” Hayes was yelling, “I don’t care if you have to tear it from his mind.”

Smiling slightly to himself, Rip pushed everything to one side and slid into attack mode as Miranda once called it. Easing into the room, he ensured his pistol was set at the highest stun setting and fired three shots hitting each of Hayes’ team before they could defend themselves.

Hayes turned stunned, “How?”

Rip gave him a smug smile, “That would be telling.”

Firing at Hayes, Rip swore when the other man threw himself to one side out of the way. Hayes grabbed random items from the shelves and flung them forcing Rip to take cover, when he tried to fire at the other man Hayes charged at him. Hayes slammed into Rip throwing him to the ground, and Rip felt the air forced out his lungs.

“You smug bastard,” Hayes snarled, wrapping his hands around Rip’s neck and squeezing, “I’ll find a way onto the ship using your corpse.”

Rip struggled to throw the other man off him, but Hayes was bigger and as he choked Rip it became harder to fight. Suddenly Hayes stopped, his eyes rolled back, and he fell to the side revealing Phil above him holding the panel door.

“Are you okay?” his clone asked, offering Rip his hand.

Rip nodded, as he took several deep breaths.

“We’ve pulled out everything we could,” Jax reported when he reappeared to join them.

“Good,” Rip turned to Phil again, “Time Courier.”

Phil looked a little surprised but undid the strap passing it to Rip.

“Graham,” Rip called, “Reactivation code, Alpha, Hat, Joke.”

The watch turned on again and the holographic head appeared, “Yes, Captain Hunter.”

“Contact Agent Simons in the Time Bureau,” Rip ordered, “Get her to sort this out, asking her to ensure my involvement is not revealed at all.”

“Of course, Captain Hunter,” Graham replied.

Rip sighed, “Jax, can we go back to your house or will I open a portal to somewhere else?”

“The house is fine,” Jax said flatly before demanding, “Who is Agent Simons? Why not Ava Sharpe or Sara to clear this up?”

“Agent Simons is a former Time Master who joined the Bureau,” Rip replied as he programmed the Courier, “She knows how to deal with this type of situation, not to mention she knows who and what Hayes is. And,” he stopped Jax from speaking again, “Right now it’s easier not to let them know.”

With that said, Rip opened the portal leading them back to Jax’s house.

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

 Phil sat in the back garden of Jax’s house with a mug of coffee in his hand the next morning. Jax had two spare rooms in his house so he and Rip had taken one each to sleep after their rescue mission.

“So,” Rip said letting Phil know he was there, “How are you?”

“Confused.”

Rip chuckled and took a seat at the table across from him, “I can understand that.”

“What happens now?” Phil asked.

“You live your life,” Rip told him, “Which is what I expected you to do originally. You weren’t supposed to come after me.”

Phil shrugged, “I couldn’t leave you there.”

“That reckless streak Gideon keeps telling me off for having is apparently something we share,” Rip noted.

“What are you going to do now?” Phil asked.

Rip shrugged, “I’m not sure. Gideon has advised that the Legends are currently in the middle of a quest which I don’t feel I should interfere in. The Time Bureau is not an option anymore. But I have some bases I can use to continue my own mission of protecting time.”

“You don’t have to do it alone,” Phil told him.

Rip sighed, “My experience of working with others is not exactly positive. I have Graham to help me while Gideon keeps the Legends on track. Time Masters always worked alone, I feel that’s the best idea for me at this moment.”

Phil shrugged, “I could help.”

“No,” Rip whispered, “You deserve to have a real life. You wanted to make films. Do that. One of us should get to live our dream.”

Phil smiled before reminding him, “But if you need help at any time.”

Rip nodded, “I’ll call on my brother.”

[myarmsaretoolong]

Is Something Burning?

@whumptober2020​ Prompt #14: Is Something Burning? - Heat Exhaustion | Fire

Word Count: 1807

Warnings: Explosion | Minor Blood

Synopsis: What should have been a simple shopping trip goes horribly wrong when an explosion risks the lives of Tony and Peter

Read Under the Cut | Read on AO3

“So, why are we here exactly, Mister Stark?” Peter asked as he skipped alongside Tony through the streets of a quiet Queens neighbourhood. Few people passed them, and those that did had the decency not to stare - not for too long, at least - and got on with their days.

“Shopping,” Tony replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. When Peter only looked up at him, confusion etched into his face, Tony explained further. “I made the mistake of buying Steve handmade bread from a bakery just up the street, said it tasted just like his mother used to make,” he sighed. “Now he all but refuses to eat any mass-produced stuff, so I have to come out here else risk getting the stink eye from Captain America.”

“Right,” Peter nodded slowly. “But why am I here? Not that I don’t like hanging out with you, of course, just… I have homework.”

Tony raised an eyebrow, “You know kid, that excuse is gonna wear thin very quickly. And you’re here because I need more hands to carry the bags.”

Peter’s eyes widened. “Bags? Plural? How much bread are you buying?”

“Steve’s a Super-Soldier, I’m not trekking all the way out here every time he wants a super-sized sandwich.”

“I guess that makes sense.” 

They turned onto the high street. There were more people around, wandering in and out of shops at a leisurely pace, though nowhere near as busy as the average New York street. Tony pointed out the bakery, about halfway down the pavement, and they headed towards it. “Oh, no way! Mister Stark is that a churro stand?”

Tony glanced in the direction Peter was gesturing where a red and white stand kitted out with an umbrella, frills, and a huge sign simply reading ‘Churros!’ stood in the centre of the street. “Uh, yeah, kid. That sign couldn’t have been bigger if it tried.” Peter grinned up at Tony; his question couldn’t have been more clear. Tony pulled out his wallet and handed Peter a ten-dollar bill, “I like salted caramel.”

“Thanks, Mister Stark!” Peter sang, already running towards the churro stand, “I’ll meet you inside the shop!” He skipped up to the stand - luckily, there was no queue - and placed the order. The sweet smell of churros filled the air as the lady running the stand set about freshly cooking their food.

Peter waited patiently, glancing back towards the bakery every so often to see if Tony had left already, and practically vibrating just at the thought of eating the delicious sugary snacks. A shiver ran up his spine, setting him on edge as a smokey smell filled the air. He turned to the churro lady, “Is one of them burning?” She shook her head, also looking around for the cause of the smell.

Then Peter’s hairs stood on end, and his head snapped towards the bakery. No. “Get down!” He yelled, diving behind the stand himself as the churro lady ducked. An explosion rang out, and a tremendous plume of smoke rose towards the sky. A wave of searing heat passed over Peter. Tentatively, he stepped out from the stand and looked around.

The air was filled with smoke and dust, making it hard to see; all around people were running or screaming. Rubble littered the ground, chunks of concrete ranging from tiny pebbles to slabs larger than the size of Peter’s head. Injured people lay on the ground, or frantically hobbling away towards cleaner air. The churro lady pulled out her phone and dialled the emergency services, talking to Peter at the same time. “Hey, you alright?”

Peter nodded numbly, his spidey-sense going haywire what with the fires crackling and fleeing citizens everywhere. His eyes landed on the bakery. Or, what used to be the bakery, now reduced to a burning shell of rubble, smoke, and death. “Mister Stark,” he muttered, slowly starting towards the building.

“Yeah, an explosion- Wait, kid! You can’t go in there!”

“Mister Stark!” Peter was yelling now, arms and legs pumping as he raced towards the building through the smoke. He didn’t have a suit, no mask to hide his face and filter the air, no web-shooters. Just Peter Parker.

He dashed through the front door, ducking under a fallen support beam crossing from corner to corner and frantically searched inside. It was a mess, charred bread scattered across the floor, shelves - what remained of them at least- fallen against each other, creating an almost impenetrable path. And fire. Scorching fire spitting sparks and casting huge, shadows dancing up the walls of the darkened room. The roar of their burning deafening.

“Mister Stark?” He called out, pressing his sleeve over his mouth and nose. “Can you hear me?”

Something moved by Peter’s feet. A hand. Peter crouched down, trying to reassure the person who the hand belonged to, trying to ignore how sootied and burned their clothes were. “Hey, Imma help you up.” Peter hauled them to their feet and threw his hand around their waist to support them. With a fit of coughing, they looped their arm over his shoulder and allowed him to guide them outside.

Distant sirens could be heard. A group of people hovered just outside the door having seen Peter run inside. He handed the person over to them and dived back inside with a chorus of ‘No’s!’ echoing after him. 

This time, Peter stayed low, where the air was slightly clearer, as he made his way around the shop. He rescued a handful more people, heaving the fallen shelves off of them, dragging their limp bodies towards the exit where fire services were now setting up a perimeter and assessing the damage before entering.

Peter didn’t have that luxury. He had to find Tony.

The impossible heat made his head swim as sweat poured down his face, drenched his hair and clothes. Shifting the metal shelves burned lines across his palms and even his enhanced metabolism couldn’t keep up with the amount of smoke he inhaled. But there were innocent people still inside who needed help.

The firefighters started to make their way inside, spraying fires with water as they slowly moved through the building, though the stifling heat didn’t die out anywhere near as quickly. Peter’s muscles screamed out as he crouch-walked his way towards the counter - the only place he hadn’t checked and his last hope of finding Tony.

“Mister Stark?” He yelled, ripping his raw vocal cords in the process. He barely heard himself over the sounds of the firefighter’s hoses.

“Kid!” One of them called. “You need to get out, we’ve got this handled.”

Peter ignored them, he wasn’t giving up now. He moved behind the counter, and froze. 

Two bodies lay, face’s and clothes coated in a thick layer of soot, only broken by tracks of sweat. One of them wore an apron with the logo of the bakery printed on it, the other was unmistakably Tony. Both were unconscious. Peter ran over, forgetting about keeping low, and shook them both.

Tony woke first, he started up, breathing heavily.

“No, no!” Peter said frantically, and lowering him back down. “Don’t breath in the smoke.”

A flash of recognition crossed Tony face. He looked around, taking in the damage. “Holy shit… Kid, are you okay?”

“Yeah,” Peter nodded quickly. “I need to get you out of here.”

Tony shook his head, his eyes settling on his leg. Part of the counter had fallen, trapping his calf beneath it. Blood slowly leaked from the wound. “If I move, I’m going to bleed out.” He nodded towards the still unconscious store lady, “Get her out, don’t come back for me.”

Tears pricked Peter’s eyes, he brushed them away with the back of his hand. “No! I’m not leaving you.”

“Kid,” Tony’s voice was annoyingly calm, “You have to. Look at you, you’re exhausted-”

“No…”

“Pete.”

Peter cracked under Tony’s stare. Silently, he looped his arms under the store lady’s shoulders and dragged her away, back towards the slowly advancing firefighters. One thing was for sure, he was coming back.

The firefighters shouted as he passed, though he ignored them all. Once outside, paramedics ran forward to help out the store lady and take her to an ambulance. In the hurry, they didn’t notice Peter grabbing a pack of bandages and ducking back inside. 

This time, he had to fight the firefighters to get past. Pushing and shoving, twisting out of their grip as they tried to hold him back. Eventually, he broke free and dashed back to the counter. “Hey!” One of the firefighters called, running after him with his own chorus of shouts from his colleagues.

Peter ducked behind the counter, the firefighter hot on his heels. “Trapped civilian, rear end of the premises,” he said into his shoulder-mounted radio. “Working on an extraction plan now.” The firefighter turned to Peter, his badge read Montgomery. “You need to leave, we can handle this from here.”

Peter ignored his instructions, instead running to Tony’s side. He’d fallen unconscious again, whether from the heat, or blood loss, Peter didn’t know. “I’m going to lift this, then you’re going to bandage his leg so we can get him out,” Peter ordered, holding out the bandages to Montgomery.

For a moment, Montgomery looked sceptical, but Peter’s expression remained determined. “You bandage, I’ll lift,” he countered. “It’ll be heavy.”

“I can manage.” Peter threw the bandages, leaving Montgomery no other choice, and stepped over Tony to get into place. Montgomery crouched beside Tony, preparing the bandages as he moved.

“Okay, you ready? Three, two, one.”

Peter lifted the fallen counter piece with ease, thankfully Montgomery wasn’t focused on him. He worked swiftly, manoeuvring Tony away while wrapping the bandage at the same time. It turned red horrifyingly quickly. “Done,” he said as he secured the bandage. Peter dropped the counter piece and moved into place at Tony’s shoulders, Montgomery at his feet. Together, they carried Tony to safety, Montgomery getting some strange looks from his fellow firefighters, and into the arms of the paramedics.

As they worked to stabilise Tony, Montgomery turned to Peter. “You ever thought about becoming a firefighter? Good instincts, calm under pressure. A solid foundation to work on.”

Peter smiled weakly, “Hadn’t thought about it until now.”

Montgomery clapped his shoulder and pointed back to the ambulance. “Go with them to the hospital, get yourself checked over. You did good.” He disappeared back inside the bakery.

One of the paramedics called over to Peter. “He’s awake, and he’s asking for you.”

Peter’s smile grew as he hopped onboard the ambulance and saw Tony sitting up, still covered in soot.

“I’m going to go ahead and guess you ignored me?”

Peter shrugged, “In my defence, you were asking me something pretty extreme.”

Tony smiled. “Thanks, kid.”

[thereturnofthedirtyblog]

When you pull into the parking lot, the first thing you're greeted with is a sign stating that masks are required beyond that point. The new starting queue is now in the lot itself, with security asking you to line up (distanced of course) near the gift shop exit and the new expansion construction. They ask for your reservation time and name and double check on IPads. A group that was there that did not book ahead were turned away, so remember to buy in advance.

One quick note: The new building next door is NOT going to be part of the tour or for the public. It's going to be offices and meeting spaces. I asked, and Angry Joe provided the answer.

You'll then be moved to the main queue down the side of the building in groups of six. Good news, there's now benches along the side so you can sit and relax. Then you hit the main queue in the front, and then move to the ticketing room, all socially distanced. None of this process is really changed. I have to say, from arrival time to the oddities room, it was MAYBE 30 minutes. Much improved. I will note that RIP and regular tours are not separated, and all go as one. RIP members will be wearing the lanyard and badge to distinguish them, which you'll get from the ticket window.

You'll self guide to the front door from the gate at the parking lot. The oddities room has some changes, with the skull case gone, also Lily (we'll get to that later), to allow distancing. I have to say, it works WONDERFULLY. Every room has 3 red dots, and you rotate as you go, which finally allows you to be able to see everything in every room. This was a very, VERY welcome change.

The first RIP moment is the haunted doll room in the back left corner. You're free to walk around inside, and they do give you ample time to look around, several minutes or so. Right off the bat, the people who didn't opt for RIP complained that they couldn't go in, but that was to be expected, I guess.

Off to the gambling room. Completely different, and entirely for the better. It was always my personal least favorite. The roulette table is gone for distancing purposes, and the relics are all in cases near the red dots, and new art on the walls. Drastic improvement, with new items added such as a new skull, a "mystery gun", and other ephemera.

The Oddfellows room now has the caskets moved to the dead center of the room, and the side wall now hosts the 13 skulls (now on shelves in the open) that were originally in the Oddities room. You move around the caskets, while a new pre-recorded message from Zak plays. The second RIP portion occurs here, where you're giving the option to crawl through the small door in the back corner. This leads you into the marionette room, and you'll rejoin the non RIP part of the tour in the art gallery.

The art gallery has no changes at all, same with the Kervorkian rooms, only the added distancing dots. On to the muderabillia room, where they've added Ted Bundy's murder bag, ski mask, and other items. The booking chair is now in the Manson room, along with a new Alcatraz display, which takes the place of the Santa Claus Killer's old area. A new cell door display sits where the chair was. Dots are one in the Manson room, one in front of Bundy, and one in front of the Gacy display, and you rotate every few minutes.

This then leads to the next, and most welcome I'm sure, part of the RIP tour. The Basement. You watch a short video of Zak explaining how Jenna Jameson contacted him about it, and they show proof of how her family lived there in the 70's via her brother's birth certificate listing the museum’s address on it. The basement is self guided, very dark, and leads to the alter in the back. The pentagram appears to have been removed from the floor (it's VERY dark, and I looked and flat out didn't see it). In its place is a small seance table and chairs. Very nice to finally see this area.

When you come out, the non-RIP members are already moved to the Gein room, as the basement leads directly to another RIP room. To the left in the little cut out is a room of wax heads originally in the Winchester Mystery house. Small, tight quarters here, but a nice addition.

You then join back with the main group in Gein. No differences outside a new display of human skin leather on the left hand side wall.

On to Zak's study. This is now completely accessible, and it's awesome to really be in the space itself. This is Lily's new home, as well as a new doll, which they called the "Concentration Camp Doll". It's made from actual uniforms from the camps. Murder Doll and the skull are the other items featured. The curiosity cabinet is not really a feature anymore, they just say take a look as you're walking by and offer no explanation of the items inside.

The Dead Celebrity room has one new addition, in being that the Liberace piano is gone, and has been replaced by a bust of John Hurt's cast from the Elephant Man. The Gidget Gein art piece is also gone. The What Dreams May Come coat is now wall mounted to allow distancing space.

On to the seance room, where the circus cart and table have been removed, and the room is entirely open. Here is one of my FAVORITE new parts of the museum. Don't forget to look up. The ceiling is now 100% modeled VERY well after the Haunted Mansion elevator in Disneyland. A very nice touch.

Circus room is the same, and on to the sideshow room. New additions here are a case of real human parts, including an entire pickled human head of one of the world's smallest people. It looks like a baby's head, but is fully grown. John Shaw does his show, excellent as always.

The next RIP feature is the Gypsy Wagon. The other part of the group proceeds on to the funhouse. No, you do not go to the crawlspace Aaron was in, but you look through a cutout into the area from inside the wagon, with some ghost hunting equipment attached to the window sil that reacts when you wave your hands over them. John takes you through all of it, and again, he has this down better than most of the guides do. His area is always a favorite just for his presence, alone.

The funhouse and following room are the same. Next, the RIP part continues, with the Bob Berdella room, which is now entirely RIP tour only. After that, straight to the Dybbuk Box, where the rest of the group has been waiting, for quite a bit, it seemed. No changes here other than the guide speaks from the other side of the cut out in the door to allow distancing.

Peggy is up next, and the room is now a walkthrough. You can get right up to the case and look her in the eyes (well, I did anyways). The spirit box is gone, and a new full speech device is added. It was gibberish when we went through, but is suppoosed to make coherent sentences when Peggy wishes to speak.

The witches head has no changes. Back downstairs to the Devil's Rocking Chair, which has the last RIP moment. The room is exactly the same, just the RIP tour can go behind the railing into a roped off area and get really close to the chair itself.

The last three rooms, Natalie Wood/Titanic, Lee Sober Shapiro and Demon House, are now self guided, where they let groups of two into each one. It was nice to see Demon House without being crammed with 15 other people. The shutters and video are now automated, which the guide expressed great relief with.

Once concluded, you exit through the gift shop directly from the Seance Room. The doorway leads to a new room which used to be half of the gift shop, but now contains set pieces from the Jack Black movie The House With A Clock In It's Walls. Very nice looking pieces for sure.

The gift shop is just one room now, where they let you in by threes. This is where you'll get the shirt that comes with the tour.

This was my 13th tour, and I have to say, it was the best. The new distancing measures help every single aspect of the museum. It cut off wait times entirely. I'm used to at least an hour to three waiting outside, and this made them almost entirely non-existent. The rotation and space inside the rooms really does ensure you get to see everything without being crowded, and it's back to almost a single guide model, with the hand off being at the swinging bookshelf for the second tour guide.

I was beyond impressed. Zak and his team really made the most of the horrible Covid-19 situation, and made the museum a safe and better experience out of it. I can't recommend the new tour enough. Well worth the money and time, and I honestly hope that long after this situation is over, they keep a lot of the changes made, because it's a better experience overall from them.

[dangerscully]

The Mundane Lockdown Diaries, UK edition

I figured I’d post some everyday mundane content, just because I’m finding experiences around the world to be really interesting to compare. So here goes. 

(For reference, the UK went into “lockdown”, although a less strict one than some other countries have put into place, on Monday evening. We are allowed out to exercise once per day, to go to the shops for essentials as infrequently as possible, and to work if you’re a “key worker” and unable to work from home. The police have been given new powers to enforce this with dispersal orders and the use of fines, as well as arrest powers for non-compliance. Businesses not deemed as essential are closed, so pretty much the only things open are pharmacies and supermarkets).

Today I went to the supermarket for the first time in over a week. 

We had to queue outside – with a 2 metre gap between people – as they were limiting the number of shoppers inside the store at any one time. Luckily we have uncharacteristically gorgeous weather in Wales at the moment so it was a nice break to stand in the sun (especially now that the lockdown has limited our time allowed outside to very specific reasons), however this will be utterly miserable when the usual rain returns. Although it’s becoming normal, it’s still very surreal to see people queueing outside, wearing masks and gloves, with security staff overseeing the queueing process.

The queue was fairly long but only due to being spaced out, and I was let inside within 5 minutes. Inside the front door, a staff member greeted every customer and told them to keep 2 metres away from fellow shoppers and from staff members, and informed us that they’d implemented a one-way system in the aisles to avoid people getting closer than that. They also had a rule that each customer could only get 3 of each item (I’m lucky to live in a two-person household, bigger households and large families will struggle with this rule, but it’s obviously there for a reason!).

Most things are back in stock! Pasta is still low, as are frozen veg, and tinned tomatoes and pulses, however there are barely any totally empty shelves – totally different from how it was last time I set foot inside. I was able to pick up several things that I haven’t been able to find over the past couple of weeks. The only things on my list that I struggled to get were stock powder and one specific type of cereal, however the cereal aisle was pretty full apart from that.

The 2 metre system was in place at the tills too, with markings on the floor to show customers where to stand. All of the staff on tills were wearing gloves, however they didn’t have the perspex screens up like I’ve seen other supermarkets install for the protection of their staff. 

Everyone was friendly, and despite everything it was actually a more pleasant shopping experience than normal. I’m grateful to have not seen any of the abuse which I know that some retail workers have experienced during this. 

I’m currently debating how to spend my one (1) government-approved daily outdoor exercise. I normally go to the gym 3-5 times a week, but stopped doing that over 2 weeks ago. So I’ve been going for a walk most days, and yesterday I went for a cycle. I may try a jog today – I dislocated my knee(!) a few weeks back so it put me out of action for a while and I’m still very much in the rehab portion of recovery, but I’m almost there so may try my first jog. 

My job means that work (and therefore my income) completely and utterly dried up a few weeks ago when the virus really started to take hold here, so I have no work to fill my time with. Usually on my quiet days / weeks work-wise, I fill my days with going to the gym, wandering around town, popping to the shops, or driving somewhere scenic for a walk – all of which are pretty much out of the equation at the moment. 

The government last night, about a week after announcing similar measures for employed people, announced a grant for self-employed people that I should hopefully qualify for – although I won’t receive the money for well over two months. It has, however, taken a huge weight of financial burden off my chest, but I feel incredibly sorry for the huge number of self-employed people who, for various reasons, will not qualify for the grant. I know of far too many people who are looking to receive absolutely no help in all of this, and are on the verge of going totally broke as a result. 

In the meantime, I’ve been getting really good at Mario Kart(!) in all of this spare time, while totally putting off all of the tidying up I could be doing around my flat. This week I’ve forced myself to get back into reading books – my brain had a Moment at the end of 2019 and my concentration, focus, and executive function just vanished, and I’ve struggled to read since. I’m aiming to read at least two books a month, until I get back to my usual pattern of it being more like four a month. So we’ll see how that goes!

Today our Prime Minister and Health Secretary both announced that they’ve tested positive for COVID-19, days after Prince Charles announced the same. Hopefully these high profile cases will make the few people still not taking it seriously start to do so.

I’m very grateful that this horrible situation is at least happening in a time where technology can help us feel less alone. I’ve taken part in so many group-watches, video chats, games nights etc all with the help of the internet and various apps. 

And I absolutely cannot wait to hug my friends when this is all over. 

Stay home, stay safe, and wash your hands, folks!

[jeagerism]

I. the one where they meet

Word Count : 3.1k

A/N : welcome to the v first part of waiting game!!! i hope you like it!! please feel free to give feedback, as it helps me work faster and i then know what you guys want in future chapters! ty to @soulspideys bc ya got me out of a hole with this!!! anyways enjoy bbys!

---

He’s going to be late.

Peter’s been repeating this to himself since he’d woken up this morning, alarm blaring with giant red numbers reading 8:13 A.M. He had made sure to set extra alarms, each one with a different tone, and had managed to sleep through them all.

So, he’d jumped up, shoving himself into the outfit he’d had laid out the night before, hauled his backpack onto his shoulders, and grabbed his keys before leaving his dorm room and making a mad dash for his class. He’d woken up so late he didn't even get to fix himself the tea he had planned on making.

He is so going to be late. And on the first day of class, too. Fuck. Right about now, he's questioning what compelled him to sign up for an 8 a.m. class. It had seemed like a good idea at the time, but as Peter just about manages to arrive outside the building his class is held in, he's cursing himself out.

He risks a glance at his watch and winces. 8:23. There's a part of him that cringes at the thought of walking into the lecture hall, knowing all eyes would immediately be on him. Peter had been so hopeful for the first day of college. But now he’d be labelled as the kid that was late to his first class. Fuck fuck fuck.

He doesn't want to go in.

He does anyways, of course. Sucking it up and moving along, he wraps his hand around the door handle and pulls.

Creeeaaaaak.

He wants the ground to swallow him whole. The groaning of the door stops once Peter slips inside the classroom, only to start again as it closes behind him. But when he looks up, he's surprised to see that no one’s even spared him a glance. The professor is still speaking, pencils are still moving.

A breath. Thank God. He makes his way past students, scouring the rows of people for an empty seat. There's someone occupying each and every seat he comes across. He’s just about ready to give up hope when he spots an empty seat a few rows up, right next to someone in a giant grey hoodie.

Peter approaches the person, nudging their forearm gently. “Um, is anyone, uh…” He trails off, awkwardly rubbing his neck. Please please please let me sit here. They glance up at the touch of his hand.

“Yeah, sure.” They move their things over to give him room. He settles into his seat, pulling out the colorful notebook labeled Psychology, and gets to work writing notes immediately.

The class passes much quicker after that, but Peter can feel himself dozing off periodically when the professor pauses his lecture. He really wishes he’d woken up earlier. He’s grateful the class ends when it does, hundreds of students pouring out of the room almost instantly.

A sigh leaves him as he puts his things back into his bag.

“Hey, um-” Another book lands beside him. When he looks up, you give him an encouraging smile. “You, um, you missed a few topics...before you came in.” You shrug a shoulder, holding your backpack strap on the other. “So, uh, you can copy mine? Like, I can give you my notebook and you can give it back next class, o-or you can take a few pictures, or I can take a few and send them to you!”

Peter doesn't say anything, instead choosing to stare at you with wide, curious eyes. He didn't think anyone had noticed him come in, despite the noise he caused. But you had, and you're offering to help him. No one else had done that. You're an angel.

The smile on your face drops as suddenly as it had come, and you begin reaching for the notebook. “And you probably think I'm weird and was watching you and am just trying to get your number! Okay, um, sorry for tha-”

Peter shakes his head, also reaching out to grab the notebook. Your hands brush against each other’s, and you both jump back as if you'd been burned. “Uh, yeah, I can give you my number? And you can just text me the notes I missed, i-if you want! You, like, totally don't have to-”

“No, I will!” Your eyes fall from him to the floor. “Um, it's no, no problem.” Slipping your phone from your back pocket, you hand it out to him. “Just, like, put your number in…”

His hands are shaking so bad Peter is worried he’ll drop your phone. He's not used to this, meeting new people had never been his forte. Sure, he could be as brave as he wanted when he was Spider-Man, but now? This was all new. Peter Parker was Spider-Man, but at the same time, Peter Parker was not Spider-Man.

He types in his number slowly, double, then triple checking to make sure he’d put in the right digits. “Here you go”, he mumbles, handing it back to you with pink cheeks.

“Peter.” You whisper his name to yourself with a smile. “I'm Y/N.”

“Nice to meet you, Y/N.” Y/N.

“Great! I'll, you know”, you hold the device up, wiggling it, “text you.” You smile, turning around and head for the door of the classroom.

Peter watches you leave, rooted in his spot, smiling like an idiot. Because he may have just made his first friend in college.

---

Throughout the next week and a half, you talk a lot more than either of you had expected.

You text him the notes he’d missed, just like you'd said you would, and the conversation continues. It's mostly about things either of you didn't quite understand during class, but when Peter slips in a joke about how nasally your professor sounds, you both relax.

The next time you two see each other is in the library. Peter’s busy looking for a book for his art class, fingertips brushing over the spines as he walk. He becomes so focused he doesn't notice the person on the other side of the bookcase until he hears his name being called.

“Peter!”

He looks up, startled, but his shocked expression morphs into a smile when he notices it's you. “Hey, Y/N.” His finger snags on the corner of a book as he tries to come up with something else to say, and it, along with a few other books, comes crashing to the ground by his feet. Well, at least he has an excuse for not speaking.

“Shit.” He bends down, stacking the books one on top of the other, cheeks burning. How was it that he’d managed to make a fool out of himself again, and it was only his second time seeing you in person? He can feel the eyes of everyone in the library on him.

You're knelt beside him before he can blink, adding the last stray book to his stack.

“Sorry, I'm just, really clumsy all the time and”, a pause, “I'm embarrassing myself aren't I?” He’s almost certain his cheeks have never been this red in his life.

You bump shoulders with him, standing as he does. “Nah. At least, not to me.” You survey the people around you, most giving the two of you dirty looks. “Not so sure about them though.”

Peter sets the books on the shelf gently, stuffing both hands in his pockets and rocking back and forth on his feet. “So…what're you in here for?” You look confused for a second. “Not that you're, like, not allowed in the library or anything! You can totally be in here, just wondering-”

There's a loud shushing sound from the corner of the library, leaving Peter silent, and you giggling quietly.

“I'm picking up a few anatomy books. You?”

“I'm, uh, an art major, so. Looking for something for a project”, he says.

You beam up at him. “That's so cool, Peter.” He shrugs. “Seriously. You should show me some of your work sometime.” Internally, he's freaking out. Because you do not need to see the crappily one sketches he has, especially the one he’d started of you.

But he finds himself nodding anyways. “Yeah, sure. That would be fun.” No it wouldn't. It absolutely would not, why did I say that? He supposes there's just something about you that leaves him wanting more. “So, um, do you need any help looking for your books?”

Another smile. “Please.” You lead him to the section of books you'd been picking through, naming off a few titles you needed. It's easy to start talking from there, about how he's liking classes and how you're undecided for a major at the moment. “I don't really know what I want to do yet. I want to branch out, I guess? I just want to make sure that when I do pick my major”, you sigh, “I want to make sure I know that's what I want.”

He likes that answer. It's nice to know someone who's as undecided about their future as he is. After everything that happened last year, he's grateful for that.

After you collect all of your books and his, and Peter offers to carry every single one, you leave the library still chatting up a storm. Something about the way you smile shakes him to his core. And he knows he's not supposed to think this, because he's just met you, but your one of the prettiest people he's seen.

He doesn't tell you this of course. Even if he wanted to, he doesn't get a chance.

“Hey, Peter!” Ned. He tilts his head at his friend, who jogs up to them with a goofy smile upon seeing you by his side. “See you've met Y/N!” Ned holds his fist out for you.

You laugh, and bump your fist against his. “Hi, Ned.”

Peter’s eyes flit from you to Ned. “You know each other?” Does he sound jealous? No, no, there's not a chance he does...right? The smirk Ned gives him makes him scowl the tiniest bit.

“Yeah, we have a few classes together. We ate lunch together the other day, which was really nice because I don't really know anyone other than you and him. I'm...not very good at making friends.” Which Peter almost doesn't want to believe, because how could anyone not want to be your friend?

Ned takes Peter’s silence as a queue to begin speaking again. “Well...if you don't have anything to do right now, Peter and I were meeting a few friends for lunch...if you want to some along.”

I'm gonna kill him.

Peter opens his mouth to intervene, but you're already shaking your head excitedly. I'm screwed. He was going to spend an hour with you, in a sandwich shop, with his best friend right next to him, probably embarrassing him even more than he’d already managed to do.

You glance up at Peter. “That'd be great, actually. That saves me from eating lunch in my dorm, or even worse”, you grimace, “the cafeteria.” Not that the cafeteria was a bad place. It was very clean and had surprisingly great food. But he knew what you meant. He’d been the kid with no friends to sit at lunch with before Ned came along.

So, Peter grins, nodding his head. He's still got your books in his hands, which are getting sweatier and sweatier as he think about lunch. It's with the really pretty person from his Psychology class, but holy shit, it's with the really pretty person from his Psychology class.

“That sounds amazing!”

---

You look beautiful when you laugh.

Peter decides this about fifteen minutes into lunch. You haven't talked much since you've gotten here, most of your attention on Bryce, Ned’s boyfriend, but every few minutes you catch eyes, and it's enough for him.

When you'd first arrived, you'd looked around in awe at the sandwich shop. Apparently you'd never been. Rhodey had taken him and Ned a few weeks before they were scheduled to move into their dorms. They had fun, they talked a lot. About Tony. He misses him. About last year's events. He misses her.

You were nervous about ordering, so you had Peter do it for you. You told him you trusted him to make the right choice, so he got what he did his first time, what he’d gotten every other time since visiting. He felt like a kid in a candy store when you told him you liked it.

“So, Peter.” Ned pats him on the back. “How you doing this week? I know we share a dorm, but you haven't really been there a lot.” His best friend gives him a pointed look. “You promised me, Rhodey, and Pepper you'd try to be home more.”

Peter wets his lips, anxiously looking up to make sure you weren't paying attention to them. “I know, I just…”, he sighs, “I just like to be there, just in case. I know this isn't Queens, just…if I'm not there, what'll happen?”

Ned huffs. “The police will get them?” His eyes soften the tiniest bit. “I know how you are about this, since last year, but it's better here. We made sure of that. So, just try to come home more?” He smirks. “Unless you're spending all your time with Y/N-”

“I'm not!” Peter elbows him, glaring. “I'm not, I just have psychology with her. That's all.” But that's not all. You glance up again, and smile at Peter when you lock eyes. That's so not all. “I'll try to be home more, just quit with the jokes.”

“Who said they were jokes?”

Peter groans, pressing his hands to his cheeks. “Shut up, Ned.” He checks his watch, releasing a puff of air. “I've got to get back, I need to start sketching out ideas.” Grabbing his wallet, he pockets it. “I'm gonna head out.”

You jump to your feet at his words. “Oh, I'll come! I've got some things to do back at my dorm anyways.” You shuffle past Bryce. “Nice to meet you! Bye, Ned, see you on Wednesday!” Your arm brushes against Peter’s as you stop beside him. “Let's go?”

The breeze feels nice on his face, calming him. People bustle around the two of you, talking on phones or holding binders and textbooks. It’s loud, but Peter doesn't mind. He doesn't do too well with quiet now, anyways.

“I'm glad I went to lunch with you.” He takes careful notice in the way you say you. Not you guys, but you. Just him. It fills him with a strange kind of warmth.

He mumbles a soft reply, “Yeah, me too.” The two of you cross the street, and some protective part of him reaches out to grab your hand as you do. Maybe it's reflex from days spent out with May, or maybe it's just because it's you. He doesn't question it too much.

You look surprised, Peter tugging his hand back a little at that. “S-Sorry, I-” But you don't let go. Not even when you've reached the other side of the street. He hides his smile by looking away.

“It’s okay.” He's so, so screwed.

He walks you the rest of the way home filled with glee. You reach the outside common area too soon. “Do you want me to walk you back to your dorm, or…?”

You shake your head, letting his hand fall from yours. He misses the warmth, although he's not sure why. Friends. “No, it's alright. Thank you, though, for lunch. You and I should do it again soon.”

You and I.

“Yeah. Yeah we really should.”

---

Search History :

i think i have a crush

do i have a crush

queens, new york july accident

how do i know if i like someone

good conversation starters

art throughout the ages

---

It’s the next week when Peter is sure he's doomed.

He's tried his best to keep any and all feelings away. The beginnings of a teeny crush had been pushed to the back of his mind. Getting too close so soon isn't good. He doesn't want a repeat of last year.

But it seems the universe hates him.

He shows up to psychology early, notebook and black and blue pens in one hand, a travel mug of tea in the other. Peter’s there early enough that he can pick his seat, wherever he wants. He chooses a seat right in the middle row, close to the exitway. The rest of the class starts pouring in, and pretty soon the room is filled.

You drop into the seat next to him as the professor starts talking. When you smile, Peter tries his hardest not to show how happy he is you sat next to him.

“Today, you're getting assigned your first collaboration assignment.” They explain the work in detail before grabbing the binder in front of them. “Pick your partners and get to work, I've emailed you the other information.”

The room gets loud as the words leave the professors lips. People around the lecture hall move around, getting into pairs. Peter glances worriedly at his peers. He doesn't really know any of them, except for, well, except for you.

“Do you want to be my partner, Peter?” Why do you have to sound so hopeful? Spending more time with you sounded great, like a dream, but Peter was positive that you managed to pull him in too easily. Spending time alone with you would surely lead to disaster.

“Yeah!” He flips his notebook open as you open up the email you’d been sent. You begin rambling about the topics you can choose from, a gleam in your eye.

“Oh, and we can work on it out of class, too, obviously. We can go back to the shop and work, or-or we could go to the library and study while working and kill two birds with one stone.” You grin. “You're really cool, so I'm glad you're who I get to work with on this.”

He's so, utterly, terribly, horribly screwed dammit.

“I'm glad it's me, too.”

---

Search History :

how to stop liking someone

how fast can you get over a crush

queens new york bank robbery

attribution theory

---

taglist :

@still-awake-daydreaming @parkersvibes @starstuffy @spider-writer @princess-unicorn124 @alisoncdariel @parkeroffline @asmolbeen @eternallovers65 @aussie-mantle @hbmoore1986 @cosmetologynerd @mellifluous-tom @trustfundparker @standingunderthisrain @peterstrainingwheels @happywolves81 @onyxbunny22 @dark-destiny-collector @xxtomxo @marvel-slxt @pluckypeterparker @summertime-acoustic

strikeout means tumblr wouldn't let me tag you!!

let me know if you want to be on my tag list for this series

got any feedback on this? tell me what you though!!!

[draconia-bsd]

FkuMori- New Year's Kiss

Hey, hi, hello, I have no justification for writing somethig so painfully long, but I hope you like it @vanafloria ♡ uwu

Crimson sunlight barged through the forest of skyscrapers and motels, allowing only a few remaining rays to stumble in a wide white office of a new clinic center, meeting their end either on a tidy desk or on a spotless lab coat of dr. Mori. He owned and managed the whole complex for barely eight months now, and despite it seeming out of place, the surrounding neighbourhood warmly welcomed this new branch of the health industry. Before its arrival, small gangs had a habbit of housebreaking and robbing the entire area, spreading fear amongst its residents and ultimately leading to a decay in economy, which most considered beyond repair. Yet, thanks to the generous heart of this ex war doctor, these problems were solved in the shortest possible time, leading quite a large number of people into an almost religious worship of his being. Fully aware of the fact, Mori dedicated vast amounts of energy in maintaining his public image- as long as the ordinary people were happy with his honey-glazed mask and dulcet words no problems will be caused, they will act as sheep following their shepherd through the fog. This logic, however, was not something he shared with his employees, more precisely his bodyguard, Fukuzawa- a man roughly his own age, but of strong stature. He oftentimes communicated in such a blunt and harsh manner that Mori felt obliged to step in the conversation for the tensions to settle. It was exhausting, especially after explaining him the meaning of his actions numerous times, but in the end, he couldn't afford better. Not only from a materialistic standpoint, but also because Fukuzawa was the best man in his line of work, rising up almost to a level of legend. Even upon a mere mention of his nickname, "The Silver Wolf", most of the underworld's bravest members would quiver, for the man's natural bloodthirst was a force colder and more ruthless than a Russian winter. He was far too valuable for Mori to dismiss and leave in another person's grasp.

In spite of this minor problem though, the business ran precisely as intended. The whole area became a neutral zone after doctor himself spread the word of his refusal to associate with the law enforcement. Sure, he faced hardships and doubt at first, but being spared and trusted by the two biggest crime organisations in town helped significantly. Everyone he knew now thought he was just a simple man who wanted to help people, which, in a way, wasn't even that far from the truth. Thinking about this, Mori didn't even realise he neglected his work until the phone-alarm notified him it was time for his lunchbreak. Feeling only slight discomfort about the matter, he swiftly he draped himself within his feather jacket and headed straight to the nearby bakery. Having stepped outside, his eyes narrowed due to the force of a razor sharp wind jolting his hair, leaving him with a view field wide just enough to get him to the desired destination. The bakery was small, albeit tastefully decorated. It possessed a rustic aesthetic, with its wooden, dark amber walls and shelves that blended so well with them it would be impossible to imagine one without the other, alongside two big square windows, one placed next to the door and the other on the West wall, allowing sunlight to highlight all of the beauty inside. Naturally, as it was Christmas time, decorations added to the aesthetics too, making even the baked goods taste more delicious than usual.

Upon entering, Mori fixed his hair and stepped into the line for making orders. He wasn't quite sure what he was going to get, but the queue was long enough for him to comfortably decide, or so he thought. Suddenly, an old woman came up to him and started a smalltalk asking him about the clinic and poking fun at his hair that he "ought to shorten". This was all an everyday occurrence to which he had gotten used to, up until one question.

"So, how will you spend the New Year's eve, dear?" she said with genuine curiosity.

"Oh, as usual, I shall occupy myself with work." the doctor replied and he truly did mean it. Over time holidays lost their value to him, and while a necessity in this society, he did not enjoy them for the most part, as he felt even more empty during those times, thus trying not to pay them too much attention was the best possible solution.

"Oooh." mumbled the lady "That's noble, but it must be terribly lonely, especially after having spent Christmas at work as well."

Admittedly, Mori was stunned by her bluntness, but he couldn't deny her words, even with his employees by his side, he felt the same as always during this time period. Still, he had to reply with something, so he conveniently used the exact thing he was thinking about for inspiration.

"Don't worry, Fukuzawa will be with me. After all, we are like brothers." he exclaimed, but for some reason didn't understand why he only mentioned this one man.

While they could surely be brothers by age, there wasn't much, apart from his skills, that dazzled him about Fukuzawa. So, brushing this off as a simple element of chitchatting, he continued to talk to the lady until he took his order and left the bakery, sprinting back to his office.

Having walked so fast he almost had difficulty maintaining a normal breathing pattern, he stopped in the entry room to gain some strength. It was now noticeably warmer compared ti the outside, but still, he felt no need to take off his jacked as he felt winter might bite down to his bones. Sitting there like a student in the school yard, he started thinking about his words once again. This time he had the freedom to explore all the possibilities, and an interesting idea occured to him. Mori then finished his meal as usual and headed back to his office, having a few buissnes partners already waiting for him. Unon greeting them politely,he called on Fukuzawa to guard the room until the meeting was over.

...

As dawn neared it's peak, the doctors hands lost their usual composure and craved for a resting place to stop their fatigue caused tremor, but contrary to his body's wishes, Mori took care of his equipment, changed his clothes and ramained to wait for the new shift to start. He didn't have to do this, obviously, but a part of him thought it was right and he hadn't done anything like that in a while. His mind was absent as he gazed into the rising Sun, mesmerised by it's colours and the flickering snow contrasting it. Losing track of time, and eventually his consciousness, the next thing amethyst eyes saw were white strands of hair shimmering next to them, appearing so light and soft they may have been unreal for all Mori knew. This fascination could have continued, but soon a deep voice broke off the illusion and reality came back into place. Fukuzawa was arched over his employer, looking at the weak body with concern.

"Shouldn't you go home and rest properly?" he asked as the younger man shook from his drowse and offered a hand to help him get out of his chair.

It took him quite a while to voice his answer, but nevertheless, Mori agreed with this and the two decided to head towards their homes together. However unusual it may seem, this isn't the first time they travelled together, it happened every once in a while and they would often engage in awkward conversations during it, but lately their communication improved (partially because of their debates about the neighbourhoods residents) so it was definitely a nice opportunity to snatch. Mori freezed as soon as he stepped outside, giving him a subjective feeling that his eyebags suddenly became a few shades darker. Jokingly commenting on this, he was greeted with an attempt of a reply "That's why you shouldn't wear jackets inside." and a smile. Fukuzawa may have been older, but he was definitely the one who had to learn when it came to these things. Still, Mori didn't mind his bodyguard's awkwardness when it was directed at him. He could never pinpoint the exact emotion he felt at those moments, but he knew it was something warm and for a long time he didn't think anything of it, but as of yesterday he became quite keen on exploring it, so he lead the conversation further until the blue eyes had lost their usual harshness. It is true that most of the trip had already passed by that point, but at least it was worthy. Now was the right time to ask:

"Say, what are your plans for the New Year's eve?" Mori continued with his usual tone.

"I assume I will spend it working." Fukuzawa replied coldly, retrieving to his natural attitude.

"Well if that's so, wouldn't you like to make me company during the countdown? It's not like we will leave the clinic, but it's nice to celebrate a bit, no?"

"I- I would have to agree, but what about the patients or the lurking danger?" the silver haired man asked with a serious voices , averting his sky blue orbs to his side.

"Hmm, a few drunks here and there shouldn't be much of a problem. I've had these experiences before, you know?" Mori proclaimed in a pensive tone.

"I don't see anything wrong with it then." Fukuzawa said, much to Mori's delight.

As planned, two men parted ways soon after, heading for their respective homes for a good rest, but somehow neither felt tired anymore.

...

Before coming to his clinic that evening, Mori stoped by an acquaintance's shop at the back of an alley near the town center. The man was a smuggling genius, holding seven mass storages, both in and out of the city, filled with opiates of various kinds, but at this small shop he brought only the finest of alcohol- be it original or fake, he had it all, oftentimes so well matched in characteristics that the drink's authenticity was for the consumer to evaluate. Despite this tho, he would never put Mori in the said position, for he owed him greatly. The store itself had two levels, the lower being almost twice as big as the one above, but nonetheless well-equipped with rare finds. Overall aesthetic was quite modern, filled with various shades grey as well as few metallic surfaces (shelves and the register most notably), but it would've been extremely bland if there werent a few pop art paintings hanging on the walls and bringing some actual colour in the room. Not really how most would imagine a liquor store, but it possessed a certain charm, especially for upstart people who stood in awe upon entering, with greedy eyes drinking from every bottle they recognized from a magazine they read before that one party in order to impress a lovely nobleman. But unlike these people, Mori wasn't all that impressed by this space, he already set his goal and this was simply the best way to fulfil it. He followed his acquaintance to a certain part of the store and upon a short wait, the man came back with what the doctor wanted- a bottle of Highland Park '68 . With a delighted smirk on his face Mori expressed his gratefulness and exchanged a few business related ideas with the smuggler.

Having put the bottle of expensive whisky in his bag, he set for the clinic, arriving earlier than usual although there wasn't much he planned to do but sorting some paperwork. Emerged in work, time flew by and before he knew it the clock hit nine, marking the beginning of Fukuzawa's work hours. Forseeably, he arrived on time and made his presence known to Mori immediately. Though his tone and words were professional, there were hints of insecurity behind them as he didn't quite know how to hold himself that night. As it is only natural, the dark haired man noticed this and decided to put his plan to action. Dramatically proclaiming his exhaustion, Mori suggested they both take a glass of whisky and without hesitation Fukuzawa accepted this offer. After all, the Silver Wolf was no stranger to alcohol, most notably spirits. He didn't know exactly why he liked this type of liquor to such an extent, but he never concerned himself with that question- the taste and the high was all that mattered, and surprisingly, this drink possessed both of the said qualities. Sitting in chairs, much like a doctor and a patient would, they sipped their drinks slowly, expressing thoughts of it's taste, colour and scent, but other than that the conversation seemed to end, making the whole situation awkward for a short while- until the rush of alcohol hit them. It did require two glasses of whisky, but it was worthy, as Fukuzawa relaxed significantly after every sip he took. Mori wasn't much of a drinker himself, so seeing this big, strong man getting tipsy before him was a pleasant surprise, and not only that, but his cheeks were slightly red emphasizing his blue eyes to the point where Mori had to put extreme effort not to stare at their beauty. Instead, the doctor started talking about their common mentor- Natsume Soseki. This proved to be a good topic of choice as Fukuzawa lead the story of their meeting and later anecdotes from trainings. Like the one time his sensei tried to catch a butterfly with his bare hands, or the time he casually lounged not on the regular sitting area of the couch but on it's back. This made Mori laugh more than he had imagined, to the point his abdominal muscles hurt, actually. This reminded him of his experience with Natsume-sensei, so naturally, he decided to share his discovery of the mentors unreasonably big collection of cardboard boxes.

Stories of their mentor soon turned into jokes, but after continuous use of whisky, the conversation took a more serious turn. They didn't remember how they got to the topic of loneliness, but it was obvious neither of them particularly enjoyed the subject.

"Loneliness increases inner strength and individuality, but our human nature is always there to chain our improvement." Fukuzawa claimed.

"Isn't it also in our human nature to adapt and evolve? While it is necessary, is it truly the only way we can help our growth? After all, even plants die if watered too much, don't they?" the younger man replied, but was met with silence.

"Well, it is New Year's eve after all, we shouldn't be talking about such things!" Mori added in a silvery voice, putting his usual smile on.

Forcing a smile on his face, the older of the two extended his arm to get his glass "If that's the case, why don't you pour me another one, doctor?"

Almost mechanically doing as he was asked, Mori suddenly remembered "Ah, wait!" he exclaimed as he jerked the bottle "It's not midnight yet, we should wait for the countdown, look how little we have left!"

Blue orbs focused on the bottle and blinked in surprise "Wow, that much? I mean, we drank that much."

Mori laughed to this reaction and fell off his chair from the force he used to nod his head, which in response caused Fukuzawa to snort as he lent him a helping hand. As expected from a drunk person though, the fallen didn't get up, but instead pulled the the other one down with him. With both of them on the floor now, they continued giggling like a pair of teenagers smoking behind their school, hoping not to get caught. It was strange how well they can get along, given the chance. As they sat next to each other, Fukuzawa took Mori's hand without a word and moved it close to him, causing the other man to blush, but before he could do anything the Silver Wolf narrowed his eyes and drew his head close to the handwatch to examine it.

"Two more minutes until countdown!" he said as he turned around to face Mori, who at this point had a perplexed look on his face and was only able to utter an "oh".

Fukuzawa then quickly crawled to the table an brought the bottle to a still confused doctor.

"Eh and the glasses?" Mori asked.

"Ugh. Who cares." the other replied with a sigh.

With their eyes fixed on the watch, these two anxiously waited for the final ten seconds. It seemed that time passed much slower now that they stopped talking, but that didn't really bother Mori. He could feel the pressure of his head leaning against the other and soft white hair caressing his cheek- in a way, he even wanted this to continue. Alas, the time they waited for came and both of them counted until zero, but before doctor wished his bodyguard a happy New Year, Fukuzawa was already taking a sup of the old whisky. It was unlike his usual, compound self, to disrespect a custom, but he was extremely drunk by this point, so the younger man took it as such. Sensing that the time is right, he started gently removing the bottle from Fukuzawa's mouth, advising him not to swallow the drink as he cupped the confused man's face and moved his own body close to his, giving him a deep and slow kiss. It was bitter and it burned, but he would give anything to do it over and over again.

"Happy New Year." he said weakly upon breaking the kiss and catching his breath.

"Yeah. You too." a flustered Fukuzawa replied, still in shock over what had just happened.

After remaining in the same position for a few seconds, Mori decided to back away, thinking this was all a bad idea to begin with, but as he was about to move, he felt strong arms holding him back and draging him even closer to them.

"Mmm? What?" he asked teasingly, but his lips were locked in a kiss before he knew it.

Who coud have guessed such passion laid behind those cold blue eyes? Those who seemed so detached and out of reach, slowly luring him into lust day by day... are they even the same as these fierce, devine eyes before him? Mori wondered, but that was a question that had to wait for the next day. All he craved now was to be liberated from his bottled up desires, and his saviour was ready.

[nickgerlich]

What’s Your Vector, Victor?

By now we have all heard the command: Stay home. Some states are more lax than others, while at the opposite end, merely being in public runs the risk of arrest or hefty fines. Regardless, though, citizens are still allowed to shop for essentials, because we still have to eat.

The only problem is that the supermarket may be one of the dirtiest places around, and may be helping make matters worse instead of better by being the vector through which the virus travels.

Sheltering-in-place has not exactly been a rousing success in the US, because every city and state with some kind of warning, ranging from strong suggestion to curfews and controls, left open the option of shopping for our groceries. And whether we go to market because we truly need foodstuffs, or we are just bored completely to death, officials have unwittingly funneled all of American humanity to our local supermarkets. Since the grocery is often about the only thing remaining open these days, they tend to be crowded with people, all of whom are busily ignoring pleas not to gather in groups of ten or more.

Good luck finding sanitizing wipes now at Walmart, Target, and elsewhere when you walk in. Those days are over. The carts are filthy, and were they to be subjected to a simple black light test or more, it would show them to be four-wheeled trolleys of death. Bring your own gloves and disinfectants, or throw caution to the wind.  God knows how many people have used that cart in the last 72 hours, which is about how long the COVID-19 virus can linger on plastic.

Then consider that the air you breathe is likely filled with gravity-defying microscopic killer zombies, and every single product you touch is a potential cesspool of germs. Suddenly you realize that you probably should have worn a HAZMAT suit and respirator, provided you could find such fashion statements these days.

So what’s a supermarket to do? Can they possibly disinfect the store every night during their closing hours? Doubtful flight of fantasy. Or should they be making it even harder to deal with this mess by limiting the number of people who can be inside at any one time?

Absolutely.

In a 200,000 square foot Walmart Supercenter, limiting entry to 100 persons at a time means one person for every 2000 square feet. Upping it to even 500 persons gives us 400 square feet per person, enough to keep our six feet of linear distance, at least on paper.

But this is what it’s coming down to. Home Depots in Florida have begun this practice. A few days ago, my brother in the Tampa area reported having to wait 45 sweltering minutes outside in a queue delineated into six-foot segments, while store employees only allowed five people at a time into the massive DIY store. Now never mind why in the hell my brother was at Home Depot in the first place, because there is definitely nothing essential there for him unless his freaking toilet had broken. I think he was just bored, and his sudden time off has turned into a good time to catch up on projects.

Nice try. Not buying. He unwittingly put himself at risk from infected carriers. And who knows, he may even be a carrier himself. Painting the guest bedroom can wait.

I’m all for Walmart and everyone else implementing a store occupation policy, though. When I went shopping this last Wednesday, I purposely went after the lunch hour, when I thought traffic would be bottoming. I was right, although there will still people there. I got in and out as quickly as possible. And come Tuesday when I forecast we will need more perishables, I will be at Walmart at 6:00am, ready to show my ID for the seniors-only hour.

Oh. My. God. I can’t believe I just said that. But hey, I’m 61, and I’m going to take advantage of it now. I may be 61-going-on-41 inside my head, but on my Texas Drivers License, I am an old timer. Watch out, you geezers. Let the power shopping begin.

With gloves, no less.

I am operating under the assumption that what is likely the only type of store I can realistically enter in the Amarillo area is basically Ground Zero for COVID-19, if there is such a thing in our remote corner of the state. I may as well lick the shopping cart handle, because that’s probably not a whole lot different from wandering the aisles and rubbing shoulders with others.

And then I will go home to bathe in hot water. Scrub my hands. Wash that virus right out of my hair. Oh, and spray, scrub, and hose my purchases before I put them away.

Because it’s about the only thing we can do to increase our chances of not being the next statistic. I’ll race you for a cart next Tuesday. Winner take all.

Dr “Get Your Hands Off My Cauliflower“ Gerlich

Audio Blog

[dalimoor]

So I went to the Pokémon Center

Yesterday me and my bestie @runeandmoon​ made the journey to the pop-up Pokémon Center in London. It was one heck of an emotional journey, but it was so worth it in the end. Because of how far away we live from London, and the horror stories about the queues, we had to set off at 5AM!

Blurry car selfie because I couldn’t hold the phone straight when we were moving, but hey. I don’t think we look bad for that time of the morning!

The time was 8:48 AM. We joined the queue, absolutely stunned that we’d got there before it had started snaking outside the shopping centre. But since the shop didn’t open till 12 PM, were in for a long wait.

Tragedy! Somewhere on the Tube, the Z-Crystal on my Mimikyu ita bag had got broken. How annoying! I had to bring my ita bag, though. I am the Mimikyu Superfan. I only really wanted the giant Mimikyu plush from the Pokémon Center. Would I get my prize? Only time would tell!

Queuing was boring, but we had some great conversations with cool people in the line in front of us. These two dudes were awesome people. Thanks for making the unbearable wait less unbearable, guys!

The girl and guy here were also pretty awesome. Especially when we started to edge forward ever so slightly and it got more and more busy. The queue was closed off at 11:31 AM, a full half hour before the shop even opened. I was glad we got in before that happened!

It was around here that some guy got caught queue-jumping and was thrown out by security. Wild. All in all, the security were all pretty cool, even though they were very keen to pack us in as tightly as possible. Every time the tiniest gap opened up in front, they’d hurry us forward. One guy was like ‘c’mon, move up. Don’t you want to get into the shop?’ Too soon.

The first appearance of Dapper Pikachu! I wasn’t near enough to get a proper photo. :(

There it is! The legends were true. The first glimpse of the Pokémon Center. It’s there, waaaaay in the back of the photo, You have to squint to see it, but it’s there!

Dapper Pikachu came out again. I still wasn’t in the right place to film or photograph him properly. But check out the guy desperate for a hug! As we were getting closer to the Pokémon Center itself, we needed all the joy we could get. The tweets were coming in thick and fast of everything that they were selling out of. London Pikachu crest pins sold out within the first 20 minutes of trade. Keeping my hopes up for my Mimikyu...

Playing Pogo kept me entertained for the majority of the queuing. During the wait, I got enough coins to buy the new Mimikyu backpack which I had to own.

@runeandmoon​ was playing Pogo to pass the time, too, and got this cutie for her trouble. Lucky!

The final furlong! 3:19 PM. Just shy of seven hours later, we’d made it.

We did it! We got inside! There was still a lot of stock, but the lion’s share of the exclusive stuff had already gone. No Londonchu hoodies, socks, plushies or pins. Shelves and shelves of Ludicolo, though. Who even wants Ludicolo? We did overhear a small boy being absolutely thrilled they had Alakazam plushies, though, which was really sweet. Every Pokémon must be someone’s fav.

But to my absolute dismay, there were no giant Mimikyu plushes left on the shelf. The only ones were already in other peoples’ baskets, waiting to be purchased. The staff said they had no more. I was devastated.

I’m smiling, but I’m about to cry here. It’s crazy, but I’d been up since 4:30 AM, queued for an ungodly amount of time and seeing other people with the one thing I wanted and couldn’t have was just too much.

But then. A miracle happened. Just as I was queuing to pay, a member of staff came out of a side door. They’d just had a delivery...

MY CHILD.

I absolutely bolted out of the till queue, elbowed past the people standing around the shelf that was being re-stocked and was like ‘I’M SORRY I NEED this’. I took one from the staff member and marched back to the till with my prize held high, shouting ‘WINNER WINNER CHICKEN DINNER’ because I was so sleep-deprived and a little bit insane at this point. But look how happy I am!

The staff in the store were all really friendly and doing their absolute best to make people happy. When I initially asked about Mimikyu stock, the guy who said they had none seemed genuinely gutted I’d missed out on my chosen item. The lady who eventually served me on the till was particularly sweet and clearly loved her job. Everyone was clearly trying their best and I’m not sure how they could have done anything better with the way things have been set up. The people working there can’t control the stock deliveries or do much more to deal with the huge, huge demand. The only thing they could do is put a time limit on how long you’re allowed to browse in the store, but I suppose that would be hard to police.   

The rest of my swag! Since a lot of the Dapper Pikachu stuff had sold out I had to get other things from what I initially wanted. I did want a crest pin for myself and a plush for a friend who had missed out on when he went, but neither were there. The only had one size left of these shirts, too. I hope it fits!

#TeamScorbunny.

How could I not? Scorbunny is super duper cute.

Was it worth it? Yes. It’s really weird how I don’t feel frustrated or upset about how long I queued. I did get a little bored, but not as much as I thought I would. I’m super happy I got my Mimikyu, so I guess that made it all worth it. Would do it again? Not this particular shop during the rest of its run, but a similar one in the future, sure. Because I’m apparently insane. I’d probably book a hotel the night before so I could go queue extra-extra early.

For anyone planning on going, I have some tips:

Get there as early as you can. The queue closes off well before the shop’s official closing time, often even before the shop opens. Unless you’re starting to queue at like 1 AM and you’re first in line, you’re generally looking at at least a six hour wait to get in. Basically, if you can’t get there early to mid-morning, don’t even bother.

Go with a friend. Company makes the wait so much better. Also, chat with the people in the queue around you. They’re stuck in the same situation, they’re Pokémon fans too and are probably cool people with interesting stories.

If you need the toilet, there ones near the queuing area. If you let security know, you’re able to leave the line to use the facilities. It’s even easier if you have the aforementioned friend to more easily keep your spot in line.

Bring snacks and drinks. It’s a long wait. You can slip out of the line to buy things, but the less you have to leave the line, the better. If it moves forward when you’re not in it, it’s easy to lose track of where you were.

Bring something to keep you entertained. Games console, phone, book, whatever. Again, it’s a long wait.

Watch the Twitter feed for the shop - they give a running update on stock levels, whether the queue is still open, etc.

And that was my crazy PokéCen adventure! Now I’m going to sleep for the next 3000 years.

[amphtaminedreams]

My Amateur European Travel Guide

Hi to anyone who’s reading!

I spent just over a month in Europe over the summer and have far too many good food pics that deserve more than sitting in my camera roll untouched and thus I thought I’d do my very shitty, amateurish version of a travel guide, basically a run down of my favourite things that we did in each city. From touristy shit like the Colosseum and the Roman Forum to some equally beautiful but lesser known places, getting an inter-rail pass gives you the time to see everything whilst not spending an absolute fortune. 

I went with a friend and we did the basic, first-time traveller route: Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin, Prague, Vienna, Budapest, Ljubljana, Venice, Rome and Milan. The pass, which allowed us to use domestic and international trains on 10 separate days within a month, for students only cost £230. We did then have to pay extra for the Eurostar from St.Pancras to Paris, and additional “reservation” fees to get seats on the trains in Italy and between France and The Netherlands, but all in all this didn’t cost us anymore than about £50. The flight back from Milan to Southend Airport cost £30, though be warned that it’s actually pretty hard to get from Southend to central London; if we hadn’t been able to get a lift, we probably would’ve spent an extra £30 getting home from there. 

We were away for 3 weeks and 4 days in total, and on top of the approx. £700/£800 we spent on hostels and air b&bs, I spent about £1500 whilst I was away. You could probably get away with taking about £1000 with you if you’re willing to cook while you’re away. We did a couple of nights whilst we were in air b&bs, but on the whole, we usually ate out. The hostel kitchens were a bit of a nightmare, though I’m not going to pretend it was anything other than a combination of laziness and gluttony that stopped me from cooking, lol. HOW CAN YOU GO TO ITALY AND NOT GO OUT FOR PASTA EVERY NIGHT?! It can’t be done. With my non-existent self-control anyway. 

Once I got back from inter-railing, I also then spent a week with my family staying in the cutest seaside town about half an hour outside of Barcelona, Sitges, which we’ve visited a few times before. For that reason, I thought I’d write about some of my favourite things to do in and around Barcelona, not just from this trip but from all the times we’ve visited over the last few years.

I’ll start, though, with the first place we visited on our inter-railing trip: Paris.

Paris, France

It might be because it was the first place we went and the place where I had the most energy and drive to explore, lol, but Paris was my absolute favourite of the cities we visited. I know a lot of people seem to be disappointed with it but there’s just so much to do and so much culture; gorgeous architecture, art, fashion, food, I feel that it lives up to its reputation in every way if you really utilise your time there properly. The public transport is easy to understand and use and my only gripe with the hostel is that it was a little far out. This didn’t really limit us in any way though, so it didn’t bother me. 

The Hostel

Our first hostel, Jo&Joe’s in Gentilly, was a really cool place. I believe it was around £30 a night (one of the more expensive hostels we stayed in) to stay in a room like the one I've included a photo of. The beds were comfy and you had a decent amount of space, and the wi-fi was good. My only issue is that there wasn’t much privacy in terms of the bathroom; there was one toilet room and one shower room in the actual bedroom to be shared between the 6 of us. There didn’t really seem to be much about in Gentilly but to be honest, we didn’t venture very far and there’s more than enough to do in central Paris.

Paris Top Things to do:

1. Palais de Tokyo

Probably my favourite art museum we visited our entire trip, Palais de Tokyo was...an experience. 

Costing £8 for a student ticket, almost every piece of artwork in there was strange as hell. That being said, it was all very immersive and interactive and like nothing I’d seen before which is why I liked it so much. 

Well, apart from the dirty sock. Literally. There was a dirty sock on display. Art, right? 

2. Musee D’Orsay

I’d say if you only had time to do one of the “big” art museums in Paris, do Musee D’Orsay, not the Louvre.

 It’s a lot more compact and has a wider range of styles, plus a lot more modern art, including some Van Gogh and several Degas. I had so many favourite pieces from Louise Abbema’s Allegories of Spring and Winter, to Thomas Couture’s Romans in their Decadence:

Plus I’d take Amaury Duval’s portrait of Marie-Anne Detourbay over the Mona Lisa any day. The staring into your soul game she’s got going on is unparalleled.

3. Eiffel Tower 

I think the level of dumbassery involved in my decision to wear heeled boots to make the 500 or so step journey up the Eiffel Tower cancels out any smarts that went into us saving €3 by booking in advance and walking instead of getting the lift, but it’s all about the experience, lol, and I would do it again for the view. It only cost €5 in total and by booking online about a month before, we didn’t have to wait in what is usually about a 3 hour queue if you turn up on the day.

4. Yves Saint Laurent Museum

It only took us about an hour to do the Yves Saint Laurent museum but it was definitely worth the £10 for entry if you are interested in fashion. It was pretty quiet when we went which I liked as it made for a much more peaceful experience than say, the Louvre, and the museum is very well laid out. There’s a load of original pieces in there and I feel like I learned a lot about Saint Laurent himself too. I also learned that I am very unsophisticated (I really didn’t feel posh enough to be walking into the building, lol) but we been knew.

5. Sacre Couer 

Warning: The Sacre Couer is a very steep walk from the nearest tube station. I internally died. Several times. But it’s very beautiful once you get up there.

6. Monmarte

I wish we’d had more time to explore Monmarte as it was one of the prettiest places I saw on our trip, with so many cute restaurants and cafes. Top things to see in the area are the Wall of Love and though we didn’t actually go there, Montmarte Cemetery too. I found out when we got back that the latter is supposedly inhabited by a load of stray cats and now I am severely disappointed that we didn’t have a look. I guess I’ll just have to go back! You know, just to check if it’s true about the cats. And also eat some more of the food, ofc.

7. Vintage Shopping

We had a quick look in two of the vintage shops whilst we were in Paris, Kilo Shop and Tilt Vintage, and I saw a lot of really cool things. Unfortunately, because I couldn’t really fit anything else in my backpack and was being pretty tight with money at that point in the trip (an attitude my bank balance probably wishes had been sustained throughout, lol), I didn’t get anything. Still, I’d definitely recommend checking the shops I mentioned and the other vintage shops in that area out if you are interested in buying some clothes whilst you’re away. The only thing I’d say is to avoid them if you have trouble with crowds and/or small spaces as there were a shit tonne of people in pretty much all the ones we went in and because of the layout, not much room to move. And protip: if you like breathing non-body odour tinted oxygen, don’t venture in any of them in the middle of heatwave. Not fun. 

8. Champs Elysees 

I think it’s kind of a given that you see the Champs Elysees whilst you’re in Paris, but last time I was there, I only really saw it from an open top bus and was quiet underwhelmed. On this trip, we walked from the Louvre through the Tuileries and then slowly made our way down towards the Arc de Triomphe, having a look down the streets that run perpendicular to the Champs Elysees on our way, which were all very typically Parisienne. At the bottom, you have Aventue Montaigne which has all the fancy, designer flagship stores, and then down Avenue FDR (where we went for lunch) there are plenty of places to stop and have a bite to eat. I thought I’d been all French getting a baguette from down here before realising it was from a glorified Paul which we have all over London, BUT, if you’re into açai bowls, my friend had a really good one at a place called Cojean.

9. Versailles

Before we went to Versailles, a lot of people told me that it was really crowded and not worth going to but I couldn’t disagree more. It was so beautiful both on the inside and out and there’s so much to learn! I’ve always been fascinated by Marie Antoinette so I might be slightly biased but I was totally in my ex-historical nerd element. I would definitely recommend arriving as early as possible if you’re not paying for skip the line tickets, since we got there for around 10 and had to stand in a very long queue to get in. It did move quickly but looked very daunting at first and I imagine it only gets worse as the day goes on.

10. Disneyland Paris

I mean, we didn’t got there this time and technically, it’s not Paris. But come on, it’s Disney. I couldn’t leave it off the list.

Future Paris Bucket List:

Moulin Rouge

Musee d’Orangerie

Jardin du Luxembourg

Louvre Highlights Tour

Louis Vuitton Foundation

Paris Museum of Modern Art

Get dinner in Trocadero

Centre Pompidou

Paris Catacombs

Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Amsterdam is one of my favourite places ever. It’s picturesque, easy to find your way around, and full of amazing food. It was my second time here and my friend’s third so we had a pretty chilled out time but still did a lot. I definitely wouldn’t say no to going back again.

The Hostel

The hostel we stayed in in Amsterdam was called ClinkNoord and was a short (and free!) boat ride away from the city centre. Also at around £30 a night, the rooms were basic yet comfortable and the place as a whole had a modern, utilitarian vibe to it which I really liked. The bathrooms were a short walk down the hall, a more private alternative to the bathrooms in our Paris hostel, and were pretty much always free. As for the showers, they were a wet room kinda situation and a little bit grim at times but as long as you bring flip flops (I didn’t, another example of dumbassery, lol) you’ll be fine. Maybe this is the 10 year old in me leaping out but I really loved the bar area at this hostel too: drinks were cheap, but more importantly, it had table football, pool, AND a ping-pong room. WITH A BLACK LIGHT MIGHT I ADD!

Amsterdam Top Things to do:

1. Electric Ladyland

The edibles had already began to kick in a little bit by the time we got to Electric Ladyland so this might be a bit of an overstatement but this place was, in a good way of course, very trippy. It’s basically a mini fluorescent art museum and exhibition in this guy’s basement (not as weird as it sounds, lol), and for £5 you can go in and see it and then, if you hang around, watch him give a demonstration on how it all works and where he sourced his paint from. It says on the website that it’s by appointment only but we just turned up on the day just as a slot was about to start and were allowed in. In terms of taking an edible before you go in, maybe don’t, lol. It was a bit of a surreal experience; in a very dark room, listening to an old American hippy talk about how he explored caves in Utah to find mineral rocks, the weed-induced paranoia low-key kicked in. I did, at points, momentarily forget that there was a room around the point I was immediately focussed on and started panicking that we were just drifting through space. And then there was the occasional fear that I was trapped in some kind of eternal time loop where the man would just keep on talking in circles and I would be stuck down there forever, not wanting to be rude and leave whilst he was mid-sentence, as part of the universe’s karmic punishment for my impractical level of politeness and need to people-please. Climbing the ladder up out of the basement was...a little tricky, to say the least.

2. Pancake House

You have to have pancakes in Amsterdam and my friend recommended this place as the original one. I had a pancake with ice cream, caramel sauce and chocolate sauce and whilst a little sickly, it was tasty af. If I went again, I think I’d just stick to one sauce; it was so sweet that I had to admit defeat about halfway, something I do not look back on with pride. Next time, I will be victorious over one of these beasts of a pancake. Speaking it into existence.

3. Hire a bike and visit Vondelpark

There are plenty of ways to get about in Amsterdam and the trams are super easy to use but hiring a bike for the time you’re there is probably the cheapest and most Amsterdammy (I know, not really a word) way to get around. We hired our bikes from Starbikes by the central station and it was a very simple and affordable process which I would definitely recommend; their shop has some of the best reviews on Trip Advisor for bike hire. Riding along the canals is quite chilled but if you’re not super confident, the best place to go is probably Vondelpark, as it has wider lanes with the added bonus of not living in semi-permanent fear of being yeeted off your bike into the canal by a car coming up behind you. It also has friendly ducks! How can you say no to that? I mean, ignoring the fact that male ducks have like, 9 inch corkscrew penises which apparently spin when they mate. Thank Reddit for that life-altering and mildly disturbing piece of information.

4. Mannekin chips

The BEST Belgian fries which I spent the entirety of the rest of our trip craving. Best sauce combination is ketchup and samurai sauce, and I recommend going for a regular portion. The large is insane and I am very much in awe of anybody who can finish it.

5. Van Gogh Museum

We didn’t actually visit the Van Gogh museum on this trip but I went on my first visit to Amsterdam and you really can’t miss it. Not only does it have a lot of Van Gogh’s most famous works, including sunflowers, it has a lot of the work of the artists who inspired him as well as pieces from some of his contemporaries. 

7. Stedelijk

Really cool modern art museum with an interactive room where you can take part in activities relating to the current exhibition too. Though I guess it really depends on your art preferences, if you do only have time to do either this or The Rijksmuseum, I would definitely say Stedelijk. 

8. The Rookies Coffeeshop

So I can’t say I’ve tried a lot of the coffee shops in Amsterdam as on our first visit we only really went to this one and The Bulldog chain, and this time we didn’t go as much, but they do the best space cakes. They’re genuinely really tasty but they can be quite intense if you haven’t smoked in a while or don’t do so regularly so make sure you’re in somewhere you feel safe and have other people with you.

9. Amsterdam Dungeons

Though the Amsterdam Dungeons were more similar to the London Dungeons than I thought they would be, with less of a focus on the dark history of the area and more on general dark European history such as the Spanish Inquisition and witch trials which also came up a lot in the London run through, I would still thoroughly recommend them. The Dungeons are definitely a tourist trap but they’re also just hilarious and you genuinely do learn a little, so I think worth the money!

10. The Blonds Cafe

I wasn’t crazy about the menu here as I’m a ridiculously fussy eater but I think most people will easily find something they like, and the actual cafe and presentation is really cute. The grilled cheese sandwich I ended up having was really good and even if you end up just having a cake, I’d recommend it. They had lemon AND mint infused water dispensers, which, now I’m writing down doesn’t seem very exciting at all, but I got hyped up, okay? And worst case scenario, it’s not for you, there are loads of other cool and very hipster-y looking (lol) independent cafes in the area. 

11. Anne Frank House

Again, this was something I did on my first trip to Amsterdam, but you can’t miss it. From a history standpoint and as someone who read Anne Frank’s diary several times when I was younger, I found it very surreal to actually visit the house I’d heard so much about. You definitely get a sense of just how stifling and claustrophobic living in that annex was and even if you’re not into your history, I do think a lot of insight can be gained from taking a trip here! 

12. Go to one of the Pastry Shops

If you go to Amsterdam, you’ll see them everywhere, the little slightly shabby-looking cafes with all the amazing waffles and donuts and crepes and cupcakes in the window. Go to one! I had a waffle covered in white chocolate and Oreos and it was 1000% as good as it looked. 

13. Moco Museum

The last thing on my Amsterdam list and another thing we did on my first trip, the Moco Museum is one of my favourites I’ve ever been to. It’s pretty small and doesn’t take you that long to look around but it’s full of contemporary, provocative art based around the theme of political and social commentary. Given that description, it’s probably no surprise that it houses a lot of Banksy, but there’s also a fair bit of pop art too, and a very cool gift shop. Because I can never resist a good gift shop.

Future Amsterdam Bucket List:

A day trip to the tulip fields

De Poezenboot

Eye Film Museum 

Swing at A’dam lookout

Canal Cruise

Berlin, Germany

Berlin definitely wasn’t what I was expecting it to be. As a capital city, I expected it to be this very built up, bustling, commercial place, but it was actually pretty quiet and very spread out. In a way, it almost seemed a bit left behind and completely deserted in parts. That being said, from a historical point of view, it was probably the most interesting place that we went. It’s easy to forget that just a few decades ago the city was completely divided and you can definitely sense that it’s still rebuilding itself.

The Hostel

We stayed in a hostel that was tucked away in the basement of the Aletto hotel, just a minute’s walk away from the Zoologischer Garden station. I believe it was around £20 a night for an 8 person mixed dorm. The beds weren’t the comfiest and the room itself was a bit dark and dank, given that it was below street level, but all in all, the hostel was decent as a stop-off point. I liked that there was a kind of a small communal area in the kitchen and the bathrooms were spacious and clean, and fortunately, it was pretty quiet when we were there so we usually had them to ourselves. 

Berlin Top Things to do:

1. Never Ending Love Story

A really lovely little cafe in a pretty, quiet area, the service here was exceptionally good! I’m not one to complain when workers don’t seem overly enthusiastic, I work in retail so I get that you sometimes can’t be arsed with all the over-the-top politeness, but I do appreciate friendliness and the waitress here was so sweet. I had delicious scrambled eggs on sourdough toast and my friend had pancakes and we both really enjoyed our food. 

2. East Side Gallery

I wish I had more to say about the East Side Gallery, but to be honest I was pretty drunk and had half an edible-I thought we were going out out after, don’t judge me-so I can’t remember much. Judging from my very shitty and my friend’s very good (this is one of hers, lol) photos though, it was really interesting. Good street art is up there with the best of them imo and given the context of the gallery, it’s no surprise that a lot of the art is politically charged, which just adds an extra layer of appeal to it. There’s also a lot of good photo ops, or so drunk me clearly thought. 

3. Topography of Terror

Built on top of the former SS Reich Main Security Office, the Topography of Terror is a museum I’d say you need to set aside at least 2 and a half/3 hours for to properly do. There’s so much information to get through and I’d say I ended up skimming half of it towards the end because we were short on time; I later found out that there’s even more to see outside which we didn’t even touch. 

4. Jewish Museum

Unfortunately, a lot of the Jewish Museum was closed when we went but it’s still a very physically impressive building with exhibitions that are equal parts daunting and thought-provoking, relating to both the Jewish experience during the Second World War and Jewish culture in general.

5. Museum Island

We didn’t actually go in any of the museums on Museum Island but we walked around and sat at a nice little green spot nearby; t’s very pretty to explore, especially as the sun is going down. There were plenty of bars around and people drinking, sunbathing and listening to music by the river. Generally a really relaxed vibe.

6. Fritzies 

I know dirty fries aren’t the classiest thing ever but the ones from this place tasted really fucking good. How can you go wrong with a fast food restaurant dedicated to chips?

7. The History: Brandenberg Gate, Reichstag, Checkpoint Charlie, Hitler’s Bunker, Jewish Memorial

Most of these places are within walking distance of each other and we did them all within a couple of hours. Like I said, the best thing about Berlin is the history so I think making an effort to see all these things is really important. On our last night we managed to find out, via a nearby poster, about a free show on the river (with English subtitles obviously; as the basic monolingual bitch I am, anything other than dankeschön and hallo went right over my head) which covered major points in the history of the Reichstag over the last century; it was the perfect way to round off our trip.

8. KW Institute for Contemporary Art

This museum was half the overly pretentious contemporary art that makes classicists roll their eyes:

-though I do actually like it, sue me-

And half the simple, but millennially-inspired kinda stuff that I love. Like, that top collection got me feeling like the new Van Gogh every time I accidentally screenshot my home screen. 

So obviously, I rated it. And side-note, the building in general, which had an old, unused warehouse kinda thing going on, along with a shady little courtyard outside, was very cool.

9. Pizza Nostra

Look at this photo. Do I need to say any more?

Future Berlin Bucket List:

Historical River Cruise

Return to the Jewish Museum

The Story of Berlin Museum

Berghain (even just to see it from the outside)

About Blank, Suicide Circus, i.e one of the tamer, more mainstream clubs

Anne Frank Zentrum

Hackescher Hof

Oranienburger Strasse and Kunsthaus Tacheles

Prague, Czech Republic

I absolutely adored Prague. From the second I stepped out of the metro station into Old Town Square on our first evening, I felt like I was walking into a fairytale. All the buildings were so ornate and beautiful, everywhere you look is like a postcard. There’s so much history there which we only really had time to scrape the surface of and I can’t wait to go back.

The Hostel

We stayed at Hostel Dakura which was only around £15 a night and a few metro stops from the city centre. As you can see, it’s a little outdated but all in all, still clean and comfortable. The dorm and bathrooms were very spacious and there was an outdoor seating area with benches and ping-pong too. I’d definitely say it was good value for money.

Prague Top Things to do:

1. Explore Old Town

The Old Town part of Prague is definitely the main attraction, from the cute and very typically European seating areas outside the restaurants, to the Trdelnik shops, to the gothic statues, and the colourful buildings that surround them; you'll feel like you’re walking through a mix between a shopping mall and a medieval time capsule. There’s not really all that much point me putting Old Town on the must-do list as it’s pretty much unavoidable but I liked it so much I just couldn’t leave it out. I really haven’t been anywhere like it before. It’s part Westeros, part Fantasyland at Disney (with some stag dos thrown in), and that’s saying something; Disney World comparisons do not come easy from me.

2. Letna Hill

A bit of a steep walk uphill but totally worth it for the view of the city.  Lots of cool bars and places to get cheap beer and cider too, if that’s your kinda thing. Spirits, to my dismay, are pretty much the same price as they are back home. Not that it was on Letna Hill but I paid €20 for 2 doubles one night. €20. PRAGUE IS CHEAP FOR ALCOHOL, THEY SAID. YOU CAN GET PISSED FOR A TENNER, THEY SAID. IT’LL BE FUN, THEY SAID. Sigh.

PROTIP: Make sure you have cash on you, especially if you’re heading up Letna Hill, as they don’t take card at any of the bars and there aren’t any cash machines. There also aren’t any water fountains and the tap water isn’t drinkable, apparently. You know what there are, though? Rats. 

I’m going to stop before I put anyone off. Our experience wasn’t the best but done right, I think you could have a really chilled evening here. Go to Letna Hill. It’s lovely.

3. Prague Castle

Also a bit of an uphill walk, Prague Castle is a gothic dream with live music, tantalising food stalls (hehe, tantalising, somebody hire me to write their cookbook ASAP) and insane views. Half the time I felt like I was in King’s Landing and the other half Hogwarts, and that is the kind of 50/50 split I live for. 

4. Walk across Charles Bridge and walk alongside the Vltava River

I thought our day peaked when I came to the realisation, whilst crossing the Charles Bridge, that we were in fact surrounded by vaguely religious and mildly creepy Jesus-looking statues but then we reached the other side and soon after, became one with nature. We saw ducks! Otters. Swans. Inject that wholesome shit into my veins. 

Also, a pigeon landed on me! That’s right, if you stand there with your arm out for long enough whilst walking alongside the Vltava River, you too can experience the fleeting terror that comes with the possibility of being pooed on but then the earth-shattering realisation that comes after: that pigeons, maybe, aren’t so bad after all. That they’re actually kinda cute in their own weird, scavenging way! That maybe the pigeon lady in Mary Poppins made some points! I mean, can’t we all relate to wanting to steal other people’s food? I definitely can. Consider me a changed woman.

5. GOAP Museum

Though I’m not much of a Salvador Dali fan and I have a sneaking suspicion that some of the “artwork” in this museum was actually just prints from google blown up on A2 photo paper, I thoroughly enjoyed the Alphonse Mucha and Andy Warhol sections of the GOAP. 

-Untitled Salvador Dali-

The former is one of my absolute favourite artists so I definitely had to take a moment when I walked in and saw that not only did they have several of his original lithographs, but also a whole wall dedicated to him. I wish I had good photos but the lighting was a bit too artificial to really do it justice. The lithographs came out pretty well though:

Obviously Andy Warhol is an icon too; his exhibition in particular was hugely informative and well laid out, definitely a people pleaser. I couldn’t find all too much online but it seems like the exhibitions mentioned are permanent, so definitely go and check them out. 

I also feel the need to mention that it was here I ascended to an elite level of art hoe by buying a Mucha lighter. Jokes on me because it doesn’t work very well, like...at all in anything windier than a very, very mild breeze, BUT it looks pretty, so points for that. 

6. Cafe Chloe

Seeing the size of the queue outside Elan Cafe in London, it kinda blew my mind that considering its flower wall, you could just walk into Cafe Chloe and get a table straight away. Obviously the flower wall is a draw for Instagram purposes (yes, I’m a shallow human being, *insert Ariana Grande “and what about it?” gif here*) but the food was really good too. The perfect place to stop off for brunch. 

7. Pedalos

Again, the pedalos under Charles Bridge are kind of a tourist trap but it was only around €12 between us to rent one for the hour; most of them appeared to be 4 seaters so you could get 2 more people in there and split the price again, making it even cheaper. Plus, it was really fun and we got to go right up to the ducks! 

8. Karlovy Lazne

I’m not gonna lie, tackiness aside, I love a club with multiple rooms and this one had FIVE. There were a lot of English people in there and it did cost about 12 euros in cash to get in (take the cash out in advance as the machine outside charged quite a steep fee), but they played ABBA on more than one occasion so I have zero regrets. I mean, apart from drinking maybe a bit too much once again, but that’s kind of a given at this point. I can only apologise to my liver and what’s left of my dignity.

9. Joy Burger

NGL, the service here wasn’t the best and I kind of felt like I was annoying some of the staff literally just by trying to order my food BUT to be fair, I’d probably be annoyed by me too considering my upholding of the British tradition of asking everywhere if they speak English and hoping for the best rather than actually learning the native language. Anyway, back to the point: look at this burger. Fit. 10/10 would demolish again.

Future Prague Bucket List:

Museum Kampa

Petrin Hill

One of the free city walking tours

Pub crawl

Vienna, Austria

Honestly, of all the places we went to, Vienna was the one I was most pleasantly surprised by. Before going, I’d heard that there wasn’t much to do there and I thought that 24 hours would be more than enough to see the main attractions, but aside from Paris, it’s probably the city I want to revisit most. On every other block there seemed to be some kind of beautiful flower garden or sprawling palace or stately home or elegant cafe, but at the same time, it still had a very modern feel to it. A lot like Paris but more compact, and with a slightly Germanic twist. Plus, I had one of the best Maccies of my life here, so I really can’t complain.

The Hostel

For around £18 for the night we stayed in a 6 person dorm at the Wombats Hostel by Naschmarkt. Because we weren’t there too long, I didn’t get all that much of a feel for it but the communal areas and bar seemed very cool and the central part of the city was in walking distance. The dorms were a little small and outdated and we did get woken up by a fire alarm in the middle of the night but it gave me a kind of primary school trip type nostalgia so I didn’t mind too much. I’d probably look for another hostel if I went back to Vienna just because I think if you were staying for a while, you'd start to feel a bit cooped up in the room. For the one night, however, it was ideal.

Vienna Top Things to do:

1. Museum Quartier

We really only walked through Museum Quartier but there seemed to be loads going on and definitely lots to look at. There’s also a giant astroturf covered waterbed which sounds kinda wack but was actually super fun when I wasn’t fearing my head was going to be squashed like a watermelon by the kids quite literally throwing themselves around on it. So yeah! Check it out!

2. The Traffic Lights

It sounds silly but the traffic lights in the central part of Vienna are super cute. Have a stroll around and see how many of them you can spot. Berlin’s Ampelmann wishes. 

3. Belvedere Palace Grounds

Boujie. 

4. Schonbrunn Palace Grounds

Even boujier.

5. Volksgarten

I really felt like I was walking through the Red Queen’s gardens. Minus the crochet and threat of decapitation of course.

6. Max and Benito

SO GOOD. And a really funky seating area outside too. Probably best for a quick lunch and I also imagine would make great drunk food if you need an excuse to day drink. 

Future Vienna Bucket List:

Natural History Museum of Vienna

Wien Museum

Leopold Museum

Belvedere Museum of Contemporary Art

Cafe hopping

Further explore MuseumQuartier 

Naschmarkt

Budapest, Hungary

It might be an unpopular opinion but I didn’t adore Budapest as a city. To be honest, my expectations were probably slightly too high as I’d heard so many people rave about it. I can see why people like it so much: there’s loads of great places to eat, drinks are cheap, and ruin bars are very cool. My issue was just that I thought there’d be more to do in terms of daytime activities. The one art museum we went to was completely deserted and there didn’t seem to be as many historical places to explore as in some of the other cities we visited. Of course it’s all a matter of personal preference and I might have just not done enough research/planned enough, plus that’s still not to say I didn’t have a good time. We had some lovely chilled out days and the city kind of comes alive in a different way in the evening; the boat party we went to was by far the best night out we had throughout our trip and I had some insanely delicious food. We also hired an Air B&B here for about half the price of some of the hostels we stayed in, and so got to actually settle down and spread our stuff out for a few days; something that was much needed after living out of lockers for 2 weeks.

Budapest Top Things to do:

1. Mr.Funk’s

Look at this bad boy and tell me you don’t want to go to Mr.Funk’s and try one of their freakshakes. Tell me that freakshakes being banned in the UK wasn’t a devastating miscarriage of justice and an attack on my human rights. Tell me that I’m not a failure for leaving a donut behind. Pls. Validate me. 

2. Street Food Karavan

Street Food Karavan is such a cool little spot with so many delicious looking food stalls, I honestly could’ve eaten there for breakfast, lunch and dinner every day. Plus loads of vegan and veggie options too.

3. Boat Party

I believe we booked our night through budapestboatparty.com and honestly it was so fun and such good value for money. It may have partly been down to the alcohol and the edible I had before, lol, but everything felt so surreal; I spent 90% of the event just being amazed by how beautiful our surroundings were and the combination of the breeze and the scenery and the music made for the absolute best atmosphere. Everyone we spoke to was so friendly and if I went back I’d love to do it again, maybe slightly more sober (unlikely) so I can take even more of it in. That being said, bear in mind that these kind of things can probably be a bit hit or miss. The friend that recommended the boat party told me that she spent the first half of the event avoiding being hit on by men twice her age, so clearly it depends a lot on the company, lol!

4. Kiosk

We didn’t actually have proper meals at Kiosk but we did find some deck chairs to sit on whilst we ate ice cream from one of the stalls they were running outside. The restaurant itself was inside but the outdoor seating had a stunning view of the sunset and the river and the area in general was really buzzing. 

5. Shoes on the Danube

It’s a simple monument but the story behind the Shoes on the Danube makes it one of the most important things to see in Budapest.

6. Szechenyi Baths

Before we actually went into the baths, I was a bit grossed out. Like, it sounded great in theory but then we got there and I realised we were about to step into what is essentially a steaming pit of bodily fluids. BUT, put that minute, mildly repugnant detail aside and you’ll have a brilliant time. Start with the whirlpool in the outdoor area and by the time you’ve done that, you’ll be feeling wild enough to bath and sauna hop to your heart’s desire. Unless you are a real, compulsive germaphobe, pissing yourself at the sight of little kids and adults alike getting uncontrollably whisked around like a bunch of sweaty egg yolks is enough to make you put any (don’t get me wrong, warranted) hygiene concerns to one side. You can shower when you’re dead. That’s what they say, right?

7. Margaret Island 

I think we had one of our most relaxed afternoons at Magaret Island, lying out on the grass by the dancing fountains; it’s definitely a great place to sunbathe, read, or grab a cheap alcoholic drink. There’s options for if you’re feeling more adventurous too: on our second visit there, we paid €10 between us to hire a pedal car for the hour and decided to cycle round the island. It was by the grace of god (or for the most part my friend’s very necessary backseat driving) that there was only one casualty of my steering. Angry Hungarian man, if you’re out there, I’m very sorry our pedal car almost knocked you off your bike. My bad. But yeah, my catastrophic attempt at doing the bare minimum physical activity aside, go and chill on Margaret Island. It’s super pretty.

8. Buda Castle and Fisherman’s Bastion

Just a heads up that we paid around €4 or €5 each to go up to the top of Castle Hill with one of the companies giving out flyers at the bottom, so have a look and see if you can find a better deal before paying to ride the funicular. Once we did get up there we could hop on and off, and the ticket included a ride down as well. In terms of what to expect when you get up there, spectacular views. Though I found the castle itself a bit disappointing, Fisherman’s Bastion was really beautiful and had some great photo spots. If I went back to Budapest, I’d probably spend more time in the area as I think that’s where a lot of the history actually is.

9. Szimpla Kert

Probably the most famous ruin bar in Budapest, I really loved Szimpla Kert. It was a bit chaotic and very crowded but the eccentric interiors and open air courtyard gave it an almost magical feel that only a tiny number of bars I’ve been to have anything on. Vaulty Towers and Bar Elba in Waterloo I’m looking at you. Missing you and your overpriced drinks always xoxo

10. House of Terror

The House of Terror was my only real history fix whilst we were in Budapest and I found it really interesting. In particular, I liked how all the visitors took sheets of information in each room to read in our own time rather than us all trying to crowd round one sign. The basement part of the museum is presumably the main draw, and I understand why given how unnerving it is, but I enjoyed the whole museum. Obviously there are things you have to take with a pinch of salt and (our Air B&B host warned in our welcome package that it was slightly biased; I couldn’t find much about public opinion of the museum online so if by the slim chance somebody who knows more is reading this please let me know! Educate me!), but at the same time, if just for walking through the site of the past atrocities, there is definitely something to be gleaned by visiting.

11. Parliament Building

There was really no need for the Hungarian Parliamentary building to step on Westminter’s neck like that but...I guess she did what she had to do.

12. Ludwig Museum

Like I mentioned, this museum was pretty deserted but they did have some cool contemporary art and in particular an exhibition dedicated to the fashion designer Kiraly Tamas which I really enjoyed. His are the pieces in the photo above!

13. Donut Library

Oreo donuts. Need I say more?

14. La Fabbrica 

A very boujie but surprisingly affordable Italian restaurant right opposite St.Stephen’s basilica (pictured), I had one of the many top tier spag bols on this trip here. The toilets are also stylish af and made me feel very much like a peasant so maybe wear something nice so you can get those good good HQ bathroom mirror pics. I was certainly not in any shape to do so. Those toilets were really wasted on my scruffy ass that day. 

Future Budapest Bucket List:

The Hungarian National Gallery

Műcsarnok

Museum of Fine Arts

Budapest History Museum

Hungarian State Opera House

Flippermúzeum

Instant

Great Synagogue 

Memento Park

Secret Walking Tour

Ljubljana, Slovenia

Though we mainly went to Ljubljana so that we could visit Lake Bled, it was still a very cute little area. Pretty small for a capital city but there were loads of day trips out from the centre and for the evenings, a whole range of lively bars and restaurants along the river. 

The Hostel

We stayed at Hostel Kva right in the city centre and paid around €20 a night. The hostel itself was lovely and kind of felt like more of a young people’s B&B than hostel; the communal area in particular had a very cosy, personal feel to it and the staff were incredibly friendly and helpful. That being said, the actual rooms were very small and I did feel pretty cramped whilst we were there, more so than in any of the other hostels we stayed at. 

Ljubljana Top Things to do:

1. Meselkova Mesa

About a 15 minute walk from the city centre, Meselkova Mesa is a very interesting place. I'm not going to lie, I did feel a little on edge whilst we were there, lol; it was pretty deserted apart from a couple of men having a very loud argument. Nevertheless, there’s some very cool buildings and street art so if you’re in a group, check it out.

2. Lake Bled

Our day trip to Lake Bled, a half hour coach journey from Ljubljana Station for IIRC €8 return, was one of my favourite things we did whilst inter-railing. Not only is it absolutely magnificent to look at but there’s so much to do that I feel like you could have your whole holiday there if you wanted to. Assault courses, hikes, swimming, water sports, rowing, tobogganing, chilling on the (yes, artificial) sand, whether you want to relax or thrill-seek, you’re going to have plenty to do.

3. Puffy

These mini pancakes were so good that I didn’t even notice the chocolate sauce was Nutella and that’s saying something because WHY DO THEY PUT IT ON EVERYTHING IN MAINLAND EUROPE!? PEOPLE WHO DON’T LIKE NUTELLA HAVE RIGHTS TOO!

4. Pop’s Place

The best burger of the entire trip, hands down, and the whole menu looked delicious. Would I fly to Ljubljana just to have another one? Probs. 

5. Tivoli Park

A great place to sit down and read a book or go on a bike ride, or alternatively, if you’re me, awkwardly hide from a bunch of people from your hostel you irrationally believed were judging you earlier that day in the bathrooms.

6. Castle Walk

The uphill walk did kill me a little but I am mildly asthmatic so let’s put it down to that. Nothing to do with the fact I haven’t been to the gym in a year. Nothing at all. Anyways, the view was very pretty and though we didn’t go inside the castle, there’s apparently an escape room in there as well as a museum, a restaurant and a jazz club so definitely worth the minor hike.

7. Flower Market

If you go to the square where the food market is, by Dragon Bridge, you’ll find endless stalls of some of the most beautifully arranged flowers I’ve ever seen. It might be a seasonal thing, I’m not sure, but if you’re there in the summer, I’d recommend seeking the market out. They’re a very reasonable price and yes, I did specifically buy a sunflower for a photo op for 50 cent, guilty as charged. When vanity is that cheap I really can’t resist, lol.

8. Illusions Museum

I would definitely recommend going with at least one other person to get the most out of the Illusions Museum and €10 is pretty pricey but if you want to get a cheesy oh-look-I’m-standing-on-the-ceiling photo, here is your best bet.

9. Grefino Frozen Yogurt

I’m not gonna lie, I don’t actually like frozen yogurt myself but I can appreciate good food when I see it and my friend’s portion looked FIT. Plus, I always get excited when anything’s make your own; there will always be a part of me that feels incomplete without regular trips to Pizza Hut to overdo it with the ice cream factory (which this is basically a frozen yogurt, grown up version of). Miss you always. 

Future Ljubljana Bucket List:

Escape Castle

Ljubljana Castle guided tour

Tobogganing at Lake Bled

Row to the Pilgrimage Church of the Assumption of Maria at Lake Bled

Škocjan Caves

MSUM

Venice, Italy

Everywhere you look in Venice is picture perfect. It literally looked exactly how it did in all the photos I’d seen beforehand. There’s so much to do and so many amazing looking places to eat, I could easily spend a relaxed week here. Emphasis on the relaxed because getting around does involve a lot of walking and a surprising amount of stairs, and we had to pack as much as we could into the short amount of time that we had. By the end of our first day in Venice alone, the word exhausted had a whole new meaning. In terms of public transport, there’s only really the boat system, and that’s a steep €18 for a day ticket. Probably partly due to my moaning, we did end up getting one of these on our last day, but that meant that we also got to go to the islands of Murano and Burano which are included. I definitely wouldn’t say no to going back but it’s quite an overwhelming space: a bit disorientating, crowded, and very expensive! You’d have to give me a few years, lol!

The Hostel

Whilst in Venice we stayed at the Wombats Hostel in Mestre, for around £13 a night. We were lucky in that it had only opened the week before (they were actually celebrating its opening at the Wombats in Naschmarkt when we were there!), and so it was super cheap. I imagine by now the price would’ve increased as it was a lovely hostel. Being new there were obviously some teething problems: queues on the front desk were pretty long, the free drinks vouchers given out had mistakes in that you couldn’t redeem them for one of the drinks that was listed, the kitchens were apparently very overcrowded with 2 faulty hobs between about 50 people, and our room as well as the bathroom in the lobby frequently ran out of toilet paper. Other than that, the dorms were the most spacious, modern and breathable of all the hostels we stayed in and the bar and communal areas were great. The only thing to bear in mind is that you do have to get a train into the main island of Venice, but it’s only about €3 for a return and it’s a short journey. 

Venice Top Things to do:

1. Peggy Guggenheim

A really beautiful museum and garden right on the waterfront, there were all kinds of modern and contemporary art and even a piece (pictured above) by Jenny Holzer who is one of my favourite contemporary artists! I definitely fangirled a little! Some other standouts were by Jackson Pollock, Pablo Picasso, Andy Warhol, Max Ernst, Joan Mitchell and Willem de Kooning which I’m going to offload here to free up some space on my camera roll, lol:

Composition by Joan Mitchell (1962)

Silver Bedhead by Alexander Calder (1945-1946)

Untitled by Willem de Kooning (1958)

Circumcision by Max Ernst (1946)

2. Liberia Acqua Alta

An eclectic little bookshop tucked away down some Venetian side street with tower upon tower of some of the most random combinations of books I’ve ever seen, my favourite thing about Liberia Acqua Alta was the cat chilling behind the counter. It’s shameful the vigour with which the crazy cat lady in me jumped out but I actually did start tearing up at the sight of it. I hadn’t seen a cat in 3 WEEKS! I missed my babies okay:(

3. Takeaway Pizza 

There’s loads of fresh takeaway pizza places around Venice but this particular slice was from a place called Farini. I think there might be more than one of them, and to be honest, when there’s pizza that delicious looking in the window, it would be a crime not to at least seek one out.

4. St.Mark’s Square and Basilica and Bridge of Sighs

It might be a huge tourist trap but you really can’t miss St.Mark’s Square. The Basilica is one of the most magnificent buildings I’ve ever seen and even as someone who is not at all religious, you can appreciate the thought and craftsmanship that went into it. The astrological clock right next to the basilica is also absolutely stunning, just as much so as the one in Prague, imo:

Getting dive-bombed by a flock of pigeons in the square was fun too. My life flashed before my eyes just for a moment. It was a humbling experience.

5. Leonardo Da Vinci Exhibit at Palazzo Zaguri

Basically, this exhibit was a collection of Da Vinci’s drawings of the anatomy of the human body side by side with the corresponding plasticised body parts. Really interesting and not at all as gory as it sounds, which was really the only disappointing part for me, lol.

6. Fondaco de Tedeschi 

If you want a good view of the city without paying a fortune, Fondaco de Tedeschi is your place. It’s a fancy mall with a rooftop area that you can, by booking a time slot online, go up for free. 

7. "Get Lost”

I’m not really someone that enjoys walking around aimlessly but if you’re gonna do that anywhere, Venice is your place. Every street and bridge and balcony is postcard worthy and there are pizza and ice cream and just generally good food places everywhere. You’re bound to stumble across at least one authentic, non wholesale mask shop whilst you’re wandering, and although there’s something vaguely creepy about a load of these blank faces staring out the shop windows at you, some of the displays are totally bewitching:

The middle display is from the shop window of the place that made the mask for Stanley Kubrick’s Eyes Wide Shut which I thought was very cool!

8. Get a boat pass and visit Murano and Burano

As I said, on our last day we bought a boat pass (€18) and visited the nearby islands of Murano and Burano, Murano being the island famed for its glass, and Burano for its rainbow houses. Burano was definitely my favourite of the two; it was a buzzing place full of charming little stalls and shops and boats, and of course, colour. Plus, we even got some close cat encounters in there! Murano was pretty but a lot quieter and seemingly more spread out. The glass shops get a bit old after a while as most of them all have the same things in and so I think finding out where you can see a glass blowing demonstration or visiting the glass museum is a good idea if you are thinking of visiting.

9. Osteria Trattoria Al Nono Risorto

This was a super affordable little restaurant with a really lovely outdoor seating area, recommended by my friend’s mum. The service wasn’t amazing (they forgot about my friend’s pizza, lol) but I had what was probably my number one spaghetti bolognese of the whole trip here, and the garden was very pretty. Finding spots to eat a proper meal in Venice that aren’t going to charge you, like, €12 for the privilege of sitting down in a nice place is hard so I would definitely recommend checking this one out.

Future Venice Bucket List:

La Biennale di Venezia

Lido di Venezia

St.Mark’s Campanile

Chiesa de San Giacomo

Gondola ride

Doge’s Palace

Punta della Dogana

Bugno Art Gallery

Palazzo Fortuny

Rome, Italy

Our final overnight destination, Rome was a lot more cosmopolitan than I expected it to be. I was so focussed on the historical side of things that I kinda forgot it’s a capital city and thus, is going to obviously be pretty commercial. Still, it’s strange to just be going down a very pedestrian street on a tram, turn to one side, and see the bloody Colosseum there. I’m not going to lie, by the time we got to Rome I wasn’t feeling my best and was physically pretty exhausted so I don’t feel like I got to appreciate it as much as I should have done; I ended up going back to our Air B&B a couple of the days, largely due to the heat. It was almost 40 fucking degrees! I was honest to god DRIPPING in sweat on the tram back at one point! But I definitely want to go back again, maybe some time when we aren’t feeling the effects of the planet withering and dying as much, and explore even more. Rome is undoubtedly a very cool place.

Rome Top Things to do:

1. Colosseum and Roman Forum

Before we went to the Colosseum and the Roman Forum, I kind of expected it to be something you looked at, went “wow, that’s cool”, and then moved on, lol, and I was low-key a bit pissed off that we were paying €20 to do so. When we did arrive, though, I was blown away by the scale of both the landmarks and how much there was to see and do there. The Roman Forum in particular went on for ages and there were signs regularly dotted about to tell you what it was you were looking at, what it used to be, and who built it, amongst other things; though I’d love to go back with a tour guide, it’s really not necessary. I can’t tell you how starstruck I was to see the foundations of a temple that Julius Caesar ordered to be built; the Romans have always been fascinating to me and I genuinely feel like I learnt SO MUCH on our visit. We booked a last minute whistle stop tour that got us in and out of both venues with allotted time slots, meaning that we couldn’t stay too long in the Forum, so I’d say if you can afford it, just go full out and buy skip the line tickets in advance. You could definitely make a day of it.

2. Fattori Ice Cream

From a really cute little independent shop near the Air B&B we were staying in, this ice cream was SO GOOD that my fussy-ass-self didn’t even mind that I’d accidentally picked a flavour with lemon in. It’s a bit out of the way but I’d say worth the journey, and there’s supposed to be a lot of good street art nearby so there’s non-food related excuses to make the detour too.

3. Vatican Museums and Basilica

Honestly, the Vatican is worth going to for the ceilings alone. Raphael’s frescos are some of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen, and if anything was going to turn me (to Christianity I mean, lol), it’d be them. I love contemporary art and on the whole find classic art to be a bit repetitive and same-y in its themes but some of the work that can be found in the Vatican is just an example of the level of passion and dedication and patience that can be found in so many pieces of the period and is something that I think modern art can occasionally lack.

4. Aventine Hill

You’d think that a spot with such a good view of the city would be absolutely mobbed but Aventine Hill is just as serene as this photo makes it look. Do-ably uphill, amazing place to watch the sunset, and heads up: I can’t think of anywhere more romantic to propose.

5. MamaEats

One of many lively restaurants in the Travestere area, I had (surprise, surprise) another glorious spaghetti bolognese here. IIRC, they also specialise in gluten free food which is very forward-thinking!

6. Travestere and Riverbank

As I mentioned, Travestere is known for its host of buzzing bars and restaurants, but one thing we didn’t know about until we got to Rome was all the stalls and activities down on the riverbank. Though it didn’t seem to be a year-round thing, there was a whole strip of amazing food places and clothes and jewellery stalls and even some kind of VR experience down there which I would definitely recommend checking out if you are in Rome for the summer months.

8. St.Paul’s Outside the Wall

A really beautiful Church both inside and outside that's lacking absolutely nothing of St.Peter’s Basilica except the queues, my protip for visiting St.Paul’s Outside the Wall is to WEAR SOMETHING COVERING YOUR KNEES AND SHOULDERS. I mean, I’d say the same thing for all of the Italian Churches, but specifically this one because they WILL force these blue sheets of tarpaulin masquerading as “ponchos” upon you and you WILL feel like a complete and utter twat. You have been warned. 

9. Street Art 

We didn’t quite walk far enough to get to the cluster of street art by St.Paul’s Outside the Wall, but what we did see we found easily through the StreetArtRoma app, which marks out the various murals and professional graffiti points around the city. I think a really interesting day would be to hire a bike or a scooter and use the app to explore those various clusters that are dotted all around the city. 

10. Largo di Torre Argentina

The site where Julius Caesar (yep, him again) was assassinated, but also the site which is now populated by a group of very cute, and also very friendly cats. We didn’t get to go in the daytime when the actual cat sanctuary was open but when I went down the steps to get a closer look at the site one of the evenings, several of them came to say hello! No offence to any Christians out there, but if there was one point on this trip when I felt I was truly in the presence of something greater, it was here. And they were furry and adorable. With whiskers:3

11. Parthenon, Trevi Fountain, Piazza Navona

Basically, you gotta do all the big tourist spots. Yes, the Trevi fountain felt a lot like an overcrowded kids’ swimming pool, and yes, I did fear I was about to get yeeted into the fountain like a coin at some points too, but it is undeniably a very captivating sight. Along with the Parthenon, it’s a prime example of Rome not really being what I expected, because there’s no big clearing for either of them; they’re literally just slap bang in the middle of the street like they’re NBD, which is kinda wild considering they're hugely important pieces of history and architecture. Piazza Navona is very pretty too and a great place to sit down and get something to eat, even if it was just boxed pasta from one of the supermarkets round the corner in our case. 

Future Rome Bucket List:

Galleria Borghese

MAXXI Museum

MACRO Museum

Cinecitta Film Studios

Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna

Capitoline Museum

Milan, Italy

We only visited Milan for the day as that was where we got out flights home from but I still really enjoyed it. I went once in 2018 and I think the appeal back then was lost at me, but this time I get it: shopping, lol. There’s also a lot of art and fashion museums which are a huge part of the draw, and of course, the Galleria Vittorio Emanuelle; I think if you’re a person with *ahem* a fucking shitload of money, that’ll be enough to occupy you for at least a day or two.

Milan Top Things to do:

1. Galleria Vittorio Emanuele 

The oldest shopping mall in Italy and undoubtedly the most beautiful, the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele might be the boujiest place I’ve ever stepped foot in. Sure, the shops are too intimidatingly expensive to consider even attempting to enter but they’re fun to marvel at and the general area has every typical high street store you can think of. Even the Zara in Milan looks like a fashion Haus inside! The same shop that in my local town centre resembles a jumble sale a good 50% of the time! So yeah, despite not having any money to spend and the fact that I was *supposed* to be on a shopping ban until October, I still like wandering around the area.

2. Novecento Museum

With several floors of modern art, interactive exhibitions (which you had to sign a RELEASE FORM to participate in), and an amazing view of Il Duomo upstairs, I really enjoyed the Novecento Museum. I thought it was going to a be a disappointing alternative to the Armani Museum, which was closed at the time, but it ended up being one of my favourite museums we visited on our whole trip.

3. Sforza Castle 

My friend that we met up with whilst in Milan (she has a flat in the city! I’m very impressed!) took us here and we sat down in the grounds for a bit, which was a nice way to chill out for an hour or so. There was a fountain out the front that people were paddling in to cool off too and there seemed to be several exhibits going on inside the castle as well if you did want to get a bit of background.

4. Starbucks Reserve Roastery on Via Cordusio 

The fanciest Starbucks I’ve ever seen in my life. Again, intimidatingly so. But if you like your coffee you will probs be in heaven.

5. Gallerie d’Italia

So me and my sister went here the last time we came to Milan and IIRC, really liked it. The modern art section was a bit sparse but the rest of the museum continued into some kind of grand old building and the usual stately home staples that I love were of course there in abundance: intricate ceilings, palatial stairways, opulent chandeliers, beautiful flower gardens, the place is basically a labyrinth of decadence and we lapped it up, lol. People being rich enough to own buildings like this? No. Them being open to the general public so we can go wild in them? Yes. 

Future Milan Bucket List:

Armani Museum

Navigli

Go in the Duomo

Barcelona, Catalonia

I’ve been to Barcelona about 4 or 5 times now and aside from Paris and London, there is no other European city that compares. It’s so huge, full of character and unique beauty, and endless things to do, that I could return probably about 10 times more and still leave with an incomplete bucket list. With stunning architecture, a laid-back coastline and bustling commercial areas, it’s a city with such a consistent vibe and sense of history. The only thing they could do to make it better? Take down the Christopher Columbus monument. Because having a giant statue of a man who facilitated the genocide of a whole country full of native people is a bit...yikes. Sorry, had to drop that in there. But on the whole I adore the place.

Barcelona Top Things to do:

1. CosmoCaixa

We didn’t actually go to CosmoCaixa on this trip to Barcelona, but we went a few years ago and it’s without a doubt, the coolest science museum I’ve ever been too. There’s information in Spanish, Catalan and English so most people can probably follow the exhibitions and even if not, there’s a whole interactive area with a load of contraptions that you don’t really need to understand to be entertained by. You could definitely make a whole day of it too; we went for about 3 hours and still only scratched the surface.

2. Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya (MNAC)

2 things!

Firstly, this is a portrait of Colette, the French novelist, which me and my sister got really excited about because we kinda stan after watching that Kiera Knightley film!

Secondly, and probs more importantly, the modern art section of Museum Nacional d’Art de Catalunya is one of the most ingeniously laid out I’ve even seen. With the sections separated into different eras of Catalonian art, it kinda reads like a whistle stop tour of the cultural history of Barcelona, and so not only did I see so many gorgeous paintings, I got educated af!  Also, the building which the museum is housed in, the Palau Nacional, is stunning. Plus, there are escalators most of the way up. Iconic.

3. Portaventura

It was my sister and I’s fourth time visiting Portaventura this year and it was as amazing an experience as ever! The park is split into different themed areas, kinda like Disney, and has everything from thrill rides to Sesame Street Land (which is low-key super fun). It has what is probably one of my favourite rides ever, Shambhala, and also randomly the best theme park food I’ve ever tasted. One thing I would say is that the accompanying park, Ferrari Land, isn’t worth the extra money as the queues are super long, and there’s only really one ride worth going on, which is basically just a replica of Stealth at Thorpe Park. Same goes for the neighbouring water park; unless you’re going to pay for express passes there, give it a miss. The lockers are €10, the queues are ridiculous, the wave pool didn’t work (not that the staff bothered to tell everyone who was just stood there waiting for an hour) and the “lazy” river is pure anarchy. Literally, kids half-drowning themselves for the lols, popping up under your rubber ring when you least expect it, and then being screamed at by their parents. I live for a bit of chaotic energy but that lazy river...

4. Visit Sitges

A small city on the coast about half an hour from Barcelona, I really cannot recommend Sitges enough. There’s a ton of cute little art museums, delicious restaurants, heavenly beaches (the waves are INSANELY GOOD! You WILL get knocked under water half a dozen times but you also get to watch it repeatedly happen to other people too and it’s great), and a fucking ridiculously hard assault course out in the sea that me and my sister tanked at, hard. There’s incredible food places everywhere but favourites are Pom D’Amour and Dino for ice cream and sweet treats, and Beach House, Big Al’s American Kitchen, and Soca for mains . There’s also a really prominent LGBT community, plus lots of bars, pubs and clubs. Honestly, if you’re going to Barcelona, I really recommend staying around here as you get away from the the majority of the tourists but can still easily get in to the city by train.

5. Walking with Gaudi at the Gaudi Exhibition Centre

A very cool, very interactive exhibition that dives into the life of Gaudi, his creative process, his projects and his influences. My sister particularly liked the replica of El Drac. Like, she for whatever reason thought it was cute. Named it. Made us walk up to Parc Guell to try and see it. Wouldn’t leave the area til she got a keychain of it. Sigh.

6. Passeig de Gracia

Down Passeig de Gracia, you can both wistfully gaze through the windows of the designer shops you pass by, and actually spend your money (too much in my case) in the high street ones. Best of both worlds, bby.

7. Casa Battlo 

So it’s on Passeig de Gracia, pretty much opposite the metro station, but I had to give it its own little bit because it’s my favourite Gaudi building. Kinda looks like something aliens would build, kinda looks like something that sprang out of the ground, but that’s pretty much what Gaudi did best. 

8. Park Guell 

Just a warning, Park Guell is VERY uphill, and we somehow ended up getting off at the metro station right at the bottom of that hill, only to find out once we got up there that you had to book a slot and that all the slots for the rest of that day were sold out. My sister didn’t get to see her dragon and I was pissed off that I’d just nearly busted a lung open and regretted throwing my inhaler away for 20 minutes straight whilst getting up there, but it was still a pretty good view and we did get to see a bit of the park. Moral of the story though is to obviously book Park Guell before you go. 

9. Sagrada Familia

We’ve never actually been in to the Sagrada Familia, again, because we’ve never thought to book it (I want to absolve myself of responsibility here since every time I’ve gone to Barcelona before this trip, I’ve been a baby and let my parents organise everything), but it is an absolutely magnificent building even from the outside. I would one day love to go in and go up the spiral staircase though, because it looks fucking terrifying and I’m one of those strange people who likes being scared every once in a while.

10. Buenas Migas

I’m pretty sure it’s a chain thing but it’s the first time I’ve ever seen a focacceria, and maybe I’m just uncultured but...I got pretty excited. That being said, my sister and I both ended up getting pizza; it was as tasty as it looks.

13. Las Ramblas and Plaza Catalunya

The most typically mediterranean looking square you’ll ever see, Plaza Catalunya is the perfect place to stop off and get some tapas whilst you’re exploring Las Ramblas.

14. Mount Tibidabo

“I was backpacking across Western Europe, I was just outside of Barcelona, hiking in the foothills of Mount Tibidabo”...yes, I got excited to go here because of the Friends reference (I’m a basic bitch who likes friends AND has other personality traits, smd), but equally so by all the adorable old-timey fair ground rides once we did get up there. It was a few years ago now, so I’m not sure exactly how it worked but I do vaguely remember it being a bit of a rip off in that you had to pay to ride them all individually, so it’s good to know that the view from the Church and the Church itself is more than enough of a reason to go up. There’s also places to eat on the walk down and plenty of ice cream and food stalls up there.

Future Barcelona Bucket List:

Museu d'Art Contemporani de Barcelona (MACBA)

European Museum of Modern Art (MEAM)

El Jardin del Gats

Port Cable Car

Carrer de la Neu de Sant Cugat

So, that was my summer! 100% the most eventful one I’ve ever had! I’d love to go back to every one of these places, at least for a day, and am so grateful I got to have this experience. I definitely missed home a lot and maintaining your wellbeing whilst out of your comfort zone is hard, I’m not going to lie, but I hope that a year from now I’ll be feeling even more adventurous. 

There are so many places in Europe I desperately want to go to, some even more so now that I’ve visited the country. Now that I’ve been to Germany, for example, I’d be really interested in seeing somewhere like Munich or Cologne, as they’re supposed to have a completely different vibe from Berlin. It also really inspired me to get back into Spanish and possibly even learn French. 

I don’t know if anyone who is going inter-railing will read this but if they do, feel free to message me if you have any questions. My friend did pretty much all of the organising so I’m not the most knowledgeable person ever but I will do my very best to answer! Similarly, if anybody has any recommendations of other places to go whilst in any of these cities, food places and art museums especially (lol), let me know. 

Thanks for reading!

Lauren x

[valiisthea]

@brokenspaceprince -- AND ANYONE ELSE WANTING TO VISIT GALAXY’S EDGE IN DISNEY WORLD (FLORIDA).

So I dont have a ton of super duper helpful information, just because I went there September 1-7th which was when Dorian was scheduled to hit Orlando. Of course, it never did. All we got was one night of rain. HOWEVER, thousands of people canceled their trips in fear. The parks were EMPTY. And I mean, EMPTY. So I don’t have any valuable data on crowd control or accurate wait times for Smuggler’s Run.

As it currently stands, Hollywood Studios is opening at 6am every morning (I think only until the end of Sept 2019) for people who are staying on property. My friend and I went September 2 and September 6th, and we got there at 6:30 am each time. One time, the wait was 40 mins for the ride, another was 20. We actually rode it about three times when the wait had gone back down to 30 one of the days. However, I HIGHLY URGE YOU DOWNLOAD THE DISNEY PARKS APP AND ADD YOUR DISNEY EXPERIENCE TO IT. THIS APP HAS THE WAIT TIMES FOR THE ATTRACTIONS ALL OVER THE PARKS. YOU CAN DOWNLOAD IT NOW AND KEEP AN EYE ON SMUGGLER’S RUN FROM HOME!!!!! I look at it every day to see if it gains more attention.

I’ve seen the wait times hit 80, 90, and 120. And that was with an EMPTY park. So just keep your eyes peeled. I do NOT know when they will open fast passes for the Galaxy’s Edge Attractions. AT this time, Rise of the Resistance is NOT currently open. I think it opens next month, so I can’t review that.

Smuggler’s run was good. It’s a mix between Star Tours (in Hollywood Studios outside of GE) and Mission: Space (Epcot). You have buttons to push to complete certain actions that happen during your flight. They will light up when you need to press them. Otherwise, sit back and enjoy a highly immersive flight inside the cockpit of the Millennium Falcon. I loved it, but it wasn’t quite as cool as I thought it would be. Not to worry, it was still AMAZING. The queue line is very decorative and hilarious. You won’t be bored waiting in line. Also, right before you’re ushered into the Falcon to fly it, you will come to a very memorable location upon the Falcon that I will show you in my photos below B)

The blue milk is tastier than the green milk, but they’re both delicious. You can get them alcoholic or non alcoholic and they are DAIRY FREE. They are almost like a slushie, but they use plant dairy instead of animal dairy so it shouldn’t upset anyone unless you have specific allergies. Very inclusive of Disney, I was impressed. Get the milk, you won’t be disappointed. Also, Galaxy’s Edge had only been open 2 days before Mecca and I got there -- so lots of cast members were asking us what our favorite flavors were when they saw us holding milk!

Chewbacca, Rey, First Order officers and Storm Troopers walk around randomly. I’ve heard Kylo does too, but I never saw him. Rey stops and takes pictures and interacts with guests. Chewie doesn’t do photo ops (but there is a spot to meet Chewie, BB8, and Vader at the Launching Pad not too far outside of GE in Hollywood Studios). Chewie recruits kids for a “special mission” which is really adorable. I won’t spoil that for you. The FO officers and the Storm Troopers have very limited photo op time. They’re really performing, so it’s hard for them to take photos. Try to just enjoy them without bugging them for photos.

Droid Depot is amazing. There, you can assemble your own BB-Unit or R2-Unit. It costs 99 dollars. The droids, as far as I know, are remote controlled and you can purchase a personality chip for them to beep and boop at you. They come in all sorts of colors so they’re highly customizable. You pull parts off of a conveyor belt and assemble the droid yourself. If you just want Droid Merch (which I did) you can also just look at the shop. It has merchandise with all sorts of droids on them!

ALSO, here is where you can meet the life-like, 25 thousand dollar R2D2 by the registers!!!! He is AMAZING. You MUST stop in the droid depot, if only to meet R2. He is fantastic. He followed Mecca and I around the store while we shopped and made conversation with us. He will beep back at you if you talk to him, he will react if you say certain things to him. Mecca told him he was her favorite, and he shrieked and spun in a circle. Very adorable and interactive. Definitely go meet him.

There is also a spot where you can build your own lightsaber. I did not go in there because it is 200 dollars to do so and I did not want to tempt myself. The sabers look amazing though, I saw multiple people with them around the parks.

There are two places to eat as far as I know. One is more “quick service” and the other is a restaurant. We did not eat at either place because we are picky eaters and we also went at 630 am - not a great time for dinner LOL.

Both of these eateries looked amazing and interactive. They were empty, of course, but I KNOW that when normal park crowding resumes, you WILL NEED A RESERVATION TO GET INTO THESE PLACES. YOU CAN MAKE DINING RESERVATIONS MONTHS IN ADVANCE TO YOUR TRIP. DISNEY IS VERY ACCOMODATING TO ALLERGIES SO PUT ANY ALLERGIES ON YOUR RESERVATION. MAKE. RESERVATIONS. 

That being said, I’m not sure when Fast Pass will become available for the rides, but IF YOU STAY ON PROPERTY YOU CAN ALSO SELECT FAST PASSES MONTHS IN ADVANCE. DO THIS. I CANNOT STRESS IT ENOUGH.

Aside from those hot spots, there is a market place that has TONS of little shops inside of it. We did not stop at every single shop so I cannot tell you what specifically each store sold. I know one shop sold all sorts of critters!!!!! From the SW movies new and old. There is a first order shop if you’re with the first order, and there is a resistance shop. There are some outposts with resistance merch too! 

The decor of the place is phenomenal. You really feel like you’ve stepped onto another planet. You are ON BATUU when you are there. Fully. The cast members even speak to you as such, and so does Rey when you meet her! It’s 600000% immersive even for Mecca and I, as adults. Imagine what it will be like for kids!

There are lots of places to obtain FREE WATER all over Galaxy’s Edge - and the Coke stands sell Coke bottles shaped like Thermal Detonators!!! They’re super cute and such a novelty. Be prepared to spend a lot of money for that coke, though. IT’s like a 7 dollar coke just because of the bottle.

Oh, also, they speak in SW lingo while you’re there. My apologies, it will be seven CREDITS, not seven dollars.

All in all, it was truly an amazing experience that I would highly recommend to anyone and everyone. I will be returning in July 2020 so I will get to review Rise of the Resistance then since it will be open. I will also review anything that might be new (character encounters and such) between now and then.

SIDE NOTES: Hollywood Studios still has Star Tours. It is OUTSIDE Of Galaxy’s Edge and it has been UPDATED to include TFA and TLJ characters! It’s randomized, so you still may encounter some older characters as well! The Jedi Training still happens RIGHT ALONGSIDE of Star Tours and it now includes Kylo Ren (which I think has been there for quite some time now). Little tiny Jedi’s get to go toe to toe with Ren and Vader. It’s adorable.

The Launching Pad is over by Voyage of the Little Mermaid. Here, you will meet Chewbacca, BB-8 (yes, hes interactive. you may speak to him and he will speak back, and the cast members will translate for you. very cute), and Darth Vader. We met all of them and had glorious experiences. Very well done. There are also some shops at the end of the encounters here. 

AND SPECIFICALLY FOR @brokenspaceprince WHO ASKED ABOUT TRANSPORT FROM THE ORLANDO AIRPORT TO THE RESORTS - yes, the magical express still operates. You HAVE to be staying at a DISNEY RESORT on Property though, or it will not take you to your hotel. It’s fantastic. The Orlando airport as a whole is a great airport. You can’t get lost.

ANYWAY, THATS ALL I HAVE FOR RIGHT NOW. IF YOU HAVE ANY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS, PLEASE DO NOT HESITATE TO ASK THEM AND I WILL TRY AND BE AS HELPFUL AS POSSIBLE. NOT ONLY FOR GALAXY’S EDGE - BUT FOR ANYTHING DISNEY RELATED. 

THERE ARE SOME PHOTOS BENEATH THE CUT, BUT TUMBLR ONLY ALLOWS ME TO ADD 10 PHOTOS, SO PLEASE FEEL FREE TO ASK ME FOR MORE IF YOU WANT TO SEE AREA-IMAGES FROM INSIDE BATUU ITSELF. I WILL SHOW YOU MY ENTIRE LOG OF PHOTOS FROM AROUND THE PARK.

[treewithabark]

AGNRY ESAY RANT FITE ME

Okay lads buckle in. I need to have a fat rant and a whinge today and it’s going to be a long one. This is literally an essay long rant of 1,900+ words so don’t click the read more unless you’re prepared to scroll through a fuck ton of angry writing. Will probably delete this later, I don’t care if people read or not, I just really need a space to get out all my feelings because I have a lot of built up frustration in regards to other peoples reactions to myself and Hana

It is poorly written and stuff has been missed out because there’s so many situations that I can write about so I picked a “few”

I am so sick of people looking at me and Hana and judging us at face value for something we’re not even a part of. Let’s start with day to day walking.

We walk up our town’s highstreet often. It’s the easiest way to access all good walks in the area, even if we don’t walk up the entire highstreet we still have to cross through it halfway to access the quiet side streets. Hana is pretty much always muzzled along these streets. Halfway through the highstreet are a couple of people who have a dog or two off lead, and while friendly, these dogs don’t have the best recall when they see a dog. We always cross to avoid these dogs as they don’t seem to cross roads without their owners. While irritating I don’t mind this so much as they’re easily avoided. However, lots of other people walk their dogs up and down this highstreet, we have lots of dog friendly shops and cafes (I even work in a dog friendly café, I will come back to this later) and as mentioned above, it is the main and easiest way to access the best walks.

The number of times I’ve had dogs lunge, bark, and generally make at scene as I walk past Hana is pretty high. Hana for the most part is very good at dealing with this, she can keep a great focus on me, and while she sometimes pulls towards the source of noise to see what’s happening, the only time she has tried to instigate something with another other dog I caught and corrected the behaviour before she even had the chance to make it a big reaction. Yet despite this good behaviour from her part, when people turn around to see who and what is making a huge commotion all eyes fall on her, and I get the judgmental looks and glares of disapproval. One time a terrier on the other side of the road barked at a woman walking three dogs on the same side as me (I was lurking behind a several meters) and all three reacted at once and was lunging at the side of the road. Some people poked their heads out of nearby shops while others turned around. Again, I had some funny looks even though Hana was in a loose lead heel and making no noise at all.

Let’s go back to that café I work in. It is dog friendly, I like this. I meet many lovely dogs here. My favourite being the Finnish Lapphund, Luca, and his lovely owner. There is one particular woman who comes here every day, sometimes twice a day, with her two westie mixes. They bark a LOT. She leaves them tied to the table to have a cigarette outside most days, again at least once or twice. When she does this, they bark. When someone sits near them with food, they bark. Someone they know walks in, they bark. Another dog walks in?? They go absolutely nuts. Sometimes they are calmer and bark less, but most of the time, guess what, they bark. We even had a customer report that one of them had bitten another customer, but since the customer in question hadn’t approached us to make a complaint we couldn’t do anything about it.

Sometimes on my day off I will pop in with Hana (again, always muzzled and usually wearing a marked harness to caution others to give us space) so I can get a discount coffee before or after a walk. Yet again, Hana is always on her very best behaviour. I’ve worked hard to have her calm and focused in these environments. The drill is that we walk in on a close heel, we join the queue (sometimes go straight to the till, these are the best days) and she sits on the inside so she isn’t in the walkway. Sometimes I do a down stay just to mix things up ;) I always hope that these westie mixes aren’t in at the same time because they are loud and distracting, but we’ve seen them a few times and they will go nuts. Sometimes they are quiet until we turn to leave, but there is always a reaction from them. In this case most dirty looks go to this woman, but a couple of times I have had the look despite Hana being quiet and controlled, but looking at the noise makers.

This brings us to today. There is a lady who walks a lovely 1 year old husky. She has come into our Café before and her dog was beautifully behaved. My coworker also has a husky so they talked for a little while and I joined in every now and then. During the conversation this lady brought up that her husky had been bitten on the cheek by a malamute while chatting with its owners. Both dogs on lead, and the malamute owners assured her that their dog was fine with other dogs. However, he still got bitten. I have since seen this woman from a distance a few times on walks, she has never recognised or acknowledged me but she has no reason to because we are always so far away, and I only recognised her from the dog. One of these times she and another owner took up the entire pathway to the only entrance to a walk (which is several meters wide) while their dogs greeted each other and played on lead. I kept back and sat Hana to the side working on her focus, waiting for them to move. They did after 5 minutes and although a bit peeved it didn’t affect our walk.

Today she was leaving from that entrance, again I must mention that this walkway is SEVERAL meters wide, so I took Hana to the very edge and sat her down to work on focus, on the inside so that I was blocking her from the dog. This is when she calls over “your dog has gone for mine before hasn’t it?”. Now Hana has NEVER met this dog, only seen him from afar, and never once has she reacted to it except having a little look at him. This stunned me and all I could answer was “uhhh, well she’s not friendly”. What I should have said is “no they’ve never met but mine isn’t friendly which is why we’re giving you some distance”. She then said that she will move into a shop so we can pass, again I should have said thank you and moved on, but I said that it was fine for her to pass as she is (she was right on the other side) because my dog is fine and it’s quicker for her just to walk by. She then asked if Hana lunged at other dogs, to which I replied, sometimes, if the dog enters her space. She then went into the story about how a malamute attacked her dog when the other owners said that it was fine and that she feels uncomfortable with other malamutes and similar dogs that may lunge as she doesn’t trust that they will actually be okay. I of course already know this story, and know that the dog that bit her dog was in close proximity as they were having a conversation and were stood close to each other. I told her I understood but Hana has pretty good focus on me around other dogs and that she’s unlikely to lunge (side note: if Hana DID lunge she would not be at all close to her dog). She again said that she was uncomfortable and that she’s not personally attacking me but it’s just how she feels. Again, understood, all cool. She then decided to make a “little suggestion” about getting a walking belt like hers that attaches to her lead, so that if my dog were to lunge there is no way that I could drop the lead by accident. I thanked her and said I’ve looked at them before so will maybe look into it again. I then pointed out my muzzle and said that she usually wears this, but at this time of day we rarely pass any dogs on the street and the walk we are entering is all dogs on lead, so it was clipped to my jeans rather than her wearing it. She gave me a real funny look at this, not happy with my answer. At this point I offer to leave the walkway and walk Hana away so she can leave without feeling uncomfortable which she took. And that was the end of it. But what I can’t convey through this rant is the condescending tone this woman had while talking to me, and the disbelieving look she gave me the whole time. OH and did I mention that Hana was in a sit stay the whole time, taking treats from me and watching her dog calmly???

It just irritates me that people seem to look past Hana’s great behaviour, and instead see a 5’2 girl walking a massive fucking dog with a muzzle and sometimes warning signs, and take this to mean that she isn’t trained or is automatically a danger to everyone around her. Or that the noise must always come from her since she is the dog in a muzzle and is obviously the perpetrator  The muzzle is there to protect other dogs if they happen to enter her space, and the signs on her harness are to warn people that she needs a little bit of space. She is not a bad dog.

Now I know myself that Hana isn’t perfect. This isn’t a post to gloat about how well behaved my dog is despite her issues and everyone else is wrong. Some walks we struggle with behaviour, some walks are stressful because off lead dogs are harassing her and she’s too over the threshold to pull a focus from her. But you know what I do on those days? I avoid places with too many dogs and people, I skip my coffee, I take the longer route around to make sure she is stress free and her walking is good.

And I’ve also met so many people who have been so brilliant with their own dogs, and understanding of Hanas need for space. Lots of people call their dogs away at the sight of us, and will allow us to pass. We have received compliments from lots of people at how calm Hana is and about how beautiful she is. We have people ask us about the muzzle just out of curiosity, and ask if it’s okay to greet her. I’ve had conversations with other dog owners while Hana is calm and happy just being at a comfortable distance from them. So many people make my day better from their compliments and understanding, yet somehow the negative moments stick with me more.

RANT OVER OH MY LORD

I still have so many stories about off lead dogs but I will not go into that because that will just be another 1,000 words. AHGHJGJGFKDHB