#Chicago Water Taxi | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

copperbadge · 9 months

Note

Hey Sam, it looks like I'll be in Chicago for a few days next May. I'm going through all the typical sight seeing websites, but do you have any recommendations for a first time visitor? I'm not huge on architecture, parks or crowds. History, art and music are a big yes. I'm considering the Big Bus hop on/off tour for practicality. Any tips would be appreciated!

I used to have a "guide to Chicago" that I would link people to, but I think it probably badly needs updating, since a lot of what it talks about is pre-pandemic, and some places don't exist anymore (which is not necessarily down to the pandemic, Chicago is an ever-changing place). RIP Apocalypse McDonalds. Definitely before you follow anyone's advice including mine, look up what you're going to go see to make sure it's still there.

So, couple of quick recommendations; thanks for telling me some of what you're into, that always helps :) I'm going to assume you're either staying somewhere close to downtown or willing to trek into the city from outside it. A lot of people who tell me they're visiting Chicago are actually visiting Rosemont, which is a nice place but not Chicago and not super close to most of what I'll be talking about. Chicago is extremely large, and if you are staying around the O'Hare airport area (Rosemont) it will be an hour by public transit or at least $50 by rideshare/cab to get downtown.

I will say whenever I'm visiting somewhere, my first stop is always Atlas Obscura, which usually lists the really weird shit to do. :D

I've never done the Big Bus tour, but it's much nicer to do it in May than, say, December, and the people I know who've done it found it a convenient and inexpensive way to get around the city without having to deal with public transit, so while I can't personally recommend, I've only heard good things.

I know you said you weren't into architecture, but if you want to see a lot of Chicago in a very relaxed fashion, while incidentally getting some architecture knowledge, it's tough to beat the Chicago Architecture Center's boat tour. You just get on the boat, buy a drink if you want one, sit back, and drift down the river and back while someone narrates the history of Chicago architecture to you. You'll also, in May, see lots of other folks out on the river and get a real taste of Chicago's downtown scene. If you'd like to see the river without the cost of the architecture tour, I'd check out the water taxis and see if there's an opportunity to take one when going between other places you're visiting. They do a lot of tourist-destination stops.

For history, the Chicago History Museum is a natural fit and a lot of walking tours leave from the museum, although most of them are architecture :D I would also HIGHLY recommend Adam Selzer's Mysterious Chicago tours; Selzer is a very smart local historian and if you'd like to do reading ahead of time I also highly recommend his book Ghosts of Chicago. If he's offering a tour of Rose Hill or Graceland cemeteries, I'd jump on that; Graceland was my old "home" cemetery (it was literally my backyard for about a decade) and I think it's extremely interesting and beautiful. If you do go to Graceland, I can recommend Byron's nearby as a great place to get a burger, fries, Italian Beef, or a hot dog. But pretty much any tour he offers I would recommend whether I've been on it or not, he's great.

For art, again, the natural choice is the Art Institute Museum; to avoid lines, I'd recommend buying your museum ticket ahead of time and entering through the Modern Wing on Monroe Street, which is less attractive but also way less crowded than the "Lions" entrance on Michigan Avenue. I always recommend people make sure not to miss the Thorne Miniatures (they're in the basement so easy to miss, but any docent can direct you there) and the Ugliest Vase in the World. They move the vase around quite a bit, but if you check the website for the Londonderry Vase before you go, it'll tell you where to find it. Its hideousness must be seen in person. Also make sure not to miss the Chagall windows, they're off in a corner by the entrance to the cafe.

I'm not really much on music so my reccs are weaker there, but if you'd like some Chicago blues in a tourist-friendly environment, Kingston Mines is good, as is Buddy Guy's (which also has great food and is closer to downtown). If you like fried chicken, Harold's Chicken Shack is near Buddy Guy's (it's all over, it's a small chain, but that's usually the easiest one for people to find). The Chicago Symphony Orchestra is pretty great for classical music, and in the summer they often have special guests. If you like the NPR show "Wait Wait Don't Tell Me", they record live in downtown Chicago at the Fine Arts building; you usually have to buy pretty far in advance, keep an eye on tickets here.

More general recommendations: the Museum of Science and Industry is really fun, especially with kids but even without, but it's also the furthest out from downtown and can take some work to get to. Field Museum and Shedd Aquarium are both fun times, although the Shedd is kinda pricey I think. They're right next to each other though so a day doing both is convenient. If you are doing any of the museums, keep your eyes peeled for the "Mold A Rama" machines, where for $5 you can watch the machine injection-mold you a souvenir. Often the museums have custom machines for various exhibits (the Death exhibit at the Field had a skull one, for instance).

There are two train systems in Chicago: the "El" (the color-coded trains you see in movies all the time) and the Metra. DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES TAKE THE METRA TRAIN ANYWHERE. The Metra is a commuter rail designed for people who know how to use it, and they don't announce stops or even sometimes have signage; often the train won't stop at a platform unless it's told to during certain times of day. It is extremely easy to get extremely lost on the Metra and end up somewhere you do not want to be. If you are taking public transit, even if it seems less convenient, stick to buses and the El trains. The El and Metra run on different tracks so it's easy to avoid the Metra, but I always like to warn folks.

Okay, I think that's the highlights, minus some parks and such; I hope you have a great time! Feel free to hit me if you have questions.

#chicago #tourism

95 notes · View notes

ms-nesbit · 10 months

Text

Sweet home chicago (jason todd x afab!reader)

chapter one

Rating: 18+

Warnings: eventual smut, swearing, father figure dick grayson, skater tim drake, sad jason todd :(

Summary: dick and tim trick jason into taking a vacation in chicago. There, he meets someone he hopes to never forget.

Note: im sorry for dipping, yall. I really had some important things to take care of.

ao3

Amber and rose peeked through the hedge between the array of buildings on Michigan Avenue. Jason blended himself with the sea of tourists and chic aristocrats. He didn’t necessarily stick out like a sore thumb, as there were a few Chicagoans dressed casually like him; even in the late-November evening, he sported his signature red hoodie and straight fit jeans, tattered and dirty near the hem. No matter what, he wanted to appear mildly stressed, only mildly, so as to not draw more attention to himself than his six-foot-four frame already did.

He wondered how he got here. Was it the phone call from Dick, or the two dozen from Tim? Could it have been neither, and he perhaps wanted to rush the plane during the busiest season, nudged in a lousy middle seat between an obnoxious preteen and a middle-aged woman watching poorly edited, extremist conservative media? To be fair, Jason treated himself to Portillo’s once he left the airport - a well-earned reward for not lashing out at the self-absorbed individuals beside him.

He stepped briskly, moving in sync with the less-anxious of the crowd toward the shopping district notoriously named Magnificent Mile. On his left ear, he heard the excitement in the tune of indistinguishable conversations and the season’s final water taxis boarding; in his right, a wireless earbud, softly playing his childhood favorite, Diana Ross and the Supremes.

Once he reached the other end of the bridge, he strolled to the sidewalk in front of Tribune Tower, pulling his phone out and indiscreetly sending a message of his coordinates to-

A call. “As much as I love the smell of fish, garbage, and the crooked CPD, why did you and Tim want me here?” Jason was more curious than upset, but he’d rather not disclose his true feelings to his brothers.

“C’mon, Jay, it’s the Windy City! You ever been to Chicago?” Dick asked. “Beautiful everything here. Tim’s at the Van store up the street, and I’m grabbing a slice of pizza across from ya. You wanna come over and get a slice, grumpy? You get a little hangry sometimes.”

Jason sighed, and his stomach grumbled in response to the offer. “Alright, but I’m not goin’ outside. I sat next to some wackjob on the flight who sounded like she needed to be in the looney bin, and I’m not lookin’ to make friends.” As he spoke, he quickly turned his head before dashing across the busy street, waving off a car blaring its horn at him. “What’do’ey have?”

“How about you see?” Dick approached Jason, smiling mischievously. Jason ended the call, moving his eyes to Dick’s hands behind his back. “Guess what I got?”

“Dick, I’m not in the mood for games-”

“Ta-da!” Dick shifted in his coat, revealing a white box with a drawn pizza and the name Lou Malnati’s on it. Jason pretended like his mouth didn’t water at the smell of grease and garlic. “I had ‘em make a classic cheese with those square slices. How about we sit down on the riverfront and talk?”

And talk. No matter the temptation, be it a buttery, gooey pizza right under Jason’s nose, he still believed it wasn’t worth the compromise of having to make more than small talk with others. “Listen, Dickie, as much as I appreciate the offer, I don’t think I’m ready to talk about-”

“Dude, this isn’t about Artemis, if that’s what you’re about to say.” Dick shrugged in his beige peacoat, a piece of his thick, navy, knitted cardigan spilling from his waist. “I just want to, y’know, see if you want to go to this thing tonight.”

Jason cocked a brow in his theatrical manner. “So you and Tim badgered me, had me fly all the way to goddamn Chicago, all to just talk over some overpriced pizza?” Around him, he felt the glare of customers, but he doubled down, giving them knowing looks. “I’ve been here. Want a real place? Go to the goddamn place off Clark and Dickens. You’ll thank me later.”

Dick rolled his eyes, already tired by Jason’s heels in the sand. “Always gotta be a drama queen. Just…come with me. I’ll explain once we’re out of earshot.” His voice was hushed, signaling Jason to follow suit. They walked together to the riverwalk, sitting on the cold high-risen edging. Dick delicately opened the lid of the box, revealing the savory American delicacy and motioning for Jason to take the first slice.

Once Jason reached for the slice, taking his first bite and stretching the rosemary-seasoned cheese from its bed atop the crust, Dick began. “Tim and I were thinking that the three of us could use a break.” Jason grumbled indistinctly into his pizza slice, swirling the string of cheese around his tongue in a tight noose. “Bruce has been a handful lately - I mean, he always is - and I think it would be a good lesson for him to finally be on his own instead of taking us for granted, y’know?”

Jason nodded, rearranging his food to one side of his mouth so he could speak with the other. “You do know that Bruce is probably better off without me, right? Since I-” he swallowed the food, kissing the excess sauce and garlic from his teeth, “leave a ‘pretty big mess’, as he says.”

“You also help. Gang-related crime decreased about 37 percent when Red Hood regularly patrolled, and the Gotham Gazette did a poll, based on before and after Red: thanks to Red Hood, 6 out of 10 female Gothamites feel safe walking home at night, compared to the 3 out of 10 prior to Red Hood’s introduction.”

The statistic surprised Jason. He was used to the smearing from Justice League’s best, so it was nice to hear a compliment for a change. “And Timmy’s on board with this?” He didn’t hesitate to take a second slice, while Dick left the pizza untouched.

“He was the one who coined it.” Dick looked out at the river, mildly put off by Jason’s shameless eating habits. “We were patrolling one night and he just said it out of the blue. I get it, though.” He pursed his lips, staring wistfully. “I couldn’t tell you before because then you wouldn’t agree to it.”

Dick was right: when he’d offer to take Jason in after they reconciled, Jason refused. Though not Bruce’s blood son, Jason was comparably stubborn, sometimes surpassing the Dark Knight. “And where are we gonna stay?”

“That’s the best part.” Dick finally reached for a slice, folding it in half and dipping a chunk into his mouth to cut from the slice. “Tim hacked into Bruce’s business travel account and used some of his points to book a stay at some fancy place called Waldalf…lemme check.” Dick reached into his peacoat pocket and pulled out his phone, checking the reservation. He continued to chew, as did Jason, and Dick leaned over to show Jason the reservation email. “Astoria. It’s a couple of blocks here, I think. Worst case, we can just use a taxi or Uber there or something.”

“I’m banned from using Uber.” Jason said nonchalantly, squinting at the details on Dick’s pristine phone screen before looking the name up for himself. “I can walk as long as I can have another slice.”

Dick blinked at Jason blankly before glancing at the remnants of the pizza. “Take the small one right there.” Removing a wrinkled, discolored restaurant napkin from his back pocket, Jason snatched the slice with an asymmetrical, genuine smile, now holding a slice in each hand. Dick bit his tongue in his mouth to keep himself from laughing. If he hadn’t held a slice in his, he would have snapped a photo to send to the family group chat. “We’re already checked in, so just bring whatever luggage you have with you.”

Jason looked up from his slices like a deer in the headlights. “Sorry, I didn’t think to bring anything other than the usual.” With a slice, he vaguely gestured to his dirty clothes.

“I was…expecting that.” Dick chuckled lightly. “I brought you some clothes so you could go out and enjoy yourself for a change.” He spotted Jason’s eye roll. “You’re in your twenties, for crying out loud. Enjoy yourself! Make a friend. Would it kill you to just live?”

As Jason shook his head, a few strands of grey fell from his messily combed back hair and onto his forehead. “What, is coming back from the dead and seeking vengeance to blood-thirsty psychopaths not living?”

“No, it’s not.” a voice came from the other side of the riverwalk, by the bustling street: a lanky-built male, wearing a beige Santa Cruz sweatshirt and dark jeans, strolled on his skateboard toward the brothers. “And by the way, Jason, you look no different than the bourgeoisie skimming the racks at Urban Outfitters over there.” Jason’s frown dropped at Tim, already bugged by him. “Me and Dick were basically wanting you to, y’know, socialize like a normal human being. I know you’re an introvert, I get that, but you’ve gotta, y’know…converse.”

Jason stood from the platform, brushing the suggestion from his broad shoulders. “Jesus, and you wonder why I don’t want to hang out with you guys.” he made an excuse and walked back toward Michigan Ave, finishing his slices along the way.

“By the way, Dick.” Tim nudged Dick with his elbow, showing him a photo of zoomed-in Jason, a few minutes earlier, smiling goofily with his two slices of pizza pie.

Dick erupted into laughter, doubling over and nearly knocking over the box.

“You got the terrace suite?” Jason muttered in blustering shock. “Bruce is going to be so pissed.” His lips stretched into a wide smile.

He plopped onto the sleeper sofa, sprawling his limbs out to relax. Dick assigned Jason to the couch (“Finder’s keepers!”), while Dick and Tim each slept in their separate rooms. “We already received a warning about how you’re dressed, Jason, so if you could please promptly change into something more appropriate, I’m sure this stay would be more enjoyable for all of us.” Dick managed to remain calm while conveying, despite the fatherly-level of disappointment underneath his skin.

Heeding Dick’s advice, Jason made his way to Dick’s room, where he opened up the luggage Dick neatly packed for him: a pair of dress shoes, two pairs of socks and boxer briefs (all red, for continuity’s sake), along with a lightweight, tightly knitted sweater, t-shirt, long-sleeve undershirts, and two pairs of slacks (one beige, one black). Jason sighed halfheartedly, bummed by the array chosen for him. He knew, of course, it was his responsibility to select his own attire, but of course he’d forgotten it, lost in the chaos of his everyday life; Dick anticipated Jason’s reaction, and packed something nonetheless, and although grateful, Jason still hesitated to express it.

While Tim and Dick explored the depths of downtown, Jason immersed himself into the room, quietly exploring the channels that Astoria offered.

Knock, knock. “Housekeeping!”

Jason yelled back, “Come in.” while munching on a bag of corn chips on the couch, eyes lasered on the television screen.

The housekeeper, wearing a black and sky blue uniform, pushed his trolley in. “Are you enjoying your stay, Sir?”

Jason shrugged. “My ma was a housekeeper for a bit. Don’t worry about the ‘sir’ stuff, it’s all good.” The response was new to the employee, who stood for a moment before excusing himself to clean the bathroom and bedrooms.

“Sir,” the housekeeper returned, gripping the trolley behind him with a single hand. “Would you mind vacating the room while I clean, or should I return if you are…busy?”

Jason looked at the chip crumbs on his hoodie before looking back at the housekeeper. “I’ve no problem leaving. I’ve gotta change, so I’ll go the other room. Could you just lock the door when you leave?”

“Absolutely, Sir.” the housekeeper said before Jason shut the bathroom door, slacks and sweater in hand.

—

Stepping out from the courtyard of the hotel premises, Jason wandered down the corner, unable to prevent himself from making grotesque faces at the high-end stores nearby. The breeze chilled the skin on his face to the point where it eventually felt like he was kissed by needles, and he unlocked his phone to find a place to settle down and (hopefully) eat. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed an approaching blotch of yellow and blue, to which he immediately hailed down. A taxi parked along the curb, and Jason hopped in. “Could you please take me away from here? Some place with some good food?”

The driver gave Jason a look of uncertainty, pondering before nodding and starting the meter.

Jason sat back and relaxed as giant metallic letters standing proudly on top of clear, godliness glass storefronts began to disappear, one by one, until they were replaced with bulletins and signs, and tented storefronts matched with painted, worn down brickwork.

He exhaled in relief. Despite living with Bruce and his luxurious lifestyle, the unspoken language of wealth was still foreign to Jason. He didn’t understand why the affluent would whisper, and why evil would poison their tongue and burn away at their heart once their financial wealth accrued.

After slipping the taxi driver a couple of hundred dollar bills, Jason abruptly left the vehicle, reading the name of the restaurant to himself. “Like the song…?” he asked the driver, who nodded.

“Different spelling, different things.”

Jason inhaled nasily, chest rising. “Alrighty, thanks, man.”

The driver nodded once again before waving and merging back into traffic. Jason entered the restaurant and was instantly greeted with sweet and savory notes, causing Jason’s stomach to cramp in pain. He walked up to the counter, so clean that he could almost make his reflection out, and waited for an employee to serve him. While he waited, he studied the menu: sandwiches, soups, and more appetizers to choose from. He chewed on his bottom lip, distressed when deciding between pasteles (mix of plantain mix and meat, wrapped in a banana leaf) or mofongo (stuffed plantain).

“When you’re ready, I can take you.” A voice notified him as he stood like a bronze statue before the menu.

He didn’t take his eyes off the photos above the counter. “Sorry about this, I’m a first timer - what are your pasteles filled with?”

“Usually pork or chicken, but we make them with cheese now since there are some vegetarians.”

“Could I have just pasteles, one with cheese filling and one with chicken?” Jason asked.

The clerk pressed a button on the register, which was a tablet with a brightly lit screen. “Sure thing. Anything else?”

“Yeah, and…pastellitos de guayaba? Can I have that, too? And water.”

The clerk pressed the screen a few times, noting down Jason’s order. “Of course. For here or to go?”

Jason finally tore his eyes from the menu to look at the clerk, and his mouth fell open at the sight of the clerk: hair was tightly curled, coiled from their roots; lips plump and glossy, appearing much more enticing to Jason than the food he ogled at.

“Here.” he stuttered, feeling heat rise up to his neck. The clerk smiled at him, and they placed their hand on their wide hip, bringing Jason’s eye to it.

“It’ll be ready in a bit. We’ll bring it to your seat, yeah? Sientate.” They motioned with their nose at the dining area, a selection of polished wooden chairs and tables to choose from.

Before he could ask for their name, the clerk rushed to the kitchen of the restaurant, repeating his order to the rest of the staff. Jason watched them walk away, their bottom half swaying in the leggings they wore, before he realized his leering and chose an empty seat and table near the colorful mural.

Thoughts rushed to the tall man’s head, some impure ones welcoming themselves for the first time since he and Artemis parted. Their relationship was, in short, complicated, and neither of them were fully transparent toward another, leading to the inevitable diffusion of the once-kindled fire; it didn’t break Jason’s heart, but rather disappointed him, and he felt that his fate of inescapable loneliness was encapsulated.

The clerk reappeared from the kitchen, holding two plates of food. They walked past Jason, ignoring whatever eye contact he attempted to make at them, and attended to the table diagonally from his. “Y te quedas a tu mama, ok?” They spoke warmly but sternly to the couple, before leaving with a grin. “And you,” they pointed at Jason, “your pastellios should be ready in one to two minutes, okay?”

Jason nodded frantically, popping an optimistic grin. “Can’t wait.”

“I know.” they winked at Jason before turning back around and walking through the revolving door leading to the kitchen. Jason felt something distant in his stomach. Perhaps hunger?

In a few minutes, the mysterious clerk returned, holding what Jason hoped was his food. When they arrived at his table, settling the plates down delicately before handing him cutlery and a glass, he beamed first at the food, then at the beautiful clerk. He didn’t know which he was more excited for. “Thank you!”

“Not a problem.” they returned his smile, eyes glistening at him. “Our chef is working on something else for you to carry out, free of charge. Can’t let you starve out on us, right, big guy?” their eyes briefly scanned Jason’s figure, which caused Jason’s cheeks to flush a bright pink.

They’re hitting on me, the fuck. “Thanks! I was hoping maybe I can come back, get your name?”

“Oooh, I like the sound of that.” their voice dipped an octave, and Jason swore he felt his pants tighten under the table. He shifted in his seat uncomfortably. “How about I save you the trouble and tell ya now, that way next time you can take me out for dessert?”

Jason smirked at them, slowly checking their figure out before focusing his attention back on their eyes. “Sure.”

“It’s y/n.” they purred, reaching their hand to rest on Jason’s bicep. Their skin was soft, yet calloused. “And you are…?”

“Jason.” he grinned. “Sorry, I’m new at this.”

“Don’t worry.” they assured. “I’m here if you need anything. And if you decide to take me on that offer, my number is in the check right there.” they pointed to the black checkbook beside the plates of food. Jason’s skin was burning under their touch, and when y/n had to leave, Jason felt a twinge of sadness when they retracted their hand.

Unraveling his cutlery from the napkin, Jason made sure to make an important phone call before his vacation ended.

#mine #my post #jason todd #robin #batfamily #red hood #dc #dcu #dick grayson #nightwing #jason todd x reader #jason todd x plus size reader #yes the reader is plus size fuck u #plus size reader #adab!reader #jason todd smut #jason todd fanfiction

62 notes · View notes

sheetsonfire · 2 years

Text

The Wrong Door

Fandom: Chicago PD

Pairing: Jay Halstead x GN Reader

Genre: Humour, fluff, romance

Word Count: 3643

Summary: The reader opens the wrong door after a night out, but it turns out it actually might be exactly the one they should have opened.

A/N: Part of @resanoona's #resa.3kfiestabingo. This fic fills the "Woke Up Next To Each Other" square. Thank you so much, Resa, for your input on this one, it finally got me to the finish line!

“Are you seriously going to try and hike in…” Stella pauses as she drunkenly squints at her phone, “In… 4 hours?” Her eyes are impossibly wide, brows the highest they can go, seemingly mind-blown that you could even think about hiking right now.

“Stellllaaaa, you’re not helping, I promised Jay we could go. He’s been needing this, and who am I if not a very very very good friend?” You shrug, huffing out a laugh as you realise just how drunk you’d gotten, the cold night air now letting it hit you.

Stella snorts, wrapping you up in a hug as she pouts affectionately, suddenly deciding she wanted to hold your face. “You are a very very very good friend.” She repeats back, breaking out into a fit of her own giggles as she practically throws you back into her embrace. You wrap your arms around each other, swaying together as the other bar-goers spill out for closing.

You feel the alcohol weigh your legs down as you drunkenly pace the sidewalk, clutching to your companion as you wait for the taxi that you and Stella had booked.

Matt had already picked up Sylvie, but you and Ms Kidd hadn't been ready to say goodnight to the party. Kelly was out of town at a firefighting conference with the chief, so your list of available drivers had been shortened significantly.

You dared not call Jay, not when you had been so enthusiastic about the hike. He had been drowning in caseloads the past month, and with it finally letting up some time out at Starved Rock - a state park not too far outside Chicago - was the answer. Fresh air, the wilderness, open water and a way to let all of that stress go.

Even more importantly, you had been rooming with Jay since your apartment got flooded months ago, and making sure he got some clear headspace was the least you could do.

The last thing you were going to do was let him know you’d made a mistake, if there was still hope of you bullshitting your way through the day, albeit extremely hungover, you’d chance it.

As you feel your adrenaline start to dwindle, you see the headlights of the taxi approaching you and Stella, thanking the deities that your ride was finally here.

The sooner you could get to bed, the better. Taking a deep breath, you detach yourself from Stella and climb into the back next to her, both of you letting out groaned laughter, a mix of exhaustion and delirium.

Once you exchange a brief conversation with the driver about your drop-off points you sit back in your seat, letting your whirring mind think about absolutely nothing.

You stroke through Stella’s wild curls, admiring your friend's beautiful face, making her giggle even more. You could be really affectionate when you were drunk. “You gonna be alright at the apartment? You can stay with me and Jay if you like, he’s got a pull-out couch or you could share with me?” You knew Stella could handle herself, but with Kelly being away you wanted to make sure.

“I’m all good, I got the key, I got painkillers and I got a big ass bed to pass out in. S’not my first rodeo… You of all people know that.” Stella gives you a look, alluding to all the time you’d spent together during your time at the fire academy, both studying and enjoying the Chicago nightlife. You had come all the way up together, eventually ending up at the same firehouse, Fifty-One.

“True, that is true.” You nod comically, squeezing Stella in another cuddle as you both sigh.

There’s a beat of silence and then Stella speaks up again, “Y/N?”

“Yeah, Stel’?” You answer quietly.

“You know you’re not gonna be able to hike, right?” You can hear the smile in her voice and you playfully smack her arm.

“Hey, that’s not very ‘best friend’ of you! Why aren’t you hyping me up?” Your face falls into grumpiness, pouting childishly.

“Sweetie, the only thing that would hype you up tomorrow would be a literal bump of cocaine.”

You start laughing again, “Hm, interesting suggestion, not really sure it’s an option given who my roommate is…Ugh, Stella, I’m such an asshole, what am I gonna do?”

“I would take painkillers, load up on some water, pass out, fake illness and hope Jay doesn’t know what time you got in.”

You scrub a hand at your face, you refuse to admit defeat, even though you knew Stella was most likely right.

“Okay, pills, water, pass out, fake a non-alcohol related illness, beg for mercy… I got it.”

Stella rubs your back, glancing out of the taxi as she sees you’ve arrived at Jay’s apartment building. “You got it, babe. Go on, good luck!” She encourages, scooting you out of the taxi as you give the door a firm slam shut, waving and blowing kisses as Stella moves on for home.

It takes you twice the amount of time it should have to make it to Jay’s floor, but eventually you do and as slowly and as quietly as possible you let yourself in, carefully closing and locking the door behind you.

Then, you place your bag by the couch and sit your swaying body on it, unstrapping your shoes and toeing them off as best you can, inching stealthily into the dark of the apartment. Not daring to even turn on a light.

Tip-toeing to the kitchen area for some painkillers and water, effectively taking both of those before stopping off at the bathroom for a pee. Luckily on the back of the bathroom door, your nightshirt is still hanging up, and you’re able to free yourself of your bar clothes, slipping right into the soft and comforting fabric of your tee.

As far as you can tell you’re doing an amazing job at getting to bed without Jay hearing a thing, and you can’t wait to text Stella about your phase one victory. Totally forgetting that you’d left your phone in your bag by the couch.

From the bathroom it’s on to the bedroom, slotting yourself inside and pressing the door carefully shut. Again, you don’t waste time with lights or anything else as you walk to the bed, placing your water on the bedside table without so much as clink or clank. Then, you crawl into bed, burrowing yourself under the covers. You let out a happy little sigh as your body begins to sink, feeling the plush of the pillow and the duvet supporting your body.

“Mhm, toasty.” You murmur to yourself, relishing with surprise that the bed is really warm, a stark contrast from the chill you’d come from.

It’s not even a minute before the exhaustion sets in, the cosiness and security of being home with Jay in the room next door lull you to sleep almost immediately.

Jay wakes up just before his 6 am alarm. Some might baulk at the idea of getting up at 6 am on their weekend off, but Jay had fallen asleep supremely early by his standards, at 10 pm. He was feeling rested and ready to enjoy the sunshine out at Starved Rock with you.

In the layers of fog, before awakeness reaches Jay, he doesn’t clock the warm weight pressed against him, nor the soft huffs of breath tickling his arm. In a tangle of his duvet and the extra blanket at the foot of the bed, it doesn’t quite register that any of the sensations on his skin are human.

He could be forgiven for not being more his usual aware self, it had been a long month, after all.

It’s not until he tries to sit up and wake up properly that he realises something is stopping him. Or rather, someone is stopping him.

“Wha-" He groggily murmurs, turning in his spot to see what was intruding on his personal space.

“Y/N?” He asks your sleeping form, not having been nearly loud enough to wake you. You’re sprawled in your spot in Jay’s bed, snoring softly, hugging loosely at his bicep which you’re using as a pillow. You’re drooling onto his arm, and Jay catches a whiff of the alcohol.

Clearly, you, Sylvie, and Stella had made a whole night of it.

He doesn’t know whether to be annoyed or amused, the overriding emotion still remaining confused. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he notes that it doesn’t feel weird you’re even in the bed at all, only strange due to the fact that it was unexpected.

Jay’s not sure what to do, he can only guess that there was little chance of waking up any time soon, so he opts for trying to extricate himself and go to the kitchen to start breakfast. First, however, he’d have to get out of your grip on him.

He tries several times to let your head fall onto the pillow and pull his arm free, but each time you groan in your sleep and hold him tighter, nuzzling into his arm. It makes him chuckle softly yet slightly nervous, he didn’t want to have to confront you on the predicament. Still in disbelief that you’d somehow come home, got undressed, put a shirt on, and got into his room, into his bed, all without his notice.

There’s one more attempt, a quick pull and slip of the arm is what Jay goes for but he jostles you perhaps too much, his heart quickening as you huff, letting out a disgruntled whine as your bleary eyes peak open to assess the disturbance.

What a nice dream. You think. You liked the dreams where Jay was more affectionate with you. You had been wrestling with your feelings of late.

“Mhm, good morning, handsome.” You mumble, trying to cuddle into him some more.

Except, unlike your dreams, you notice a distinct look of confusion and something akin to alarm when you cuddle Jay. He murmurs your name, trying not to be rude as he frees himself out of your grip.

There’s something about the action that sends adrenaline through you, swallowing hard as nerves thrum wildly. You realise that you’re warm still, Jay’s bare skin brushing yours feels too smooth, too real… too…

Oh god. No. No way.

“Jay?” You utter, much more awake now even with the light of day hurting your eyes, the resounding stab of a headache in your temple.

“Yeah, it’s me.” He answers simply, scratching at his head. He feels like he should get up, but it’s his bed you’re in.

Realisation dawns fast, and in a second you’re up and out of the bed, scrambling to the side of the room near the window, your hands in your face in a mortified fashion.

“Oh my god, I’m so sorry, I don’t know what happened I- I thought this was MY room! Oh, Jesus, you must think I’m such a creep.” Your hangover makes your head spin, wincing at the discomfort in your stomach. “Oh god.”

Jay blinks at your outburst, simply watching you, there’s silence.

Then, his whole body is juddering, he presses a hand over his mouth, trying to stifle his laughter but he can’t.

You scowl, now certain he’s not at all offended but rather incredibly amused by your misfortune.

“Alright, laugh it up, Chuckles. I deserve it.” You motion with your hands in encouragement, letting him get it all out as you flop into the chair by his wardrobe, covering your face again, wishing the ground would swallow you up.

It takes a minute but eventually, Jay stops, catching his breath as he looks at you.

“Hey, come here.” He calls out, watching with a smile as you peek out from your hands, waiting for some kind of telling-off. You make sure to keep looking at his beautiful face, rather than letting your eyes wander over his freckled muscular chest or his wonderfully toned arms. It wasn’t news to you that Jay was good-looking, however, you never got to see him like this, in his own space, in the haze of sleep, with a bedhead.

It oddly made the whole thing almost too intimate, a pang of sadness rippled through you as you dwelled on the thought that this wasn’t your daily routine.

“Y/N, I won’t bite.” He teases, prompting you out of your own head, you hadn’t even acknowledged Jay’s request the first time. You sceptically move towards the bed, sitting on the edge you’d stumbled out of, with caution.

You can’t bring yourself to see his face up close, yet Jay reaches forward, his fingers clasping around your arm gently, just grasping to get you to look at him.

“It’s fine.” He reassures, making sure to be more serious now, eyes focused on yours. “You suck, and you so owe me for the hike I know we’ll have to miss, but you’re fine. I know you didn’t mean to sneak in here, although I commend you on the stealthiness.”

Guilt simmers within you, even when Jay had his plans upturned, he was somehow being gracious.

You shake your head, “Jay, I’m so sorry, we can still go. It’s my own damn fault, and I don’t want you to miss out.” You sit forward, giving him your full attention.

Jay shakes his head, teasing, “No way, I’m not letting you vomit on the beauty of the state park. Seriously, we’re good. We can do it next weekend, alright? Let’s just hang out today, we can have brunch, and watch a few movies. Maybe then we can take a walk around Lincoln Park later, and grab some dinner on our way back?”

Your stomach flutters for non-alcohol-related reasons, all of that sounded amazing and you were thankful for the compromise.

“Brunch, huh? Didn’t take you for a brunch guy, Halstead. That is absolutely a day I’d like to spend with you, and I’ll pay for whatever we do,” You can’t convey enough your remorse, smiling at him gratefully. “Whatever you want, you got it.” You add.

Jay nods, grinning. “Alright, that’s settled then.” His hand is still holding onto you, his thumb caressing your skin without thought, a natural instinct that makes your insides burn.

The both of you seem to realise at the same time, small laughs between you as Jay slowly releases you without making it too awkward. You smile in reassurance, you definitely hadn’t minded the contact.

He scratches lightly at the stubble on his face, stretching out the morning kinks in his back and shoulders.

You’re suddenly very aware of the fact you’re still just loitering in Jay’s room after sneaking into his bed. Now having moved much closer again, you feel self-conscious about trying not to show how much you wanted to stay. You make your exit as smooth as possible, standing back up to take a sip from your glass of water,

“So uh, I’m gonna…go, leave you to get dressed and whatnot, and I’ll uh, try not to lose my way back to my room?” You offer a sheepish smile, starting to head towards the door,

Jay laughs, “Sounds good. It’s fine, Y/N, just an accident. No harm, no foul.”

You can feel the pain in your eyeballs that reminds you you are absolutely not ready for the day, “You are actually the best...I think I'm probably gonna get a few more hours shut-eye, see you in a bit?”

He nods, “Sure thing, see you in a bit. Take some more painkillers before you sleep."

You crack open an eye from your pained expression, "Oh you can count on it, I will."

Jay sits in bed still feeling thoroughly surprised by the discovery of you next to him, the way you’d so naturally held on to him, and greeted him in the haze of dreaming sleep in a way that felt comfortably intimate. It had jumbled his thoughts more than he’d let on to you.

Those moments where you’d sat back on the bed, his own urge to encourage you to stay close, to sleep some more beside him. It was a desire that felt like a snowball rolling down a hill.

“Can of worms, Halstead” Jay grumbles to himself, finally willing himself away from the bed, ultimately still missing the proximity to you in those waking moments.

He hears your bedroom door shut, knowing it was clear to head to the bathroom and let his mind unscramble under the hot spray of the shower.

After a brunch that you had insisted be put together by you and you alone, the both of you decided to zone out for a while and watch the first Alien movie. The movie was a classic, one you and Jay both could watch time and time again.

It was a particularly cold day, and with your body still reeling from last night’s fun, you found it hard to warm yourself up, even with a blanket and warm clothes. You had complained several times about your cold feet before Jay insisted you plop your legs across his lap, he tugged another blanket off the back of the couch and draped it across the both of you, resting his hands on your sock-clad feet. It solved the problem instantly, yet created a new one.

You were finding it harder and harder to keep the line drawn between you and him.

At around 3 pm you both agreed it was time to get fresh air and see the light of day, which meant putting an extra pair of socks on your feet before leaving, complete with a scarf, jacket and hat.

Then, you were enjoying the crisp air of a walk around Lincoln Park as suggested, walking comfortably side by side through the frosted grass and trees. The sun was shining brightly, making everything under its light glisten ethereally.

Just as you had found it harder to stop thinking of Jay in a more romantically insistent light, Jay had encountered much the same problem. Holding onto you during the film, seeing the way you instantly relaxed under his touch, and now the feeling of rightness that came with spending time with you. It made his heart and gut all too clear to ignore.

Parking yourselves on a bench opposite a view out to the city’s skyline, your legs touched as you remained close. There was a silence between you as you simply took in the world passing by, the bustle of the city distant in the tranquillity of trees and water.

Without thinking you rested your head on Jay’s shoulder, instantly freezing the second your head makes contact with him, but before you can retract and apologise, you feel Jay’s arm snugly wrap around your waist, squeezing you gently into a side hug. His own beanie-covered head resting against yours.

He glances at you with a soft smile, “Thank you for today, it was, uh, it was better than a hike.”

You feel your heart skitter, and your stomach flutters in tandem. “Really?” Your brow raises, not convinced that this slightly more tame day could beat the wilderness escape you had planned with him.

“Really.” He confirms, looking at you in a way you’ve never seen him look at you, and to see it makes your breath catch in your throat.

Seconds tick by, the birds in the park chatter and chirp around you, some of them seemingly watching to see if one of you will make the first move. The wind rustles through the branches and dwindling leaves attached, it all seems to come to standstill.

Not even other passers-by filter into your periphery as you tilt your head up to meet Jay, wrapping an arm around him in kind as you hold each other close on the bench, feeling the warmth of each other as the kiss lingers sweetly on your pressed lips.

Eventually parting for a breath, giddy smiles and low chuckles escape the both of you, knocking foreheads gently as you stay in the embrace. Naturally resuming your heads resting against one another as you continue to take in the view, sitting in the silent reassurance that you were now on the same page as each other.

After a moment, Jay moves to look at you again, a slightly more mischievous smile on his face now,

“What?” You ask, somewhat curious.

“I was just wondering if you planned on getting lost again on your way to bed tonight.”

You snort, shaking your head in amusement, “Hm, I don’t know, I mean I am likely to be sober tonight… but who knows, if I forget to put the light on, I might just get confused again.” You enjoyed this teasing immensely.

Jay is only too happy to play along, “Mhm, that would be tricky, wouldn’t it? It’s a complex hallway after all.”

“It sure is.” You muse, sharing a look with Jay that lingers, one that says… Yes, you can kiss me again.

And he does, gently cupping the back of your head as he moves in for another kiss, you sigh softly into his touch, no longer affected by the outside chill. Breaking apart and glancing to see if anybody’s offended by your little makeout.

Jay’s nose is pink in the cold, matching his lips and cheeks, breathing a little harder, “Wanna head back? We can try finding the right bed together?” It’s the corniest line he’s ever used, but he wagers it just might work for the right person, for you.

You want to laugh at the line, but honestly, you are absolutely sold by it, giggling. “It’s an investigation I’m willing to take on, Detective. Come on.”

As you take Jay’s gloved hand into yours, internally you thank your and Stella’s tenacious urge to make the most of a night out.

Fin.

tags: @resanoona - @dumb-fawkin-bitch - @enchantedblackrose - @elius-learns-to-write

#resa.3kfiestabingo #resanoona #jay halstead x reader #one chicago #chicago pd

345 notes · View notes

ciaomarie · 4 months

Text

The Bear (1975): In Loving You

I just posted my first fan fic to A03!!! Eeek!!! It's just the 1st chapter out of at least 4 parts. Below the link is a snippet. Hope you enjoy!

The smell of dirt and metal greeted him when Carmy stepped out of the airport to hail a taxi. He missed the four seasons of Chicago, but not the pollution. The first stop was a motel to clean up and decompress. The room was clean, orange, and brown, with a television just for him. The shower was hot and didn’t have to be shared. Civilian life has many, many perks he thought sighing under the steady stream of water. Drying himself off he caught a glimpse of his chiseled upper body and his buzz cut in the mirror. When he’d left home seven years ago, he was easily 25 pounds lighter and had a “punchable” face, as Richie would call it. He was returning a man, shockingly altered, except for his intense, too big blue eyes. A bud of confidence bloomed in his chest. He may not have had the guts to stay the week with Donna, his mother, and his older brother, Michael, but he wouldn’t be so easily swept into a headlock. Just horseplay, but he hated it. Maybe Donna wouldn’t be quick to slap him either.

#the bear #sydcarmy #sydney x carmy #carmy x sydney #carmen berzatto #carmy the bear #fan fiction #natalie berzatto #michael berzatto #suicide #ptsd #1970s #fan fic

13 notes · View notes

stillwintering · 10 months

Text

All's Fair in Love and Politics (a modern Nessian AU - where Rhys is running for president)

Summary: In the ruthless arena of politics, victory demands risking everything, even one's own heart. Rhysand has his eyes on the presidency. Feyre convinces her estranged sister, Nesta, to join the political campaign. Nesta and Cassian find themselves forging an unexpected bond as the campaign intensifies. But can their budding romance survive the treacherous waters of modern political warfare?

Read on AO3 / Chapter 1 / Chapter 2 / Chapter 3 / Chapter 4 / Chapter 5

CW for this chapter: discussions of parental death

Chapter 6

"Balthazar Alvarez, ma'am," A fresh-faced young man introduced himself to Nesta. He was tall and lanky, with tanned skin and dark hair. His eyes were wide as he shook Nesta's hand. "Thank you for coming."

Cassian clasped the young man by his shoulders, smiling at him fondly. "Baz here has been recruiting volunteers for us in Iowa."

"Ms. Archeron," Baz said, looking at her nervously. "Would you like to go over the information packets that we'll be sending out to the local activists?"

"Please," she said. "Call me Nesta." She accepted the open laptop he handed her.

Baz nodded automatically. "Yes, ma'am."

"The voters in Iowa don't really know anything about the Congressman except that he's a Starborn," Nesta said, her eyes scanning through the screen. "We need to lead with the basic -- his biography, his values. The Democratic base needs to connect with his story first. What do you know about Rhysand, Baz?"

The young man shifted on his feet. "The Congressman is a decorated military veteran," Baz started. "He believes in immigration reform, pro-choice, universal healthcare, more stringent gun laws -- "

Nesta held up a hand. "Anyone can read about where Rhys stands on the issues by looking up his Wikipedia page," she stopped him. "But what do you know about him as a person?"

"Well, I've never met him in person, ma'am," Baz replied sheepishly.

Nesta looked the young man up and down. He wore an ill-fitting blue dress shirt, like something he bought in a department store without trying on different sizes. "Did you just graduate college, Baz?" she asked.

"This spring, ma'am," Baz confirmed. "I majored in political science at the University of Chicago."

"You could have worked for any number of political campaigns this cycle. There are many more established candidates," Nesta continued. "So why did you choose Rhysand Starborn?"

Baz considered and then replied, "Because the Congressman seems like he wants to do something new. He seems like someone who will lead with integrity. I think he's in politics for the right reasons, like he actually has principles."

"Good," Nesta approved. "That's what we need to communicate. When you're meeting with the local activists, start with that." She hands back the laptop.

Cassian grinned. "This is why we need you out here," he said. "Let's get started."

---

Over the afternoon, Nesta met with more volunteers and staffers. They discussed field strategy and planned campaign events through the summer and fall. Nesta asked for a litany of changes to canvassing materials and campaign literature. After the initial nervousness wore off, Baz demonstrated himself to be a capable and sharp operative.

Cassian took a late meeting with the leadership of the Iowa Democratic Party and left Nesta in charge of the field office. She held a volunteer training session over takeout. After she sent everyone home after dinner and Cassian was nowhere to be seen, Nesta called a taxi to take her back to the hotel.

It was dark when Nesta opened the door to her hotel room. The room's stillness enveloped her as she kicked off her heels and laid down in bed. She was tired from talking all day and meeting new people. She wanted to go to sleep early but found that she was restless. Finally, Nesta decided that she needed to move her body after, essentially, sitting all day. She fished her running gear out of her bag, smiling to herself that at least her best friends would be happy that she was training.

There was a paved trail along the Des Moines River, just a few blocks down the road from the hotel. The city had settled down for the evening. Storefronts were closed, and the roads were vacant. It was peaceful as she headed down towards the lit path along the riverfront, launching her body into movement.

Nesta had only run a mile when she started to feel out of breath. She frowned as she slowed to a walk, panting heavily and feeling out of shape. Out of the corner of her eye, she spots a tall man running on an adjacent trail. The long black hair was unmistakable.

"You couldn't sleep either?" Cassian called to her. His pace was brisque as he made the turn to meet her.

Nesta felt her face flush, even though she was already red from the exercise. "Do you always run at night?" she asked him instead.

Cassian's voice was steady, betraying no hint of fatigue. "I try to make time for as many workouts as I can," he answered.

"Of course you do," Nesta muttered.

Cassian slowed to jog in place near her. He was dressed in shorts and a t-shirt, his muscles subtly flexed with each movement. He cocked his head towards the path leading to a bridge in the distance. "Mind if I join you?" he asked.

"I'll only slow you down," she said quickly.

Cassian smiled. "It's not a problem."

"Really," Nesta's heart was pounding. "You should go ahead."

"Come on, Nes," he was still smiling, but his eyes were issuing a challenge. "I won't show you up."

Nesta looked down the trail towards the lights from the bridge sparkling in the river water. It must only be a mile away. She knew continuing the run would be grueling, but she also couldn't resist the tacit challenge.

"Don't call me that," Nesta said as she propelled herself forward.

Cassian fell in step beside her, a soft chuckle escaping him as they ran side by side. Nesta willed herself to put one foot ahead of the other, even though every muscle in her body screamed in protest. She tried to remember the last time she had a real cardio workout -- it must have been months ago. The half-marathon she had committed to suddenly felt daunting.

Cassian didn't try to overtake her, allowing her to set the pace for both of them. Nesta did not falter. She couldn't let him know how utterly unprepared she was for this run. When they finally reached the bridge, Nesta felt like she was about to collapse.

"We can walk back to the hotel," Cassian offered.

Nesta's heart pounded in her ears, her body aching and roaring with exertion. Nesta shook her head. She didn't want him to have the satisfaction of seeing her weak and defeated from a measly two-mile run. She turned back the way they'd come.

Cassian followed wordlessly and matched her pace again. She could see a smirk on the edges of her vision. It irritated her, but it was also the push she needed to return to the trailhead. Only then did Nesta allow herself to bend over, bracing her hands over her knees, panting heavily. She felt like she was going to pass out, having pushed her body to its limits.

"Good run," Cassian commented, stopping beside her. He didn't even break a sweat -- the bastard.

Nesta flipped him off in reply.

Cassian chuckled and pushed a water bottle into her hand. "Drink up, sweetheart," he said.

She gave him a scathing glare that would have cut down a lesser man. But she was too out of breath to form words. She took his water bottle, tipped it back, and drained the whole thing.

He watched her throat work as she drank. "You're crossing your arms too much when you run," Cassian said, glancing away. "It tires you out faster."

"And you're some kind of running expert?" Nesta choked out, still breathless.

"I am actually," he looked back at her with a cocky grin. "We could train together, if you want."

She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and returned the empty bottle. "No thanks," she replied, almost reflexively.

Nesta started back towards the hotel.

---

Cassian had the undeniable sense that he had been dismissed. But the trouble was that they were staying at the same hotel, so he trailed behind her across the street. He could tell Nesta had pushed herself to finish that run -- that unyielding determination, it was captivating.

"How did the volunteer meeting go?" Cassian asked as he fell back into step beside Nesta.

"Fine," she replied, her breathing still ragged.

Cassian forced himself to keep his eyes ahead, not daring his gaze to linger over Nesta's body. She was clad in form-fitting leggings and a sleek racerback top, her skin glowing with a warm flush and her chest rising and falling rapidly from the run. The sight almost threatened to overwhelm him.

They walked in silence for a whole city block.

"I came back after my meeting," Cassian finally said, clearing his throat. "But the office was shut."

"Was there something you needed?"

"Not really," Cassian replied, trying to explain. "I wanted to check whether you had a ride. Since I took the truck."

"I called a taxi."

They reached the entrance of the hotel, where Nesta's breathing had become more even, though her cheeks still bore a rosy glow. Her hair shimmered like burnished gold under the artificial lights. A single drop of sweat traced a path from her neck down to her chest, disappearing beneath the neckline of her tank top. Cassian swallowed, feeling a rush of warmth despite the cool night air.

"Is there anything else?" she asked, a hint of impatience in her voice.

Cassian, momentarily lost for words, suggested, "You should stretch now or else you'll be extra sore tomorrow." He instinctively moved into his post-workout routine.

Nesta seemed to hesitate, her eyes darting towards the hotel lobby before settling back on him. She then gracefully sunk into a deep lunge, mirroring his movements. Cassian silently led her through a sequence of stretches.

"Happy?" she asked as they wrapped up.

Cassian only grinned. "You'll thank me tomorrow."

"I doubt that," Nesta said, turning on her heels and walking into the lobby.

Cassian trailed behind her again. They reached the elevator bay, where Nesta stepped into an already waiting elevator. She looked back at him, a question in her eyes, "Which floor?"

Cassian stood frozen at the threshold. The confined space of the elevator suddenly struck him as dangerously intimate. He felt an urge to close the gap between the two of them.

"I'll take the stairs," he quickly declared.

"Show off," Nesta retorted as the elevator doors closed, separating them.

Cassian turned towards the stairwell with his heart threatening to leap out of his chest.

---

The following day, Nesta felt aching throughout her body. She groaned as she climbed into the truck for their trip to Cedar Rapids. Cassian smirked at her knowingly but held his tongue.

They quickly settled into a driving routine: Cassian got them drinks and snacks, and then Nesta worked on her laptop while he drove. Cassian let Nesta pick the music. She liked that Cassian never seemed to mind the silence between them -- he mostly left her to her work, keeping the truck steady.

It wasn't until halfway through the drive, when Nesta shut her laptop, that Cassian spoke up, "Have you ever been to this part of Iowa before?"

Nesta stowed her laptop away. "Only once, as a child," she said, a tad wistful. Nesta watched the endless fields of young corn stretched out around them.

"Really?" Cassian reached to turn down the music.

"I must have just finished the fifth grade. Feyre was barely starting school," Nesta replied, letting the memory flood through her.

"What brought you all out here?" Cassian asked, his eyes sparked with curiosity.

Nesta leaned towards the passenger side window, taking in the monotonous green landscape under the vast, indifferent sky. Cassian's presence beside her was warm and comforting. "That summer, our father, in a rare moment of whimsy, decided to take us all on a cross-country road trip from Virginia to California," Nesta began, voice soft and contemplative. "It was a few years before our mother's passing. She despised road trips; I've never understood why she came. And the three of us -- Feyre, Elain, and I -- were crammed in the backseat, squabbling and bickering nonstop for ten days. These cornfields... they haven't changed a bit."

Cassian nodded, his voice tender, "Must've been quite a trip, with three kids in tow."

Turning towards him, Nesta's eyes held something like a flicker of old pain. "Did Feyre ever speak to you about how our mother died?"

"Feyre mentioned it was cancer," Cassian replied quietly. "And that she was too young to remember much."

The truck continued its steady course, carving through the expanse of the blue sky and green fields. Nesta fell silent for a moment. She didn't know why she had revealed so much to him. Except, Nesta knew it wasn't cancer that took their mother, not really.

"Feyre was..." Nesta stopped herself, not sure how to continue.

Cassian gave her an encouraging smile. "Your mother, what was she like?" he asked, his voice a whisper against the backdrop of the road's hum.

Nesta sighed, a sound filled with memory and loss. "She was... complicated. Strong in her own way, yet fragile towards the end," Nesta said. She hadn't talked about her mother in so long that the words were tumbling out of her.

"Our parents did not have a happy marriage, you see, so our mother, she had poured all her energy into us. She was very demanding..." Nesta continued. "Expected nothing less than perfection. We went to the best schools, had the best tutors. But it was never enough. Especially after the financial crisis, our father lost everything, and all his businesses folded. We were -- we lost our house, I think that was the last straw. She died shortly after."

"I'm sorry, Nesta," Cassian glanced at her with empathy etched on his face. "Losing a parent when you were so young, that's a lot for anyone to handle."

Nesta scanned the horizon in the distance. She suddenly felt like that little girl in the backseat of her family's car, looking out at a world too big and too confusing to understand.

Nesta had often found herself thinking about that year when her mother died. It was as if their mother's illness, her passing, it was a fulcrum on which the sisters' lives were balanced. After she was gone, everything tilted, and Nesta felt like she had been scattered, trying to find her footing in a world that was off-kilter ever since.

"And what was your family like?" Nesta looked away from the empty landscape outside.

"I never knew my parents," Cassian replied, frowning. "My mother gave me up when I was a baby. I grew up being passed from one foster home to another. In a way, I had many families, or maybe none at all."

Nesta's eyes widened. "I'm sorry. I had no idea," she said. "Did you ever want to find your birth mother?"

"I tried when I was old enough," Cassian said, his voice detached. "But she had died shortly after giving birth to me -- in a car accident. From what I could piece together... my birth father was an alcoholic. I think maybe that's why she had given me up. He was driving drunk when they crashed into a highway barrier at night."

"I'm so sorry," Nesta repeated, not sure what else she could say. "It must have been a difficult childhood."

"I turned out okay," Cassian shrugged, turning slightly to give her a reassuring smirk. "The Starborns sort of took me in during college."

Nesta took a moment to process the information. She watched Cassian's right hand drop to sit on top of the gear shift. "Do you ever think about what life would've been like if things had been different? If your mother hadn't..." Her voice trailed off, not needing to complete the question.

Cassian turned to her, his eyes a storm of gold and green. "All the time," he replied. "I wonder who we would have been, and the choices we would have made. Don't you?"

Nesta nodded, finding her throat dry. Unable to speak, she only reached over and rested her hand on top of his. Her hands looked so small and delicate against his. Cassian went wholly still. His other hand clutched the steering wheel, and his eyes remained straight ahead as if afraid to look down at their joined hands.

"Thank you," Nesta finally said, taking her hand back and letting the soft silence envelop them once again for the remainder of the trip.

#fanfic #a court of silver flames #a court of thorns and roses #acosf #acotar #cassian #nessian #nesta #nesta archeron #nesta x cassian #all's fair in love and politics #acotar fanfiction #rhysand #feyre archeron #acomaf #acowar #modern au #political au

25 notes · View notes

casual-video-transcripts · 5 months

Text

youtube

"Garrett Hedlund on Brad Pitt in Troy and Friday Night Lights | Screen Tests | W Magazine"

Original Transcript by W Magazine

Edited Video Transcript by @ casual-video-transcripts is under the cut

[0:00] [Text on screen reads "W SCREEN TESTS WITH LYNN HIRSCHBERG"]

[0:02] [Text on screen reads "GARRETT HEDLUND"]

[0:03] Garrett Hedlund: I was raised on a farm, so...

[0:05] We only had like three television channels.

[0:07] I don't really remember the first movie I saw.

[0:11] I loved what films did.

[0:13] I would constantly,

[0:14] you know, go to the back of the VHS's

[0:16] and the address for Universal Pictures

[0:19] or MGM would be on there,

[0:21] and I'd just start writing to the studios,

[0:23] asking if I could be in their, you know, in a movie.

[0:27] And then...That's more of a what I remember, yeah.

[0:31] I don't remember my first audition really well.

[0:33] I just remember that I didn't do very well.

[0:36] You know, I think the phrase was after, "you sucked pond water".

[0:39] And that's a ridiculous phrase, but.

[0:41] [Garrett sputters.]

[0:43] I moved to Arizona when I was 14 to live with my mother,

[0:46] and I always wanted to be an actor,

[0:48] but being in Arizona, I was only a state away.

[0:51] I'd been flying from Arizona to Los Angeles

[0:55] for two or three years for auditions.

[0:58] Yeah, by myself.

[0:59] I'd get out of school and I'd fly into Burbank Airport,

[1:02] I'd get in a taxicab, I'd go to the audition.

[1:04] I'd taxi back, I found out I didn't get it,

[1:07] and then the whole while I'm back on Southwest, you know,

[1:10] flying back to Arizona, go to school the next day.

[1:14] Hee...

[1:15] I was 18 or 17-18, and I'd skipped

[1:18] my junior year prom

[1:19] to be this...to be this extra,

[1:25] and then by my senior year when prom was to go on,

[1:27] I was out in Malta, filming Troy.

[1:29] You know, it was funny, because, you know,

[1:32] the character Patroclus was,

[1:34] you know, [I'd] see little things, you know,

[1:37] references to him being a poet,

[1:39] and so I'd go up to Wolfgang and Brad the next day

[1:41] and I'd be like, "well maybe instead of this shot,

[1:43] maybe you could just have me on that hilltop over there

[1:45] just kind of writing a little bit."

[1:47] And... they were just, "yeah...

[1:50] yeah, that's a good idea."

[1:51] [Garrett pats the air like a one-hand shoulder pat and then chuckles.]

[1:53] Then after, you know, Troy, I went on to...

[1:56] go do Friday Night Lights, the football film.

[1:58] I played football for just a year in Minnesota

[2:01] and then a year in Arizona.

[2:03] But...

[2:05] I don't think was ever a -

[2:08] I think I, I was never really, I don't think I was ever the starter.

[2:10] Heh.

[2:11] I played like defensive end.

[2:13] I was always on defense, so

[2:14] I wasn't the glorious position.

[2:18] I wasn't the ball carrier, I wasn't the quarterback.

[2:20] I wasn't, you know, the one making the touchdowns,

[2:23] so I think that's where, you know.

[2:26] What draws me to certain different roles

[2:28] are the extremities.

[2:29] I mean, doing something completely different.

[2:31] I don't feel during the day that I'm the same person,

[2:34] you know, on Wednesday as I am on Monday,

[2:37] and our minds change, our ideas change,

[2:39] our opinions change constantly.

[2:42] I've been signed on to On the Road since 2007 or so,

[2:46] and I just,

[2:47] I remember reading the book in high school.

[2:50] I mean, I went online and looked,

[2:52] and it said Francis Ford Coppola's directing this,

[2:54] and I was like, "man, I'll never get a chance at this".

[2:57] [And] I still, I mean, we're halfway through filming

[3:00] and I still can't believe I'm a part of it.

[3:02] I auditioned in like March of '07,

[3:05] [and then] I found out on my birthday

[3:07] in September that I'd gotten it.

[3:09] I'd had to land in Chicago for a layover,

[3:11] and when I got to Chicago, my dad called me,

[3:13] sang me all of Happy Birthday,

[3:16] and then I land in L.A.

[3:17] and I get another call from

[3:21] home in Minnesota,

[3:22] and [it was]

[3:24] you know, it was news telling me that my father

[3:27] had dropped of a heart attack

[3:29] [Gasps from behind the camera]

[3:29] Garrett: after he got off the phone with me.

[3:31] So I was just like, I called him up in the hospital

[3:33] and I said, "you know, you can't do this, you know, it's my birthday."

[3:37] And he goes, "I know, son."

[3:39] And I said, I just got On the Road"

[3:40] [Garrett laughs softly.]

[3:42] He's like, "that's great, son."

[3:43] [Garrett sharply inhales.]

[3:44] So it was, you know, a weird balance

[3:47] of... you know...you know, when there's a great amount of good

[3:53] it can also be evened out by

[3:55] a great amount of sort of bad in a way.

[3:58] I sat down with lunch with Jeff Bridges.

[4:01] [Phone chimes.]

[4:02] Garrett: Sorry about this.

[4:03] [Garrett pulls his phone out of his pant pocket and then throws it away. You can hear the phone thunk against the floor.]

[4:06] [Multiple staff members behind the camera laugh and giggle.]

[4:07] Garrett: Hehe, sorry.

[4:08] If it was a car, it'd be out the window.

[4:10] [Someone behind the camera laughs.]

[4:11] Garrett: Just phones and gadgets and stuff,

[4:12] I'm not good with them.

[4:13] I don't appreciate them the way others do.

[4:16] It's like for me, you know when somebody gets a new car

[4:19] and they're so worried that scratch, you know,

[4:22] that first scratch, but after that everything's fine.

[4:24] I'm just saying, you know, everything to me in life

[4:26] is like the second scratch.

[4:30] [Text on screen reads "W"]

[4:31] [Text on screen reads

"director GREG BRUNKALLA

editor LYNN HIRSCHBERG

cinematographer SCOTT SANS

sound ROB CORSO

gaffer CHRIS FISHER

production assistant KALVIN LAZARTE

film editor BRUNX

production company LEGS"]

End of transcript

Video Channel: W Magazine

Video Description:

In this Screen Tests interview, actor Garrett Hedlund (Tron: Legacy, Troy, On the Road) explains how he blew his first audition (the reaction, "you sucked pond water") and how he blew off his senior prom to shoot a movie with Brad Pitt.

Transcript I was raised on a farm, so. We only had like three television channels. I don't really remember the first movie I saw. I loved what films did. I would constantly, you know, go to the back of the VHS's and the address for Universal Pictures or MGM would be on there, and I'd just start writing to the studios, asking if I could be in their, you know, in a movie. That's more of a what I remember, yeah. I don't remember my first audition really well. I just remember that I didn't do very well. I think the phrase was after, you sucked pond water. That's a ridiculous phrase, but. I moved to Arizona when I was to live with my mother, and I always wanted to be an actor, but being in Arizona, I was only a state away. I'd been flying from Arizona to Los Angeles for two or three years for auditions. Yeah, by myself. I'd get out of school and I'd fly into Burbank Airport, I'd get in a taxicab, I'd go to the audition. I'd taxi back, I found out I didn't get it, and then the whole while I'm back on Southwest, flying back to Arizona, go to school the next day. I was , or , , and I'd skipped my junior year prom to be this extra, and then by my senior year when prom was to go on, I was out in Malta, filming Troy. You know, it was funny, because, you know, the character Patrick was, you know, I'd see little things. References to him being a poet, so I'd go up to Wolfgang and Brad the next day and I'd be like, well maybe instead of this shot, maybe you could just have me on that hilltop over there just kind of writing a little bit. And, they were just, yeah, yeah, that's a good idea. Then after Troy, I went on to go do Friday Night Lights, the football film. I played football for just a year in Minnesota and then a year in Arizona. But, I think I, I was never really, I don't think I was ever the starter. I played like defensive end. I was always on defense, so I wasn't the glorious position. I wasn't the ball carrier, I wasn't the quarterback. I wasn't the one making the touchdowns, so I think that's where, you know. What draws me to certain different roles are the extremities. I mean, doing something completely different. I don't feel during the day that I'm the same person on Wednesday as I am on Monday, and our minds change, our ideas change, our opinions change constantly. I've been signed on to On the Road since or so, and I just, I remember reading the book in high school. I went online and looked, and it said Francis Ford Coppola's directing this, and I was like, man, I'll never get a chance at this. And I still, I mean, we're halfway through filming and I still can't believe I'm a part of it. I auditioned in like March of ', and then I found out on my birthday in September that I'd gotten it. I'd had to land in Chicago for a layover, and when I got to Chicago, my dad called me, sang me all of Happy Birthday, and then I land in L.A. and I get another call from home in Minnesota, and it was you know, it was news telling me that my father had dropped of a heart attack after he got off the phone with me. So I was just like, I called him up in the hospital and I said, you know, you can't do this, it's my birthday. And he goes, I know, son. And I said, I just got On the Road (laughs). He's like, that's great, son. So it was a weird balance of you know, when there's a great amount of good it can also be evened out by a great amount of sort of bad in a way. I sat down with lunch with Jeff Bridges. Sorry about this. If it was a car, it'd be out the window. Just phones and gadgets and stuff, I'm not good with them. I don't appreciate it them the way others do. It's like for me, you know when somebody gets a new car and they're so worried that scratch, that first scratch, but after that everything's fine. You know, everything to me in life is like the second scratch.

Still haven’t subscribed to W on YouTube? ►► http://bit.ly/wyoutubesub

ABOUT W The Who, What, Where, When, and Why in the world of fashion and style. W provides the ultimate insider experience with an original, provocative approach to art, culture, videos, travel, fashion, and beauty.

Garrett Hedlund on Brad Pitt in Troy and Friday Night Lights | Screen Tests | W Magazine

CVT Disclaimer: None of the videos I transcribe belong to me. They belong to the content creators and the crew behind the videos. Please keep in mind that my transcripts may not be 100% as I am not a professional. I'm just someone who wants to provide video transcripts for people to understand and enjoy these videos. For this video, I focused on the speaker.

If there are any corrections you would like me to make, let me know in the comment section of the post or through my ask box (if my ask box works).

If you like this video or any other videos from W Magazine, please support it by watching the YouTube channel and/or through other means by them.

Casual Video Transcripts' Personal Notes: Hello everyone again, apologies for not posting the mera video transcript. The mera video transcript will happen eventually... I've been focusing my energy and time on other projects. It's been nice. I want to take my time and not rush it. In the meantime, I hope you all are okay with these other posts. There may or may not be a lot of movie-related video transcripts already in the works.

#garrett hedlund #w magazine #troy #friday night lights #on the road #Youtube #casual video transcripts #interview

14 notes · View notes

april-is · 1 year

Text

April 2, 2023: The World Keeps Ending, and the World Goes On, Franny Choi

The World Keeps Ending, and the World Goes On Franny Choi Before the apocalypse, there was the apocalypse of boats: boats of prisoners, boats cracking under sky-iron, boats making corpses bloom like algae on the shore. Before the apocalypse, there was the apocalypse of the bombed mosque. There was the apocalypse of the taxi driver warped by flame. There was the apocalypse of the leaving, and the having left— of my mother unsticking herself from her mother’s grave as the plane barreled down the runway. Before the apocalypse, there was the apocalypse of planes. There was the apocalypse of pipelines legislating their way through sacred water, and the apocalypse of the dogs. Before which was the apocalypse of the dogs and the hoses. Before which, the apocalypse of dogs and slave catchers whose faces glowed by lantern-light. Before the apocalypse, the apocalypse of bees. The apocalypse of buses. Border fence apocalypse. Coat hanger apocalypse. Apocalypse in the textbooks’ selective silences. There was the apocalypse of the settlement and the soda machine; the apocalypse of the settlement and the jars of scalps; there was the bedlam of the cannery; the radioactive rain; the chairless martyr demanding a name. I was born from an apocalypse and have come to tell you what I know—which is that the apocalypse began when Columbus praised God and lowered his anchor. It began when a continent was drawn into cutlets. It began when Kublai Khan told Marco, Begin at the beginning. By the time the apocalypse began, the world had already ended. It ended every day for a century or two. It ended, and another ending world spun in its place. It ended, and we woke up and ordered Greek coffees, drew the hot liquid through our teeth, as everywhere, the apocalypse rumbled, the apocalypse remembered, our dear, beloved apocalypse—it drifted slowly from the trees all around us, so loud we stopped hearing it.

2022: For the Journalists Who Write About Ukraine, Julia Kolchinsky Dasbach 2021: For My Friends, in Reply to a Question, Safia Elhillo 2020: The Conditional, Ada Limón 2019: Dorothy Wordsworth, Jennifer Chang 2018: A Small Needful Fact, Ross Gay 2017: What We Need, David Budbill 2016: Husky Boys’ Dickies, Jill McDonough 2015: Why Some Girls Love Horses, Paisley Rekdal 2014: The Fox, Faith Shearin 2013: You Can’t Have It All, Barbara Ras 2012: Road Trip, Kurt Brown 2011: Onset, Kim Addonizio 2010: February, Margaret Atwood 2009: Domestic, Carl Phillips 2008: A Birthday, W.S. Merwin 2007: Words for Love, Ted Berrigan 2006: At the Trial of Hamlet, Chicago, 1994, Sherman Alexie 2005: The Waking, Theodore Roethke

#all of this has happened before #apocalypse #franny choi #colonialism #race #reproductive rights #immigration #modern life

61 notes · View notes

public-transportation-tournament · 1 year

Text

Round 1!

The TCAT, Tompkins County, NY, USA vs Seattle Center Monorail, Seattle, WA, USA

M1 (or Millennium Underground Railway, but also known as "the small underground" by locals), Budapest, Hungary vs Grande Recife, Recife, Brazil

London Underground, Greater London, England vs Rotterdam Metro, Rotterdam, Netherlands

Beamish Tramway, Beamish Museum, Beamish, England vs Catbus/Nekobus, Sayama Hills, Saitama Prefecture, Japan (My Neighbor Totoro)

The New York City Subway system, New York City, NY, USA vs Corviknight Flying Taxi, Galar (Pokémon Sword and Shield)

Buenos Aires Underground (Subte), Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, Argentina vs Monte Toboggan, Funchal, Madeira, Portugal

The Stargate Network, throughout the Milky Way and Andromeda Galaxies (the Stargate franchise) vs the Deepsea Metro, Inkopolis Bay (Splatoon)

CAT, Perth, Western Australia vs SkyTrain, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Brolly Rail, Nevermoor (Nevermoor by Jessica Townsend) vs Métro Ligne 4, Paris, France

Tyne and Wear Metro, Tyne and Wear, United Kingdom vs the REM, Montreal, Quebec, Canada (upcoming)

Jeepney, the Philippines vs Sea Train, Water 7, connecting it with St. Poplar, San Faldo, and Pucci, as well as the Judicial Island Enies Lobby (One Piece)

The MTR, Hong Kong, PRC vs the Omnibus, New York, NY, USA (1832)

SeaBus, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada vs Wuppertaler Schwebebahn, Wuppertal, Germany

Ice Highway, the Nether Roof (Minecraft) vs Battle Subway, Unova (Pokémon Black and White)

WY Metro, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom vs Tunnelbana, Stockholm, Sweden

MRT (Moda Raya Terpadu/Mass Rapid Transit), Jakarta, Indonesia vs An Luas, Dublin, Ireland

RIPTA (Rhode Island public transit authority) (it’s buses), Rhode Island, USA vs Bakerloo Line, London Underground, London, England

Mount Vesuvius Funicular Railway, Mount Vesuvius, Italy (opened in 1880, destroyed by volcanic eruption in 1944) vs AquaBus, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Yarra Trams, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia vs SEPTA (southeast pennsylvania transportation authority), Pennsylvania, United States

Cable Cars, San Francisco, California, United States vs MAX Light Rail system, Portland, Oregon, United States

Amtrak, United States vs Fenelon Place Elevator, Dubuque, Iowa, United States

Ninky Nonk, Night Garden (In The Night Garden) vs Prague Metro, Prague, Czech Republic

Polar Bear Express, between Cochrane and Moosonee, Ontario, Canada vs the Crosstown Express, Robot City (Robots (2005))

Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (the T), Greater Boston, Massachusetts, United States vs Worcester Regional Transit Authority, Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States

Kakola Funicular, Turku, Finland vs Angkutan Kota (Angkot), Indonesia

Galaxy Railways, the Milky Way (The Galaxy Railways (銀河鉄道物語, Ginga Tetsudō Monogatari)) vs The Ride, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States

MST Trolley, Monterey, California, United States vs People Mover, Magic Kingdom, Walt Disney World, Florida, United States

Public Transit Victoria, Victoria, Australia vs Carmelit, Haifa, Israel

The L, Chicago, Illinois, United States vs Leadhills and Wanlockhead Railway, South Lanarkshire, Scotland

Personal Rapid Transit (PRT), Morgantown, West Virginia vs Helsingin seudun liikenne/Helsingforsregionens trafik/Helsinki Regional Transport, Helsinki, Finland

Gondolas, Venice, Italy vs the Trolley from the Trolley Problem (Philippa Foot came up with it originally, but in media it was also presented in "the good place")

Zahnradbahn Stuttgart (die Zacke), Stuttgart (Marienplatz to Degerloch), Baden-Württemberg, Germany vs Detroit People Mover, Detroit, Michigan, United States

Warp Pipes (Super Mario Bros.) vs SCMaglev, Yamanashi, Japan

Transport Canberra Bus Network, Canberra, Australia vs Stagways, Hallownest (Hollow Knight)

Roosevelt Island Tram, Roosevelt Island, New York, NY, United States vs NJ Transit (Northeast Corridor), New Jersey, United States

Sunrail, Orlando, Florida, United States vs Bay Area Rapid Transit, Bay Area, California, United States

Purple Route (Charm City Circulator), Baltimore, Maryland, United States vs Alderney Ferry (Halifax Transit), Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

Millennium Line, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada vs MARTA, Atlanta, Georgia, United States

Dual Mode Vehicle (DMV), Asa Coast Railway, Shikoku, Japan vs Lynton and Lynmouth Cliff Railway, Lynmouth, England, UK

Hovercraft, Portsmouth - Ryde, UK vs Funiculars, the Questionable Area (Psychonauts 2)

WildNorWester, Sodor (The Railway Series) vs Shinkansen, Japan

Métro de Paris, Paris, France vs Metro do Porto, Porto, Portugal

Deutsche Bahn, Germany vs UC Davis Unitrans Bus System, Davis, California

Vaporetti, Venice, Italy vs Harbour Bus, Copenhagen, Denmark

#hopefully i did the links right

24 notes · View notes

arqueete · 9 months

Text

New Year's Meme 2023

This is a survey reflecting on the year that I've been diligently filling out since Livejournal days. Anyone is welcome to take it for themselves.

1. What did you do in 2023 that you’d never done before?

I visited Italy! I went on a trip with my in-laws where we stayed in a rented house in Tuscany for a bit and then my husband and I spent a few days on our own in Venice.

I rode a water taxi in Venice.

I'm not 100% sure but I think I had actual tiramisu (as opposed to tiramisu-flavored things) for the first time this year?

I got into very seriously and deliberately writing a romance novel.

I went rollerblading at Red Arrow Park in Milwaukee which only opened to roller skates for the first time this summer.

I saw Phantom of the Opera on Broadway (just before it closed.)

After making several recipes out of a Milk Bar cookbook, while we were in New York we got to actually get dessert at Milk Bar

I got this little display called a Tidbyt and I wrote an app for it that identifies airplanes that go past my apartment. (I also visited the observation lot at the airport for the first time because I'm a nerd.)

I went down to Chicago and visited a museum there by myself.

I got a Polaroid camera and took some photos with it.

I got food (biryani) from an Indian restaurant.

I went to beloved Milwaukee bar Bryant's and had a cocktail that was set on fire.

2. Did you keep your New Years’ resolutions and will you make more for next year?

In 2023, I wanted to be more regular in going to the pottery studio where I have a membership, and I did work on that for a while but then I started to slow down again. I don't seem to do well with hobbies where I have to drive somewhere to go do them. I'm hoping to do more pottery stuff at home next year.

I also wanted to throw away less food and use up leftover ingredients in better ways. Still working on this, but my husband and I have a list on our fridge now of stuff we have sitting around that we know needs to be used soon.

I also wanted to ride the bus a little more. I did a pretty good job of this, I think! I bussed to the beach, to a favorite bookshop, to the State Fair, and to the train station.

In 2024, here's what I'm going for:

I want to get this novel I'm writing to the point where I can get some people to beta read it.

I used to keep a budget but since I got married and my husband and I got a joint account, we haven't really figured out a good way to keep a budget together. I'd like to start budgeting again.

I want to read every book the bi book club I'm in has on its schedule for 2024. I also want to reread more books I already own.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth? I went to a baby shower for one of my husband's cousins. I'm happy for them and their baby boy! 4. Did anyone close to you die? We lost one of my husband's best and oldest friends to suicide earlier this year. It's been rough, to be honest.

5. What countries did you visit? I went to Italy! Trying to learn some Italian from scratch stressed me out but I especially loved eating way too much gelato and walking around Venice. 6. What would you like to have in 2024 that you lacked in 2023? Last year I said I wanted closer relationships to people who live nearby, to invite people over more. We tried to do a bit of this. We had guests over for dinner a few times, including my husband's cousin who literally lives in our apartment building so it's a little embarrassing that we haven't seen him. Also, things have been ramping back up with the bisexual community group I'm a part of.

I would like to have less stress in 2024 though, you know, wouldn't we all? 7. What date from 2023 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? In trying to think of dates off the top of my head and my brain says, hmm, April 7th, the day I saw Phantom of the Opera on Broadway. I mean, that was a good and important day in my life. 8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? Maybe writing multiple drafts of a novel. I've gotten past first drafts before but it's been years since I've been writing this much and this regularly and I've been enjoying it. 9. What was your biggest failure? After feeling like I was managing my anxiety really well in recent years I think this year it became more of a struggle for me again. 10. Did you suffer illness or injury? I'm very lucky to generally be a healthy person but this year I dealt with some things... In the spring my chronic hives did finally stop. But then I got Covid. Then I got a painful cyst on my ovary. Then I got the stomach flu.

11. What was the best thing you bought? Probably the Tidbyt. It's a cute little super low res screen that sits in my living room and tells me things like the sunrise/sunset times, the weather forecast, the nearest airplane, and the flavor of the day at Kopp's Frozen Custard. Even though it's a tech thing it's helping me appreciate the little things and I like that about it. 12. Whose behavior merited celebration? Sufjan Stevens definitely seemed to have a shitty year but it was nice to see him making progress in recovering from his illness and, you know, I'd like to celebrate the great album he put out.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? I already complained about Elon Musk in last year's survey but seeing Twitter fall apart has been depressing this year. 14. Where did most of your money go? Besides rent, probably to the Italy trip. 15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? Airplanes! I got really into reading about commercial aviation this year and paying attention to the planes that pass by my apartment. 16. What song(s) will always remind you of 2023? We got a new Sufjan album, Javelin, in October and I listened to it a ton at that time.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you: i. Happier or sadder? Sadder. ii. Older or wiser? Older. iii. Thinner or fatter? The same. iv. Richer or poorer? Richer. 18. What do you wish you’d done more of? I felt like I really didn't pay much attention to the news and world events this year. It seemed like everyone around me was outraged about one thing or another and I've just been tired and uninformed. I'm not proud of that. 19. What do you wish you’d done less of? Staying up late even when I knew I wouldn't get enough sleep. 20. How will you be spending Christmas? I spent Christmas Eve with my family and then Christmas Day with my husband's family out in Madison.

21. How will you be spending New Year’s Eve? We have late dinner reservations and plan to hang around the restaurant bar until midnight.

22. Did you fall in love in 2023? I celebrated my first anniversary with my husband (went went to a nice new restaurant in the city called Lupi & Iris.) 23. How many one-night stands? None.

24. What was your favorite TV program? I loved the new seasons of What We Do In the Shadows and The Bear.

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year? I like to read snark pages about fundamentalist Christian influencers and I've loved to hate Girl Defined and watching them just kind of spiral out of control this year. 26. What was the best book you read? I read a lot this year (I finished 18 books!) and I started a Goodreads account if anyone wants to be my reading buddy. Probably the best book I read this year in terms of quality was Educated by Tara Westover which is well-known and highly rated for good reason.

In terms of books that are not impressive in a literary way but made me feel totally rabid in a fandom way, I recently finished With Love, From Cold World and bought a copy just so I can reread it some time next year. 27. What was your greatest musical discovery? I discovered Jose Gonzalez this year and he was really scratching an itch for me while waiting for a new Sufjan album. His song "Heartbeats" was on my Spotify Wrapped top songs.

28. What did you want and get? I wanted an inflatable Lapras so bad and in previous years they kept selling out before I could buy one but this summer I got one! I got the Lapras!!! I rode it out on the lake!

29. What did you want and not get? There were three different times that people were supposed to come visit us this year and it didn't happen. My husband's friend was supposed to stay with us and he passed before that happened. One of my husband's cousins was supposed to visit and then we got Covid and had to cancel. Then another one of my husband's cousins was supposed to visit and my husband had to go out of state for a relative's funeral and we canceled that, too. These are the sorts of things that added up to the year feeling like there were hard times around every corner, even though we had a lot to be grateful for. 30. What was your favorite film of this year? I saw a surprising amount of movies in theaters this year! I think Barbie was the most memorable (also, the theater I saw it in, The Downer Theatre, has since shut down so I will also remember it for that.)

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? I turned 33. My husband and I got lunch at an Italian restaurant and then saw the matinee of Skylight Music Theater's production of School of Rock, which I did enjoy even though mostly it just made the both of us want to rewatch the movie.

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? Maybe not getting Covid. 33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2023? I'm loving flannel shirts and sweater dresses this fall/winter. In the summer I was wearing a lot of dresses, too. I've gotten into tucking shirts into shorts or jeans. 34. What kept you sane? All the reading and writing I've been doing has helped me feel productive and grounded. 35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? Maybe Ayo Edebiri on The Bear. 36. What political issue stirred you the most? Climate change felt relentless and inevitable this year, especially with the wildfire smoke we dealt with over the summer and the mild winter so far. 37. Who did you miss? I don't go on Twitter anymore and that's generally good for me, but there were some interesting people I followed on there where I'm like huh, wonder what they're up to now (but not enough to go back on Twitter and find out.) 38. Who was the best new person you met? My team at work went through a lot of changes this year and I always get nervous about new people getting hired (like, what if they're assholes?) Fortunately everyone who joined our team has been really nice and I'm grateful. 39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2023: This year I found a lot of freedom in taking a Marie Kondo-esque approach to my physical surroundings and just throwing shit out if I don't use it and it doesn't have active sentimental value to me. At the same time, this year I stopped being so hard on myself for buying things like coffee shop drinks all the time. So I guess generally the lesson is about recalibrating my idea of what is valuable to me to reflect what I actually enjoy day-to-day more than what I think I'm "supposed to" keep around or spend money on.

40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:

He said that nothing lives long, only the earth and the mountains As he quoted Black Kettle's death song The words drifting off into the emptiness Of this great land where we’ve never belonged

Death Cab For Cutie - "Foxglove Through the Clearcut"

#meme

4 notes · View notes

holidaytorment · 1 year

Text

the items from my recent work trip i'm going to claim reimbursement for, ranked & reviewed:

train fare from the hotel to o'hare - $3 to get from the loop to o'hare in about 45 minutes, the same amount of time it would have taken to drive (without the wait to get an uber or taxi). i support public transit.

parking at logan - but i don't think i green-line-to-red-line-to-silver-line support public transit (i also don't green-line-to-blue-line-to-airport-shuttle support it). $86 which is honestly reasonable for about 40 hours of parking. the sumner tunnel being closed is outside the purview of this review but if it weren't this would rank lower. accidentally parked on the roof during a heat advisory but got back home after dark so it kind of worked out, i think.

one night at a hotel in downtown chicago - hotel was nice enough but the building was about a hundred years old, which means the rooms were small. small enough that the tv was not opposite the bed, which you usually see in most normal hotels. small enough that the bathroom door had to be a double door, opening into the room. smaller rooms than the los angeles biltmore. appreciated that the conference room was above ground. catered food was good. paid $25 to check in early (??????) and this is called an upsell on the bill which i'm sure will make it real fun to justify. but also wouldn't have minded staying two nights. overall like $280 or so.

cab ride from o'hare to the hotel - this took about as long, if not a bit longer, than the train did. driver did not talk to me the entire time, which is a positive. views were uninspiring. $64

potbelly bacon egg and cheese breakfast sub - got this mainly because the line at dunkin was too long. that should've been a sign. $14 for this and an arizona iced tea, but the iced tea is the only thing i finished

items i'm not claiming reimbursement for because they are already paid for, but that i need to mention on the reimbursment form anyway, ranked & reviewed:

flight from chicago to boston: no one sat in the middle seat, so me and the guy sitting in the aisle seat got to spread out. my boss' boss sat two rows in front of me, but i pretended i didn't see her at all and she didn't make conversation with me on the plane or at either airport, which worked out because i was exhausted. read some le carre. got both pretzels and cookies from the flight attendant. could not smell the bathroom, despite being the same seat as below.

flight from boston to chicago: someone sat in the middle seat. flight was at like 8am and i closed my eyes for about an hour without falling asleep because it is a biological impossibility for me to sleep on a plane. opened my water bottle which lead to my water bottle spilling on my pants on account of the pressure difference. also read some le carre but not as much. could smell the bathroom.

items that i bought in and around my recent work trip but can't claim reimbursment for, ranked & reviewed:

hotel bar sazerac: love a sazerac, and this was a good one. i do not mind drinking at hotel bars when the bartenders are actually good at making drinks. i think if i'd ordered a margarita it would not have had much sugar in it. cannot reimburse because of alcohol on a federal grant

limes at wegman's: wegman's has pretty good produce. i needed the limes to make a baked chicken recipe (and a jack rose) on sunday night, both of which turned out alright. cannot reimburse because an item purchased to make food two days after i return is outside the purview of reimbursement for this trip.

iced tea at a o'hare: they only had green tea, but while i prefer black for an iced tea, green is a good change of pace. small size for $4.50 but that's airport pricing for you. cannot reimburse because both breakfast and lunch were provided, we have no reimbursement for snacks, and calling this dinner feels like a stretch.

qdoba burrito: order placed in the logan parking garage and picked up 20 minutes later. exactly as good, bad, and sad as i expected. the guy working there recognized me. won't reimburse because i don't want anyone to see my shame.

1 note · View note

legacyexecutivelimousin · 10 days

Text

Sporting Event Transportation in Chicago: Ensuring a Stress-Free Experience

Chicago, renowned for its vibrant sports culture and diverse sporting events, is a city that hosts numerous games and tournaments throughout the year. From the excitement of a Chicago Bears football game to the thrill of a Chicago Cubs baseball match, the city’s sports calendar is packed with events that attract locals and visitors alike. However, with such a bustling sports scene comes the challenge of managing transportation to and from these events. Ensuring a smooth and stress-free experience for attendees requires careful planning and consideration of various transportation options. In this article, we will explore the different types of transportation available for sporting events in Chicago, provide tips for a hassle-free journey, and highlight best practices to enhance your overall experience.

Types of Transportation Options

Public Transportation

Public transportation in Chicago is a reliable and cost-effective way to get to sporting events. The city’s extensive network includes buses, trains, and the iconic elevated system, which offers convenient access to major sports venues.

The elevated Train System: The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) operates an extensive elevated train system with lines connecting various neighborhoods to downtown and sports venues. Key lines for sports events include the Red Line, which stops near Wrigley Field, and the Green Line, which provides access to Guaranteed Rate Field. Trains are frequent and offer a budget-friendly option for getting to games.

Buses: CTA buses complement the elevated system and cover areas not directly served by trains. Several bus routes are designed to accommodate event-goers, particularly on game days. Check the CTA website for route information and schedules.

Ridesharing and Taxi Services

Ridesharing services such as Uber and Lyft, along with traditional taxi services, offer flexibility and convenience for attendees. These options are ideal for those who prefer door-to-door service and are traveling in groups or with significant amounts of gear.

Ridesharing Apps: These platforms provide real-time ride tracking, fare estimates, and various vehicle options to suit different needs. They are particularly useful for avoiding the hassle of parking and navigating congested areas around stadiums and arenas.

Taxis: Traditional taxis remain a reliable choice for those who prefer a more classic approach. Taxi services are widely available and can be hailed on the street or booked in advance.

Private Car Services

For a more luxurious and personalized experience, private car services offer a high level of comfort and convenience. These services include chauffeur-driven cars, limousines, and private shuttles.

Chauffeur-Driven Cars: Ideal for business professionals or those looking to make a special occasion more memorable, chauffeur-driven cars provide a high level of service and comfort. These services often include amenities such as bottled water, Wi-Fi, and climate control.

Limousines and Luxury Vehicles: Limousines and high-end vehicles cater to those who want to travel in style. These services are perfect for groups and can be customized to fit specific needs.

Private Shuttles: Private shuttle services are designed for group travel, offering a cost-effective way to transport multiple passengers. They are particularly useful for large parties or corporate events.

Parking Options

Driving yourself to a sporting event can be convenient if you plan ahead. Chicago offers various parking options, though availability and pricing can vary significantly depending on the venue and time of day.

On-Site Parking: Many sports venues provide on-site parking facilities. However, spaces can fill up quickly, especially for high-demand events. It’s advisable to arrive early or pre-purchase parking passes if available.

Nearby Parking Lots and Garages: Numerous parking lots and garages surround major sports venues. These options may offer more flexibility and can be less expensive than on-site parking. Many facilities allow for pre-booking to secure a spot.

Street Parking: Metered street parking is available in some areas, though it can be challenging to find a spot close to the venue. Be sure to check for parking restrictions and time limits to avoid fines.

Tips for a Hassle-Free Experience

Plan Ahead

Planning your transportation in advance is crucial for a smooth experience. Consider factors such as the time of day, traffic conditions, and potential delays. Checking game schedules and public transportation timetables ahead of time can help you make informed decisions.

Use Technology to Your Advantage

Take advantage of technology to streamline your journey. Use navigation apps to find the best routes, monitor traffic conditions, and locate parking options. Public transportation apps can provide real-time updates on schedules and service changes.

Avoid Peak Times

Try to avoid traveling during peak times when possible. Arriving early can help you secure a good parking spot or get a seat on public transportation. For ridesharing services, request your ride well in advance to avoid long wait times.

Consider Alternative Routes

Be prepared for potential road closures or traffic disruptions, especially on game days. Familiarize yourself with alternative routes and be flexible with your plans if needed.

Stay Informed

Keep up-to-date with any changes or updates related to your event or transportation options. This includes checking for any last-minute changes in game times, venue policies, or public transportation schedules.

Conclusion

Navigating Sporting Event transportation Chicago requires thoughtful planning and consideration of various options. From utilizing public transit to opting for ridesharing services or private car hires, each method has its advantages and can contribute to a stress-free experience. By planning ahead, using technology effectively, and staying informed, you can enhance your enjoyment of Chicago’s vibrant sports scene and ensure that your journey to and from the game is as smooth as possible. Whether you’re a die-hard sports fan or just attending an event for fun, a well-organized transportation plan is key to making your experience memorable and enjoyable.

#Sporting Event transportation in Chicago #Sporting Event transportation #Event transportation in Chicago

0 notes

camellasstory · 3 months

Text

Paddle Your Way Through the Windy City: A Guide to Kayak Rentals Chicago

Welcome to the vibrant city of Chicago, where skyscrapers meet the serene waters of Lake Michigan. If you’re looking for a unique way to explore the Windy City and soak in its breathtaking skyline from a different perspective, then kayaking is your answer! Chicago offers an array of opportunities for paddling enthusiasts, with its picturesque river and lakefront providing the perfect backdrop for a memorable adventure on the water. So grab your paddle and let’s dive into a guide to kayak rentals Chicago that will have you gliding through the city like never before!

Benefits of Kayak Rentals in Chicago as a Workout and Stress-Reliever

Paddling through the waters of Chicago offers more than just a scenic view of the city skyline. Kayaking is an excellent workout that engages your core, arms, and back muscles as you navigate through the currents. It’s a fun way to burn calories while enjoying nature in the heart of the city.

The rhythmic motion of paddling can be quite meditative, helping to clear your mind from daily stressors and allowing you to focus on the present moment. The peacefulness of being out on the water can provide a sense of tranquility that is hard to find amidst the hustle and bustle of urban life.

Kayaking also allows you to disconnect from technology and immerse yourself in the beauty of Lake Michigan. Breathing in fresh air and feeling the sun on your skin can be rejuvenating for both body and mind. So next time you’re looking for a unique workout or a calming escape, consider renting a kayak in Chicago for an experience that combines fitness with relaxation.

Tips for First-Time Kayakers in Chicago

Excited to embark on your first kayaking adventure in Chicago? Here are some tips to ensure a smooth and enjoyable experience. Dress appropriately for the weather – layers are key as conditions can change quickly on the water. Next, don’t forget sunscreen and sunglasses to protect yourself from the sun’s glare bouncing off Lake Michigan.

When it comes to paddling, remember that technique is more important than strength. Focus on using your core muscles and rotating your torso with each stroke. Keep a relaxed grip on the paddle and maintain a steady rhythm.

Always be mindful of other watercraft around you, especially tour boats and water taxis. Stay alert and follow any instructions given by rental staff or guides. Have fun exploring Chicago’s stunning skyline from a unique perspective out on the water!

Why Kayak Rentals in Chicago is a Must-Do Activity in the Windy City

When visiting Chicago, the iconic skyline and bustling city life are often the main attractions. But for a different perspective of the Windy City, exploring it by kayak offers a unique experience that should not be missed.

Paddling along the Chicago River or Lake Michigan provides stunning views of towering skyscrapers, historic architecture, and beautiful parks from a completely different vantage point. The tranquility of gliding through calm waters juxtaposed with the vibrant energy of the city creates a memorable adventure.

Kayaking in Chicago allows you to escape the urban hustle and bustle momentarily while still being in the heart of downtown. It’s an opportunity to connect with nature amidst an urban landscape like no other

Whether you’re a local looking for a new way to appreciate your city or a visitor seeking an unforgettable experience, kayaking in Chicago offers something special for everyone. So grab a paddle and immerse yourself in this one-of-a-kind aquatic exploration amidst metropolitan grandeur.

Safety Precautions and Necessary Equipment

When embarking on a kayaking adventure in Chicago, safety should always be a top priority. Before hitting the waters of Lake Michigan or the Chicago River, ensure you have the necessary equipment to stay safe and enjoy your experience to the fullest.

First and foremost, always wear a properly fitted life jacket. Even if you’re a strong swimmer, unexpected situations can arise while kayaking. A life jacket can make all the difference in staying safe on the water.

Additionally, invest in a quality kayak paddle that suits your height and strength. Proper paddling technique not only helps you navigate smoothly but also prevents strain or injuries during your trip.

Don’t forget essentials like sunscreen, water-resistant clothing, and a whistle for emergencies. Be mindful of weather conditions and avoid kayaking during storms or high winds for your safety.

By following these safety precautions and ensuring you have the right gear, you’ll set yourself up for an enjoyable kayaking experience in Chicago’s beautiful waterways.

Conclusion

In a city as vibrant and diverse as Chicago, exploring the waters through kayak rentals offers a unique perspective of this iconic skyline. Whether you are seeking a thrilling workout, a calming paddle to destress, or simply an adventure on Lake Michigan, kayaking in Chicago has something for everyone.

Remember to follow safety guidelines, wear your life jacket, and embrace the stunning views that only Chicago can offer from its waterways. So grab a paddle and immerse yourself in the beauty of the Windy City from a whole new angle with kayak rentals – it’s an experience you won’t soon forget!

FAQs

How do customers make reservations for kayak rentals with your company?

At our company, we strive to make the reservation process for kayak rentals as simple and efficient as possible for our customers. To make a reservation, customers can either visit our website or give us a call directly. On our website, there is an easy-to-use online booking system that allows customers to select their desired rental date and time, choose from a variety of kayaks and add-on options such as life jackets or paddles.

What sets your kayak rental services in Chicago apart from other companies?

At our kayak rental services in Chicago, we pride ourselves on offering an unparalleled experience for our customers. What sets us apart from other companies is our exceptional customer service and attention to detail. From the moment you book with us, you will receive personalized assistance in choosing the perfect kayak for your needs and skill level.

#kayak rentals in Chicago

0 notes