#Europe is beautiful but like once you’re here for a while you get used to the beauty and then it’s just inconvenient and kinda sucky | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

anothermansjeans · 4 months

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not sure if you’re taking requests but i would love to see a part two to the singer!reader, like maybe the team all goes to her concert together! thank you!

HI!! i'm so glad the people loved the first singer!reader blurb!! this is a part 2 to the first one, and while the whole team isn't at her concert, i added penelope in!! i have plans for when the team first meets reader which will be in a separate blurb! hope you enjoy :)

cw: spencer and penelope at reader's concert :) a swear word (1), spencer is flustered

wc: 2k (i may have over done it)

singer!reader masterlist

Spencer sat in the cold police precinct in Philadelphia with JJ, Rossi, and Penelope (she was a vital resource, needing to come with the team on this case), counting down the minutes until Hotch, Derek, Emily, and a few Philly officers came back with the unsub in custody. As soon as they got back and the case was deemed closed, he could go and see you.

Obviously, he went to your concert last night, had you stay over, and slept in as much as possible before you had to leave for your next stop on tour and Spencer had to get to the office. The reason he was so hellbent on seeing you tonight as well is because when you're touring and he does his regular BAU job, the two of you barely see each other. Your tour kicked off three months ago, starting in Europe, and he didn't get to visit any of those shows, so when the U.S leg came around, he wanted to be as present as possible.

That too, was very hard.

Spencer loves his job, really, he does, but when he plans on using the allotted resting days the team gets after a case to visit you, and ends up getting called in anyway… he has grown some resentment over the time. So now– here in Philadelphia, where you are– he plans on missing out on the trip back with the team and instead, watch your show again. The only other thing in the back of his mind right now were the words of your last text to him.

Y/N: OH MY GOD OKAY!! i’m so happy you can make it, spence 🫶

Y/N: omg PLEASE invite that friend of yours too!! i'm so sorry she couldn't get tickets for d.c :(

When Spencer initially told you about Penelope and how she ousted your relationship just from a video online, you completely lost it. In a “oh my God, I'm going to piss my pants, I’m laughing so hard” kind of way. Your exact words to him when he was on the phone with you as he sat in his hotel room. You didn't have a problem with his friends and family knowing. You actually encouraged him to let his closest people in, but he valued you and how you wanted to keep him out of the public eye as much as possible, so he simply didn't say anything to anyone. The respect you have for each other is insanely beautiful.

So he felt as though he was between a rock and a hard place. He wanted to let the team in. They're his family, but once he lets them in– once he invites Penelope to this free concert offered by his girlfriend, he was losing an extra security blanket in keeping your wishes. He knew your wishes were solely there to benefit him and his job and her personal life, but it was still something that worried you to the point of breaking down every once in a while, and he would do everything in his power to make sure that doesn't happen again.

When those who went out to obtain the unsub came back, Spencer stood up, knowing once they got the confession they were done, and went to idly walk by the desk Penelope was sitting at.

“Yes, Mr. Into You. how can I help you?” She smirked at her words, causing Spencer to roll his eyes.

“You don't know that song is about me.” Her deadpan expression caused Spencer to sigh, “okay, fine. Anyway, I was wondering if you had plans for tonight. Like, after the case.”

Placing her hand on her chest, she batted her eyelashes. “Well, sweets, I'm flattered, but I don't think your girlfriend would be too happy.”

“Penelope.”

“Sorry!”

Wringing his fingers together, Spencer bit the inside of his cheek. “Y/N has a concert here in Philadelphia–”

“I’m well aware.”

“And she told me to invite you along tonight. She’s sorry you couldn't get tickets to D.C.”

A gasp left her lips and she stood to her feet quickly, “oh my lanta!” The volume of her voice caused chatter to quiet around them, and she sheepishly smiled at everyone, “sorry! But oh my– Spencer, are you joking? Because if you are, this is cruel and unusual punishment, Dr. FBI man.”

“It’s not a joke, Pen.”

“Eek!” She threw her arms around his neck without thinking, and Spencer, while he hesitated at first, eventually welcomed the hug. “Thank you so much!”

“You can thank her when you meet her.”

“Meet her–? I– oh…” Her eyes went wide with excitement, “I am so excited!”

And so was he. He didn't show it until the two of them got there though. You were very busy getting ready before the show, so when your manager met him and Penelope in the back of the venue, he insisted that the two of them went straight to your friends and family section and that he could see you afterwards. The excitement in his eyes became very apparent the moment the opening chords to your song Positions. Penelope was singing and dancing, while Spencer did his signature head bop– that's how you knew you made a good song.

it was about halfway through the set when you got to Nonsense, a song everyone looked forward to. You did a different outro every stop of the tour. Yesterday’s outro was a very colorful depiction of him and his… skills in the bedroom because you knew he was going to be there. There was no way he’d be embarrassed again.

“This song’s catchier than chicken pox is

I bet your house is where my other sock is

Woke up this morning, thought I’d write a pop it

How quickly can you take your clothes off, pop quiz?

There's a lot to do out here in philly

My man came here so he can come and feel me

His body keeps me warm, I'm never chilly.”

You laughed as you looked over to the family and friends section, and immediately recognized the face you love becoming tinted with red by the minute. A couple songs later, you performed one of your newest songs, Vigilante Shit. You were the most excited for this portion of your set when you added it after it first released. You were on break after the Europe leg and couldn't stop going over all of the choreography, Spencer being the very first person not on your team to watch, and he thought it was incredible (even if it was with a kitchen chair in his living room).

When performing, you always put on your best show, but sometimes, if Spencer’s in the audience, you amp it up a bit. Which is what you did now. One of the moves involved having a leg propped up on the chair and slinking your hand down your body. When Spencer was there, you went extra hard with the facial expressions, giving it more sexuality. You also made sure to roll your body and stick your ass out a bit more whenever you stood up from the chair, making sure you're giving him a good view. It’s what your boyfriend deserved.

And while you always thought you were doing good by him (because he would never tell you otherwise), he was always as red as a tomato– especially now with Penelope next to him, moving her phone camera between you and him, capturing the dance and his reaction. He felt his warm cheeks begin to cool when you moved onto your next song, but that flush inevitably came back the moment you picked up your guitar for the acoustic set and shifted your eyes towards him.

“We are now moving onto the acoustic set!” The crowd went wild, as always, and you continued, “tonight is actually a little different… I’ll still sing ‘Picture You’ and ‘Dress’, but I wanted to add a new one.” You began strumming your guitar gently, “It’s not released yet, but I have someone here I want to dedicate it to… this one’s about you, you know who you are. I love you.”

“Oh my God!” Penelope once again whipped out her phone, but all Spencer could do was stare at your trembling hands as you continued to strum.

“Oh, no, did I get too close?

Oh, did I almost see what's really on the inside?

All your insecurities

All the dirty laundry

Never made me blink one time”

He held his breath as you continued to sing.

“Unconditional, unconditionally

I will love you unconditionally

There is no fear now

Let go and just be free

I will love you unconditionally”

And he released the air from his lungs.

“Come just as you are to me

Don't need apologies

Know that you are worthy

“I’ll take your bad days with your good

Walk through the storm, I would

I do it all because I love you

I love you”

And as you continued with the song, Spencer felt tears well up in his eyes. Of course, he didn't let any of them fall, slyly wiping them as Penelope was putting her phone back away.

You had about 2 songs left when Spencer spotted one of your security guys discreetly getting his attention so that he could go backstage. He tapped Penelope on the shoulder, and tilted his head towards the guy. “We’re gonna watch the rest of the show backstage if that's okay?”

Mouth opening and shutting, she nodded her head, following the two men in front of her. Spencer could tell Pen felt out of her element back there with the rest of the crew, especially knowing that in about thirty seconds now, you were going to be saying your goodbyes and head off stage.

“Thank you so much, Philadelphia! I had a wonderful time. Thank you to my band, and my dancers. The amazing audio techs and the entire crew that keeps this show running! Have a great night!”

Running towards them, you gave Spencer a big smile before leaping into his arms to give him a hug. “Hi. You were incredible,” you felt him mutter against your neck.

“Hi. Thank you,” you muttered back, only staying in his arms a second longer so that you could greet the other guest. “Hi, I’m Y/N!”

“H-Hi! I’m Penelope!” Not knowing what to do, she stuck out her hand, but you brushed it aside, opting for a hug instead.

“I’m more of a hugger.”

She laughed and gave you a nod as you released each other. “Me too.” She looked between you and Spencer for a moment with a wide grin. “You're even prettier in person. You're also incredible, and your music is amazing and I love everything about you.”

“You're too sweet,” you gave a pout when thinking of her words, “you're gorgeous as well! And I love this dress! Spencer has told me all about you and the rest of the team.”

The three of you continued to chat for a bit, and once you noticed the crew packing things up, you turned towards Penelope and gave her a smile. “Do you want to go out with us? We were just gonna grab dinner.”

“Oh, no! I have someone picking me up.”

“Are you sure?” Spencer furrowed his eyebrows.

“Yes, boy genius, I’m sure. Derek stayed behind so that he could get me back to Quantico. Oh! You need to meet the rest of the team sometime.”

You immediately agreed, squeezing Spencer’s hand so he knows to introduce you to everyone else soon. “One hundred percent.”

“Anyway, I will let you two love birds go. Have a nice night, and I’ll see you at the office, Spencer!”

After getting security to show Penelope where to go to leave, Spencer turned back towards you and pulled you back into his arms. He has never felt so loved in his life, and thinking about you, and that song, and everything life has to offer him at the moment caused the unshed tears from before to finally fall.

“Spencer, are you okay?” You pulled back to see the tears, and cupped his face, “baby, why are you crying?”

“The song was beautiful.”

He didn't answer you explicitly, but from his words mixed with the reaction you knew what was going on. “Thank you… I love you so much,” you said, wiping his cheeks.

“Unconditionally?”

You scoffed and shook your head. “Of course silly.”

singer!reader taglist: @itsleilabxtch @wietske27 @taylorswiftilovecowboylikeme @marshatesthisreality @ladylincoln @delightfulmakerpiegiant (tagged some people based in interest! lmk if you want to be taken off the taglist!)

let me know if you would like to be added or removed!

#THE FORMATTING TOOK FOREVER IM SO SORRY #TWAS SUPPOSED TO BE OUT AT 5:30 EST :(#spencer reid #dr spencer reid #spencer reid x reader #spencer reid x fem!reader #dr spencer reid x reader #singer!reader

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arctickat2400 · 29 days

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Post-It Note Surprises ∞ Henry Cavill

Henry Cavill x Reader

Summary: Some of the ways Henry shows you he loves you while he’s away, using multi-colored post-it notes.

Word Count: 3517

A/N: Usually I wouldn’t write something with Henry being gone because in my head, I don’t like when he’s gone, but I found a post for inspiration and this is how I thought it out.

A/N2: Usually I will have notes to write a story from but this is just something random I came across and decided to write it at the top of my head, so I apologize if it’s not very good. Sorry for the weird, cheesy repetition. No method to my madness. Hope you enjoy it anyway!

* * * *

You woke up to a gentle stroke over the bridge of your nose, a small smile rising to your lips. Opening your eyes just slightly to see Henry gazing down at you as he leaned on his arm above you, “Good morning, beautiful,” he smiles once he sees your eyes, an index finger tracing gentle lines across the smooth skin of your face. You let out a quiet giggle as you turn to hide your face against his chest. Henry chuckles deeply in return, burying his fingers into your hair. You turn your head to look up at him, his eyes still on you.

“Morning, my love,” You respond as Henry leans down and rubs his nose against yours in an eskimo kiss.

“How did you sleep?” Henry questioned, brushing his thumb over your cheek.

“Okay since I was sleeping next to you,” You answer with a grin on your lips. “But also not the best considering what tonight is,” Your smile faded a bit at the thought of Henry leaving. He was leaving tonight to go on a trip for the next two weeks to shoot some scenes for his upcoming movie in Europe, and although there’s been times he’s been gone for longer periods of time, any length of time away from him was excruciating.

“I know, baby,” Henry offered you a sympathetic smile. He hated leaving you. He hated not being able to hold you in his arms every night. But he planned on making this few week transition as easy as possible for you. “But I’ll be back before you know it. We’ll FaceTime everyday so I can see that gorgeous face of yours,” Henry stated, leaning down to press a kiss to your nose.

Giggling and moving onto your back to look up at him, “More like so I can see your handsome face,” You placed your hand on his cheek, tracing your thumb over his lips. “Luckily I have quite a bit of work to get done so hopefully that’ll make time go by faster.”

Henry brushes a strand of hair away from your face and tucks it behind your ear. “Are you going to work today?” He asks.

“Unfortunately, yes. The one day I have to go in is the day you leave. Figures,” You roll your eyes with frown. Henry chuckles softly.

“That’s okay, sweetheart. I have stuff I need to get done around here before I leave anyway.” Henry mentioned as you sat up in bed, Henry turning onto his back as you turned to look at him.

“Oh, do you mind if I take your car today? I haven’t put gas in mine and by the time I leave, I won’t have time to get any before work.” You requested, even though you knew he’d say ‘yes’ - he always did with whatever you asked - but you always asked anyway.

“Of course, love,” He answered, his arm propping his head up to look up at you with a look of adoration. You leaned down to press a kiss of gratitude to his lips before getting up to get ready for work, however reluctantly. All you wanted to do was stay in his arms all day.

~ That Night ~

“Be safe. Try your hardest not to get hurt on set. I don’t want a phone call from someone that’s not you telling me you’re in the hospital again,” You told Henry jokingly, although you were far from joking and he knew it. Your arms hung around his neck and his arms enclosed around your waist, holding you close as you stood in the airport to say goodbye.

“I’ll try my best, my love. We shouldn’t be shooting anything too dangerous. I don’t want you worrying your pretty little head about me. You have enough going on as it is.” Henry responded, leaning his forehead against yours.

“I love you so much, bear,” You whispered close to his lips, a single tear sliding down your cheek.

“I love you, my sweet girl. I miss you already,” Henry leaned in the rest of the way and pressed his lips to yours in a passionate, goodbye kiss. Henry wrapped his arms around you tight in one last hug. He pulled back, thumbing away your tear as he looked you in the eyes once more, a sad smile on both your faces, before he kissed your forehead and you watched him off to his flight.

The next day, you’d decided to run some errands, stock up on some groceries. You’d meant to do it yesterday after work, but decided against it so you could spend as much time with Henry as you could before he left. You didn’t really have it in you to go out, considering you had gotten your period last night after you got home from the airport and you were exhausted, and add that to the fact that you always felt overly tired when Henry was gone. But you knew you needed to get it done and get it over with. You went to look in the fridge to see what all you needed when you spotted a small basket of your favorite kinds of chocolate, and your entire day just became a tiny bit brighter.

You reached in after you noticed a purple post-it note on top.

Hey, sweetheart. I wish I was with you to comfort you through your monthly curse, but I hope this will help until I can be there for you. Enjoy, my love, and I’ll see you soon 💜

You didn’t know whether it was the overstimulated hormones or just the fact that you missed your super sweet boyfriend dearly, but a few tears managed to slip down your cheeks at the wonderful gesture. The fact that Henry even knew that you were going to have your period while he was gone was unbelievable, but what was even more insane was that he went to the store and bought things for you to help you feel better. This man was a saint, and you loved him all the more for it. Even when he’s not home, he’s still taking care of you. You stuck the post-it onto the fridge with a smile on your face.

Opening one of the bags of chocolate, you ate a few pieces, reveling in the deliciousness as you made a list of everything you needed at the store. Putting the bag back in the fridge, you grabbed your mini backpack, keys, and phone, sliding on your shoes and walking into the garage.

“Man,” You groaned the moment you laid eyes on your car. You forgot you needed to get gas. That’s why you took Henry’s car to work yesterday. Now you have to get gas and go to the store. You were already in a lot of pain (the second day was always the worst), and all you wanted to do was lay in bed and sleep. You jumped in your car and turned it on, and just as you were about to turn on your music, you caught in the corner of your eye the gas meter. It was not actually almost empty. It was, in fact, completely full. “What?” You muttered to yourself, before your eyes flicked down to the middle console to see a red post-it note there.

Hey, gorgeous. I filled up your car and I hope having one less thing on your plate makes you feel a bit better. I miss you so much. I hope you know you are loved and cared for and that you’re always on my mind ❤️

This man really knows the ways to a woman’s heart. You made a mental note to make sure to stick this post-it note on the fridge next to the first one when you get home. You pulled out of the garage with an adoring grin on your face for the amazing man that you graciously get to call yours. On the drive to the grocery store, you began making a mental list of all the things you could do for Henry. He never expected anything in return. All he wanted to do was love on you and take care of you. But how could you not do things for him to thank him for literally being Henry?

Once you got home, you placed the red post-it next to the purple on the fridge before putting away all the groceries. You had some work that needed to get done but, deciding to work on it in the next coming days, you decide to go relax on the back patio instead. An ocean view was something very high on your list of what you had to have when looking for a new place to live once you and Henry decided to move in together.

You absolutely loved to sit outside on your favorite patio swing that was covered with pillows and cushions with a book while listening to the waves crashing against the shore. However, it was just last week that you’d noticed the two screws on the right side in the ceiling were coming loose. You’d gone to tell Henry who had come to look at it and advised you not sit there until he was able to fix it. He’s been so busy lately that he hasn't had the time to fix it.

Fortunately, you had some other comfy patio furniture that you were happy to sit on in the meantime. You were just disappointed because the swing reminded you of all the moments you would sit there with Henry all snuggled up in his arms, listening to the waves, talking about everything and nothing.

You went to grab your book in case you decided you wanted to read, and a blanket to cozy up with on the patio, choosing the L-shaped couch. You set your things down before turning to go back inside to get a drink, but something caught your eye. A blue post-it note sat on the neatly made patio swing.

Hey, angel. I knew it was inevitable that you’d want to come lounge around out here so I fixed the swing before I left. I wish I was there to hold you and cozy up with you. We’ll be able to do so soon enough. Enjoy the peace and quiet, my love 🩵

After recovering from the sweetness of the note, you remembered what the point of the note was and you instantly looked up to see that Henry had indeed fixed the swing. He’d even replaced the screws on the left side as well. You gasped quietly at just how amazing this man is. You walk inside to place the blue post-it next to the red on the fridge before strolling back outside and settling onto the swing. Taking a deep breath, you bask in the peace as you lean back into the cushions with a smile on your face, swinging gently in the breeze as you imagine your big bear of a boyfriend holding you tight in his embrace.

Just as you were finishing up a chapter of your book, you felt your stomach rumble in hunger. You checked your phone to see it was already time for dinner. Placing your bookmark inside, you closed your book, took your blanket, and headed inside. You began looking through the pantry for something to eat before moving to the fridge. You’d gotten stuff for dinners when you’d gone shopping, but you couldn’t tell what you were in the mood for.

Finally, you bent down to open the freezer, not having bought anything that needed to be freezed, so you wanted to see what had been stored in there. What you found on the very top was a delicious looking glass dish full of cheesy, crumb-topped, bacon-filled spaghetti carbonara, and on top of that, a green post-it note.

Hey, Princess. Thought a prepared meal would lift your spirits so you don’t have to cook for the next few nights if you’re not up for it. Heat at 350 for 20 minutes. I love you always 💚

Even when he’s not here, it seems like he still is with all that he’s done. And he did it within a single day without you even knowing! Everyday, you find yourself loving this man just a tad bit more with all the ways he shows his love for you. It is impossible not to love Henry. He could do absolutely nothing at all and just be with you and love you, and you’d still love him with all your heart.

You place the green post-it next to the blue on the fridge with a sweet smile as you take the pasta dish and place it into the oven. You do just as Henry instructed of you on his note and heated Henry’s gesture of love at 350 for 20 minutes *she says in a dreamy tone*.

“How do you do it?” Was the very first thing you said to Henry the moment you answered his FaceTime call later that night.

“I’m guessing you found the notes I left you,” Henry responds with a grin, trying to keep the blush from showing on his cheeks. It wasn’t working.

“I did, and I am just so astounded at how a man, my man may I add, could possibly be so amazing that he can make my day so much better without even being around. How I could feel so loved and be so taken care of when you’re not even here. How is that even possible?” You exclaim, bewildered.

“You’re just that easy to love, sweetheart. I can’t help but show you in every way possible how much you mean to me and how much I love you,” Henry answers with a sheepish shrug of his shoulders, although his gaze never parts from yours as a crimson blush rises to your own cheeks. You’ve always had a tough time loving yourself. But with Henry, he made it seem so effortless, like he was made to love.

“I love you so much. You always do so much for me, and I just hope you know how much I love and appreciate you,” You express to Henry, receiving a smile from him.

“I do, baby. I really do,” Henry winked at you, making your cheeks blush deeper. The rest of the night, you both talked about your days and everything that you did. You love to hear all about Henry’s time on set and all that he gets to do and see.

“I wish you were here, or I was there. I just wanna be home with you,” Henry admitted, staring dreamily into your eyes.

“I know, darling, I wish I was with you, too. It’s so hard being without you. But, soon enough, you’ll be home, and hopefully for a long while,” You smiled, followed by a yawn. You hadn’t taken a nap today, and you hoped it would allow you to sleep better even without Henry in bed with you.

“Get some rest, sweet girl. I’ll text you in the morning before going to set. Sweet dreams, my love,” Henry wished to you with a smile of his own.

“Goodnight, handsome. Talk to you soon,” You replied. Henry winked at you, pulling a giggle from you and a cheerful smile from him before you both hung up to sleep.

~ A few days before Henry comes home ~

Placing a plate of brownies and a glass of milk on your desk, you sit down in front of your computer to continue working on your project. You take a bite of your snack, followed by a sip of milk before opening your drawer to take out your notebook. Except there was something on top, exactly where Henry knew you would look at one point or another. There, set on your notebook, was a mini picture frame. Inside was one of your most favorite photos of you and Henry - you could never choose just one.

It was when you and Henry had first moved into your home and you had taken it standing outside on the patio with the ocean in the background. Henry’s arms were wrapped around you, his head on your shoulder, and you both had such happy smiles on your faces. It was quite rare that there wasn’t a smile on your faces when you were around each other. You made each other happier than either of you ever thought possible.

Then, there was the pink post-it note right beside the frame.

Hey, baby girl. I’ll be home soon and you’ll be back in my arms in no time. When I went out while you were at work the other day, I saw this and thought of you 💗 I put my favorite photo of us in it and I hope it puts that beautiful smile on your face that I absolutely adore.

The longing for your most precious man was almost excruciating. You missed him so much, and seeing him touch you but not being able to feel him was one of the hardest things to have to bear.

You headed to the kitchen and placed the pink post-it next to the green on the fridge before sitting back down at your desk and propping the mini frame up next to your computer so you can always see it, always bringing a smile to your lips, whether Henry was right by your side or miles away.

~The day before Henry comes home ~

Henry had a late night and a very early morning. Right after he ended on set, he would go straight to bed after, meaning you wouldn’t be able to FaceTime tonight. However, you couldn’t be too disappointed because his early morning meant he came home tomorrow!

Henry: I love you so much, darling! I can’t wait to see you tomorrow! Just a little while longer! 💜❤️🩵💚💗

His goodnight text brought a smile to your face as you noticed his string of heart emojis were the colors of the post-it notes he set out for you to find during his time away. Your body buzzed with excitement, anticipation for the love of your life to finally come home. You almost couldn’t wait, but you had no choice. You attempted to get some more of your project done, mostly just staring at the screen and daydreaming because you could hardly focus. Finally, it was late enough that you could go to bed and sleep away the hours keeping you from Henry.

You moaned as your alarm went off, one eye peeking open to see it was only 5 AM. Why was your alarm going off at such an inopportune time of the morning?

You hopped up instantly the second your mind remembered that Henry was coming home! In less than 2 hours, you would finally be back in each other’s arms.

You scrambled around trying to look for clothes and shoes in your half asleep, half amped state. You grabbed your keys, backpack, and phone and rushed to your car. The only thing keeping you awake was the anticipation of finally seeing Henry again in person.

You arrived at the airport with 10 minutes to spare. You parked the car and ran inside where you would meet Henry by baggage claim. You stopped at the end of the hall where a group of people were walking through after getting off their flight. You checked the tv that listed all the flight stats and instantly found Henry’s flight - on time. You smiled when you felt your heart flutter, looking ahead when you finally caught sight of the man who never ceases to make your knees weak and your heart melt. The biggest smile came to your face, and the moment Henry saw you, his smile appeared and the sparkle in his eyes burned bright.

Your eyes meet and your feet start moving on their own accord. You ran closer and closer until Henry dropped his bags to catch you effortlessly in his strong embrace, spinning you around as you held on tight.

“I missed you so much, my darling baby girl.” Henry admitted, setting you down but still holding you in his arms, holding your head against his chest as he reveled in the feeling of his most precious girl.

It was hard to let go, but when you finally did, you met in the middle with a fiery, passionate kiss, long overdue. When you pulled apart for air, Henry placed his hands on either side of your face, holding you there so he could finally look at you again. He’s had you memorized ever since he first met you. But everytime he comes home from a trip, it’s like seeing you again for the first time, having to look at every inch of your face as you hold on tight to his wrists, making sure he won't let go.

“Tell me everything!” You exclaimed blissfully. You had the brightest look on your face as you couldn’t look away from him. Henry gazed at you with the most adoring smile on his face - he’s finally home.

#fluff #henry cavill #henry cavill x reader #henry cavill imagines

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thatsdemko · 11 months

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they want us to be - m.mount

masterlist

pairing: Mason mount x fem!reader

warnings: angst + me having a lack of knowledge of the transportation systems of Europe

a/n: yeah I’m sorry about this one..

the train ride in from London to Manchester was long and brutal. you’d think somewhere along the lines you’d just move half way in between your best friend and your current job, but moving in this economy was proven to be rather difficult. so the train it was.

the cities and empty towns pass by you in a whirl and before you know it you’re the next stop: Manchester. you’d gathered an overnight bag that feels weightless as you pick it up and move out of your seat towards the exit. you thank the man who helps you off and find his car. it doesn’t take long, it’s the most expensive one in the parking lot.

“hey!” his head snaps up from his phone, whatever it was becomes completely irrelevant once you’re in the warm car and tossing your back in front of your feet.

letting out a long sigh you take a look over at him. his hair still has patches of blond showing and the buzz cut is much shorter than you last had seen it. “hey,” you let out finally. leaning over the center counsel you wrap your arms around him, “why’d you cut your hair?” you gently run your finger tips over the rough ends of his hair before he quickly pulls away, a blush creeping to his cheeks.

“you don’t like it?”

“I’ve expressed my dislikes for it many times.” you’d recall for him the last time he’d cut it short, you couldn’t look him in the eyes without laughing and you’d think he’d learned his lesson that the look wasn’t meant for him, yet without your supervision Mason still went ahead and did so.

“yeah well you’re not my girlfriend so you don’t make the calls.” his bitter tone shuts you up. you result back into looking out the window much like you did the whole train ride here. was this how it was going to be?

LAST TIME | Manchester

“come on, come on! say it again, please.” you laugh, your body leans forward against the wooden table tops as you wait for masons giggle fit to end before he turns serious and does his best impression of his coach on the sidelines.

“you’re getting really good at it.” you lie, or maybe it was flirting. the alcohol in your system had you looking at Mason differently than normal, and it’s not you to blame when he wears a tight black shirt and grey sweatpants that could have any girl swooning in admiration of his biceps.

“am I? I only learn from the best impersonator myself.” he gestures to you in front of him, “give me your best Ben impression, I forgot what he sounds like.”

“you chatted with him on the phone two hours ago!”

it’s his turn to lean in, his hands pressed against the cool table tops as he watches you take a swig from your pint of beer, “and I’ve seemingly forgotten what he sounds like! come on, do it!”

rolling your eyes you give him what he wants and a roar of laugher escapes from him. the sound fills your heart and makes your chest feel fuzzy and your head starts to spin. was this what it felt like to fall in love? was the feeling of falling supposed to be this intoxicating?

“is it crazy I miss London?” he looks up from the empty pint in front of him, his hands awkwardly cup the glass trying to find anything to occupy the numbness in his chest when he mentions his previous home. while Manchester was beautiful and different, you didn’t live here. you lived a train away and that killed him.

“I don’t think it’s crazy, mase. this was a big change— and may I mention a good change.” you reach across the table, your sweaty palm touches the back of his hand and pulls his attention away from the table.

“I guess I just miss you.”

oh. you feel a tightness in your chest as you pull your hand away and sink against the back of the chair.

“I shouldn’t of said that I’m sorry—“

“no. don’t apologize.” you cut him off, “I miss you too.”

a relief washes over his face to hear the words back. there’d been plenty of new friends and faces for him to kindle a connection with, but no one could hold a candle to what you two had. there was an undeniable chemistry that sparked since your teen years and carried on, it’s what made you two inseparable despite the commute.

“I’m sorry, I’m being like the worst drunk ever.”

you shake your head. reaching your hand across the table again, “don’t say that. come on, let’s just go to bed? maybe we just need sleep.” you suggest and he agrees. he trails behind you into his master bedroom that’s practically untouched. the space is so clean and barely lived in, it’s almost uncomfortable to look at.

“will you sleep with me? I don’t think I can be alone right now.” his finger tips grab a hold of your hand, the warmth sends a shock wave through your body making you turn in his direction. he’s standing in the doorway of the bedroom, his large body blocks you from seeing the rest of the room as his eyes plea for your attention.

“mase, that’s dangerous.” you warn. the last time you’d slept in the same bed was the same night he’d gracefully taken your virginity and ever since then you could never see him naked without your ovaries having a reaction to him.

he wets the bottom of his lip with his tongue, his beautiful brown eyes are glassy and convincing, you press your lips against his for a brief second, “I’ll stay until you fall asleep.”

“can’t you stay with me forever?” he whispers half jokingly but half serious. you pretend you don’t hear him and just climb into his bed while he undresses himself.

“I mean what I said. I want you with me forever.”

NOW | Manchester

“pint or glass?”

“glass.” you say setting your things down into the living room and waiting for Mason to come back in. you stare out the large floor to ceiling windows out at the city. the grey clouds and dark skies feel different here, in London you felt safer from the storms, but here? there was something chilling about the look.

“how’s Ben? anything new happening with Chelsea?” he moves into the living room and sets your glass down on a coaster. he takes the seat closest to where you’re standing and watches your eyes move from cloud to cloud and person to person.

“joão left.”

“so I’ve been told.” he says making your head turn in his direction and offer him a small smile before taking the seat next to him.

“but Bens good, he just moved into my building.”

a shocked expression lights his face making you snort, “what? you’re surprised we get along now?”

he nods his head enthusiastically, “yes! it took months for you two to get along!”

“months?! I’d say weeks, he always had a problem with me.”

it’s masons turn to snort making you give him a look of surprise, “he just had a thing for you and then he realized you only like me so he gave up.”

you fight the urge to tell him it wasn’t true. you fight the urge to tell him the reason Ben moved in was because he was with you. the reason you couldn’t stay with Mason forever was because Ben chilwell was your idea of forever.

“well I think he still has a thing for me.”

Mason rolls his eyes whipping out his phone from his pocket, “you want me to tell him off? I can tell him you still have feelings for Christian—“

“no! oh my god one time! I said one time I liked Christian for a week!” you launch your body onto his and try to fight him for the phone while he types and clearly whoever it was, it wasn’t Ben. because the person on the other end responded faster than your boyfriend actually would.

“who are you actually texting?” you press, a cheeky grin on your face, “come on, I know it’s a girl none of your mates respond that fast!”

he puts his hands up as a white flag and admits from start to finish about the new girl he was talking to. he’d mentioned how she was awfully similar personality to yours and how he really liked her, but he fails to admit she’s not you. he likes her enough to keep things going, but she lacks the personality you have.

“I’m so happy for you.” you whisper, voice sounding breathless and a mixture of emotions settled into your chest. you’re happy for him, and this is exciting news, but why did it hurt? Ben was your boyfriend who you so dearly loved, but why was Mason moving on the worst thing you could ever hear.

you guess it’s true, maybe you two were meant to be but you’d never know until you stop loving others and love each other.

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carryonafi · 1 month

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Pretty please may I have some sweet luke smut 🥹💙

butterfly kisses.

luke hemmings x reader; SMUT!!!🔞

a/n: you ask and you shall receive! a cutesy little luke smut during the 5sos show tour in europe on one of your days off <3 also MARRIAGE

let me know if this lived up to your expectations!

words: 2.8k

ˏˋ°•*⁀➷

A few seemingly endless flights, airport battles with fans and covering up your face for the majority of your interrupted peaceful walks from terminals — you were finally in Paris. The city of romance, where you got to live out your dreams of wearing your pre-planned fancy outfits and sip champagne out of pretty shooter glasses that would look so dainty in your manicured nails. Luke could feel your excitement, he knew how keen you were during the past stops of this tour to finally come and see the beautiful sights of your dream city. It was incredibly sweet of him to bring you along as it was your first time.

“I’m so glad we have today off. I think I could sleep for days.” Ashton hummed to Calum, who agreed and murmured back about collapsing into bed once they got to the hotel. The group of you were walking through the sleek halls of the airport, making your way through while trying to avoid the public as much as possible with your hand clasped tightly in Luke’s.

“We’ve stayed here before.” Luke added on the topic of the hotel, turning to nudge your shoulder and give you a warm smile. “You’re going to love it.” Eventually, the group had to be redirected which put an end to your conversation. Luke’s presence along with the rest of the band was comforting even if none of you didn’t quite knew what you were doing, it felt safe. Secure. Speaking of which…

“You doin’ okay?” You looked up when you felt the squeeze to your hand and Luke’s voice rasp in hazed jet lag, he had also slept on the plane, but he never failed to look so effortlessly beautiful. You nodded and squeezed his hand back, it was kind of your thing. Three squeezes meant “I love you”.

“Yeah, ‘m good. Excited.” You replied as enthusiastic as you could, his hand that was previously holding your own slid around your body to hold you closer as you walked towards the exit of the airport. His body was warm and you could feel the heat radiating under the hoodie he was wearing, it was your favorite as well. Another round of chattering yet polite fans hit as you left the airport, security on either side of you while making sure you were just getting to the car. The four guys mumbled kind words to the fans who caught their attention, greeted them, thanked them, “we’re so glad you’re here”, “see you at the show?”, all repeated in a timeframe of just under 60 seconds. Then it was almost silent again, just muffled behind car doors as the group collectively sighed with relief. Except for Ashton, he was staring out of his window grinning to himself and watching the shocked expressions of fans who simply couldn’t contain themselves.

You had arrived at this extravagant looking hotel, a word you learned to use because that’s simply how everything was here. Extravagant. Fucking extravagant.

“Bougie, isn’t it?” Luke looked at you expectantly again, yet again making you laugh as you collected your bag from the car.

“Bougie? I didn’t think anyone seriously used that word.” He laughed too.

“That’s what it is, though! Bougie.. fancy!” He reiterated, making hand gestures as he did so before you finally started the journey again. More fans, less this time so Ashton and Calum stuck around outside for a few seconds to take a couple pictures before following the rest of the group up the steps and into the hotel. Hell, bougie was definitely the right word. You had no idea what to do with yourself in this room, and you’d only be here for about a day and a half before hopping back on the road to another country? Another whole country? Europe was amazing. Every country was like a state in America, except most of them weren’t speaking the same language and you still needed a passport. Even without taking a plane.

The group parted ways, Michael’s room just across the hall while the other two guys had their own rooms a few doors down. Luke was clingy and tired as ever, but you didn’t complain for a second. It was sweet to have him so vulnerable especially after having to put on a front and face his fans for hours. He got a break, one that he really needed by the looks of it. You entered the room after saying your goodbyes, well, “bonsoir” to everyone since the next couple of hours called for some good sleep. It was just as beautiful as everyone had promised, thick white sheets on the bed and fluffy pillows that you were dying to rest on, a window just ahead of you with the shades closed leaving the room slightly dim, a couch, coffee table, then a closet and a bathroom to the left. Looking back at Luke, he gave you a nod of encouragement to go and explore so the first thing you did was open up the shades. To your surprise, the city was lit and busy with a small peek of the famous tower in the distance. Not the ideal, but it was still magical to even believe that it was real. The Eiffel Tower was real, and right there! It looked huge even from far away. You felt arms around your middle and Luke’s face buried in your hair which was held up in a bun-like shape by a metal clip.

“Pretty?” He asked, prompting you to turn around in his grasp and lazily drape your arms over his shoulders. Your poor, poor boy. He looked so happy, but exhausted.

“Very pretty.” You hummed in amusement, fingering at the curls which rested at the nape of his neck. They were freshly bleached yet so, so soft from the treatment you forced him to use. “You look very pretty, too.”

“You look like my wife.” Luke pressed his forehead to yours, cheeks heating up from the words he spoke despite him having said much worse. You had never left the honeymoon stage of your relationship, every single time he complimented you or did anything sweet of the sorts you were instantly flustered and a giggly mess. You got engaged months ago, and you hadn’t even spoken of a wedding yet since you’ve been busy with everything else in life. After this leg of tour, he’d promised that you’d talk about it.

“You like thinking ‘bout me being Mrs. Hemmings soon, hm?” Your voice came out much sweeter than expected, but it just made Luke smile much more as he tried to fight it by pressing a kiss to the tip of your nose.

“Can’t wait, I’ve been waiting too long already.” He complained, but you only responded by connecting your lips with his. Gentle and curved with the remnants of mint from the gum he had on the plane, he sighed happily and melted into your touch. It was like your bodies were meant to be together, meant to hold each other close and meant to be flush every chance you got. His hands held you so lovingly, so gently even when you requested he be rough. Your height compared to his was more than enough to make you blush, he could comfortably rest his chin atop your head despite you being a bit taller than ideal. “I love you.” He muttered into your lips, loving hands and smooth fingertips gliding over your hips to make you feel a thousand butterflies release. In your stomach, in your chest, and making goosebumps rise on your skin.

“Love you most.” You scrunched up your nose when he kissed you again, humming between pecks and pressing his face to your cheek.

“Don’t start, Mrs. Hemmings…” He whispered, now kissing sloppily all over your face and your hair. Luke was more than happy to take in the lingering scent of your hair mist which clung to your sweater, and now his clothes. He always smelled you, everything he owned was plagued by you and when he was alone the hit was almost saddening. Luke wished in those moments that he could grab you out of thin air, spin you around as you giggled and begged him to stop before you got dizzy, then finally place you down on the bed. Your sweet laughs would die down and he’d move to kiss your neck, brushing your hair out of the way and once again smelling the mist that would bring him back to reality. Then, he would shove his clothes away and send you a text along the lines of how much he missed you.

“Luke, come on. It’s still early, baby. We’ve got a whole day of exploring ahead of us when we wake up.” You snapped him out of his real life daydream and he shook his head to physically do the job as well.

“Okay, okay.” Luke kissed you one last time before he peeled himself away, going to undress as you let your hair down and closed the shades again. Sleep, finally. After an excruciating flight of listening to babies cry and uncomfortable headphones, you were now laying in a bed. A lovely bed, with your lovely fiancé and his lovely presence, in a very bougie hotel room in Paris with your friends unwinding safely in their rooms as well. You were officially living in paradise.

— 🤍 —

You were not startled awake, but you could definitely feel movement. Luke was pressed against your back, breathing softly into the untouched skin of your neck as he rested. Was he awake? You couldn’t tell, but it was evident when he began to stir just as you shuffled too. He made a soft sound and wrapped his arm tighter around you, curls brushing up on your bare shoulder as he began to kiss again. He started at the few freckles on your shoulder, then pushed your hair out of the way so he could comfortably reach the back of your neck. It felt so good, like a dream. You were totally dreaming…

“Luke.” You breathed, baring your thighs together as you felt him smile. The drowsiness began to wear off, slowly turning to the side just as he propped himself up on his elbow. That precious face stared back at you, eyes glistening like a kid in a candy store.

“Hi.” Luke whispered with gratitude, cupping your cheek with his free hand so your face would be of easier access to him.

“Hi.” You sheepishly smiled back. “Not so tired anymore?” He shook his head, another kiss to the top of your head. Luke loved to kiss you, he loved it more than anything else in the world. He’d worship you all the time if he could, bury his face in the warmth of your skin, in the plump pink of your lips and softness of your hair. God, did he use that mouth well, he used it with every intended purpose it had and you couldn’t be happier with how much he loved taking the action just as much as you did receiving it.

His lips continued to wander, and your half-asleep mind just let him go. A pleasant hum escaped your lips as you lay there, soaking it all in and tilting your head to the side to encourage his path of sweet destruction against your skin. Luke’s kisses started to get a little less innocent and more passionate in seconds, you could feel him smiling. It made you smile too.

“Whatcha doin’?” You murmur against his hair once he gets to your collarbones, mulleted curls tickling your cheek and jaw.

“Mmh,” Luke answers, poking his head up slightly to look at you. His lips were already pink and kiss swollen, shiny and soft… that lip balm was really working out for him.

“Jus’… be quiet.” He whispers, pecking your lips shortly yet filled with affection. Honestly, there was no room for argument. You had to let the guy do his job, which was pleasing you.

“Kiss me again, then.” You reply back in that same tone of voice, hand drifting towards his cheek to pull him closer. It was his cheek, then his jaw, neck — back of the neck to stroke at his hair and bring him closer. Luke rested his forearms on either side of your head and brought his chest down to yours, the rise and fall of hasty breath pushing against each other and fighting for that centimeter of space between your bodies.

Nothing about this felt like a fight, his lips handled yours with care and vice versa. Luke wanted to distract you, but he unfortunately didn’t have enough strength to hold himself up on just one arm. Instead, his body weight shifted to one arm which broke the kiss and left you panting. You watched his face, focused and struggling slightly as you felt his thumb against the waistband of your underwear.

“Need help?” You raised your eyebrows, his gaze flickering back up towards yours, but looking away nearly immediately after.

“No, I got it.” Luke protested, the blush on his cheeks matching the shade of those lips you couldn’t get enough of. And he did, he got it eventually and helped shuffle the fabric down your legs with not a lot of ease, and his own boxers were no issue.

“I dunno how you sleep with socks on…” Now this wasn’t a very sexy observation, but it was something that was produced from your sleepy mind that would leave immediately if you didn’t voice it soon.

“Really? Right now?” Luke rolled his eyes with good nature and shifted his weight back to normal, hovering over you completely. “I don’t know how you sleep without them.”

“I get warm easily.” You pouted, both arms now around his neck.

“Is that why you always shove me away when we cuddle?” Luke’s eyes sparkled, something about admiring the way you were able to be so sweet and funny without “ruining” the mood.

“When you cuddle me? Something like that.” You broke that pout with a smile, eyelids fluttering shut as your lips met again. Slow and smooth, his tongue slipping inside your mouth at the same time as he slid inside you. Your lips parted with a gasp and Luke insisted to keep you quiet.

“Shh, shh…” He hushed, his knees taking most of the weight to control the pace at which he entered you. No matter how many times this happened, it would never, ever get old. “You’re beautiful, so fuckin’ stunning, you know that?”

Your breaths came in short gasps, whimpering and moaning into his mouth and he swallowed down every sound. “I.. I love you,” You stammered, frowning as he stopped the movement of his hips and looked down at you.

“That’s not what I said,” Luke smiled gently, his eyes crinkling in the corners made it impossible not to smile back at him.

“I do, I know that.” Clearly, he was happy with that answer because his hips started to rock again. The mattress withheld your weight with much more confidence than your standard hotel, they were slow yet forceful and your moans threatened to turn into screams of pleasure. Instead, your eyes glistened with unshed tears and they started to prickle at your waterline. Your hands tangled in his hair, desperately tugging him down for another kiss with shaky hands, trembling legs as pleasure rocked your body.

“Luke, baby—“ You were cut off with another kiss, if you wanted to call it a kiss… Luke just sort of face planted for you and your lips pressed together.

“I know, I know. Me too.” He gasped as well, your sounds becoming more urgent and shaky due to the endless rock of your bodies. That climax hit quick and hard, burying your face in his neck so you weren’t too loud. It required a bit of extra effort and clearly the force of your orgasm was driving you crazy, your teeth prodded and poked at the soft pale skin of his neck, slightly tanned by the European summer.

It was like clockwork, him following right after you and making a mess of the sheets that, thank god, you only had to sleep in for tonight until you were back traveling again. It was a cleanup for another time, and definitely not now. It felt too good being tangled up like this and quietly enjoying the warmth and comfort Luke’s body brought to you, he was still in that t-shirt he slept in which was a clue that the two of you were obviously too lazy to take anything other than what you needed off.

“Did that wake you up?” He grinned, back to peppering kisses across your cheekbones and the tip of your nose.

“Definitely.” You giggled, trying to kiss him back, but he was just too overpowering. The room was still dim with a few rough streaks of sun coming through the curtains, a perfect little atmosphere within the chaos of these last few weeks of touring.

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bumblebeeappletree · 1 year

Text

For those who enjoy cottagecore, please read what I have to say.

As you may or may not know, cottagecore has stemmed from colonist ideals, is racist, and has ties to tradwives. However I will not go in depth on it as it has already been talked about in a few articles and some posts on tumblr. The articles are here, here, here, and here. The tumblr posts can be found here, here, here, here, and here. However I say this person, Zoe Bee, has done a really good job on her video here as she summed up everything I already linked before.

I will say this article came out more recently if you wanted something newer about tradwives.

In this current day and age it’s understandable to want what cottagecore promotes with its aesthetic. Beautiful flowers as far as the eye can see, a garden you tailored yourself that you like specifically, billowing dresses, cute animals that provide you eggs and milk, and so on. Especially having your own house is very appealing at a time where it’s unattainable for many people. But going out where you’re isolated from everyone, with just yourself and your animals, is not the answer. Going out to land that once belonged to indigenous people who have not been able to go back home is not the answer. Continuing to think of ideals of the past is not the answer.

Instead what we can do is transform cities to be more green, safe for people, and work with the environment around it. This is the answer. To move forward. To think of the future and create it.

One of the first things we should do is improve accessibility. As you know not everyone can walk, see, or hear as a few examples. Having better public transportation is important to ensure everyone is able to get to where they need to. As it stands being in a city, not everyone has enough spoons, or ability, to walk where they can go. Trains are very popular, especially when it comes to going to other cities or towns. However when it comes to North America compared to Europe it’s not as widespread. Trams (or streetcars or trolleys if you’re from North America) are also a wonderful example. We must be able to ensure that entryways are large enough for even the biggest set of wheelchairs to go through. Ramps for easy access are important as well as wheelchairs cannot simply “step up” into vehicles. And this is not just for wheelchairs, it would be good for parents who are taking their baby or small child around in a stroller. There’s also those who use walkers, people with wheeled luggage, carts and so forth.

But most importantly, it is vital for people with disabilities to be part of the designing process of a city, to ensure that their voices are heard and to ensure they take part in that everyday easy access that most abled people already enjoy. Like Braille, audio description, large print, and subtitles as a ready option that’s there from the get go.

Another thing with more access to public transportation, people would need cars less and less. And should they need to go somewhere a train or tram cannot, buses are still options. However with fewer cars, the roads would be used less. Parking lots would be smaller. We could a: make roads and parking lots smaller; b: take out roads and parking lots completely; c: transform roads and parking lots into community spaces; or d: do a mixture of all of the above. Some roads could turn back into the wild environment that existed there before, while we could turn parking lots into more parks. Streets could be like they were before cars became mainstream, where street vendors would sell their wares, where children would play games, and anyone would hang out. Parking lots could become a space for events like farmer’s markets or a place to shoot off fireworks. Or even instead of parks in place of parking lots, it could be transformed into a community garden.

When it comes to housing, apartment complexes are where we should go in cities. To keep from city sprawl, we can go up. We can transform rooftops to community gardens, water harvesting spaces, solar panel spaces, or a community space.

However in some spaces, like in the suburbs, or even some spaces where there are houses in a neighborhood in a city, we can turn them into “pockethoods”. We can turn a neighborhood into a village. In the city we could have tiny houses on the same plot of land one house would typically be on. In a regular neighborhood, picture a series of houses without fencing and the series of backyards turn into a common area.

We can plant more trees alongside sidewalks, both fruit producing and pollen producing, more fruit bearing than pollen bearing, to help keep the allergies down and to keep a variety of plants. We can plant native species in cities, and we can have non-natives in our community gardens, or even inside city farms, for both practical use, such as eating or creating fibers, or enjoyment, like flowers to cut into bouquets. We can create rain gardens to help collect rainwater to put back into our water table.

I know that cottagecore lovers love the idea of going out into the country and perhaps finding a community there, but the cities are here, we’ve been here. It’s people’s homes, their lives. Cities have been around for such a long time, one of the most well known oldest city is Mesopotamia’s Babylon. (Very famous for their hanging gardens I might add.) Most importantly it can be done. Even now we can go talk to neighbors, go to events others are holding, or even create our own events, create a big pot of food to share with others, and have community. We can make a difference and we can have that sense of love. We just need to band together, demand change, and create our change. It can be hard, yes, but it will be so rewarding. This, you might find yourself doing, is something that aligns more with Solarpunk. Something that people look to strive for a brighter future for everyone.

Thank you.

(And thank you so much @cwicseolfor for helping me edit this TT^TT)

#Solarpunk #cottagecore #fun fact the suicide rate in Montana is higher than Wisconsin is because all those ranches are miles away from their neighbors #you are isolated #and we are social creatures #we do not do well with being alone for long periods of time #and cool I’m posting it just in time for Solarpunk Aesthetic Week

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shifterdomain · 6 months

Text

Kids Interview / Jonah Hauer-King X Actress!Reader

Summary: You and Jonah are traveling across Europe with the rest of the cast for the press tour of The Little Mermaid. You were set to have a day off, but when Halle couldn’t make it to the interview with Jonah because she was feeling ill, you came to do the interview with Jonah instead. Warnings: It's mostly some humor, cute kids and a little hint of flirting between Jonah and reader. Word count: 1470

Disclaimer: You portray Eric’s niece in the movie who came to live with him and the queen to learn how to become a well-behaved princess and your character helped Sir Grimsby to get Eric to forget the mystery girl and go after Ariel. You were like Eric’s closest friend.

─── ･｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ───

You were rushed to the location where press was being held by the driver Rob Marshall send to pick you up. Doing your make-up in the car had been a trick you had gotten better at over the course of working on this film, so all you had to do was get dressed once you arrived.

Halle had fallen sick with food poisoning, luckily nothing too serious, after you, her and Jonah had gone out to dinner the night before to celebrate the kickoff for press of the movie. It was something all three of you were very nervous for.

Halle had gotten a lot of backlash for being a person of color cast as Ariel while Jonah got the backlash for being a white person cast as Eric which wasn’t ‘woke’ enough (you simply thought that Christian Navarro, who started the gossip, was jealous for not getting cast himself) and because people were upset the role didn’t go to Harry Styles. And you, well, you got the backlash for being a character that wasn’t even in the original.

But the three of you got through all of it together, ending up being very close friends. Which made it a no brainer for you to fill in for Halle when you heard that she was sick. So after checking up on her you were raced to the venue and got ready before joining Jonah in the studio.

“Hey, I tried to come as quick as I could,” you greeted him with a small hug before taking a seat in the chair beside him.

“Don’t worry, you’re,” he checked his watch. “precisely on time,” he flashed you a charming smile. You let out a sigh of relief at those words before watching two little kids come into the room. They were both dressed up like Disney characters, holding a set of cards in one hand and a doll in the other.

Your jaw dropped slightly as you placed your hand over your chest in awe of the adorable kids who couldn’t be older than 8. Jonah did the same before getting up to give the kids a welcoming hug. You followed suit, feeling sad for Halle that she had to miss this, knowing how much she loved kids.

“You both look so beautiful,” you coo as both you and Jonah sat down in your chairs again, the kids sitting down across from you. The little girl dressed up like Ariel and the boy like prince Eric.

“Hello, I am Marissa,” the girl introduced herself, looking into the camera. “and this is my little brother Ivan and we are here with Y/N Y/L/N and Jonah Hauer-King to talk about The Little Mermaid,” she introduced and you could tell that this girl was made for showbusiness with the flair she had in just the introduction, while her little brother shyly looked down at his cards.

“Thank you for having us, it’s so nice to be here,” you smile kindly as Marissa turns her attention back to the two of you.

“Definitely,” Jonah chimed in with a smile of his own.

“Jonah,” Marissa looked at her card for a moment before looking up at him with a serious look on her face. “what was it like to get the part of prince Eric and how did you find out that you got the part?”

“Well, it was a very long process of auditioning and I was pretty nervous. I had never done something on the scale of a Disney movie and I’m a really big fan of Disney myself, so I really wanted this part. So yeah, I was very excited. Uhm, it had been months since I heard from the studio after my last audition, which actually happened to be my screen test with Halle, who plays Ariel. And I got this call from Rob Marshall and he said in that Rob Marshall voice: ‘Hello, I am looking for prince Eric’,” Jonah attempted to do a Rob Marshall impression, causing you to chuckle lightly. “So I was like: ‘This could be him…’ and yeah, that’s- that’s it.”

“And Y/N, what was the process for you?”

“Well, I got the same kind of phone call,” you answer. “and yeah, I guess you could say I was pretty anxious. Y/C/N isn’t originally in the movie so I was very nervous about what it was gonna be like and how people would react. There were a lot of auditions and at first we weren’t told the part we were auditioning for, I only really learned about the character when I got the part. You know, so that people wouldn’t find out about the new character before they were supposed to. But… Rob Marshall is a great director and we had an amazing team of writers and choreographers and the crew, all in all, is just amazing. And I think they did a great job at creating this character who… it isn’t really clear what her intentions are. You don’t really know where she stands because, well, she’s morally grey as we call it. She cares about Eric and wants to help him, but she’s got her own motives as well. So I think it was really fun exploring this new character. Rob really helped in coming to understand her and once Lin Manuel, he wrote the new songs, showed me the song he had in mind for Y/C/N I think it really came together for me.”

“Who were you most excited to work with?” Marissa asked, crossing her legs. I looked towards Jonah to see if he wanted to answer first, but he nodded for me to go first instead.

“For me, I was very excited to work with mostly everyone. I love ‘Hamilton’ so Lin Manuel and Daveed Diggs were just… amazing. And then Halle is such an angel and Jonah, of course, is just… everything you want to work with. But I actually think I might have been most excited to meet Melissa McCarthy. I grew up watching Gilmore Girls and I loved her character, Sookie, so it was just so surreal meeting her. She inspired me so much, so yeah, I was really excited about meeting her.”

“I’d have to say Javier Bardem,” Jonah answered, rubbing his hand over his jawline in thought. “I really embarrassed myself the first time meeting him. You know, I grew up on his movies. So, I went to his trailer and just knocked and I was so nervous. The door swung open and there was this really big guy and I looked at him, he looked at me and I just asked: ‘Can I have a hug?’ and he said: ‘Come here’ and just gave me a bear hug. But yeah, he must’ve thought ‘who is this kid showing up by my trailer asking for a hug’, so… that was pretty embarrassing,” he laughed shyly and you could swear his cheeks had a crimson hint in them.

“And what was it like working together?” Ivan asked, his voice hushed as his eyes darted around the room. You could simply melt at the adorableness.

“I mean, I love this job,” Jonah started and you braced yourself for whatever he was gonna say next. “even when it’s infuriating, like working with Y/N and… basically working with Y/N,” he joked and you give him a look of feigned hurt. “No, I’m just joking around. I loved working with her. She’s an amazing actress and she’s just got this beautiful, theatric voice. We got really close over the course of filming and I’m genuinely a little sad I don’t get to work with her anymore. We spend every day together for the past… almost two years. So yeah, it’s- I’m gonna miss having her around all the time. Bugging me to sing for her,” he said the last part like he was annoyed with it and you couldn’t help but laugh, knowing that he actually enjoyed it.

“You know, I feel the same way. I’m gonna miss our days together. Jonah was just such a joy to work with. He’s so passionate about what he does and he’s just so driven. Seeing him act is enough to make me realize why I went into acting. Seeing the joy he has and experiencing the fun we have together. Not just us, but with Halle too. I mean, we had the most fun. He’s just an amazing human being and I couldn’t be prouder of what he’s achieved and what he’s done with the part and I can’t wait for people to see this wonderful man sing and play his heart out.”

“Ahw, that’s actually the nicest thing you ever said to me.”

“Don’t get used to it,” you reply jokingly, smiling back at him. You really were gonna miss these moments together.

#jonah hauer king #the little mermaid #imagines #jonah hauer-king #jonah hauer king x reader #jonah hauer-king x reader #jonah hauer king x actress!reader #jonah hauer-king x actress!reader #jonah hauer king imagines #jonah hauer-king imagines

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yungchaeng · 2 years

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Amsterdam, Paris, Athens (Twice series: Jihyo)

I: Amsterdam

genre: fluff, suggestive - word count: 2211

Jihyo always had many ideas. Your girlfriend was a spontaneous woman, so you often had to pump the brakes when she randomly suggested the craziest things. However, when she looked at you one day with that pout on her lip and a playful glint in her eyes and asked, “Do you want to get away?”, how could you do anything other than comply?

Taking the trip to Europe was by far the best sudden decision you two had made together. It even beat the time that she randomly suggested movie-hopping at the theatre, and it most definitely beat the time when you had visited a haunted house attraction for Halloween. This was more chill, laid-back, and explorative.

You had fallen asleep on her shoulder in the plane, although having claimed not to be tired when she asked. She laughed when you downloaded countless movies and episodes of shows on your phone before the flight and shook her head at you, “You’re going to be out like a light as soon as the plane moves.”

“No,” you raised an eyebrow. “wanna bet?”

“Alright, bet.” Jihyo shrugged.

She won. You tried to make a case for the fact that you didn’t fall asleep as soon as the plane moved, as you caught the first 10 minutes of the flight, but Jihyo didn’t budge. “I won fair and square. You better start thinking about what my prize is going to be.” She smirked with a kiss planted to your cheek and made her way to baggage claim, as you stood there flabbergasted that for the first time your pouting didn’t sway her.

“Aw, jihyoo.” you whined and trudged after her.

After a short train ride, you arrived to the first destination of your trip – Amsterdam. The hotel was supposed close to the station so Jihyo excitedly suggested just walking there, but as you stood in the hall and peeked through the glass doors you saw it was raining. It was a shower sort of rain, but very lightly – the type you’d have to squint to even see, the type that’s just an annoying inconvenience.

As you wondered how long it would take for it to blow over, you noticed the people outside were not even carrying umbrellas. They did get wet, but didn’t seem to care…? Were you both just the crazy ones, or did they just not realize it was raining or something?

Feeling inspired by the locals, you huffed determinedly and said, “Let’s just go.” Before your girlfriend could protest, you had grabbed her hand and pulled her with you into the ‘rain’.

“My make-up is ruined.” She pouted in the mirror once you got into the room.

With a smile you wrapped your arms around her waist and kissed her shoulder. You looked at her in the mirror and your heart warmed at the beautiful smile playing at her lips. “You look pretty either way.” She shot you an ‘are you serious’ glance and you chuckled a bit at that in combination with her smeared eye make-up and damp hair. “Also, I checked and there’s a 50% chance the rain might clear up in an hour.”

“50% chance?” she repeated, incredulous. You hummed and plopped onto the perfectly made bed. “Also, we’ll be stuck in here for an hour?”

You nodded at her with a flirtatious smile and patted the empty space next to you. “we could, uhm, I don’t know…” wiggling your eyebrows playfully you said, “make use of that time very well.”

Jihyo rolled her eyes and gave you a kick to the shin. “Perv. I’m going to go freshen up.”

“Ow, that hurt.” You exclaimed, as if the kick did any damage at all. Your girlfriend shook her head at your antics and disappeared into the bathroom, while you called after her “Can you kiss it better for me?!” The attempt was futile though, as she had already locked the door and commenced her routine singing in the shower.

Annoying Jihyo was your favourite hobby, and although she pretended she didn’t – she liked you doing it too.

Chuckling, you got up from the bed and stared out the hotel window. People watching was always fun, but doing it in the capital of The Netherlands was even more interesting. Everybody was so…quirky? The streets were busy with seemed like a million bikes parked along the canal, the tall Dutch walking (or actually biking) the streets, and a coffeeshop at almost every corner – in a very awkward encounter you would later actually learn that regular coffee is not at all what these sorts of shops actually sold.

You liked it here and were even more happy to be exploring this new part of the world with your girlfriend. You couldn’t wait to go out there with her.

After having seen maybe 100th Dutch dude racing the street on his wonky looking bike, you decided to continue what you did best. With a few knocks on the bathroom door, the annoying continued. “Jihyooo.”

“I don’t know what you want,” she called out from the other side, “but the answer is no.”

“Come on,” you whined. “Let me in, I want to freshen up too.”

To your surprise she unlocked the door and you didn’t hesitate for a second before rushing in, ridding yourself of your clothes and joining her in the shower. “Hi.” You said with a sheepish grin on your face.

Jihyo shook her head at you, trying to conceal a smile of her own as you planted a delicate kiss behind her ear. “You always get what you want, don’t you?”

“Sometimes,” you smirked. “Actually, yeah, always.” You corrected with another kiss and trailed lower down her neck. Pressing her body against yours and grinning, you asked “I don’t think you mind, though?”

With a bite of her lip and an arm wrapping around you, Jihyo shakily replied “No, not at all.”

All the while outside, the rain didn’t stop. Or at least, it did…but then it started again…then it ‘stopped’ once more and the cycle repeated itself. You and your girlfriend were set on exploring more of the city though, so the rain didn’t get you down. Full of confidence you had stepped foot outside, but less than 10 minutes later you had already searched for cover.

A group of guys had walked by and chuckled at you and Jihyo hiding out and your girlfriend muttered about how the Dutch must be waterproof. You agreed but understood why they might have been so laid-back about this ‘rain’. It was the kind that you could manage if you have to grab something at the store, or are able to quickly go from one destination to another – not if you were planning to explore the whole city, as you were. So when Jihyo gave you a slight glance, you nodded at her, silently agreeing that it was about time to invest in an umbrella.

You walked through the city, fingers intertwined and cozy under the umbrella with your girlfriend. You had wandered around for a bit, intently listening to your girlfriend listing fun facts about the country when she suddenly gasped and you jumped. “Should we get that?” You looked at what she was pointing at and saw a small stand selling what seemed like mini-pancakes. By the way she dragged you by the arm, you realised the question was more of an announcement that you were going to get it.

You watched Jihyo lovingly as she went ham on those pancakes. After the first one she had let out the most guttural pleasure moan that you swear even you have never heard before. Now her plate was almost empty, and she started eating slower to ‘savor’ the taste. You wanted to just tell her to just enjoy them as you could buy her more when she was done, but it was also very amusing to see her take the tiniest bites she could manage.

Swiftly you wiped out your phone and recorded the moment. “How do they taste, Hyo?” you asked as you zoomed in on the powdered sugar that stained her lips. Still enjoying her food, your girlfriend furiously nodded with a thumbs up. Turning the camera to yourself you said, “Okay, so we’re definitely getting these back home. So, we got these little pancakes and-“

“No, not pancakes. Poffertjes.” Jihyo corrected, licking her lips. “We must find these at home. This is amazing.”

After she was done, you got Jihyo another plate. Her pouting when she finished her last ‘poffertje’ got to you (probably like she knew it would). Her excitement and the loving kiss on the cheek at your gesture made it totally worth it.

As you got out of the little restaurant you had your lunch in, you noticed the rain actually did stop. Because you had vowed to yourself that the weather in The Netherlands would not dupe you again, you had looked it up to be sure – and surely it was end of rain for the rest of the day. You had beamed of joy when you told Jihyo, but she still gripped onto the umbrella, muttering “You never know.”

Following in the footsteps of the locals, you both decided to rent bikes to see more of the city. Although the city was busy, you were pleasantly surprised at the ease of biking along the narrow streets. For one, The Netherlands was the flattest country you’ve ever seen, so biking was absolutely no challenge as there were no mountains or even steep hills. To make matters even easier, the streets had a red lane specifically meant for bikes to make transportation that way safer and more efficient.

Another thing about Amsterdam was that it was not that big, so within an hour you had seen much of the city centre already and you parked your bikes at a bench, decided to relax and watch the boats passing by the canals with Jihyo’s head resting on your shoulder.

Tugging at your shirt, Jihyo spoke up with a grin. “Want to race?” she asked motioning to the bikes and a traffic light in the distance.

Ah, there is that competitive spirit – oh my.

“No.” you shrug, knowing exactly what to say to get her more worked up. “We both know I’ll win.”

Jihyo hummed with a frown. She was scheming something, you just knew it – and your suspicions were confirmed when she suddenly shot up from the bench and ran over to your bike. With that mischievous laugh she does, she locked your bike and threw the key over to you. In almost the same motion she jumped onto hers and yelled “We’ll see about that!” as she raced off.

This girl.

“Oh, okay.” You said, determined as you unlocked your bike and paddled after her. “It’s on then, Hyo.”

Jihyo won, because of course she did. When you got to the traffic light you gave her a fake angry glance and protested the cheating. You pouted about it not being fair and she kissed you, gloating with her victory. “All is fair in love and war.” She shrugged. “And I love you.”

You both decided to end the day with a boat tour of the Amsterdam canals. The captain of the boat excitedly greeted you and the other passengers and you smiled at his enthusiasm. In his quirky Dutch-English accent he told the most grandiose stories about the buildings along the canals as he drove. Jihyo had snuggled closer to you and when you looked over at her, you smiled. Her eyes were closed and her lips parted as she lightly snored. You knew she’d find it unfortunate to have missed the tour, but you let her sleep. With a smirk, you moved so her head could rest on your shoulder and you took out your phone, zooming in to her face as you recorded a video.

“Look, now you fell asleep,” You chuckled. “but don’t worry. I’ve got you.” You flipped the camera perspective so you could film the city and it’s pretty lights reflecting on the water.

When the tour concluded you flipped the camera back again and spoke into it. “That was it!” you enthusiastically beamed. “Also, you can never try convince me again that you don’t snore, listen.” You brought the phone closer to her, capturing her light snoring. You snickered as you already anticipated her scolding you when she’d find out you filmed that. “I love you, sleepyhead.” You smiled as you kissed the top of her head, slightly nudging her. “Time to wake up.”

Groaning, she opened her eyes. “Oh no,” she spoke groggily “I missed the tour?”

“Yeah,” you laughed. “but I filmed it for you.”

“Thank you, baby.” She kissed your cheek and nuzzled back into you as people started leaving the touring boat.

You sheepishly grinned at her, enjoying this gentle moment as you knew it wouldn’t last long till she’d find out about your teasing of her snoring. “My pleasure.”

As the boat slightly rocked from side to side on the gentle waves of the water, the sounds of the city surrounded you and you held onto your girlfriend tighter, you smiled to yourself.

Yes, this trip was definitely Jihyo’s best idea ever.

#twice #jihyo #twice fluff #jihyo fluff #twice x reader #jihyo x reader #twice x fem reader #jihyo x fem reader

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canary0 · 1 year

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May 3, Bistrita - Dracula 2023

The train left Munich at 8:35 pm on May 1st, arriving in Vienna early the next morning.

We would have been there sooner, but the train was an hour late. Really unfortunate, because once I arrived from Vienna to Budapest, the place is beautiful. The fact that the railways wanted to get back on schedule meant that didn’t get much of a chance to explore, but I managed to get a few pictures.

Train station interior: Photo by Thomas Choi on Unsplash (https://unsplash.com/photos/DdBEYd4hZ5k)

Train station exterior: Photo by Gabriel Miklós on Unsplash (https://unsplash.com/photos/asIEq0NrNNE)

Budapest: Photo by Klaudia Olejnik from Pixabay (https://pixabay.com/photos/budapest-hungary-river-city-bridge-7810815/)

You can feel the history, moving into the area that the Ottoman Empire once ruled. The influences are so different, between the oldest architecture in England and here. Like a gateway into Eastern Europe, something like that. I would love too travel here some time when I’m not on business with Mina. She could probably tell me the history of half the buildings here.

Sadly, I left shortly after I took the picture of the bridge. I almost ran late for the train taking off again! I can’t complain, though, as we left in good time and weren’t too late getting into Cluj-Napoca. Even the rail station was lovely.

Train station: Public Domain image at Wikipedia.com (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cluj-Napoca_railway_station)

I stayed for the night at a small hotel about ten minutes walk from the station, Villa Escala. I always thought that if you’re going to travel, you should go places where you can absorb the atmosphere more, and this place was lovely in that regard. The atmosphere warmed the soul, and the furniture wore its history on its sleeve without looking worn out.

Hotel (Villa Escala): Photo at Booking.com (https://www.booking.com/hotel/ro/villa-escala.html)

Once I checked in, I inquired after the staff where I might find some local fare, and they directed me to a nearby restaurant where I had a lovely dish they called “ paprikás csirke”, chicken paprikash. While apparently not commonly made this way these days, this particular place used an old recipe that included hot paprika, and it was quite a thirsty dish. I finished my carafe and water and needed more. It was interesting in how the burn was more at the back of the mouth and going down than at the front.

Mina: I think you would love this dish. Creamy, spicy, a little tart from the sour cream, and a subtle sweetness. I found a recipe for it you might want to try. (link)

Chicken Paprikash (paprikás csirke): Photo by Istvan Szabo at Pexels (https://www.pexels.com/photo/a-close-up-shot-of-a-chicken-paprikash-dish-10338434/)

While the cell reception has grown increasingly spotty during my trip, I’ve done some research on the area as I went. The place I’m going is right on the border of Transilvania, Bucovina, and Moldova (that’s the Romanian state, not the country – that’s farther east yet), in the eastern half of the country, tucked up in the Carpathian Mountains. I won’t be quite heading into the latter two states, I gather. I think the castle must not be on any official roads, because I couldn’t find where it’s supposed to be on any roads. I think I can see an impression on Google Earth, but it’s surprisingly blurry. I can’t tell if what I’m seeing is a castle or a strange craggy outcropping. I suppose I’ll see.

Anyway, there are a few different ethnic groups in the area: Saxons (yes, the same ones King Arthur was supposed to have fought – they occupied a really wide swath of Europe), Vlachs (speakers of Eastern Romance languages, possibly descended from the Romans who once occupied the region; indeed, they simply called themselves Romans), Magyars (Hungarians), and Szekelys (who regard themselves as descendants of Huns, and served as the vanguard of Romanian armies in the past). Supposedly, when the Magyas conquered the Carpathian Basin, they found the Huns already there, so it’s possible.

Supposedly the Carpathian Mountains are rich in folklore and stories of all sorts of strange beings out there in the night. I think I must have been thinking about it that night, because my sleep was interrupted by odd dreams. It likely wasn’t helped by a dog howling beneath my window, the paprika, or the picturesque, if rather spooky, graveyard I had to pass between the hotel, train station, and restaurant. Despite that, I must have been sleeping very deeply by morning – it took a couple of wake up calls for me to actually get up.

I had a breakfast of more paprika, a polenta-ish cornmeal porridge called “mămăligă”, and a stuffed eggplant dish they called “impletata”… but since that word just means “stuffed” according the the online translator that has been a lifeline this leg of the trip, I think they might have been having me on a little. Very tasty, though, so I can’t complain too much.

I hurried through the food to get to the train on time, since it was supposed to leave before late, but… Well, the phrase “hurry up and wait” comes to mind. We didn’t get started until at least 8:30. Such is life.

The train took a moderate pace through the countryside, which suited me just fine. I mentioned that Budapest was beautiful, but the countryside of Transilvania has a completely different sort of beauty. Little picturesque towns in the midst of rolling fields and little rivers in the distance, castles settled atop steep hills, watching over the surrounding area like lone sentinels. The streams and rivers had wide, stony margins that made me wonder if they were prone to sudden floods. Every once in a while, we would pass a small village and town close and see people going about their daily lives that made me think of some of those cottage/back to nature sort of aesthetics you see online. It reminds me of a cottagecore mood board Lucy once showed me when we visited, and traveling through this region, I can feel the appeal.

Romanian Countryside: Photo by Fotografu on Unsplash (https://unsplash.com/photos/8h-yUi_l2Jw)

I arrived in Bistrita iwhile it was still somewhat bright, sadly too late to do much in the way of sightseeing, though a little bit of hurry let me take a photo of the church that dominates the central square of the town.

Bistrița Evangelical Church: Photo by Mian Bulacu (https://backpackglobetrotter.com/2018/09/17/postcards-romania/)

The Count directly me to The Coronana de Aur hotel. It’s a modern business hotel like many others, but it’s hard to find a hotel that’s historic these days. While it’s a little disappointing, as I was hoping to take in a little more of the local feel, it was nice to have a comfortable place to stay before I head off to the Tihuta Pass tomorrow. Having good reception to call Mina before I go is a comfort, too.

When I arrived, the front desk staff passed me a letter from the Count: “My Friend.--Welcome to the Carpathians. I am anxiously expecting you. Sleep well to-night. At three tomorrow a bus will start for Bucovina; a place on it is kept for you. At the Tihuta Pass my carriage will await you and will bring you to me. I trust that your journey from London has been a happy one, and that you will enjoy your stay in my beautiful land.

Your friend,

DRACULA.”

(A/N: Hopefully you enjoyed the first foray into this silly endeavor to rewrite the book as if it was happening as of May 3, 2023. This is absolutely not meant to be serious.

I am trying to make it a little more accurate to real world Romania as much as I can (and as much as can be reasonable from an Englishman's perspective). We're part of a connected, small world these days. I think that's going to make the horror of the isolation even stronger.

Anyway. Have fun with the dumb, silly thing I'm making at DD goes. If it's not your cup of tea, you are welcome to move on.

Obviously, this is not mine, Dracula being public domain in the US aside. It's basically fanfic. Some of it will be direct quotes. Probably not much, as having characters in a modern context will change them, and that'll be filtered through my own lens of how I perceive them as well.

Enough excuses, I suppose. It'll be what it'll be.)

#dracula daily #dracula #modern rewrite #everything that's happened now is happening now #just for fun #I stayed up way too late writing this #dracula 2023

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countessofravenclaw · 9 months

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A homeland this north, country dear fathers! Part tres

Winter is the time for holidays, celebrations, and fun. Nina, Gastón, Luna and Matteo receive a wedding invitation to France for the New Years and decide, since they're already going to Europe, why not take everything out of it and take a well-deserved skiing vacation? Simon and Ambar join them and all is set for a relaxing holiday at Finland's northern region called Lapland. A place for speed, reindeer, fun, and dangerous situations... Just kidding, what could possibly go wrong at the winter wonderland? (There is a Finnis Christmas song linked on the title)

On allain avaruus, ja tähtipolku kauas vie

“Look at the sky.” Ambar linked her arm with Simon as they walked out of the hotel at Rovaniemi.

“It’s beautiful,” Simon looked up and squinted his eyes, “You can see the stars so clearly. How is it just 5 pm?”

They had landed in Rovaniemi a couple of hours ago, and had dropped their stuff at the hotel where they were staying for the night. They would be driving to Saariselkä tomorrow, after doing a couple of touristy things at Rovaniemi, like the Santa’s Village which Luna had insisted on.

“The sun will barely even come up,” Ambar nodded while looking at the sky. “We will have very limited daylight time while skiing.”

“Good because then I’ll have an excuse not to freeze to death,” Simon laughed while pulling the jacket he was wearing closer to himself. “This jacket is probably so heavy for a reason.”

“You’ll get used to it,” Ambar patted him on the head, ruffling his hair. “Like where is the hat? This is the one time you’re actually not wearing a beanie.”

“Right here,” Simon pulled a ridiculously bright blue woolen hat with purple and yellow tassels.

“I should have never let you and Luna go shopping on your own,” Ambar laughed as Simon pulled the hat over his head, “but it was worth it. This is way too adorable.”

“Speaking of adorable,” Simon pointed behind Ambar’s head. They had been walking a catwalk that was lined with all kinds of tourist shops. Behind her, the one that Simon was pointing toward, was a shop that had a sign that read “Muumi”.

“A Moomin shop?” Ambar turned around and dashed to the display window.

“I guess so,” Simon followed her, “I was speaking of the shirt on the window. This was like an anime we used to watch with Maya while I was growing up. You know it too?”

“Of course, I know Moomin,” Ambar answered, “Did I never tell you how I loved those books? The author was Finnish. They sell all sorts of merch. I always wanted those mugs, but Sharon said that they looked tacky.”

“Well, let's go buy you some,” Simon suggested.

“Oh, we’re absolutely gonna buy some.” Ambar grinned at Simon as she kept scanning the window, “Oh, and look at those baby clothes. We need to get them for Delfi and Pedro.”

“They won’t probably need to buy any clothes themselves soon,” Simon laughed as they walked out of the store 20 minutes later.

“It’s the least we can do,” Ambar smiled, “This is so exciting. Hopefully, they return the favor someday.”

“Hopefully we will be able to fit all this in our bags once we leave.”

“There is always room in your suitcase if you make it,” Ambar remarked, “I learned that from Jazmin.”

“Is it just me, or did it get colder all of a sudden?” Simon shivered again.

“Not really,” Ambar looked at a temperature that was displayed on a big light-screen at the end of the street. “But it can feel like it I guess since we just came from inside.” She shivered herself a little bit. It was not like she was extremely used to these freezing temperatures herself. “Has something to do with the heat regulation of the body and homeophosphatic balance… or I don’t know. Something with biology and maybe physics… ask Gastón, he might know.”

“Is that a Starbucks up ahead?” Simon looked at the end of the street. “I need something warm right now.”

“Good idea.” Ambar said simply and sprinted into a run, “Last one there pays!!”

“Hey!” Simon ran after her, “We have combined finances!!”

***

“Olette siis menossa tapaamaan pukkia? Oh sorry. Väärä kieli. You are going to go visit the good old Santa?” Taxi asked said as Gastón, Nina, Matteo and Luna got into his vehicle, with a broken but understandable English.

“Yes, that is correct.” Gastón answered him as he got to the front seat.

“You are the first tourists I have had this week, which is very surprising.” The driver kept talking while turning the car’s radio on and music that sounded like Christmas music in Finnish started playing. “The two weeks before Christmas, I was just driving Japanese and Chinese tourists back and forth. So, tell me, where are you coming from?”

“Buenos Aires,” Matteo piped up from the backseat.

“Latin America? That is the first in my cap. You speak very good English, but I could swear you had a British accent.” The driver pointed towards Gastón, and he shared a quick glance with Nina. This has happened way too many times already.

“Our, no, WE are so excited to go here… or was it there?” Luna stumbled through a sentence in English. “Was it alright?” She whispered to Nina in Spanish.

“It was fine.” Nina whispered back.

“Well, my friends, here we are.” The car started slowing down as a huge number of light-up structures came into view on the side of the road. Since it was 8:45, they had wanted to be there at the opening time, but it was still dark. “Joulupukin Satukylä, or well, to you, Santa’s Magical Village, or whatever it is in Spanish. Have fun!”

“He was really nice,” Luna said as they waved their taxi driver goodbye and stood at the gate waiting for Simon and Ambar. Their taxi came five minutes later.

“Was your driver very talkative?” Matteo asked them as their car also drove away.

“No, didn’t say a word,” Ambar answered while putting her gloves back on. Simon already looked like he was freezing after being in the cold outdoor air for two minutes.

Well, it was -15 degrees Celsius. It was cold. Having lived through many London winters, Gastón and Nina were much more used to actual below-freezing temperatures than anyone else. Luna, Matteo, Simon and Ambar were not so. Luna and Simon, having lived in Mexico most of their lives, had never even seen snow in their lives.

“Ours actually was,” Matteo continued.

“Hmmm, I thought that the Finnish people are known for not really talking.” Ambar pondered, “Or at least there was something about bus stops, when I did the research.”

“Hey! Are we not gonna go in?” Luna was jumping on her feet. Maybe because she was cold, or because she was so excited.

“I am ready for some hot chocolate.” Simon said still shivering, “Or that Glugo stuff. I am freezing.”

“I think it was called glog, they call it glögi.” Nina said as they walked in. She had pulled up the map of the village on her phone.

“Simon, you are cold because you have not closed your jacket all the way,” Ambar scolded Simon and fixed his zipper.

“So, apparently this is the line for the Arctic Circle,” Nina read from her phone as they stopped in front of a row of stone pillars.

“Hey! I AM ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WORLD!!!” Luna had already jumped over the line.

“Luna! Wait for us!” Matteo yelled as the other jumped over the line as well.

“Well, now we can cross that off our bucket list…”

“Oh noh guys…” Matteo suddenly started looking around. “Where did she go? Guys, I have lost Luna.”

Everyone looked around. Luna really had vanished, even when she had just been waiting for them at the other side of the Arctic Circle.

“How do you lose Luna?” Gastón asked, trying hide his slight amusement. “She was wearing literally the whole rainbow. We are surrounded by snow; she will stand out.”

“I don’t know,” Matteo shook his head.

“Okay,” Ambar said, not sounding concerned at all. Well, it would be Luna, if anybody, who would get lost in a foreign Nordic country. Not to mention in freezing temperatures. “Raise your hand if you are surprised?” No one raised their hand.

“OMG, SO CUTE!!!” All of them turned their head towards the noise.

“That has to be Luna.” Simon said.

“Let’s go,” Ambar nodded, “Before we get kicked out of here because Luna was terrorizing an elf.”

Soon enough Matteo, Simon, Ambar, Gastón and Nina found Luna at the husky yard.

Luna was patting the head of the dog that was sitting next to the fence, and talking animatedly to the employee there, who was in fact wearing an elf costume. The poor elf was looking very confused.

“Luna! Finally, we found you.” Matteo was first on Luna’s side. “What are you doing?”

“I was just asking them how many dogs they have, and can we take one home.” Luna looked Matteo innocently, “So Newton has a friend.”

“Luna, first, we are not getting a dog, our lives are way too busy. And second, they don’t understand Spanish,” Matteo gestured towards the elf.

“I apologize for my wife; she just gets so excited sometimes. How many dogs do you have?” Matteo asked in English.

“We have seven adult dogs and ten puppies that were born a month ago.”

“Thank you!” Matteo took Luna from the shoulders, “Come on. Let’s go see Santa.”

“But the puppies were so cute!!” Luna whined as Matteo led her off to the others.

“Luna look, I love you,” Matteo sighed. Ambar had been right. This was not surprising from Luna at all, “But you can’t go wandering off like that. We are not in Buenos Aires.”

“Matteo, I am an adult girl, I can take care of myself.”

“I know, but we are in a country where they don’t speak Spanish, you don’t speak Finnish and your English could use some work,” Matteo sighed, “Tough love, but it is important. You can actually get lost in here.”

“Okayyy, I am sorry.” Luna rolled her eyes.

“So, can we now go inside?” Simon was stepping in his place to keep warm. “I am literally becoming a snowman here.”

“Weren’t we supposed to go and see Santa?” Ambar questioned as she rolled her eyes at Simon.

“The post office is close here,” Nina said while looking over the map that she had. “We could go there first.”

"You can send a post from here?" Luna piped up.

"Well, this is the place where you sent all the letters to Santa," Gastón noted. "How do you think he gets them? Of course, he needs his own post office."

"OMG! Let’s go!"

"Luna wait! Don't just dash-" Matteo yelled, but Luna had already taken off running,"-off."

“You might wanna get an air tag,” Gastón suggested. “So, you can locate her if she disappears in the snow.”

“Don’t tempt me,” Matteo shook his head.

“I vote yes,” Ambar raised her hand.

“This isn’t a democracy.”

"Hey! What are you doing just standing here?" Matteo jumped as Luna suddenly appeared to be standing next to him. "Weren't we supposed, like go?"

"Well, we were, but then you ran away" Ambar noted.

"Oh, yeah... I guess I did. Sorryy." Luna tilted her head. "But I could not find the post office. So, l had to come back."

"Luna, we are standing next to it," Nina pointed to a sign two meters away from them. "I just was about to say that when you ran away."

"Okay, I learned my lesson," Luna shook her head in laughter, "I won't do that again."

"Does everyone have their letters?" Matteo asked after he had signed the card to his Nonna in Italy and talked Luna out of sending a card to everyone of their friends.

"Yep!" Simon said as he and Ambar came to the counter with a postcard.

"I specially signed it, so Simon's family knows that he has not frozen into an ice-sculpture," Ambar patted him on his head.

"Worry that is not unwarranted." Simon said as he fixed his hat. "How do people live in this weather?"

"With proper get up probably," Gastón said as he and Nina came to the counter and posted their own letters. "A professor I talked with at the Aalto University said that Finnish people are known for their endurance or whatever that was. Sisu? Anyways, if we want to meet Santa we should really get going. We still have that drive to Saariselkä.”

“I am so excited to meet Santa!” Luna was skipping ahead as the rest were trying their best to keep up with her as they entered the place called Joulupukin Toimisto. As they were there in the morning, the sun had just come up and it was nearing 10:15, there was no line, so they could just freely walk the queue.

“Uuuu, what is this?” They stopped in front of a big picture that was on the wall of the queue. Or more like, it was a drawing. Drawing of the globe with some odd instructions.

“The…earth’s…rotational…speed…regulator…” Luna read from the drawing. “What does that mean?”

“Actually, I don’t know,” Matteo said, while looking at the wheel, “Gastón! Wanna translate this?”

“It means that this is supposed to be a device that regulates the earth’s rotation,” Gastón explained looking at the painting.

“I guess it relates to the fact that Santa manages to fly all over the world in one night,” Nina continued.

“Would that actually work?” Matteo asked Gastón while eyeing the drawing.

“Earth’s rotation, rotational speed, angular velocity and the electromagnetic current are all part of the theory of relativity,” Gastón said while looking at Matteo. “You do not want me to go on. But in a quick review, no, it does not work. This is all based on Magic.”

“Had to try,” Matteo shrugged.

Soon they made their way to the end of the queue.

“I can’t believe it! Santa Claus really is real!” Luna exclaimed as the old man in a beard came into the view.

“I can’t believe Santa Claus let Luna sit on her lap,” Simon laughed after they were walking out of Santa Claus’s office.

“He probably thought she was still a child.” Gastón joined him in the laughter. Nina and Ambar, who were walking behind them, just rolled their eyes at them.

“That was so much fun!!!!” Luna was still jumping up and down as she and Matteo exited last from the building. “Santa was so nice. And I got finally present my Christmas wishes in person.”

“Luna, Christmas was a week ago,” Nina noted to Luna as she and Matteo caught up with the rest of them.

“Yeah, I know that,” Luna just shrugged, “I meant for like next year.”

“You mean this year.”

“Yeah, sure. The earlier the better! Maybe now I will actually get that banjo.” Luna threw some pretend dagger eyes at her friends.

“You want a banjo?” Ambar asked dryly in complete disbelief.

“YES! I have been asking one for years.” Luna nodded, “No one has gotten me one.”

“And maybe that is a blessing…” Ambar whispered to Simon.

“What?”

“Ah, nothing.” Ambar shook her head, “How much time do we have left?”

“The drive is almost three hours” Gastón answered looking at his phone, “The weather is probably quite a big component in that. But today’s is not that bad. Can’t imagine what would happen in a snowstorm. To answer your question, we have time, but we really should make sure we leave before it’s dark again. The rental cars were available for the pickup as soon as we want.”

“We should probably go eat at some point.” Matteo pointed out.

“I read that there was this restaurant that was completely built out of snow here,” Nina explained.

“No way!” Simon exclaimed, “How is that even possible?”

“I guess the same way they built those huge sandcastles. Apparently, that is another tourist thing in Finland. Somewhere called Lappeenranta they built one every year.”

“OMG!!!!” Luna suddenly exclaimed. Matteo quickly grabbed her arm, so she was not able to run away. “Look at them! They are real?”

“What are real?” Everyone turned to look where Luna was pointing.

She was pointing towards the reindeer yard.

“Hold up a second.” Gastón asked, “You did not know that reindeer were real?” He exchanged a skeptical look with Matteo.

“Well, I thought they were just fairytale creatures.” Luna started speaking, “Just like dragons and unicorns. I mean Santa Claus is not real, I know that, so I thought his reindeer were not too.”

“Luna, quiet down,” Simon hushed her, forgetting that it was pretty unlikely that any of the people around them understood what Luna had been saying in Spanish, “You can’t just shout something like that out loud. There are children around. You’ll end up in the notty list for good.”

“Uuuups.”

“Well, anyways. Reindeer are mostly native for arctic areas like Northern Europe and I think there are some in Canada.” Nina explained. “Their whole affiliation with Santa Claus comes from lot of legends.”

“Well, can we go see them?” Luna asked jumping up and down once again.

“Well, why not.” Ambar nodded. “They are cute. You are right.”

“Hey! Can these reindeer really fly?” Luna asked the reindeer keeper, who was also dressed as an elf.

“Ööööö, Anteeksi?” The keeper asked a bit confused.

“Luna.” Matteo reminded her. “Sorry about that.” He started speaking English. “We are tourists from Argentina. She was just asking you if these reindeer can actually fly.”

“Oh noh,” the keeper laughed, “These ones don’t. Santa has a lot of different reindeer for different purposes. These guys right here don’t fly with him on Christmas Eve, but still are very important to our small village.”

“Can we meet Rudolf?” Luna asked. “What?” She said once she saw all the others staring at her. “I wanna see his red nose.”

“I wish you could see him,” The keeper responded, “But Rudolf and the other Flying Forces are resting. They had a long journey on Christmas Eve flying all around the world, even with the earth’s rotational speed regulator. But if you really wanna meet him, keep your eyes open next Christmas Eve and you might catch a glimpse of him.”

***

Nina sipped her tea while sitting at the table in the Villa they had rented for two weeks at Saariselkä. They had arrived there yesterday and looked around for a bit. Today was the first day the others would actually head to the slopes.

“So, what are you gonna do today?” Luna flopped the chair next to her yawning and almost spilling her orange juice.

“I think I’m gonna take a walk, once the sun is up.” Nina said and stirred her cup. “There is this one hiking path that I read about. There are some beautiful sights here, so I’m taking the camera… And I promised to call Mom as soon as we got settled up here, so I’ll do that. The sights will at least make that somewhat enjoyable. I’m sure she has helicoptered at least ten different things she needs to bring into my “Attention”.” She made quotation marks.

“Tell her to talk to my mom if she wants to fuss,” Gastón kissed Nina on top of her head as he sat down, “They can form a support group. They’re just scared that they’ll never get grandchildren if we die here middle of nowhere.”

“Add my mom to the list,” Simon piped up, “You don’t want to hear what she said when I told her where we were going. I mean, she’s right in some aspects, I am gonna freeze. Are all our mothers just way too overprotective?”

“I still wish Mom and Dad would have actually picked if they wanted to be protective or not,” Gastón laughed, “More often than not, they just let me do what I wanted, but then suddenly they were convinced I was deliberately putting my life at risk. I’m still surprised they ever let me back to Roller after the fire.”

“What I am wondering about, is why are we awake before the sun?” Matteo leaned back while munching on his cereal.

“The sun is coming up at 11, so not for hours,” Ambar noted while sitting down to braid Luna’s hair. “and going down at 2 pm, so we can’t just operate according to it. The gear rent place opens at 9:30, so I think the best is to be there as soon as it opens. Our class starts at 10, so we need to be there.”

“I agree,” Gastón nodded.

“You sure you don’t wanna join us?” Luna whipped herself out of Ambar’s reach as soon as she had finished tying the elastic onto the braid. “You can still change your mind and come join us in our lesson.”

“No,” Nina shook her head, “I told you already. No one will have fun if I’m there. I’ll come to ice skating once we're doing that, so that's one sport covered.”

“Okay, I think it’s time for us to leave.” Ambar got up from the table pulling her own hair into a ponytail.

“Have fun,” Nina kissed Gastón on the cheek as he got up from the table, “Don’t do anything stupid.”

“Us?” Gastón and Matteo glanced at each other. They had opted not to take any lessons, given that they had done quite frequent skiing while younger. It was to be seen how good an idea that was going to be. “Never.”

“I’m being serious,” Nina saw from the corner of her eyes the guys doing their handshake when Gastón turned back to her.

“Of course, you are. Don’t worry.” Gastón ran his finger through a lock of her hair, “We’re not going on a black slope at the start. We’ll start off easy and be careful.” He leaned down swiftly to kiss her.

“Send me pictures when you get to the top.”

***

“I think we still got it,” Matteo and Gastón stopped at a curve of a slope. They had gone through a few green and blue slopes first, after leaving Luna, Ambar and Simon in the care of the skiing instructor, just to get a feel for it again. The good thing was that they both were in good shape and some of the muscle memory from their skating days still existed.

They were now on one of the red slopes.

“I think we do.” Gastón agreed. The slope they had taken came all the way down the fjeld. It wasn’t steep, but more a long narrowing path down the mountain. “Can we stop for a sec. I need to take a pic of this.”

“Nina won’t call the police if you don’t update her every fifteen minutes.”

“It’s not that,” Gastón rolled his eyes as he took his gloves off and fished his phone out of the breast pocket of the jacket he was wearing. “This is a beautiful view.”

It was now noon, so the sun had finally come completely up… Or well, as up as it was going to come, which wasn’t high, but up it was.

“I guess it is true,” Matteo squinted his eyes in the sunshine as he took the skiing goggles off. “Hey! Since we're doing a photoshoot, take a couple of me, so I can post them.”

“You sure it’s wise to announce your location publicly?” Gastón raised an eyebrow at Matteo.

“Because my fans would swarm me?” Matteo laughed, “I mean they do love me, but Finland barely has any, unfortunately.”

“Maybe, but you never know with those fans of yours.” Gastón rolled his eyes as Matteo posed with the skis.

“Right,” Matteo kept laughing, “I forgot that you don’t like them, after they thought Nina and I were dating when we first started writing songs together.”

“It never bothered me like that,” Gastón gave Matteo a look, “You know that, and it was for five years, but implication of some people being so invested in it is still so bizarre.”

“I have been too scared to look at some of the corners of the internet,” Matteo admitted cringing.

“Although, I gotta admit it was kind of amusing to wake up in the morning and see that the first thing that pops up on TikTok, is a swifty-level fan post about the new song you wrote and how the lyrics and subtext absolutely confirm the romance—When she’s literally sleeping in my bed.” Gastón shook his head, “but it’s so odd how some are invested. I don’t get it.”

“It’s not like you’re the most anonymous person on the planet anymore,” Matteo chuckled, “You do know they call you the “young rising promise who will revolutionize the whole construction scene” or something like it. You name has been out there ever since the promotion.”

“I used to be the child no one knew Isla and Marco Perida had, and I am grateful for them for that.” Gastón rolled his eyes again. He knew why his parents had done it, to keep him out of their business and to let him become his own person with his own path. “At least there’s no tabloids, which surely would have already accused me of benefitting from nepotism. I mean, it is what it is. We’re out there and I accept it. Nina is going to become more known as time goes on and she deserves every inch of that success, and I will never leave her side. But mark my words, I will not ever let a photographer close to my children.”

“You need to have those children first,” Matteo nudged Gastón teasingly, “When’s that gonna happen?”

“Not you too.” Gastón groaned, “You’re worse than my parents.”

“Hey! I’m just caring about my godchild here.” Matteo raised his hands onto the air.

“Who decided that?”

“You, if you know what’s good for you.” Matteo smirked, “I’m not telling you to do anything, just having a conversation. You have been married two and a half years now, you have a house, a dog and more than generous cash flow for two people in their twenties that will just increase. Plus, you haven’t been able to keep your hands off your wife since you were 17. I know that you have always wanted children.”

“Of course, I have,” Gastón responded, “and so does Nina. We have talked about it a lot. It’s just not happening at this second. We have all the time in the world. You don’t think we’re actually gonna tell you when we’re trying? That would be crossing some lines. When there is actually something to tell, you will know.”

“I will hold you to that.”

“You know, why am I the one getting interrogated?” Gastón crossed his arms, “When are you having a kid?”

“Wow,” Matteo shifted himself back, “I’ve been married for a year and we’re constantly between work and shows…”

“And I’m not gonna question you any further,” Gastón finished his point before looking at the view down the mountain again, “You know, life’s really good right now.”

“Agreed,” Matteo nodded while tapping Gastón on the shoulder. “Do we deserve it?”

“Teenage you would probably faint if he knew,” Gastón laughed, “We’ve come a long way. Anyways, should we go down and see how the ski-schoolers are doing?”

“Sure,” Matteo nodded grinning, “Who do you think has fallen the most?”

“I have no idea.” Gastón shook his head.

“I gotta go with Simon,” Matteo concluded, “Luna has the agility and Ambar won’t let herself fall if Luna doesn’t.”

“Well, hopefully you won’t fall,” Gastón grinned and started sliding ahead, “See you at a lower altitude!”

“Hey!” Matteo jumped to follow Gastón, “That was a false start!”

***

“So, now that you all have mastered the snow plowing, we’re starting with turns.” The ski instructor kept talking as Luna, Ambar and Simon stood in a line on their skis.

They had spent most of the morning learning how to stay upright and how to control the speed while going down.

“How do we turn?” Simon raised his hand like he was in school, “Because these are so stiff and don’t curve. How is it even possible to maneuver them?”

“It’s not about the skis' maneuverability,” The instructor continued, “It’ about the pressure, the friction and force. Basic physics.”

“Fabulous,” Ambar sighed next to Luna, “Didn’t realize we needed math.”

“—But it’s actually super simple,” Luna turned back to look at the instructor, “You actually only need to lean side to side to go left or right. There’s a catch though. You are not gonna go left by leaning left.”

“Then where are we going?” Luna asked. That didn’t make any sense to her.

“By leaning left, you turn right. I know, that’s confusing, but it just needs some rewiring in your head. Let’s try it.” The instructor slid closer to the start of the training slope, “Follow me.”

So, they wormed around while trying to make their skis turn while also trying to get moving.

“This clearly will need some work.” Their instructor sighed as they finally made their way down the training slope. “Come on! And we go again!!”

“I did not sign up for a boot camp.” Simon rolled his eyes as they stepped on the escalator lift.

“I think this is fun!” Luna did a small jump. The ski boots were extremely clunky and didn’t feel the same as her skates did, but she would deal with it. “I can’t wait for the bigger slopes.”

“At least you match energy with our teacher.” Ambar remarked, “He probably does this every day. I would love to get access to your backup energy converter. I guess it is like Gastón said. These people have that sisu thing and all the guys go to do military when they turn 18.”

“Sounds awful,” Simon shook his head, “I could never go to war.”

“Good thing you would not need to fight Russia.”

They spent at least an hour honing in their technique of turning and all of them finally managed to go down the training slope gracefully.

“Okay, you guys.” The instructor clapped his hands, after another hour, “I think you’re ready to hit the slopes. Have fun!”

“Okay, hopefully we’re good enough,” Ambar looked down at the training slope. “Time to go find some actual slopes.”

“So, we need to go down this again,” Simon nodded.

“Hey! I have an idea.” Luna jumped up, “Let’s go down this while holding hands.”

“You serious?” Ambar turned to look at Luna.

“Sounds fun,” Simon was actually smiling, “Let’s try it.”

“Okay,” Ambar shook her head amused before grabbing Simon’s hand and they started sliding down the slope.

At the start it went well…

But then as they were starting to turn left, Luna who had been leading their train, accidentally turned right, while Ambar and Simon were turning left…

Long story short, they totally dripped and ended up falling on top of each other.

“That’s a one way to get down the slope.”

Their pile had slid the rest of their way down the slope where Matteo and Gastón had apparently been waiting for them.

“Where did you come from?” Ambar asked as they scrambled on their feet.

“From one of the red slopes,” Matteo said as he helped Luna up. “Came to see if you were done.”

“We are,” Luna said, “Uuuu, so what slope should we now do?”

“We took couple of green ones at the start,” Gastón started, “They’re beginner friendly. Wide and away from the forest so there is no danger if you fall or derail.”

“So, who has fallen the most?” Matteo added.

***

“Weeeeeee!” Luna was gliding on the ice and Matteo tried his best to keep up.

None of them had gone on the slopes today, they had already been there for many days, and they were taking advantage of the brief daylight to do something else. They were ice skating.

Luna had been the one insisting they try it, given their background. Matteo did have to admit that skating on ice with blades under your feet instead of wheels was a completely different experience.

Luna obviously was a natural. It was no matter what she had under her feet, it still looked like she was flying.

“Matteo stop snailing around!” Luna called as she turned around and tried skating backward. That didn’t go as smoothly, but she was moving forward.

“I’m coming.” Matteo rolled his eyes.

“This is so much fun!” Luna started circling around Matteo, “I mean it’s not like normal skating, but still familiar.”

“I think this actually is normal skating.” Matteo pointed out.

“Do you think I might be able to try an axel?”

“I wouldn’t try it,” Matteo shook his head, before looking at Luna sternly, “Luna, I’m being serious. Don’t try it. I don’t want to head to the ER during this trip.”

“Okay,” Luna rolled her eyes, “I won’t do any jumps. Pirouette will do.”

She skated a small round and tried to do a pirouette. The problem was that the ice-skates didn’t have a break at the toe, they had blades with spikes. So, when Luna tried to spin, the spike caught onto the ice, and she tripped completely over and fell onto a pile of snow.

“That goes onto the list of your top ten wipe-outs Chica Delivery.” Matteo laughed as he skated closer to where Luna was lying. “Chica Delivery? Luna? You okay?”

Suddenly his arm was pulled, and he fell face first into the snow as well.

“Hahahaaa!” Luna curled up from laughter, “Got ya. I have always wondered how’d you look as a snowman.”

“Now you got me started,” Matteo shook his head smirking as Luna jumped up from the snow and back onto the ice. He grabbed some snow from the pile and formed it into a ball.

Sadly, Luna had time to notice what he was doing before he had time to throw the ball.

“Hah, missed me!” she dashed for the pile and formed her own snowball, “This is war now.”

***

“I didn’t fall that many times, so I’m taking that as a victory,” Nina pulled a shawl over her shoulders as she curled up on the couch next to Gastón as they were all hanging out in the Villa’s living room.

“My muscles are way too out of shape,” Ambar massaged the base of her feet. “But it was fun.”

“That’s it!” Luna sat in one of the armchairs with a huge cup of hot chocolate, “You all need to start skating again.”

“Yeah nope,” Simon got from where he had been sitting in front of the fireplace.

“Hey!” Ambar’s phone dinged, “Delfi sent me a new sonogram.”

“Uuu, let me see,” Luna grained her neck, “Do you know if it’s a boy or a girl?”

“No,” Ambar blew some hair off her face.

“Are we having a gender reveal party?”

“We would like to throw one for them with Jazmin, but they aren’t telling us,” Ambar shook her head as she kept examining the picture, “I’m sure they have already found out. Gastón, isn’t your cousin a doctor? Can you send this to her, and she could tell us?”

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure April won’t want any part of this,” Gastón laughed while he had been absentmindedly playing with Nina’s hair, “and she’s not a doctor, yet. She will be a neurosurgeon, not a radiology tech or OBGYN. She won’t be able to tell a thing, but we’re very well situated if someone has a brain injury…or well, you are. She won’t be allowed to operate on me.”

“Look at the sky.” Matteo pointed out of the window.

Everyone turned around to look out the window. The sky was lit up by colorful swirls.

“Northern lights?” Nina gasped, “I was sure we wouldn’t be so lucky that we would see any.”

“Luck is on our side,” Gastón placed his hand on her shoulder.

“Can you go get the camera?” She asked him while looking out of the window. Ever since they had decided to go to Lapland, she had been hoping they might be able to catch the Aurora Borealis—the official name was beautiful, but it was a game of luck, so she hadn’t wanted to be too hopeful. “I don’t know how good pictures you can get through the window but…”

“Why would you need to take those through the window?” Gastón said as he handed her their DSLR camera. “Let’s go outside. Who knows if we’ll be able to catch these again.”

“You aren’t seriously going out right now?” Matteo looked at them horrified.

“Why not?” Gastón looked at him confused, “It’s only 11:45.”

“Yeah, but did you notice that the temp has dropped to almost -30?”

“It has?” Nina looked at the digital temperature indicator. “We’ll be fast.”

“Seriously?” Both Luna and Simon asked in unison.

“So, we take it that none of you are joining us?” Gastón questioned, “Ambar?”

“I think the window view is enough for me too,” Ambar noted, “It’s a bit cold for me too.”

“Bunch of wimps,” Gastón shook his head laughing as he and Nina walked out of the doors. “It’s not like we’re being completely irresponsible and braving a snowstorm. It’s not even windy.”

“It’s so clear, look.” Nina pointed toward the sky, which was completely clear, and the moon was shining directly at them, surrounded by numerous northern lights.

The swirls of light were moving continuously. It almost looked like they were dancing.

“There must be some tricks on how to get good pictures of these,” Nina said after looking through the camera lens. Gastón was the one of the two of them who was a bit better at nature photography, while she had the better knacks at photographing people.

“Decrease the shutter speed and the aperture and increase ISO between 800 and 3200, to about 1600. Use manual-focus and a steady hand,” Gastón adjusted the way Nina was holding the camera.

“Did you research this at some point?”

“No, but Dad has taught me all of his tricks,” He shrugged as Nina snapped a series of pictures. “I don’t know how I even remember it, but it’s all about getting as much as light as we can.”

“Okay,” Nina said and directed the camera back at the sky, “These are looking much better already. I never thought we would get to see the beauty of Auroras in person.”

Gastón couldn’t fully look at the pictures as his gaze kept focusing on Nina and how her face was illuminated by the light from the sky. She was so beautiful.

“Put that camera down for a sec.”

“Why?” Nina turned to look at him.

“Because I can’t stand a moment longer without kissing you.”

“You’re impossible.” She giggled as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

“Impossibly in love with you.”

Making out in the snow under the moonlight had not exactly been on their bingo card for this year, but that didn’t make the moment any less special as their bodies started intertwining with each other.

Suddenly a strong gush of wind blew past them.

“The wind seems to be picking up,” Gastón wrapped his arms tighter around Nina, “The storm might be coming after all. We should get going before you freeze.”

“Well, there are things we can do to get the body heat back up.”

***

“I really wish I could have seen the pics you got yesterday,” Luna said as she, Gastón and Matteo finished descending one of the red slopes.

“Well, you were already asleep,” Gastón shrugged, “Nina said that she’ll transfer them to the computer during the day. We can look at them in the evening. Your loss for not coming with us.”

“How did you even take that long?” Matteo furrowed his brow. Something was telling him that Gastón and Nina had not minded at all having been left alone to take that moonlit stroll to hunt for the Aurora Borealis. “We were sure you had been frozen into icicles.”

“And yet you went to sleep.” Gastón rolled his eyes. “Almost like you don’t even care… Anyways, where to next?” We’ve done almost all of the basic slopes now.”

“Uuuu, so what have we not done?” Luna looked at the map that was on the wall of one of the cafes.

“The Black ones,” Matteo pointed to one of the narrowing black lines on the map. “We wanted to get some experience before doing those.”

“Well, how about we go try one?” Luna hopped up on her snowboard. After a couple of days, she had switched the skis to the board. She seemed to actually prefer it. “I mean we have experience now, and it can’t be that hard if people here do it.”

“I’m in,” Gastón nodded, “Matteo?”

“Well, why not?” Matteo nodded and looked at the map again, “The chair lift is right up ahead.”

“Well, that took forever,” Gastón remarked as the lift finally got up top, “Felt like it was gonna take a lifetime.”

“Well, we’re here now,” Luna attached her left leg back up to the board. “The last one down is a loser!”

Gastón and Matteo just laughed and headed down the slope after Luna.

The slope was quite steep and there were trees all around with deep trenches on both sides.

As the slope was also quite narrow, they ended up descending it in a singular line. Gastón first, Matteo second, and Luna last.

“That looks really steep,” Luna remarked after they had taken a small break about halfway down.

“Maybe, but nothing we can’t handle right,” Gastón said as he put his gloves back on. “Ready to continue?”

“Yeah, just in a sec,” Matteo turned to Luna for a moment as Gastón already started sliding down.

“Aaaah!”

“Oh my god!” Luna’s face turned horrified all of a sudden.

“What?” Matteo turned around to see that Gastón had somehow disappeared off the slope.

“He… he somehow all the sudden went straight left and straight to the trenches,” Luna pointed forward.

“Ah, I see,” Matteo tried his hardest not to laugh, as he carefully started descending to the spot Luna was pointing toward. “There must have been some ice there or something. You might not hold the best wipe-out record much longer. Gastón, you okay?!”

There was no answer. That was weird.

“Did you hear me?” Matteo inched closer to the bank of the trench. “Gastón?”

“Don’t scare us like that—” Matteo peeked over the bank onto the trench…

Gastón was there, on the bottom… Lying completely motionless, face against a tree.

“Dio mio!” Matteo quickly took his skis off and jumped into the trench. There was so much snow that he progressed with difficulty, but he was finally able to make his way to Gastón, his heart in his throat. “Gastón!!”

“Hey, you okay!? Answer me!” He grabbed Gastón shoulder and turned him around, shaking him. He was completely limp, and his eye was black and they were closed… “Wake up!”

“Matteo?!?” Luna’s voice came from above, “What’s going on?”

“He’s completely unresponsive!” Matteo yelled at her as the waves of dread washed over him.

“What!? Is he breathing?!?”

“I don’t know,” Matteo looked at Gastón again. How did you even test for a pulse? Something he should have learned to do after Mom had died, but he hadn’t thought he would be in a situation like that ever again. But here he was, holding his best friend’s seemingly lifeless body in his arms, 17 years later. “No, no, you can’t do this Hermano, come on. Wake up!!!”

{}

Uuuup, told you nothing was gonna go wrong am I right? Well, here we are. This happy go lucky adventure hs just gotten just tad bit more diar. So, honestly, I don't know what else I can really say right now. Tune in to read the next chapter... when it comes out. You really though I was actually gonna tell you when it's gonna be huh?

#Soy Luna #soy luna fanfiction #gastina #lutteo #simbar #pelfi #kind of in the background #Christmas #DCLA Holidays #Finland #I have my silly faves visit my country

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queensharotto · 1 year

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Honeymoon Vol. 4 Translation

Listen to the audio here!

Ryou Kashiwagi (柏木稜, Kashiwagi Ryou)

Voiced by: Koji Yusa

Age: Early 30s

Job: Company President

Country: Hong Kong

For the translation, view below. Note that it isn’t 100% accurate.

🌃 Track 1: The Prologue

It’s been almost three years since we started dating, and I still remember when we first met.

When you were still a new employee, you started talking to me in the company halls, not knowing that I was the president.

The button on my suit was coming off so I asked you to fix it, and you reattached the button.

I was so attracted by your kindness that I decided to ask you out on a date, all while hiding my identity as the company president.

*chuckles* I didn’t want you to look at me with a title, so I kept quiet.

After several days, I confessed to you.

You accepted my confession, and that was when I finally confessed to you about being the president.

A lot has happened in the three years since then.

Due to my position, I’ve kept our relationship a secret, but now I thought it would be time to make it public.

No, I’m not going to be announcing that we’re dating.

Marry me, I stopped by today to propose to you.

An engagement ring I made for you. Will you continue to support me from now on?

I thank you for accepting.

Let’s be happy together. That’s right! I have something to show you, follow me!

This is the hotel reception hall, the facilities and staff here are top notch, and there’s no perfect wedding, so how about it?

Then let’s have our wedding here. I look forward to seeing you in your wedding dress.

🌃 Track 2: Honeymoon Consultation

I’m back. The meeting was long and so I was late.

Were you lonely? *kiss*

Hmm? Television? Is this a weekly travel show or a show you like?

A trip to Hong Kong and Macau? It’s a place I would love to visit once.

I often go to America and Europe for business, but I don’t have many opportunities to go to Asia.

Have you ever been there? So you haven’t… Let’s go on honeymoon.

The place will be a little closer, but let’s make it a later trip instead.

Leave the plans to me, I’ll think of a lot of events that will please you.

The problem is that it’s a serious area, I’ll be busy with work after the wedding, but maybe next month I’ll be able to take some time off, before the wedding, okay?

Alright! I’ll make it a honeymoon you’ll never forget, so look forward to it!

🌃 Track 3: Hong Kong

Well, we’re at the hotel, let’s get out of the car.

I’m glad you liked the limousine, but you don’t have to be disappointed, because I’m planning on using the limousine for the rest of our trip.

Let’s get off and check in at hotel already.

I booked this hotel in Hong Kong, I promised that we would have a gorgeous trip, so I booked one of the finest hotels in Hong Kong, and of course our room is a suite.

*laughs* I’m glad you like it so much! Come, let’s hurry to our room.

This is the room we’ll be staying in, it’s spacious, has a beautiful view of the night sky and the mood is prefect.

Hey, hey! You’re like a child when you talk like that.

Hmm? Would you like me to express it with your demeanor and not your words? So, that’s what it means?

*kiss* Today, I want you to listen to everything I say. *more kissing*

Your face after kissing is so adorable. If you show me that, I’ll want to tease you.

*laughs* Even though I blew my breath into your ear, you let that voice out. If your ears are good, why don’t you blame them more?

Good response.

Now it’s time for the real thing, I’ll take my time and love you so much, so be prepared. *kissing*

🌃 Track 4: Ocean Park and Chinese Food

This is Ocean Park. Home to an amusement park, a zoo and an aquarium, it’s Hong Kong’s famous leisure spot, I don’t usually come to facilities for children like this, but today I have a big child with me.

*laughs* It’s childish to give in right away like that. Rather than that, look, there’s your favorite panda.

Hey! Don’t fall over kid!

He’s happily eating grass, he’s a cute guy. Oh, the panda seems to be looking at you.

I think he thought we were friends, and you’re just as cute as a panda.

There, there. I enjoyed the panda, next is the aquarium.

Let’s return home for the day and enjoy the ocean park to it’s fullest.

I didn’t expect you to be so excited. Well, I had fun too, since I had never been to an amusement park since I was a kid.

It’s almost time for dinner, so I’ve made a reservation at a famous restaurant where I want to have Chinese food, and I’ve booked it and I’m expecting it because it looks very delicious.

We’ve arrived at the Chinese restaurant. That’s it. Hey, be careful! Oh go ahead, ladies first.

A reservation for Kashiwagi. Right, a private room. Yes, I don’t want to be disturbed when I’m alone with you, so I’ll keep it in the private room.

What do you want to eat? So, is it okay if I like it? That’s right, Peking duck, braised shark fin, bird’s nest soup and boiled abalone cream. I wonder if it’s like that.

Is this your first time eating this? Come to think of it, we never went out to eat Chinese food together.

There’s a restaurant that I recommend in Japan, so let’s go there together when we return.

Look, it’s the dish you’ve been waiting for, so which one are you going to eat?

*laughs* Shark fin, understood. It looks delicious, look, open wide.

Oh, but I’m not going to feed you.

The shark fin here is as good as the rumors say.

*laughs* Do you want to eat it that much? Then, please try to beg me to give it to you.

Hm? *laughs* Then open your mouth again.

Ah. I can’t get it in with such a small mouth, open wider.

You are honest. All right, it’s a reward. See is it good?

Good, I’m more satisfied with just your smile.

🌃 Track 5: Night Scenery Award in Hong Kong

Today we’re taking a ferry and enjoying a night cruise at Victoria Harbor.

This is the Star Ferry that peaks at the top, and it’s familiar to residents and tourists in Hong Kong.

Oh, it looks like we’re leaving.

If you look at the Hong Kong site, it’s amazing.

I’ve seen many night scenes all over the world, but this is the first time I’ve seen them so beautiful.

As expected, it is said to be a million dollar night view, and it’s Hong Kong.

It’s still to early to be impressed, the main event is about to begin.

It’s already 8 PM. It starts next, so watch it.

This is the Symphony of Light. It’s a light and sound show made possible by the searchlights on top of the skyscrapers. On an important day in Victoria Harbor, I wanted to show you this show, so I took a night cruise.

You really are playful like a child, and I love that innocent side of you. *kiss*

🌃 Track 6: To Macau by Ferry

For now on, we’re taking the ferry to Macau. It’ll arrive in about 50 minutes.

While it saddens me to leave Hong Kong, but more than that, I’m looking forward to going to Macau.

Macau is renowned for its casinos and is said to be the Las Vegas of the East.

If you’re new to casinos, I’ll teach you my rules. Roulette and blackjack are easy to remember, and Macau has a lot of historical architecture, and it’s has much fun as Hong Kong, which is a renowned world tourist destination, or even more.

That’s good, now let’s get on the ferry.

Let’s sit here.

The ferry has canceled? I’m feeling a little sick.

You may not be able to do it, please release me. Thank you, let me lean on your shoulder. It’s gotten better, but it’s still not enough. Could you rub my back?

Your hands are warm and I’m feeling a little better. What else would I like for you to do?

Right, I think it would be easier if your knees could be a pillow, thank you. Your lap feels so good, I feel like I can sleep better than any other pillow.

If I get thirsty, did you mind getting me some water?

I’m sick and can’t get up, so put it in your mouth and let me drink it from there.

Please, my throat is already parched.

*mouth to mouth water drinking*

The water you gave me to drink tasted exceptionally good. Besides, you’re the cutest when you work hard for me.

*laughs* You finally noticed, I was pretending the whole time! Sorry, sorry. Sometimes I just want to spoil you, please forgive me. *kiss*

I won’t deceive you this time, so let me spoil you again.

🌃 Track 7: Macau Tower

This is the best view from Macau Tower.

The apartment building I live in is also a high floor so I’m used to high places, are you okay with high places?

I’m relieved to hear that because I didn’t come to Macau Tower for the purpose of taking in the view.

There are some interesting attractions, just look out the window as they’re on right now.

Look, you can see people jumping off, that’s the best bungee jump in the world! You have to experience it when you come to Macau Tower.

What? Weren’t you okay with high places? Are you that strong?

Then how about a full sky jump instead? You can adjust the fall speed with wires, so you can fall more slowly than bungee jumping.

And if it’s a sky jump, we’ll do it together. If you’re with me, it’ll be a bit more reassuring.

It’s decided! Let’s go to the Sky Jump reception immediately!

When you stand on the jumping platform, the tension is different, it is indeed a tremendous height.

It’s okay, I’m with you. Well then, let’s go! Three, Two, One, Now!

Whoa! It’s amazing! *laughing*

*applause* It’s over! Hey, are you alright? You did your best.

So, how was the Sky Jump?

I mean, I had a lot of fun too. I feel like I can get through anything with you because we stopped together, and here’s a reward for your hard work. *kiss*

🌃 Track 8: Macau Sightseeing & The Casino

This is the central location of Macau, which has been recognized as a World Heritage State in Sendo Square.

Beautiful cobblestone with a beautiful cityscape and pastel colors.

Macau used to be a colony of the Portugal, so there are many buildings like this in Southern Europe.

Since we’ve come all the way here, let’s take a walk around the World Heritage townscape.

At the top of those stairs is the Ruins of St. Paul’s in the west, Macau’s most famous historic building.

Majority of it was destroyed in a fire with the exception of the front. At the time of it’s construction, it’s was the largest Catholic Church in Asia. There’s even a theory that Japanese Christians who were exiled from Japan were involved in its construction.

Wait! If you climb the stairs in such a hurry, you’ll fall and get hurt! Look out!

I did it again. If I hadn’t saved you, you would’ve fallen down the stairs and hurt yourself.

This is what happens when you leave me, so don’t make me worry.

I’ll have to hold you like this and move so that you don’t go anywhere on your own.

No good, tourist spots always hold you like a princess.

*Timeskip to the arrival at the Casino*

Speaking of adult entertainment, let’s play at the hotel casino.

I’ve had some experience with casinos in Las Vegas, so I know the rules.

Well, baccarat seems to be the most popular in Macau casinos, so let’s play baccarat.

Baccarat is about predicting who will win, the best player or the artery banker. The winner is determined by the total number of cards dealt to the player and the banker. Cards with 2 to 9 are their numbers while Ace is the bookmark of the number closest to 10 and F, and if the total score of the cards exceeds two digits, it’s the last digit.

Well, I knew it was like this. It would be difficult to explain it alone. I’ll show you an example, you can watch for the side.

This is the Baccarat Table.

First, bet 500 on the player side. Yes, the player wins. You get 500, the same amount as your initial bet.

Next, yes. Shall we put it all into a draw? The odds are low, but if you win, you’ll get 8 times the bet.

Alright! *applause* This is also my win!

Of course, it’s a secret to winning the game. *laughs*

Agreed, because the goddess of victory was by my side. Where did you go?

It’s been a long time, enough is enough. Let’s go to the next match.

🌃 Track 9: Night of the Sixth Day

If the week flew by, how would our honeymoon have been?

I had fun to, but it’s not over yet.

I’ll make a lasting memory for our final night.

*passionate kisses*

Do you like being kissed on different parts of your body?

Then I’ll give you more kisses. Right, anywhere but the lips.

*more passionate kissing*

Hmm? On your lips?

If you really want me to do that, just ask me to kiss you on the lips.

If you don’t tell me, then I won’t give you a kiss on the lips.

Hmm? I can’t hear you, talk more clearly.

Good girl, because you said it properly, I’ll give you plenty.

*even more passionate kissing*

Now, what do you want me to do?

If you want me to embrace you, then embrace me.

Hmm? You can’t say?

Your face turned red. What is it, do you really want me to embrace you?

So you finally admitted it, then, as you wish.

I’ll hold you.

🌃 Track 10: The Epilogue Wedding

Thank You for joining us for our wedding reception today.

I’m sure everyone is very surprised that we were getting married, since we didn’t make our relationship public.

But from now on, without hiding anything, the two of us will continue to love and support each other in life.

Actually, I secretly wrote a letter for her today, so please, allow me to read it in front of all of you.

“My love, until I met you, I thought there was nothing more important than work. I believed that if I was successful in my career, I could get eyes, money, anything. But you thought me that the most important thing in this world is to love people. Now, the most important thing to me, is you. Thank You for being my wife, I vow to love you for the rest of my life. From your husband, Ryou Kashiwagi”

*The audience’s applause*

#honeymoon drama cd #ryou kashiwagi #honeymoon series #drama cd #koji yusa #honeymoon translations

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roomchailimited · 6 days

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Vienna’s Elegance: A Walk Through Austria’s Imperial City from a Bangladeshi Traveler’s Perspective

The moment I landed in Vienna, the air felt different – crisp, clean, and filled with a sense of timeless grandeur. Coming from Dhaka, where the streets are always abuzz with life and color, Vienna’s calm elegance was a striking contrast. As a Bangladeshi traveler, it felt as though I had stepped into a painting, with each street and building whispering stories of emperors, musicians, and revolutionaries. If you’re planning a trip from Bangladesh to Europe, Vienna is a must-visit destination.

A Stroll Through History

Start your walk at Stephansplatz, the heart of Vienna. The St. Stephen's Cathedral, with its colorful tiled roof, stands tall, symbolizing the city’s medieval charm. As you take a moment to absorb its beauty, you might realize how different this is from the lively streets of Old Dhaka or Chattogram – both rich in history, but with an unmistakable pulse of the East.

From here, wander toward the Hofburg Palace, once the home of the mighty Habsburg dynasty. I couldn't help but imagine the royal processions that must have graced these halls. For history lovers from Bangladesh, this is a treasure trove of European aristocracy, but the grandeur might also remind you of our own Mughal heritage – empires vast and powerful, yet delicately beautiful.

Cafés and Culinary Joys

Vienna is famous for its café culture, and as someone who loves a good cup of tea in a Dhaka café, I was curious about the Viennese coffee tradition. The Café Central, with its high ceilings and marble pillars, is a place where history meets indulgence. I recommend trying a slice of Sachertorte (a rich chocolate cake) while sipping a cup of Austrian coffee. Though, for those who prefer a bit of spice, you might miss the kick of a good Bangladeshi cha.

For those looking for halal options, Vienna doesn’t disappoint. Many restaurants serve halal food, including Restaurant Kent, a great spot for Turkish dishes, or Zina’s for Lebanese fare. As a Bangladeshi, I found the Middle Eastern flavors familiar yet excitingly different.

The Imperial Ring

A walk along the Ringstrasse, Vienna’s grand boulevard, is like walking through a time capsule. This is where the city showcases its imperial past through majestic buildings like the Vienna State Opera and Parliament. It’s easy to imagine horse-drawn carriages transporting aristocrats to grand balls in a bygone era. The cultural richness reminded me of Bangladesh’s own historic layers, but Vienna wraps you in a royal elegance that feels unique to Europe.

Art, Music, and Museums

For art enthusiasts, Kunsthistorisches Museum and the Belvedere Palace are a must. As a Bangladeshi traveler with a love for creativity, the museum’s vast collection of European masterpieces left me in awe. But what truly resonated with me was Vienna’s deep connection to classical music. Composers like Mozart and Beethoven once called this city home, and you can feel their legacy in every corner. Whether it’s attending a concert at the Musikverein or simply walking past the Mozarthaus, music lovers will feel a special connection here.

Getting Around and Travel Tips

One thing I loved about Vienna is how easy it is to get around. The U-Bahn (metro) system is incredibly efficient and tourist-friendly. If you’re coming from Bangladesh, where navigating through traffic can sometimes be an adventure of its own, the organized and punctual public transport here is a welcome change.

For fellow travelers from Dhaka or Chattogram, who might be used to bargaining or haggling, note that Vienna is more structured, and prices are often fixed, especially in established restaurants and shops.

Travel Agencies for a Smooth Experience

Planning a trip to Vienna from Bangladesh can be overwhelming, especially with visa requirements and flight arrangements. Several travel agencies in Dhaka provide excellent packages and guidance for Austrian tours. Roomchai Limited stands out for its personalized service and ability to cater to the unique needs of Bangladeshi travelers. From visa assistance to flight bookings and hotel recommendations, they make the whole process seamless. They even offer tailored itineraries for Vienna that include must-see sights as well as off-the-beaten-path experiences.

Other agencies like Moushumi Travels and Biman Holidays also offer various European packages, ensuring that you get the best of your Austrian adventure.

Final Thoughts

Vienna is a city that whispers stories of imperial grandeur, classical music, and artistic splendor. For a Bangladeshi traveler, the experience is both eye-opening and humbling. As you walk through its cobbled streets, you’ll find yourself reflecting on the beauty of contrasts – between our bustling, colorful cities and Vienna’s calm, understated elegance. Whether you’re an art lover, history enthusiast, or simply seeking to explore Europe, Vienna promises an unforgettable journey.

#roomchailimited #travel #traveltips #dhakatravel #bangladeshitravelers #travelagencies #europe #gozayaan #sharetrip #Vienna #austria #street photo #street art #obokash

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photosbyjabo · 1 month

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Road trip around Western Europe: Paris, France

So we’ve arrived back in France. It was nearly 10pm when we arrived in the outskirts of Paris. I remember how we struggled to find the hotel. Already sundown and we’ve settled into our hotel rooms. Maybe because of where the hotel was located but we felt a little bit unsafe at that time of night so we didn’t go out anymore.

The following day, we had breakfast in our hotel with croissants that were sadly not very good. We then took the Metro to get to the city centre. We’ve planned out our two days here so it will be a fully packed day today. We strolled around Notre-Dame de Paris and also around the 5th arrondissement where we had lunch of steak and frites (and wine!) at a random restaurant on a random alley.

After lunch, we went to the Basilique du Sacré-Cœur de Montmartre for the second time but this time we went all the way up the cathedral and the view was stunning! You could even see the Eiffel Tower. We were so happy the weather’s nice and not too hot.

Next stop, Musée du Louvre! We must’ve spent about 3 hours of our afternoon here and it was nearly sunset when we came out. So much to see!!! We went straight for the Mona Lisa’s queue though but it was very anti-climactic the moment we got to see it. You don’t really get to appreciate it because no one’s allowed to go near it. A little bit disappointed with that but unfortunately majority of the people who visit the museum just wants to see the Mona Lisa. It was a bit chaotic for me especially once you’re in front of her as they only give you a minute to look at it. Everyone’s basically taking pictures of it and with it. I don’t think I’d want to do that again.

If we had more time I would’ve loved to go around and explore the other parts of the museum. We did see some other iconic pieces of art like the statues of Heracles and Achelous, Diana of Versailles, and the Venus de Milo .

Walking outside was so nice, a moment of respite for us being away from the crowd and some fresh air as well before we move to our next destination. We ended up renting Lime scooters and it was so much fun. However, that meant I didn’t get to take any pictures and videos. Mainly because we try to avoid taking our phones out as we’ve been warned plenty of times of pickpockets. Plus, I won’t be able to do it. Me, being very clumsy.

After resting for a little bit we decided to go to our final destination for the day, La Tour Eiffel. We hopped back onto our electric scooters and we also got to walk along River Seine.

We’ve pre-booked ourselves to go in the tower and all the way to the top but we didn’t realise that our tickets didn’t include the use of lifts so we basically walked from the bottom all the way up! All 674 steps!!! We started the climb up with a bit of light still and then got to the platform at 10pm. We were huffing at the top! Fortunately, the views were glorious! No wonder people call this the “City of Lights”. At intervals, the whole tower lights up and starts twinkling so we already witnessed it while we were at the top but we said we wanted to see its entirety whilst the “sparkling lights” are on so we waited ‘til midnight. Is that too cliché? We were knackered by the time we got to our hotel rooms that we actually booked taxis to get back.

Second and final day in Paris — one last day to scoot around the city. We pretty much only had the few hours of the afternoon to spare so we just ticked another off our tourist list — Arc de Triomphe. You could also pay tickets to go on top of it but we didn’t. Still, what a grand and beautiful work of art and architecture.

It’s bittersweet saying good bye to this city for me. Although we’ve already been to so many places, I feel like there’s so much more that I could do and see here. I know not many people like Paris but somehow I would really want to come back. We had coffee and pastries one last time and off we went to our next destination.

(All photos taken with an iPhone, August 2019)

#Paris #travel #photojournal #travelphotography #adventure #iphonephotography #France

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shiva1906 · 1 month

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Planning to Visit Denmark? Here’s How to Get Your Denmark Visit Visa

Obtaining a Denmark Visit Visa is the first step in making your travel dreams come true. Denmark, with its breathtaking landscapes, rich history, and modern cities, is a top destination for travelers from around the world. Whether you're drawn to the vibrant culture of Copenhagen, the serene beauty of the Danish countryside, or the historical significance of landmarks like Kronborg Castle, a visit to Denmark promises an unforgettable experience

Why Should You Visit Denmark?

Denmark offers a unique blend of natural beauty and urban sophistication. From the rolling hills and pristine beaches of Jutland to the bustling streets of Copenhagen, there's something for every traveler. Art enthusiasts can explore the world-class museums and galleries, while history buffs will find a treasure trove of ancient castles, Viking ruins, and well-preserved medieval towns.

For families, Denmark is a haven of fun and educational activities. The world-famous Tivoli Gardens amusement park, the original Legoland, and interactive museums make it an ideal destination for travelers with children. Food lovers will also find Denmark a delight, with its renowned New Nordic cuisine, fresh seafood, and cozy cafes.

Understanding the Denmark Visit Visa Process

If you're planning to visit Denmark, securing a Denmark Visit Visa is a crucial step. The visa application process can seem daunting, but with the right guidance, it can be straightforward and stress-free.

Determine Your Visa Type: Depending on your nationality and the purpose of your visit, you may need a Denmark Visit Visa. This visa allows you to stay in Denmark for up to 90 days within a 180-day period for tourism, family visits, or business purposes.

Prepare Your Documentation: Proper documentation is key to a successful Denmark Visit Visa application. You will need a valid passport, recent photographs, proof of accommodation, travel insurance, and financial proof to cover your stay. It’s essential to ensure all documents meet the Danish authorities’ requirements.

Submit Your Application: Once your documentation is in order, you can submit your Denmark Visit Visa application at the nearest Danish embassy or consulate. In some cases, you may need to provide biometric data as part of the application process.

Wait for Processing: Visa processing times can vary, so it’s wise to apply well in advance of your planned travel dates. On average, it may take about 15 days, but this can vary depending on the volume of applications.

Travel to Denmark: Once your Denmark Visit Visa is approved, you’re all set to visit Denmark. Be sure to carry all necessary documents, including your visa, passport, and travel itinerary.

Tips for a Successful Denmark Visit Visa Application

Start Early: Apply for your Denmark Visit Visa at least a month before your planned departure to account for processing time.

Seek Professional Help: If you're unsure about the visa process, consider using a visa service provider. They can assist with documentation, application submission, and provide valuable advice to improve your chances of approval.

Stay Informed: Visa regulations can change, so it’s important to stay updated on the latest requirements for your Denmark Visit Visa.

Conclusion:

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billikatchoo · 4 months

Text

solar sentience

“Billiiiiii!!”

I heard her call my name from across the street. I hadn’t seen Marusya since Porto. I had to stop myself from running out into traffic to greet her. i had made that mistake before and my knee still gives me trouble. but once there was a break in the traffic i dashed.

she saw me coming and opened her arms to embrace me. i ran into her with such velocity that she fell back, luckily catching both of us because i wouldn’t have been able to.

“i missed you so much, Marusya.” i made no effort to stop the tears from flowing from my eyes. “it’s been too long.”

“we talked for a hour yesterday, you goofball.” we did. we talked on the phone often and had a bad habit of losing track of time. even just to establish when and where we’d meet led us to a long tangent about my travel frustrations. “but it’s so nice to see that smile again.” i grinned even harder.

Marusya led me to the cafe. she had been staying in the city the past few months with friends i would meet later that evening. i was lucky enough that my work brought me to Europe, and luckier still that my path crossed with hers. it seemed predestined.

she took me to her favorite cafe. she loved the pastries here and that was absolutely enough for me. the weather was beautiful today so we sat on the terrace. i found it somewhat overstimulating to be honest. i was distracted by the visibility of the old and intricate architecture that populated the landscape of this part of town. that’s to say nothing of all the people and traffic noise outside, but i did my best to focus on our conversation. it was all i wanted. that and a cigarette. i was surrounded by Europeans smoking over their coffees and i knew it was only a matter of time before i broke my streak. it wasn’t a long streak anyhow.

“i can’t believe it’s been three years already. it’s surreal.”

“i know. it feels at once like yesterday and a lifetime ago that we met.”

we worked together while we were both in school in Santa Barbara. we bonded quickly over our mutual hobbies and interests. primarily music and philosophy. in that time in our life we both desperately needed someone to talk to.

“yeah, honestly i can’t believe this is how things turned out for us. if you had told me then this is where we’d end up, i’d have laughed. and probably made sure it didn’t.”

“then i'm glad i didn’t tell you.” Marusya smiled. i couldn’t help but smile back. Marusya continued, “i’m sorry again though. i still feel responsible for how things played out in Washington.”

“it hardly matters at this point though. Terra gets released in a few months; i’m sure she won’t hesitate to forgive you.”

“i hope you’re right. i hope she’s as gracious as you’ve been.” Marusya stared into her tea. i hated to see her look so guilty. she deserved to be at peace.

“gracious? i had nothing to forgive, no matter what you tell me.” years ago she had been instrumental in my decision to transition. for that i owed her my life. i would never shake that feeling, even if she was responsible for my wife’s prison sentence. but that was between them.

Marusya started to get emotional, but she was better at keeping it at bay than i was. “i still have a hard time talking about it. i wanted to today, but now i don’t know if i can.”

“well damn, i could’ve brought my cellular then,” i joked. Marusya had asked me to leave it at my hotel. i knew the routine from our community organizing days. if we hadn’t been so diligent about our comms procedures she would be with Terra now, and i’d likely never see either released.

“have you heard from anyone since Terra’s sentencing?”

“no, i thought it best to cut ties with them. i didn’t want to push my luck. but i miss a few of them.”

“maybe when Terra’s back you’ll hear from them."

“i hope not. for her sake.”

“how are things between the two of you anyway? as good as always i hope.”

“actually they’re not. we stopped speaking. or writing letters rather.”

“no! what? why? what happened between you two?”

“she admitted to cheating on me in the clink.”

“what? you lie. tell me you’re lying.”

“i wish i was.”

“are you two done for good?”

“oh god no. at least i hope not. im just upset and we agreed it best that we don’t speak again until she’s up for parole.”

“at least that’s soon.”

“not soon enough.”

“it should’ve been me.”

“you should’ve been the one she cheated with? yeah honestly i’d’ve preferred that.”

“actually Lake did say that they’d forgive an infidelity only if it was her of all people.”

“what? seriously?”

“yeah, Terra has that effect on more people than you realize. i never told you about it because i didn’t want you to feel threatened.”

“i wouldn’t’ve felt threatened.”

“...or get any ideas.”

“okay, fair.”

“i still should’ve taken that rap for her. i never got to apologize.”

“you will one day. one day soon.”

“crazy how one little mistake could have such consequences.”

“just be grateful that was the only mistake you made.”

“i am. and thanks again.”

“for what? i didn’t do anything for you.”

“you saved me.”

“Terra saved you. i just played along.”

“then extend my thanks.”

“i’ve thanked her enough.”

i was growing tired of thinking about about my last days with the both of them. i was at my wits’ end. i excused myself to bum a cigarette from another patron. Marusya used the opportunity to get another tea.

it felt good to smoke again, and to see Marusya face to face, even if we still had some tensions to iron out. we had been unable to discuss it directly, on the chance that a bug might overhear. Marusya was still wanted by the FBI for her connection to the Nerysian Resistance Cell.

i inhaled deeply, letting the smoke fill me, and consume me. the nicotine made me feel light, made it hurt less to relive the past.

the Nerysians were the cell responsible for the assassination of Chief Justice Robert Jackson, the first Supreme Court Justice to be assassinated in the country’s history, but not the last. it seems like a minor incident after the events that followed, and i spent a long time hoping that the FBI agreed. luckily i have yet to be proven wrong.

ultimately, the only Nerysian who would do time in connection to that crime was Terra. just our luck. our friend Lake who pulled the trigger was murdered by police on sight. sadly, the trigger was attached to a pistol registered in Terra’s name. she had given her gun to Marusya when there was a string of robberies in her building. Marusya, in the midst of returning it, left it in the trunk of Lake’s car, which was commonly used for Nerysian activity. this led to it being mixed in with the unmarked arms that had shared the trunk that evening. the next morning Lake had taken that gun of all guns.

after recovering Lake’s body and Terra’s gun, it was only a matter of time before they came for her too. rather than implicate others, Terra took responsibility. the rest of the cell took the cue to go into hiding. we had covered our tracks well enough that the only charge they could pin to her was giving Lake the gun. she even convinced the court that she knew nothing of the assassination plans. they never knew of the other illegal rifles and pistols that Lake had access to. they never knew the truth of the Nerysians.

however, they did know that Marusya and Lake shared a house. scared that she could be used to expose an entire network of revolutionaries, Marusya fled the country. i helped her escape to Europe, by way of Portugal, where i had enough connections and spoke the language well enough to get her a stack of Euros, a fake passport and a train ticket to get deeper into the continent. she took refuge with her leftist connections from her post grad years in Eastern Europe. she seems to like it here, but it was hard to tell under all her grief.

Marusya returned, tea in one hand and pastry in the other, as i finished my cigarette.

“you smoked that so fast.”

“yeah, i should’ve savored it.”

“don’t make the same mistake with this,” she remarked handing me the pastry. “do you want to talk about something else? i think the heavy convos can wait.”

we sat to resume our convo. “yes, please. did you have something in mind?”

“yes!” Marusya’s face lit up, her demeanor shifting immediately. “i was reading earlier about the new advancements in cold fusion tech.”

“really?” this was a topic we both had followed since scientists started making advancements when we were in college. it was one thing that gave us hope for our global future.

“yes! they’re creating more and more energy everyday.” her enthusiasm comforted me. “it’s so exciting.”

“where is this happening?”

“at a new nuclear research facility in Vienna.”

“very cool. it’s about time.”

“i agree, it’s a shame that it took such extreme global circumstances to motivate the EU to fund it. but better late than never.”

“definitely. i just can’t help but be concerned with how this tech could be privatized and capitalized. this could solve so many problems across the globe, but that idea feels naive.”

“yeah, we need to be careful with these utopian ideas. every utopia is a dystopia for someone after all.”

“no argument there, but i don’t know what we will do if the people in power choose utopia. it seems almost certain.”

“we will feast upon their flesh,” Marusya replied flatly. “wasn’t that always the plan?” she looked at me earnestly, her eyes wide, as she pulled apart a piece of the pastry.

“yes, but i still pray it never comes to that.”

“too bad your prayers haven’t gotten a response. im sure the sun would know what’s in store for us.”

i thought that was a odd thing to say, at least for Marusya. “what do you mean?”

“wait, did you not hear that the sun is sentient? do you not read the news while you’re on tour?”

“i stopped reading the news when Terra left.”

“she didn’t leave. she was taken from you.”

“don’t remind me.”

“oh sorry. you’re right.”

“what are you talking about then?”

“okay so a few weeks ago some researchers published some really fascinating data that i thought you’d have heard about.”

“it’s been hard to keep up with all the extraterrestrial science that’s been happening since the shattering.”

“yes, definitely. but this is more legit than a lot of the speculation that’s coming out these days. essentially, astrophysicists were able to prove that within the sun there is energy flowing between atoms. and that this energy flows in patterns remarkably similar to the flow of electricity between neurons in the human brain.”

“oh, that is interesting.”

“isn’t it?” Marusya’s enthusiasm always filled me with joy. i missed seeing that in her face for so long.

“what exactly are we supposed to make of that though?”

“well, essentially the prevailing interpretation is that the sun is functioning like a brain, but given that the mass of the sun is so much larger than a brain, there’s practically infinitely more synapses with infinitely more connections, so to speak. and the conclusion researchers are coming to is that the sun is ‘hyper-sentient’ and is observing and on some level comprehending the universe that surrounds it.”

i was stunned. i didn’t know how to respond to that information.

Marusya continued, “i mean obviously we’ll never be capable of understanding exactly how the sun ‘thinks’ or how it experiences reality, or whatever hyper-sentience might imply. but the implications are fascinating.”

“you’re right. i was shocked. i don’t even know what to say.”

“really? i thought you’d have something to say given your sun worshiping tendencies. i really surprised you didn’t hear about it.”

“well, this is validating. i feel like i already knew somehow.”

“maybe somehow we all did. we’re all waves on one ocean anyway. the sun is just like a tsunami.”

i really liked this conjecture. i knew Marusya thought about life along these lines and i knew that she was right about the nature of reality. “but given that our sun is just one star of one hundred billion, and that’s just within our galaxy, are they theorizing that all stars are sentient?”

“yes, that’s exactly the conclusion they’ve come to. all stars have been reclassed as ‘hyper–sentient beings.’ they’re already calling them ‘HSBs’ and it’s opening an entire new subfield of astrophysics. evidently our search for extraterrestrial life had too narrow of a scope.”

“does this mean they’ll finally stop looking for little green men?” Marusya and i had both long considered this a futile effort and a waste of ever-dwindling resources.

“almost definitely not. everyone still wants to know who built the moon.” Marusya said this almost as if she did as well.

“they want to know who they can declare war on.”

“sure, but maybe we need to be humbled. as a species.” Marusya was right. the hubris of man had gotten out of hand in the past decade, saying nothing of course of the centuries that preceded it.

i nodded as i ate the last bite of pastry. Marusya was right about them, and i’m sure she was right about everything else. but i needed time to process it.

i looked to the sun now. or as much as i could given its unbearable brightness this time of day, this time of year. its rays illuminated big fluffy clouds, clouds taller and wider than any castle in Europe. i wondered if it could feel me, if it could feel the warmth that i felt in that moment, from radiation that connected us directly. i felt so small then; i was one of nearly two million people in this city alone. this city that were its area transposed onto the surface of the sun, would appear so miniscule it would not be detectable by even our most advanced instruments and our smartest scientists.

could it feel what i was feeling? did we only exist as an extension of it? as a cosmic appendage that was willed into existence so that this HSB may be capable of experiencing its own beauty? if so, did that change anything for us? would that bring us to reassess, re-examine, and ask ourselves, “how do we live?”

i knew i wouldn’t come to any worthwhile conclusions now, or soon, or maybe even as long as i lived. we were in a new era of gods greater than ourselves, and for once in human history plainly observable to exist. so why did this bring our own existence into question? i wanted to get into all the questions that raced through my mind then and there, but it was time to leave the cafe. maybe it was best to give myself time to collect my thoughts, and to reground myself with the exciting prospect of exploring a very old city with my oldest friend. Marusya always had a way of bringing me back to reality, no matter how strange reality became.

“what do you want to do first?” Marusya asked me, smiling at me big as ever. i knew from that alone we would be alright.

“buy a pack of cigarettes,” i responded without missing a beat. for the first time since i landed in Europe i had other things on my mind, but i knew from experience that relapsing on my nicotine addiction would keep me from relapsing on the designer psychedelics that captured my youth and were widely available on the continent. i wanted now more than ever to dive back in, to take a hero’s dose and explore this fresh perspective of the cosmos. i wanted to reconnect with our celestial father, who gave us life and watched closely over us. i wanted to, but i knew i couldn’t let Marusya see me like that, not again. i knew if i wasn’t clean when Terra was released there would be no prospect of her returning to me. i knew that the two of them meant more to me than any drug. on second thought, i decided against the cigarettes, and Marusya led me deeper into this city as old as our measurement of years themselves, guiding me further into the past as she once had guided me into my present. we talked and we laughed and we sang and we cried, and we rekindled the friendship we had sacrificed for the greater good of humanity. for the first time in years, it felt like a worthy sacrifice.

#short story #speculative fiction #sapphic fiction #broken moons

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