#anyways i need to stop talki g in tags

[stanleyslayer]

real drawing wwwoooaaahahahaaaaaaa stanley mr parable sir stare sstoically at you with a grin or msile or whateve

[yyuuna]

i’m not sure if your requests are open ( ignore this if they aren’t :00 ) but the fake dating trope witj todoroki and bakugo bdjnebfb

fake dating

—fake dating with them

includes: s. todoroki / k. bakugo

pairing: various x reader

genre: fluff

disclaimer: lowercase intended

warning: swearing

a/n: i triED 🏃🏻‍♀️ i’ve seen tropes like this all the time but i still couldn’t get it done nicely but here u go,,

—todoroki

despite having literally no idea about what’s going on, he’s no snitch

simply doesn’t care

will submit to ur plans because he’d think why not?? a friend is in dire need of help, so why shouldn’t he help?

ok, on to the story

as u were walking down the hallway of the school building’s second third floor, u spot someone

his name is sora, ur stalker during middle school—he’s rly creepy

by creepy, i mean he used to harass you with his undying love during lunch time, touching you whenever he can, bombard you with diabetes during valentines day, invading your privacy, lying to everyone that you’re together

a squeak make its way out to escape from your lips as your widened eyes stare at sora

thankfully, the joyous screams and boisterous laughs coming from the school fair had weakened his senses, thus not being able to immediately see your cowering figure

he was hard to shoo away back then

despite being able to defend yourself from him back then, him being annoying is rather intolerable

so u sneakily go down the stairs cz u dont want sora to notice nor harass u

buttttt sora caught sight of you—after all, you’re the reason he came to UA’s school fair

“[name]! come back here!” he yelled, jogging to make his way to you

ur run suddenly accelerated tenfold

u kinda caught todoroki’s attention bcz ur shoes were clacking rly loud on the floor

todoroki was just standing there, looking at u

he just got out of the classroom

“oh thank god—todoroki!” you gestured to him as your panic withers away

well at least until sora’s voice stiffened you again

“[name], let me talk to you.” sora grabbed your shoulder rather too harshly

“what do you want? why are you even here?” u back away, but he only gets closer

“what, didn’t you miss me?” he smirked, contradicting the disgusted scowl on your face

todoroki awkwardly stood there, silently watching the exchange

“c’mon, everybody knows we’re together, so i wanted to take you out with a couple of friends” sora took ahold of your hand, caressing your palm

honestly, you just want to go home

so your eyes swiveled at anything but him, looking for nothing in particular

until ur sight lands of todoroki

“shou~can we go to our date now? im rly hungry” u interlocked ur hand with his as u escape from sora’s hold

ok, he was genuinely confused but uh

“uh sure...” todoroki said

sora scoffed “psh, him? ur boyfriend?”

at this, todoroki’s ear started to heat up—and no his quirk is not in on this

he does have a crush on u, but he doesn’t know he actually has a crush on u. all he knows is that he admires ur strength and many more traits than he does to anyone else

“whatever, we’re still not done, [name]” sora smirked, his finger seductively tracing your jaw before leaving u two

todoroki obviously sensed the danger, pulling u closer to him

“i’ll walk w u” he stared at u

u two started walking towards the exit of the campus, not bothering to separate ur hands—which is most likely his idea

“uh, thanks...sorry about earlier. i didn’t mean to use u—well i kinda did but he’s creepy”

“okay” he casually said

nearing the exit, u began walking to the opposite direction, only to be stopped when he didn’t seem to let go of ur hand

“i thought u were hungry?” he asked

“no i—well yeah, im hungry but it was also with the pretend part, right? i mean, we aren’t together to go on a date” u chuckled awkwardly, though his face stayed indifferent

“date...? is that so....” he trailed off, looking down in thoughts “then if you’re hungry, we should go on that date”

he’s cluelesssssss

“eh? well sure i guess...?”

“okay”

that’s ur first date. by first date i mean there r following dates

—bakugo

sooo im not sure if this is exactly fake dating but the concept is there,, skshjs i need more ideassss

kinda aged up? i mean u two r on an official mission

he’s the type of person who’s against fake dating shit because it’s “fucking stupid” but honestly, he inwardly don’t mind at all

anyway, the group of villains u two were assigned to catch was in a high official party (a ball of some sort), so obv u attend there

as u two were slowly getting information, leading them where u can easily catch them without getting the civilians’ attention, u heard one of ur enemies’ micro transceiver (walkie talkie microchip things on their ear)

“enemy is wearing a fur coat, has [h/c] hair that’s tied up, and is around [height] feet tall” said the person on the other line

the enemy’s eyes widened, but before he could catch u, u ran towards ur partner, bakugo, and pulled him to one of balconies

“what the hell?!”

“they’re onto us!” u whisper yelled, hiding ur coat somewhere while taking off ur hair tie

u heard footsteps, perhaps they have already found out where u both went

“there’s no time!” u hissed, pushing bakugo on his knee

“OH MY GOD...YES! OF COURSE I’LL MARRY U!” u excitedly chanted

“huh?”

bakugo was about to throw profanities when the enemies entered his peripheral vision

u saw this too, but the enemies seemed like they were still about to pester u two

lmao so u pulled the blond up, laying ur face on the crook of his neck to imitate a make out session

and ur right thigh laid against his hip before u pulled his hand to grab it

his other palm encased ur waist, helping u

u can feel his heartbeat accelerating as ur body rests against his own

and ofccc pda makes people uncomfy

“sir, we lost her” u heard one of the enemies relay before they leave them

ur breath fanned his neck as his ears figuratively burned

“get off, dumbass” though his words were harsh as a sand paper, the way he pulled u away, on the other hand, was gentle as a feather

“u know once the agency learns about this, they’re gonna send your annoying ass with me all the time for fucking missions” he scowled despite actually wanting to have u as his partner

“yeah...probably some fake couple missions”

tags; @mayukhii @innersooya

[imaginingmarvelandeverything]

Convenience Store Clean Up

Pairing: Billy Hargrove x Reader

Warnings: Spoilers for season 3, blood and injury

Word Count: 1256

A/N: So, here is part 22 of Nightmares and Bruises. Sorry this is a bit later than I said it would be but I’ve had a very busy two weeks because I had to move out of my uni accommodation. Anyway, I hope you like it even if it is a bit of a filler chapter. The taglist is open so drop me an ask or a comment! I won’t reply to comments because this is a side blog but know that I see and read them all.

Series Masterlist

Masterlist

As the cars tore into town, Y/N flashed her lights at Nancy and gestured for her to pull over as they approached a convenience store. El’s leg was bleeding badly and needed to be treated sooner rather than later. Both cars came to a screeching stop outside the shop before everyone got out. Nancy grabbed a rock and threw it through one of the locked, glass doors as Y/N, Mike and Max helped get El out of the car.

They all followed Nancy through the door, Max and Mike supporting El, and made a beeline straight for the first aid aisle. Nancy grabbed a bottle of rubbing alcohol and gauze.

“Okay, get her down.” Nancy said to Max and Mike. They glanced at each other before gently lowering El to the floor against one of the shelves.

“Okay,” Nancy dropped to her knees by El’s leg. “let me see.” Nancy carefully rolled El’s trouser leg up to reveal the bite.

“Oh shit.” Max exclaimed as everyone else made similar comments.

Blood was oozing out of the puncture wounds and started to run onto the floor. It looked a lot worse than any of them were expecting and was worse than anything any of them had dealt with before.

Nancy started unwrapping some gauze but Max stopped her. “Hey, what-what are you doing?”

“I’m cleaning the wound.” Nancy said reaching for the rubbing alcohol.

“No, first, we need to stop the bleeding, then clean, then disinfect, then bandage.” Max said resting her hand on Nancy’s to stop her, as Nancy looked at her with wide eyes.

“She’s right.” Y/N said dropping down next to them. “Skater kids know best.” She flashed Max a quick smile which Max reciprocated. “So, what do we need to do?” She had some experience cleaning Billy up but it was never as bad as this.

Max laid some of the gauze over the bite and then grabbed Mike’s hand. “Mike hold this. Keep the pressure on it, nice and firm, okay?”

El groaned as Mike did as he was asked.

“We’re going to need water, soap.” Max turned back to Nancy and Jonathan.

“Yeah, okay. Alright.” Nancy said as they got to their feet and went off looking.

A sudden clattering caused them to turn and see Lucas emptying the contents of his back pack all over the floor. “Does any of this help?”

“No! Go get me a wash cloth and a bowl.” Max ordered.

“A bowl?” Lucas repeated.

“Lucas. Go.” Max said sternly.

Will smacked his arm and started walking away, forcing Lucas to follow.

“You need me to do anything?” Y/N asked.

“Bandages and medical tape or something else to secure them.” Max said.

Y/N stood up and walked up to the shelf Nancy had grabbed the gauze from. She grabbed some bandages but there wasn’t any medical tape. She walked back over and handed Max the bandages. “I think I’ve got some medical tape in the kit in my car.”

She walked back outside and opened the boot of the car. As she shifted through all the junk her cast got caught on something and she made a mental reminder to clean it out tomorrow; if they survived the night that was. And it was one big if. It suddenly hit her just how serious this was compared to the other things that they had faced. At least last time everyone was together. This time they had no idea where Joyce, Hopper, Steve and Dustin were. Or where Billy was her brain reminded her.

She pushed the thoughts out of her head as she located the first aid kit. She checked that there definitely was some medical tape before taking the whole thing inside with her. When she got back inside Mike was screaming into the walkie talkie.

“What happened?” Y/N asked as Nancy and Jonathan appeared at the other end of the aisle.

“It was Dustin, he was trying to tell me something about the gate but he kept cutting out.” Mike said.

“El, do you think you’ll be able to find him?” Y/N asked as she dropped to the floor in front of her and opened the first aid kit.

“Yes.” El nodded.

Y/N looked at Nancy. “Get Max, let’s get El’s leg strapped up and then figure out where Dustin is.”

______________________________________________________________

After they had successfully strapped El’s leg up, they moved her in front of the freezers. Mike found a bandana to use as a blindfold as Nancy and Y/N opened all the freezer door to create a low buzzing noise. Then they all took a few steps back and let El do her thing.

Until Lucas opened a can of new coke.

“Quiet.” Max hissed.

“Oh, sorry.” Lucas whispered back.

“How do you even drink that?” Mike asked in disgust.

“Because it’s delicious.” Lucas said.

“What?” Mike and Max said simultaneously.

Y/N and Nancy shared a glance because they couldn’t believe they were going to have this argument at this time.

“It’s like Carpenter’s The Thing. The original, is a classic, no question about it. But the remake…” Lucas paused to slurp at the coke before giving a contented sigh. “Sweeter, bolder, better.”

“You’re insane.” Mike stated.

“So, you prefer the original Thing?” Lucas asked.

“What? No! I’m not talking about The Thing; I’m talking about new coke.” Mike said.

“It’s the same concept, dude.” Lucas said.

“Uh, actually, it’s not the same concept.” Mike said condescendingly.

“It is the same concept.” Lucas shot back, their voices rising in volume.

“No, it’s not.”

“Yes, it is!”

“Hey!” El yelled as she ripped her blindfold off.

“Sorry.” Mike said.

Prompting Lucas to do the same. “Sorry.”

El just glared at them both.

“Did you… find him?” Mike asked.

“He’s at the movies, in Starcourt.” El said.

“Then let’s go.” Y/N said as she grabbed the first aid kit and her keys.

Lucas grabbed a shopping cart and loaded it with fireworks, which he said could be used against the mindflayer, while Mike helped El up. They loaded the fireworks into both cars before everyone got in as before. Y/N once again pulled out behind Nancy as they set off for the mall.

_______________________________________________________________

It wasn’t too long after they had left that the Camaro pulled up in front of the convenience store. Billy’ boots crunched on the broken glass as he walked into the store. His movement was almost robotic and his eyes were glazed over as he walked past each of the aisles, looking down them to make sure they were clear. He stopped at the end of the first aid aisle as he noticed all the dried blood and medical supplies on the floor. He crouched down and dipped his fingers in the blood that was still on the floor as the mindflayer came to life in his mind once again.

Part 23 (coming soon)

Tags: @assholeheartthrob @httperrornicole @ambeazyyy @princess-huffy @gemgemswift @colie87 @iris-suoh @sydneynix8305 @peter-pan-hoe @p0wderedtoast @not-a-glad-gladiator @fangirlinganditswonders@endgamenedsme @lazinesstookovermylife @lilac-dreams @anon-1112 @lilmissperfectlyimperfect @wickedlovely121 @lightlysweetened @scarecrowsragdoll @bilesxbilinskixlahey @moonstruckbucky @krazykatkay456 @thecraziestcrayon @moonchild1507 @tah0e @tony-stank3 @allie-mcginn @supernatural-girl97 @hi-my-name-is-riley @ria132love @t-swizzle-owns-me @sabrinasturtlenecks @meliv99 @jamesvaldezzzz @thatfrenchperson @cynthianokamaria @avnngrss   @studysimsx  @emmaquarius @stevieboyharrington@eyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy @ofwisdomandwar @external-l-appel-du-vide @evelynfreakinaddams @bish-ima-clown @noodlenerd101 @jakesmysterio @playboygeniusphilanthropist @itsfangirlmendes @pinkrosesx @killer-queen-xo @steveharrigntons @bookmarkofglitter @alina-margaret @labyrinth-of-thoughts @helen-of-troi @ninjathrowingstork @requestedmemory @believerofall  @thefandomzoneisdangerous @esteroni @deepmilkshakecoffee @somethingdawn @brandi1936 @universefinds @huang-the-geek @silver-winter-wolf @longliphoney @absolute-randomness-forever @littlepsychos-world @octavia05 @escaping-reality21 @httpakasha @dmv49 @lyricfreaks @helena-way07 @katiexdacre @fangirlbitch02 @lo-bells @slytherinrising @i-am-a-smol-sweet-potato @imjusthereforsupernatural @lokis-butter-knife @banannie25 @itsanallygator @justabeautiful-letdown @calumsfringe @jakeblckk @sunshine-and-riverwater @lasnaro @ang-hellic @marvelous-hargrove @safewithintheheart @kpopishilarious @beyxlm @sighrins @iloveyou3000and5 @yosoymuyloca @lauren-novak @killerqueenishere @fanngirl19 @nonexistentsouls @charmed-asylum @teenyforestfairy  @speedmetalqueen @xobeautifulfaith @clinomanians @briemariea @kcd15 @ellenna @just-a-nat​ @readinthegarden12​ @peqchynero​ @rosariia25​ @chloe-skywalker​ @aurorajuarezwolf​ @vulture-withafile​ @and-drew-101 @aamcqueeny​ @lovepandasloves​  @nightbu-g​ @spaceythangs @lookalivesunshine-x​ @hoeposey​ @marvelouspottering​ @ellyseveronica​ @hadokenkamehameha​ @billywig-on-baker-street​

[draftingtides]

Dogfish

AO3

Words: 1368 Characters: Mike Crew, Martin Blackwood, Jonathan Sims, assorted s4 characters Relationships: Jon/Mike/Martin Warnings: Jon has a brief meltdown, Mike was buried alive but it’s not described in detail Other Tags: Getting together, Canon divergence, Autistic & ADHD Jon, Autistic Michael Crew, I dont actually plan to finish this so uhhh be warned for that i suppose, This is just a self-indulgent sandbox i wanted to play in Summary: “Why do you need a shovel?” Jon stares at his hands and giggles quietly, if a bit hysterically. “I’m going to dig up a grave.” Martin’s surprised he doesn’t crash the car. “Jon—” “Please don’t,” Jon interrupts. “Just… please.”

When Jon shows up at his flat at three in the morning, crying and hyperventilating, it’s all Martin can do not to bundle him into a hug and hold him until he calms down. As it is, he has to settle for toning down the disdain he’s pretended to hold towards other people since he made up his mind to trick Peter.

“Jon? What are you doing here? It’s three in the morning.”

“Yes, I—I’m sorry, I—I didn’t want to bo-bother you, but I ca-an’t—” His quick, shallow breaths cut him off and what comes after is unintelligible.

“No, stop, I can’t understand a word you’re saying.” Martin opens his door wider and gestures for Jon to come in. Jon obeys, barely looking shocked at all. Martin steers him towards the couch and tells him to stay there.

Martin finds a bottled water in the fridge and returns to the living room. Jon’s elbows are on his knees and his hands are clenched tightly in his hair, and he is rocking back and forth. He doesn’t look up when Martin stands in front of him.

“Jon? I got you some water.”

Jon releases his hands from his hair and holds them out. Martin hands him the water bottle. It’s a good thing he decided to go for the bottle instead of a glass; Jon’s hands are shaking so badly he probably would have just spilled the glass. He still dribbles some down his chin, but he wipes it away with his shirt sleeve. 

Martin waits for him to finish the bottle to say, “Better?”

His breathing has evened out, but he exhales deeply before he nods. His tears are beginning to dry on his face, and he wipes those away with his shirt sleeve, to.

Martin wants nothing more than to gently clean his face with a warm washcloth, but he can’t. “Alright. Tell me what you’re doing here.”

When he speaks, his voice is rough. “I… I need a ride.”

“I can’t. Ask someone else.”

Jon flinches. “I can’t. I—they won’t.”

“Who did you ask?”

“Um. Georgie. Basira.”

“That’s it?”

“M-Melanie would sooner kill me. Elias is in jail. Daisy is—Daisy is dead. I d-don’t know anyone else.”

Jon’s lower lip trembles and he bites it like that will make it stop.

Martin sighs heavily and stares at the ceiling. That reaction, at least, is not faked. Doing this could very easily tip Peter off that he’s not as committed to the Lonely as he “should” be, but if this drove Jon to his flat, and in such a state, it’s obviously important.

“You can’t take the tube?”

Jon shakes his head.

Martin sighs again. “Alright.”

Jon stares at him uncomprehendingly. “Al-alright?”

Martin gestures for him to stand. “Come on, let’s go.”

“Oh!” Jon stands quickly as Martin grabs his keys and wallet, then silently follows Martin out to his car.

“So? Where are we going?” Martin asks, his fingers poised to type an address into Google Maps.

“Ah… I don’t think a GPS will be able to find it. I can give you directions.”

Martin raises an eyebrow, but doesn’t say anything.

A few minutes into the drive, Jon lets out a soft, “Oh.”

“What?”

“Nothing, it’s just… I forgot to bring a shovel.”

Martin actually turns his head to look at him before quickly looking back at the road. “Why do you need a shovel?”

Jon stares at his hands and giggles quietly, if a bit hysterically. “I’m going to dig up a grave.”

Martin’s surprised he doesn’t crash the car. “Jon—”

“Please don’t,” Jon interrupts. “Just… please.”

Martin grips the steering wheel tightly and doesn’t say a word.

“Turn left here,” Jon says after a few minutes. “No—Martin, I said left.”

“I know.”

“Then what—”

Martin pulls into the parking lot of a supercentre and parks the car. “Wait here.”

“But—”

Martin leaves the key in the ignition and gets out of the car. When he returns a few minutes later, he has two shovels that he puts in the back seat. 

Jon stares at him.

“You’re not going to dig up a grave with your bare hands.”

“Right,” he says quietly. “Thank you.”

The rest of the drive is long. Jon says, “We have to walk from here,” so they park the car, grab the shovels, and walk into the woods.

Jon stops and Martin almost walks into him.

“We’re here,” he says, staring at the ground under his feet. There’s nothing there to indicate it’s a grave—no headstone, no freshly turned earth—but there’s no mistaking the certainty in Jon’s voice.

They start digging. Neither Jon nor Martin are fit for this kind of work, and by the time the sky begins to lighten, their palms are raw and red.

“Jon,” Martin says, “I don’t think there’s anything here.”

Jon stops digging, but he doesn’t look up. “I…”

“We’ve been digging for hours.”

“Martin, I know he’s here. He’s in agony, I can’t just—it’s my fault he’s here in the first place. I have to find him and get him out.”

“Him? Who are you talki—”

The ground shudders ever so slightly, and Martin’s mouth snaps shut.

“Oh my g-d,” Jon says, and he drops to his knees and scrabbles at the dirt with his fingers.

Martin is suddenly very apprehensive that something is about to go wrong.

“Jon—”

A few fingers break through the surface of the dirt.

“Holy shit,” says Martin.

“Martin, help me,” Jon orders.

Martin gets down on his knees and starts digging again.

The arm attached to the hand thrusts out of the dirt, quickly followed by a second arm, and soon enough Jon’s wiping dirt off of a gasping face.

“Mike! Mike, it’s—it’s Jon, it’s Jonathan Sims. Hold on, I have to—” Jon drags a gasping, spluttering Michael Crew out of the ground, dirt cascading from his skin and hair.

Martin drags himself out of the grave—it’s a bit crowded for three people.

Mike makes weak flapping motions with his hands. He leans forward, still making those awful sputtering noises, and dirt falls from his mouth. Jon pounds his back as gently as he can, and even more clumps of dirt fall to the bottom of the grave.

Once it seems Mike's expelled all the dirt he can, Jon says, “Martin, help me get him out.” Jon gently moves one of Mike’s arms over his shoulder to support him. “Mike, I’m going to help you stand, and Martin’s going to pull you out.”

Jon helps Mike upright. Martin kneels at the edge of the grave, loops his arms under Mike’s armpits and heaves up and back. He drags Mike out more than lifts him, but what matters is that he’s out. 

He drags Jon out next, stubbornly ignoring the fact that this is the closest they’ve been physically since they hugged before the Unknowing.

Mike is on his hands and knees, head hanging down, looking like he’s trying not to collapse.

“Okay, let’s get him in the car,” Martin says.

Jon helps Mike into the backseat of the car and climbs in after him, leaving Martin to get in the front by himself. Probably better like that, anyway.

Mike stubbornly refuses to put on his seatbelt, though he doesn’t say a word or—as far as Martin knows, at least—use his powers. 

“Your flat is too far out of the way,” Martin tells Jon, even though it really isn’t. “I can either drop you off at the Institute or at my flat, but you can’t stay at mine.”

There’s a whirring sound and the sudden rush of wind from the backseat. Martin peaks in the rearview mirror to see Mike has rolled down the window. He’s looking up at the sky, but the angle is such that he can’t see Mike’s face.

“The Institute is fine,” Jon says. He goes silent, then says, more quietly, “Thank you, Martin.”

“Yeah, well. I’m not going to help you with something like this again, Jon. Don’t expect me to.”

Martin refuses to watch the mirror and see the way Jon shrinks back when he mumbles, “Of—of course. Sorry.”

[mylinlondon]

One year later: London Recommendations

I’ve had a number of friends ask me for recommendations for a few days in London.  It feels strange to be writing this almost one year after leaving, but I have time at the moment and it was lovely remembering it.  I genuinely loved living there. 

This list is purely for people who are visiting, whereas I probably would have a completely separate post for those who are staying long term (i.e., fave brunch/coffee shops, the bermondsey beer mile, pubs/watering holes, east end vs west end, parks, etc.)

Without further ado....

Things to do:

The best way to see London is by foot, and if you have to take public transit, take a bus (which are much cleaner and reliable than the ones in the States).  I used to live in Shad Thames, near Tower Bridge on the east end, so our usual walking loop included...

Starting at our flat in Shad Thames (its rich in history and architecture, see post here), walk on the Queen’s Walk along the south bank of the Thames west all the way down to Westminster Bridge. Along here, you’ll see Tower Bridge, Tower of London (across the river), City Hall, London Bridge, Borough Market, Shakespeare’s Globe Theater, the Tate, the Millennium Bridge, the National Theater, Waterloo Bridge, and the London Eye.  

Suggested stops: Borough Market, and take at least 30 minutes to walk through and sample all of the food.  Alex's favorites were the lamb box or salt beef bagel, and mine was the Ethiopian food or the paella/Malay curry combo.  You can also drink publicly in Europe, so stop by the beer shop or get a wine spritzer from the spot next to it for your walk.

If you want to grab a pint at a pretty authentic pub, The Anchor is a sneeze away from the Globe Theater and you can also grab a fish and chips there too.

Cross Westminster bridge and pass Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Houses of Parliament, then head right to go north on Whitehall Road to pass 10 Downing Street, the Churchill War Rooms and Trafalgar Square

Suggested stops: Big Ben is under construction for a few more years, so unfortunately you won't be able to hear it ring (albeit out of tune anyways, there's a massive crack in it. Same bellmaker as the American Liberty Bell, which also had a massive crack in it. Seriously, they had one job.) 

Churchill War Rooms: WWII is a lot more tangible and explicit in Europe for obvious reasons.  The US likes to magnify its role in it, but in many places across Europe, there is still shrapnel on the buildings and political regimes that are the remnants/ripples from the war.  If you have an extra 1.5 hrs, the War Rooms are the perfectly preserved headquarters of the British head offices, from the dormitories to the actual war room where the pencils/notebooks are exactly as they were on Victory Day. They built this enormous bunker to hide Churchill and protect him from the daily blitzkrieg, but the maniac liked to stand on the roof and watch the bombs get dropped. If you like history, this is a great spot. Make reservations, as they have timed entries.

Make a left at Trafalgar Square through the “Mall”, stroll through St James Park to Buckingham Palace. Once you’re done there, head straight north through Green Park, and once you hit the main road (Picadilly) make a right until you hit Piccadilly Circus.

Suggested stops: If you're lucky enough to come in August, this is the only month that the Queen leaves London for her summer palaces (as one does) and Buckingham Palace is open for visitors. It's beautiful and worth a visit if you again have a spare 1.5 hrs and time it perfectly with your reservations.

Trafalgar Square is the heart of London.  Its where all public gatherings, protests and festivals end.  If you google London, the pin drops you here.  The National Gallery bookends it on the north side, and its a free and excellent art museum.

Also, watch out for the swans in St James Park.  They're beautiful but aggressive.  I think just last month, a swan attacked and killed a little dog. If you go through behind the war rooms and skip Trafalgar Square, look out for the gamekeeper's hut, which is adorable and reminds me of Hagrid.

Once you're on the main road towards Piccadilly Circus, you can keep an eye out for Fortnum and Mason.  Its where supposedly the queen gets her groceries. I never had an interest in going in, but to each their own.  They sell their teas and biscuits at the airport dutyfree if you want to get gifts for friends, they won't be able to tell where you bought it.

End at Oxford Circus - I like to schedule lunch at Carnaby Street Dishoom so I’m properly hungry and the timing is usually about right. 

This whole walking route will take a few hours, if you’re not stopping at any of the suggested spots.  See here for the route on google maps. 

OTHER SUGGESTIONS:

Harrods is always good for a stop. I usually go right past the makeup/accessories on the ground floor to the Food Hall, which is my favorite part.  Take the Egyptian Staircase up to the furntiure/tech rooms too, which are fun to check out. Otherwise the apparel assortment is not dissimilar to a Bergdorfs. They’re famous for catering to the whims of the ultra rich; available on request are exotic animals and helicopters. The previous owner’s son Dodi is famous for being Princess Diana’s last lover and partner.

Almost ALL museums in London are FREE. It's a beautiful thing and a great way to spend a rainy day.  There are a few right across from Harrods.  The only one I didn't get to visit (with regret) is the V&A, which is NOT free but very much worth it from what I've heard.  The Natural History Museum in London swaps their giant dinosaur/whale skeletons entry hall with its cousin in New York on occasion. 

Sky Garden is the rooftop public garden on top of the "walkie talkie" building on Fenchurch street.  It's def worth a visit, and its free (part of the negotiations for the property owners when they built it, since it was buying out public space).  You do need a reservation which opens up 2 weeks prior. 

Aquashard/Hu Tong at the Shard.  Pay 15 quid to go to the top of the Shard, or pay 15 quid for a cocktail with similar views just a few floors down? I know I have my answer.  Entry is towards the southern entrance of the Shard, you'll see a separate revolving door to the right with an awning that says AQUA. Go to the bathroom for fun views while you use the lavatories.

Markets are fun and everywhere in Europe.  Here are some good ones in London, in order of personal preference;

Borough Market, as mentioned above.  You can't come to London and not visit. Also lots of famous films have taken place here, including Harry Potter.

Maltby Street market.  A lot smaller and more local, I'm biased because I used to come here with a 10 mins walk from my flat.  St Johns bakery is here, you should definitely get a donut. But honestly its quite tiny compared to the bigger name brand markets mentioned in this list, so go if you have spare time.

Notting Hill/Portobello Road. Even though it takes a little while to get there, its adorable and you get to see a more residential side of London.  Go any day but Sunday. Check out the shopfronts too. The Churchill Arms pub is nearby, and known for its explosion of greenery.

Spitalfields/Brick Lane Sunday market. Spitalfields is a permanent market, and a great central location.  If it happens to be Sunday, you can hop over to the divier and more eclectic Brick Lane to check out vintage and consignment shops.  Ignore the hecklers trying to get you to go in for a curry. Keep an eye out for the incredible street art, this area is known to be a tagging haven.

Columbia Road Flower Market. You have to time it perfectly to see it at its best, but its not a far detour if you're in the Shoreditch area (which is kind of the Brooklyn/Lower East Side of London). You can skip it if you're touring around, since you'll likely not be buying any flowers.

Things to Eat:

I cannot emphasize this enough: INDIAN FOOD is the best food in London.  And the best/most reliable place to get it is:

Dishoom.  There are a few locations; our favorite is Carnaby Street, followed by Covent Garden.  Def get the Pau Bhaji and Ruby Chicken.  We also love Bhel, Lamb Biryani and Samosas. Other people swear by the black daal. Get a colaba colada or mango lassi to wash it down.

Tayyabs. More on the grill/Middle Eastern range of the food map, but this place is known for kebabs and BYOB. My first company party was here, and it was rowdy and fun. Like korean bbq, expect for your clothes to smell afterwards. It's on the east end near Aldgate, and there's not much near here so its kind of out of the way. Londoners love this spot though.

Padella.  On the fringes of Borough Market near the tube station, this place is known for affordable and beautifully handmade pasta. Don't be afraid to order 2 pastas/person. Also, queue at least 25 mins before it opens.  By the time 15-to arrives, the queue will have snaked around 3 times.

St Johns. The original and legendary creative mastermind of second-wave British cuisine, this is true farm to table, nose to tail dining by Fergus Henderson. Not for vegetarians.

Ham Yard Hotel is my favorite spot for high tea.  Skip the prissy ones where the waitstaff is in tails and you feel like you can't slouch, and come here for super chic, beautifully done tea in a central location. You might spot a celebrity. There's a bowling alley "speakeasy" in the basement. We take all our guests here.  

Dinerama in Shoreditch - you may have to pay an entry fee, but this is a bustling market with lots of food and cocktail stands where desk jockeys and the cool kids of shoreditch mingle.  We loved coming here for happy hour/nibbles on a friday or saturday before going out in Shoreditch. Get a gin and tonic (they make excellent ones in the G&T stand, which was near the pizza spot if I remember correctly).

Duck and Waffle is gorgeous dining and open 24 hrs (some like to drunkenly come here at 3am for 5-course meals). Beautiful penthouse views of the city, but definitely have to make reservations. 

OVERALL TIPS:

Download the citymapper app.  This is by far the most reliable and accurate app for public transport in London, gives you down to the position on the train and live arrival times.

If you have contactless credit cards/Apple pay/Samsung pay, don't bother purchasing an Oyster card.  Unlike the US, contactless payment is accepted everywhere in Europe, even the bus/tubes/ferries. I still get annoyed when someone forces me to use a chip because they're not sure if the terminal works with contactless payment in NYC, when I can get around with just Apple Pay in Bruges which is literally a town made of stone.

Make reservations. London lives off reservations, and you'll be hard-pressed to find anything if you just walk in.  Brits in general are "planners". Unfortunately this doesn't leave much room for spontaneity but you can plan around areas and food resos, and explore the neighborhoods before/after. I like to bookmark all the spots I'm interested in on google maps so I can see at a glance what's nearby.

UBER, don't take a cab. The black taxis are adorable but nauseatingly expensive.  Uber will get you there in 1/3 of the price.

When in doubt, Bus over Tube.  You'll get to see a lot more of the city this way, its cheaper, and will take close to the same amount of time.

Don’t hesitate to reach out to me if you have any specific questions!

xx M