#if you catch any spelling mistakes or janky grammar please forgive me

[elshells]

Happy STS Ella! Since summer has begun for the northern hemisphere, my question is: what would your characters be like on vacation? Where would they travel (be it in our world or their world) or would they choose to stay home? Would they overpack, underpack, or forget their luggage all together? Late to the airport or six hours early? Stuff like that!

Happy STS, Morana! Great question, this was fun to think about!

If Sophia ever got to take a break from work, she would love to visit Mexico, which is where she and Ahren went for their honeymoon. The packing process would drive Ahren crazy because Sophia doesn't have a method for packing—she just piles her shit in with no rhyme or reason and somehow manages to get everything to fit into a suitcase and carry-on. Meanwhile, he'll agonize over what to bring and pack his suitcases very methodically, yet he'll still need to buy socks at their destination once he realizes he forgot to bring any. They would arrive at the airport much earlier than necessary, anxious and on edge, but as soon as they made it through security they would start to relax for their plane ride. Once they landed, I imagine they would spend a lot of time outside, hiking and enjoying nature together while they could be free from their responsibilities.

Janus would hate the idea of a vacation, but if he absolutely had to, he'd probably opt to have a cross-country road trip. No security to deal with, just some guy driving a car that he probably stole from city to city and having a good time. He'd manage to fit all of his belongings into a single backpack, and what time he didn't spend on the road he'd probably spend asleep in a motel (a luxury he doesn't get to indulge in very often). Even with all the time to himself, he probably wouldn't know what to do with himself. Some days he might choose to brave the crowds and go see the sights, taking walks on nature trails, visiting museums or art galleries, or maybe even going to a karaoke bar if he's feeling spicy. While he'd prefer to do all of this on his own, if he were to invite anyone he'd most likely invite Bellona. Given their complicated history, she would probably decline, but if she did agree, they may or may not end up committing a series of bank heists Bonnie and Clyde style just for the kicks.

Jade's grandparents live in the Caribbean, and with their permission, she would invite Harley and Max to come visit them with her one summer. Prior to the trip, they'd meet to make lists of what necessities they'd need to bring, and get together to pack it all up to make sure they didn't forget anything. Harley would overpack, Max would underpack, and Jade would shake her head at both of them and help them both fill their suitcases effectively with packing techniques like a game of Tetris. On the day of their flight, Max would arrive a few hours earlier to make it through security and buy them snacks, and on the plane Harley would choose to sacrifice herself for the middle seat. Jade's grandparents would pick them up from the airport and spend the entire trip doting on the three kids, taking them from island to island, where I imagine they'd have a lot of quality beach time. If you're interested in reading about what exactly they might do on the beaches, I touch on it a little bit in this post. :)

Alternatively, I also like the idea of Max and his family traveling to Korea for a couple of weeks, because his father is the only who's ever been there and I think that kind wholesome bonding trip is super on-brand for the Ahn family. <3