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barney-james · 4 years

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Quarantine || Steve Rogers x Reader SMUT

HiRequest: {anon} Girl that Chris smut is one of my favorites now. It is ok if I request some Steve Rogers quarantine fluff or smut?

Warnings: unprotected vanilla sex, supper fluffy

*not my gif*

The light pitter-patter of the morning rain against the window sill slowly pulls you from your comfortable sleep. Your eyes attempt to flutter open, but you’re momentarily blinded by the faint sun light drifting through the curtains. You fill your lungs with a deep breath and bury yourself deeper into the arms wrapped around you. Your boyfriend lies next to you, sound asleep with his arms wrapped so tight around you, it’s as if he thought you would break if he doesn’t. You love Steve’s level of care for you, always making you feel loved.

You relish the moment, trying to fall back asleep, but your mind had already woken up and started its day. After a moment, you give in to your restlessness and carefully pry yourself out of Steve’s arm. He groans and pouts in his sleep when he feels you leave his side. You kiss his forehead and head into the en suite bathroom to take your morning shower.

When you return to the bedroom with a towel wrapped around your body and your toothbrush in your mouth, Steve is still asleep. The covers pushed back as he lays on his back, his broad chest fully exposed. The covers come up to just below the already low waist band of his boxer briefs, exposing his v-lines and the light happy-trail you love so much.

Steve hums, but does not move. “You just going to stare, doll?” he asks in his gravely morning voice. That voice just does indescribable things to you, and tries to lure you back into bed with the beautiful man. Nevertheless, you were already awake and had planned your day in your head.

“Sorry,” you mumble with a school-girl-like smile, pushing yourself off the door frame and towards the closet across the room.

Steve props himself on one of his elbows, rubbing his face in an attempt to force himself awake. “What time is it?” he groans. The cloudy sky still letting plenty of the Brooklyn sun into the room.

You look at the night stand by your side of the bed, realizing you had not checked the time since you got up. “8:46,” you read the clock and open the closet door. You pull out your favorite silk thong and matching bralette, a tank top, and yoga pants.

“Fuck,” Steve pouts. “It’s way to fucking early, baby. We’re quarantined -- we literally have nothing to do. Come back to bed.” He lays on his side, watching you pick out your clothes from the messy drawers.

“Nope,” you say simply and turn back to the bed, going to grab your phone from the night stand.

“Why not?” he inquires. “You know you wanna spend all day against me, babe.”

You look up into his pleading eyes. His hand subtly slides down his side and into his underwear, but pushing the covers farther down the bed to make sure you notice the small damp spot.

You bite your lip, and head back to the bathroom with your clothes to change. You’d do it in the bedroom, but you don’t want Steve to get too excited. As you pass his side of the bed, he grips the end of your towel and pulls it from your body, leaving you naked before him. You stop and turn to him, smiling but rolling your eyes and go into the bathroom, leaving the door open.

“Why not?” he repeats his question.

“Because,” you begin, picking up your thong and bending over to put it on, your back facing Steve, revealing your bare cunt to him momentarily before pulling the garment all the way up.

“Because..?” Steve waits for the rest of your sentence as he watches you pull the tight pants over you butt. He grips himself at the sight, trying to relieve the building pressure in his groin.

You turn back to him as you pull your top over your head. “I’m going to clean the apartment, Steve.”

“You don’t have to do that, honey,” he pleads. “Really, it’s fine.”

“Every room is a disaster,” you laugh. “It sure as hell is bother me, but I know it’s bothering your decluttered head space.” He sighs, defeated, and you walk back into the bedroom, leaning on your hands over him. You lean closer to him, your lips brushing against his ear. You smirk as you feel his body tense in anticipation. “You know the rules, Stevie,” you remind him of the rule you share. No touching yourself. Why would you when you have a partner with you 24/7? You straighten up, kissing his lips gently. His hand grabs the side of your face, evidently trying to deepen the sweet kiss. You pull back from his lips, silently denying his request, and look into his eyes as you hum pleased, your teeth pulling your bottom lip into your mouth. You peck his lips one last time and go to head out of the room. “Oh,” you say, turning back to him momentarily when you reach the bedroom door. “I’m going to make french toast, so you might wanna get up so it doesn’t get cold.” You wink and walk out of the room, purposely leaving the door open to aggravate him.

You hear his muffled voice as he yells into a pillow frustrated. As you begin to cook breakfast, you hook your phone up to the speakers and play your music.

Steve comes out of the bedroom about a half hour later, his hair wet and sweatpants hanging low on his hips as his simple blue tee clings to his chest. He grabs the plate you left out for him and takes a seat at the island as you continue to clean the kitchen.

“Steve?”

He hums a ‘what,’ prompting you to continue.

“Did you break the rule?” You look over your shoulder at him innocently.

“No,” he says stern with hard eyes, but with a mouth full of toast, making it kind of lose the edge. He swallows his mouthful. “I took a cold shower.”

You look back down to the dishes, smiling to yourself pleased.

He continues his breakfast with no conversation, and carries his plate over to the sink to wash it when he’s done.

“I’ll get it, baby,” you smile at him.

“Thanks,” he says. “I’ll be in my office.” He kisses your cheek and his hand smacks your ass playfully before he heads out of the kitchen and into the office.

You deep clean the living area and organize as you go before going into the bedroom. You make the bed, start the laundry, and repeat your process in the bedroom and bathroom. You vacuum and sweep the whole apartment and water the plants last.

A couple hours pass between Steve leaving to his office and you finishing the rest of the house, and Steve had still not left his office. You decided, since you knew the room was also a mess, you’d clean his office finally, seeing what he’s up to.

You push the door open, and drop the cleaning bucket on the floor. Steve is sat in his overly-large lounge chair by the substantial bookshelf, facing the window with a book in his hands, seemingly unaware of your entering the room.

You walk past him, towards the bookshelf to straighten out the books before dusting, but a sizable hand grabs your wrist. Steve pulls you away from the bookshelf and into his lap as he throws his book onto the floor. He pulls your thighs on either side of his own, making you straddle him comfortable in the expansive chair, and you instinctively wrap your arms around his neck. He wastes no time, gingerly cradling your right cheek in his hand and bringing your lips to his. His other lands on your waist, pushing your hips down to close the space between you and his lap. Your core comes down onto his covered semi.

You gasp at the feeling, nothing new, but every time as lovely as if it were, surprised that he’s already or still hard. He takes the opportunity of your open mouth to deepen the kiss and slide his tongue past your lips to explore your familiar mouth in a slow, loving kiss. You moan against his lips as his hand from your waist grazes up your side and up to your face, tucking your hair behind your ear before cradling your face with both his ample hands.

You can feel Steve’s dick further harden beneath you, making you crave him. The exact feeling you were avoiding just hours before. Since you had finished every other area in the house, you let Steve’s kiss entrance you as it always does, and your roll your hips against his. He groans into your mouth and kisses your harder. You pull your body closer to his, pressing your chest against his.

His solid arms leave your face and wrap themselves under your ass, holding you to him as he scoots to the edge of the chair and lifts you with him off of it. After having moved from his office to the bedroom in such a situate, he effortlessly carries you to the bedroom. He carefully drops you onto the side of the bed then pulls back from you, removing his shirt before crawling back over you. He wraps his arms under your shoulders as he lays on you with most of his weight in a loving embrace, reconnecting your lips in another passionate kiss. He rolls his hips, repeatedly pushing himself down onto you, both still covered and both groaning at the delicious friction.

Your hands roam up his shoulders and around his neck, fiddling with the littler hairs at the base like he likes. He squeezes your shoulders, holding you impossibly closer, then his warm hands find their way under your shirt, then under your bra, and massage your breasts. You arch your chest into his hands, and his kisses maneuver down your jaw and neck, sucking and nibbling lightly on the spots he knows makes you squirm. After a few moments assaulting your neck and breasts, he pulls away, sliding his hands farther up under your shirt and removing it from your body, followed by your bralette.

“Take the rest off, baby girl,” Steve instructs you, getting off the bed and removing his own pants.

You sit up, slide your fingers under the waist band of your yoga pants and push them down your legs. “Damn, Stevie,” you smirk up at your boyfriend teasingly. “I didn’t know you needed me this bad.”

“I always want you, Y/n,” he explains, looking at you as he removed his sweatpants. “This quarantine shit is making it worse -- I’m stuck with you 24/7. It’s so damn hard to control myself.”

“Stuck?” you challenge.

“You know what I mean,” he says, pushing his boxers down his legs, letting his thick hard cock spring free. “It’s just hard to not fuck you every waking minute.” His foot gets caught coming out of his underwear, and he falls forward onto the edge of the bed.

You giggle at your clumsy boyfriend, leaning over to him and pulling him up towards you. “I’m flattered,” you whisper as you pull his lips back to yours. He places his hands on the bed on either side of you, pushing you to lay back with just his mouth. He kisses back down your neck and starts to go down your chest until you stop him.

“Steve, stop,” you say breathlessly. He stops with his lips in the valley of your breasts and looks up at you. “You know I love the feeling of that beard between my legs,” you continue, brushing your fingers through his beard. “But I need you, now.”

He smirk and pushes himself up, hovering over you.”You want it?” he growls, leaning down to kiss you, but pulling back just as his lips graze yours, leaving you whining.

“Yes,” you whimper, and his lips graze yours again before pulling away again. “Steve, please,” you beg.

“Good girl,” he says and finally attacks your lips with his own. You wrap your arms around his shoulders again as he presses the tip of his cock to your wet folds, running it through them to get himself slick. Your nails dig into the top of his back and you moan into the kiss, your signal telling him you’re ready, and he pushes into you in one stroke, stopping once he’s bottomed out to let you adjust. You wrap your legs around his waist, digging the heels of your feet into his butt, wordlessly telling him to move while your lips move in sync with his continuously. He pulls out so just his head is left inside you, then pushes back in, setting a sweet slow pace, but gradually picking it up. You moan against his mouth, wrapping your legs tighter around him to ask him to go faster. He obliges, and the new rhythm hits you perfectly. Your nails drag down his back and you moan out when his mouth leaves yours, and he buries his face in the crook of your neck, biting your shoulder.

With the built up excitement, you don’t last long, and the warm knot forms in your core quickly, despite having no foreplay. “Steve,” you pant. “I--”

“I know,” he mumbles into your skin, his voice muffled. “Me too, baby.”

“Cu-cum with me, Steve,” you encourage him, moaning.

You feel his cock twitch deep inside you as his thrusts get sloppy and he starts counting down from three. Just after he says one, you feel his hot seed coat your inside walls as they contract around him, sending you into a pure euphoric state, both of you milking each other of your orgasms. Steve thrusts a few more times, riding out your highs before stopping inside you, staying buried in your warmth for a moment while he lay on top of you, his crushing weight comforting.

He places lazy kisses all over your chest as he pulls out, you both whimpering at the loss of feeling complete. He falls to your side as you both catch your breath. Once your breathing returns to normal, you get up and go to the bathroom to clean yourself up. When you come back, Steve lays in the center of the bed with his arms held out in waiting. You climb into his chest, laying your head down and listening to his still erratic heartbeat.

“We’re spending the rest of the day like this, and you can’t convince me otherwise,” he says, pressing his lips into your hair.

You kiss his chest with a feather light touch of your lips as you look up at him. “You’re going to clean your office sooner or later, old man,” you smirk.

Before you could register what was happening, he had his hand on your throat and had flipped you both over so he was back on top of you.

“’Old man’?” he questions. “Could an old man make you feel as good as I do, sweetheart?” he releases some pressure on your neck, but leaves his hand resting there as he kisses you hungrily.

#Steve Rogers #steve rogers x reader #steve rogers imagine #steve rogers smut #Chris Evans #chris evans x reader #chris evans imagine #chris evans smut #marvel #marvel imagine #marvel smut

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pillowfluffs · 4 years

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Room Renovations | Hyunwoo, Minhyuk

Pairing: Hyunwoo X Reader (gender neutral) and Minhyuk X Reader (gender neutral)

Genre: simple fluff, fun ig

Author’s Note: inspired by me currently redoing my room too tehe

Hyunwoo:

The room was so hot, all your clothes and things were scattered into messy organized piles all over the floor, and you couldn’t move your dressers that were right in the center of the room

Everything was so heavy and you couldn’t move anything on your own but most of all you were so hungry

Your room looked like a complete disaster- specifically the floor and this was only the beginning

You were in the process of clearing out your little apartment so you could return it to the landlord and move in with Hyunwoo

But now clearing it, you didn’t realize you had so much stuff

Your bed was completely covered by your wardrobe from your closet and dressers and you needed to pack them into suitcases but you also needed to get rid of stuff and put things into storage, give stuff away, etc

You actually liked to pack things and such but this was a bit more than you initially thought

It was pretty stressful since it all was a time crunch

But right now you couldn’t think straight or focus on something too much- all you wanted was food in your tummy. The heat didn’t help at all- you just wanted the air conditioning to come back on and for Hyunwoo to return

You currently moved to your book case and grabbed two empty boxes- one for donations and others for keeping

You only had one shelf and a looking at the books, almost half of them were bought on a whim since you thought you would like to read it but you were wrong

You fanned yourself with a small magazine, frustratedly stacking books into both boxes, averting your gaze from everything else in the room

This was how you were whenever you packed your room: you got a little too excited about things and you did this thing where you jumped form one thing to another, not finishing the first thing

It was a bad habit and this time, it proved to be the worst habit you could have while packing your entire room

But not looking at your things could only help so much. It was like a mosquito bite or a thorn in your side, but in this case, there were multiple things of either or

Your clothes still needed to be folded and you were a fraction of the way through but you also needed to clear your desk and sort your supplies into the desk box… however, your bookshelf was one of the few things left untouched and you just had to sort these books right now

Your body felt so drained and tired spending the last couple days packing your entire apartment and your bedroom was one of the worst since you had so much

Birds chirped, bees buzzed, life went on as if nothing was wrong or stressful in life but you were going through the complete opposite and it really sucked right now

“I’m back,” the sound of the most glorious man in your life right now. Hyunwoo. Was. Back

You threw the book in your hand into the donations box and practically sprinted out of the humid bedroom, the socks you wore on your feet made you slip and almost fall as you approached him

“Foooddd!” you exaggerated, raising your voice a little towards the end to emphasize your hunger and little crankiness to which he playfully raised the take out bags up in the air in his hands

“Wooo,” he slipped out of his sneakers, setting the bags onto your kitchen counter

You had boxes stacked on top one another in your living room near the shelves and around the side of the couches with your belongings inside

You wasted no time zipping between the piles of boxes like it was an obstacle course and washed your hands with soap before you reached for plates and utensils

Hyunwoo wore a fitted b lack t-shirt with black joggers. You set yours and his plate on the counter next to the plastic containers containing the pasta and sides of beef and veggies in smaller ones

You danced about behind him, singing along to a random song, your hands tapping and lightly slapping his toned back as he plated yours and his foods

The aroma of the pasta wafted through the kitchen in the area around you two and it made your mouth salivate. Your stomach practically screamed in hunger

You wrapped your hands around his slim waist, peeking around him from behind

“Here you go,” he pushed your plate to the side so you could take and you happily did, letting out a joyous wheeze screech, making his eye smiles appear on his face

After parting his own, he put the covers over the containers and left it there in case you wanted seconds

You plopped yourself on the light brown leather couch in the center of your living room, tapping your utensils as you looked to him, waiting for him to join you

But it didn’t take him long. Hyunwoo was hungry too and you already knew he could most likely devour this entire order by himself

When he sat down, it was when the two of you began eating

Tasting the first mouthful of pasta on your tastebuds was almost enough to bring tears to your eyes. It was either that good or you were just hungry

“Mmm, thank you so much,” you bumped your head to his arm, taking another bite into your mouth

“No problem. How far did you get while I was gone?” He asked, shoveling a mouthful of pasta and stuffing a few pieces of the side order of meat into his mouth

“I don’t even think I made any. I was hungry and hot and it made me annoyed with everything,” you took a bite of a veggie, tasting it. “But you’re here and food is here, so things should be a lot better. I can think now.”

And you were right

The two of you had seconds with little to no leftovers left and got back to work as the sun set outside, the last bits of the day painted beautifully into the early evening sky

Hyunwoo helped you move your dressers into the hall so one of them could be donated and the other could be brought to your parents’ house to be reused

The room opened up but now the main things were the piles on the ground but that was all that was left

You focused yourself and got to folding your clothes as Hyunwoo finished where you left on your bookshelf. He listed out titles for you to tell him whether to keep it or not as you folded and packed your clothes into suitcases

When he finished clearing your bookshelf, he moved your boxed books out to make even more room so it didn’t feel as stuffy

Everything really was better after food and the temperature going down

When those were out of the way, he started your desk for you. Here, he didn’t have to ask you too much so the two of you talked about whatever

You filled your big suitcase and all you had left that would fit into your smaller suitcase. As Hyunwoo cleared your desk and supplies, including your office supplies, you didn’t realize how much stuff you didn’t want until he asked you about it

The trash bag you had for anything in general was filling up fast but things were clearing and the more things were being cleared, the more it felt like the weight was lifting off of you

When your clothes were finally done and folded, Hyunwoo took the suitcases out for you and now the living room was organized with stacks of your boxes

It was a bit after midnight when your room was finally cleared and now all you had left to do was move your boxes, take out the trash of stuff you didn’t want, bring your boxes of donated things to their respectful places and do a clean down before returning your keys to your landlord

But the cleaning day would have to be for another day- most likely the day after tomorrow

When the final box was packed, you had never seen your room so clear

You could feel the small bags forming beneath your eyes as you yawned for the nth time

You stood before Hyunwoo and leaned into him, wrapping your hands around his neck, giving him a tired hug

‘Thank you for everything,” your voice was silky in his ears

He leaned down, bringing his face to your shoulder, kissing your jaw and neck, his hands traveling down the sides of your body

“It’s nothing,” he smiled against your skin, the tips of his ears turning red

Minhyuk:

Upbeat music played from your bluetooth speaker that was connected to Minhyuk’s phone, the song echoing off your high walls

The two of you were currently in your rented room in the house you shared with three other roommates

The house itself was pretty old but it you weren’t surprised since it was one of many other houses that lined the edge of your university campus. You’ve lived here since your first year, renewing your lease every year

It was pretty convenient for you as a uni student since you didn’t have to pay the expensive housing and meal plan feels as part of your tuition but you also didn’t have to waste gas by driving to campus and struggle to find a parking spot while you were at classes

You didn’t have to waste money or struggle to find a spot. Instead, you walked to school to your classes almost everyday but since it was your last year, you didn’t have too many challenging classes since you had almost all your credits

This year was just the final stretch and it was almost over

But before the year ends, you began to pack your room so you could bring them back to your parents’ house to live there in the mean time before the year ended

And since your room was one of the biggest, you also had the most stuff so you didn’t have to go back and forth between your place and your parents’ house for your things

It had only been a few hours since you started and the two of you had only managed to clear your dresser but you still had your closet and desk and bed and decorations

Today was going to be longggg. You could already tell

The biggest challenge you could see was your closet as you scanned your room and Minhyuk spread himself out all over your bed, humming along to the song, occasionally letting his voice shine

But you didn’t mind and no one else did either since one of your roommates was out for their classes for the day, the other was back at home already, and the last one was just out and about

You two had the house completely to yourselves

“Can we order pizza?” Minhyuk asked as you pushed your two remaining jumbo sized suitcases into your little walk in closet

“Yeah, order on my laptop and then get in here,” you called, your voice raised since the room muffled sound. It was pretty cozy and to be quite honest, you knew you were going to miss this space when you were back home

Some nights when all the sounds of traffic or parties were going on, you brought your pillow and blanket to your closet, focusing in there since it was much quieter

You opened your first big suitcase and got to it. You piled your t-shirts and folded sweatshirts and pants from the built in shelves on the wall into your suitcase which filled about a third of it. The rest were all hung in hangers, which you also had boxes for to bring back with you since they were still good

You picked a section and started there, responding to Minhyuk as he called out possible toppings you would want, adding them to the pizza before it would come

It was nice since it would arrive most likely while the two of you cleaned out your closet so it would be a nice little treat

“Do you want a side of fries?” He called out

“Can you get seasoned?” You called out, pausing from your folding

“Yeah,” he responded, his voice quiet. He made the payment putting in his card info and then he joined you inside your closet

He got to work and brought in your speaker that was still playing music, turning the volume down in the small room

Light rain tapped on the little window in your closet but it was nothing you two could hear over the music

He sand along horrifically, getting you to laugh, being a source of entertainment and sunshine on this gloomy day

He folded clothes as he took them off the hanger and left them dangling on the metal rod as you took your time to take them individually off the hanger off the rod, discarding them

But while going through your wardrobe, you noticed a few articles you didn’t even want anymore and articles you never even more. You left and brought back a bag to donate your clothes

This made it somehow more fun to pack everything since you knew not everything in here was going to go into your suitcases and who knows? Maybe clearing out your closet would go by a lot faster than you thought

About an hour passed and the bag was 2/3 of the way full and your current suitcase was roughly the same 2/3 full. The two of you were making good time, getting through halfway through the closet

With the music going loud, it was suddenly interrupted from the call of the pizza deliverer. It was at this time you realized how much worse the storm had gotten, how much darker it was outside, the tree in the front yard swaying harshly in the wind

It was a sight to see and it made you stop where you were mid fold of one of your shirts

The sound of his steps thudded louder as he approached the top, the smell of pizza filling your room as he brought it to the main empty area

You folded your final shirt and went out to join him, the two of you washing hands side by side in the shared bathroom that you no longer had to share with your roommates

The pizza smelled delicious but what really got your mouth watering was the seasoned fries with garlic spice and parmesan cheese

The two of you ate your fill, leaving about three slices left before getting back to work

Instead of listening to music this time, you connected your laptop to the speaker and played a movie the two of you didn’t care about too much, acting as a background sound while the two of you commented about how cheesy the lines were and about how poor the acting skills of the cast were

By the time the movie was about a quarter of the way through, the two of you were able to finish packing your closet in a breeze. You got rid of a lot of old clothes you brought from home, packing the newer ones you had bought

You still had your second suitcase which was perfect cause now you could pack your bedding and save a few more boxes for your desk supplies and decorations

You sat at your desk with a box empty at your side, neatly organizing things into it as Minhyuk climbed a little step ladder you borrowed from downstairs to take down your string lights that were weaved around the wooden support beams

Fortunately, you didn’t have too much/ you didn’t bring too much things for your desk, mostly a couple books and a few textbooks since almost everything was online

He neatly placed your lights into your box as you packed your notebooks, flipping through them, seeing the familiar notes you had to take with your rushed handwriting

The day was going by a bit slow but things were getting done in a non-stressful environment and it was pretty nice

The movie played on your laptop still on your bed

Looking around, it felt weird to see it so empty. You could remember the days you moved in, you and your parents helping you bring up your desk and curtains, helping you set up your room

Now you were seeing it all go away and being cleared. It was like you were creeping toward the end of a chapter you didn’t think would be near so soon

The desk and decorations did not take as long as you thought as possible. You honestly felt like you had a lot more but seeing it all boxed up and in suitcases made it feel like you really didn’t bring that much

The bed was the final thing you two had to do but it was time for a break

There wasn’t too much of a rush since it wasn’t like you two were going to be leaving with all your things as soon as the bedding was packed

The storm was still brewing, it was rush hour so the streets were packed too and no one was here to bother you or anything

There really was no rush at all. The two of you laid in your bed beneath your plush comforters, laid and surrounded by all your fluffy pillows

He placed the laptop on his stomach to watch the movie despite how.. not good it was and you laid beside him, legs tangled with his between the sheets

You rested your head on his chest. One arm around your, his fingers rubbing circles into your arm while the other rested behind his head

At the comfiness all around you, you yawned into him, using your blanket to wipe away the tears that formed in your eyes

“Nap time?” He nudged your arm

“Maybe…” you said a bit more tiredly than you thought you were, your eyes getting heavy

~~~~~ Masterlist for more! Thank you for reading!

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nofive · 3 years

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Five’s Bedroom

I have done a headcanon about brief observations I have made on Five’s bedroom before. I have also talked about things in his bedroom in a few other headcanons. But this will be delving into the canon state of Five’s childhood room, and his area in the Apocalypse to get a sense for how Five is as a person and a bit more of what he was like as a child.

Also fair warning, this post is long, and their are lots of big images. If you want, I am tagging this post with a special tag “Five’s Bedroom Meta” so that you can block it if you do not wish to scroll through it on your dash. All images that have adjusted brightness was purely to enhance the background of the image.

Like with everything I may add on to this as time goes by.

The bare bones, no deep diving yet ( Five’s Childhood Room )

Based off multiple images from the Making of TUA book, the show itself, and Aidan’s behind the scenes pictures I’ve put together a very basic floor plan of Five’s room ( please don’t make fun of my handwriting ). I don’t know about y’all but I feel like Five’s door needs to be at a til like Allison and Luther’s. But its not. So this floor plan basically gives a layout of his room in general. Its not to scale obviously, but it gives us a good starting off point. One thing I would like to note, that I think is only applicable to Five’s room as that there are two doors much like Reginald’s office, which I will touch on a bit later. Not drawn are the at least four lamps, one on his desk, one on the small bookshelf by his bed, and one on his nightstand, he has at least two sconces one on the wall near the closet, and one on the wall near the blue chair, he also has a main light fixture with at least three bulbs. But it is simply his closet, a very small closet at that.

Five’s bedroom has two windows, one that leads to a fire escape, which is next to his bed on the wall with the slanted roof. Both windows have radiators beneath them that Five utilizes as shelving. On the slanted wall side of his room Five’s bed is pushed not quite into the corner as he has a small bookshelf there that has more toys on it than books, and has a chest at the foot of his bed, and then he has his bookshelf which due to the slanted wall has the appearance of a built in.

Five’s desk and desk chair are on the same wall as his closet, though his desk chair being on wheels can move about. Above the desk are a set of shelves, Luther’s room has something very similar, with a set of towels and his toiletries. Five’s towels are blue, Luther’s appear to be tan or brown. If I had to guess all the siblings have different colors of towels. Next to his desk in between it and the bookshelf is a basket that appears to have a white board, and a fireman’s hat. There is also a possible laundry basket on the other side of his desk closer to the closet.

On the wall that has the main door to his room you have his wardrobe or armoire. we know thanks to Klaus that this houses jackets, possibly that snazzy coat and scarf from the bank as well as various toys namely baseballs. I know there is a baseball bat in his room but I cannot find a picture of it. Also I should note, I have no idea what is rapped in that white sheet looking thing.

On the other side of the door we have his dresser. The door funnily enough has a window up top sort of akin to an office door implying that Five’s room did in fact used to be an office. In fact the way it’s styled makes it seem like it could be a 1920s styled Private Investigator office. The dresser has a dart board above it that he takes down to write his equations and then puts it back up despite not putting anything else back on the walls. In front of the dress and the second window is a blue chair that we see Delores occupy while Grace patches up his Shrapnel wound she is sitting on his blue desk chair. Next to the radiator under the window we have Five’s nightstand.

The walls of Five’s bedroom are all painted a minty green color. So is all the triming including the the window seal ledges. The only non-painted areas are the bricks under the slanted roof/wall of his room and the boarder wallpaper.

The Deep Dive

So that takes us around his room, now lets actually delve into those pictures and what we see in them. So lets start at the beginning with the closet. To my knowledge Five is the only one with a closet in his room, and a second door. I only bring this up because the parallels and similarities between Five and Reginald is very obvious. And we know Reginald’s office has two doors. I just think that is interesting, not to mention Five’s bedroom was very likely an old office based on how The Academy is multiple buildings together. I should also note that based on the scene when Five is escaping onto the fire escape the window that is not on the slanted wall portion of his room shouldn’t have light coming into it because another building butts up to it.

Five’s bedroom is actually quite large accented with blue of varying shades from the carpet to his main comforter, to his desk chair, pillows, curtains, and his secondary chair. All the wood in his room is a light walnut color. And his doors are painted this minty green color. His second comforter looks to be navy, white, and red plaid. The fact that he has a second comforter that is used means not only has Grace changed his sheets, but he likely has slept in them, which means he likely did sleep. I only say its second comforter and not a blanket because we know Five has a chest at the foot of his bed with a blanket on it that could have been used. The chest likely has his extra bedding in it though. On Five’s bedside table he has a stack of what appears to be text books, but they seem more like workbooks of some sort. So think like SAT prep books. He also has a set of what appears to be five novels on his nightstand, and some sort of CD player or maybe a dehumidifier.

The blanket as you can see has planets, a moon, and a spaceship on it, which is pretty on par for things that Five likes. All over his room, and in these images you can see images of robots on his walls. Particularly you can see comic drawings of robots. He has a rock-em sock-em robot poster on his wall. He even has a robot on his bookshelf by his desk. Five has a fascination with robots. Which could foreshadow his relationship with Delores, and perhaps something of his relationship with Grace, liking wanting to know how she works. Also foreshadowing of Five and Delores is quite literally in the wallpaper boarder above the chair rail which has a kid pulling a red wagon with a mannequin in them.

Additionally we see lots of building blocks particularly on the bookshelf next to Five’s bed. Five is very hands on when it comes to his hobbies. He has means of transportation all over his room which could make sense given his power, but it could also give him a connection to Luther seeing as Luther also has airplanes and cars in his room. Five has boats, and cars all over his room. Further he also has lots of construction toys including an excavator and a cement truck. On top of his wardrobe he has a sail boat and a covered wagon. He also has a poster of a motorcyle or moped on his wall. If Five had stayed behind he would have been the first to learn how to drive for sure.

From first glance Five’s room seems super organized. But when you actually look at it, its not. Books in particular are stacked where he can stack them. The binders on his desk are initially upside down, and someone put them right side up, I would guess Luther as he is messing around Five’s desk to look for things. Five works in an organized chaos we see this from his equations as he writes over the boarder and such We later see this echoed in his Apocalypse home.

When it comes to other things Five has a few knick knacks all of them are travel based, saved for one. I’ve mentioned the toys. The one I’m referring to can be seen on his desk and I believe it is a nautical instrument used to help measure distance and time or speed. I could be wrong. But it is on Five’s desk along with what appears to be homework of some sort in the trays. He’s also got a stapler on his desk which I simply find ironic.

The one knick knack he has that isn’t related specifically to travel is a wooden basket that has busted up watches. Pocket watches, wrist watches, etc. They are old, and are not digital. My theory on this is that at one point he attempted to use the watch to magnify his power, particularly that of Time Travel. But they kept breaking, but it only fueled his theory that he could do it. This is also a call back to the comic where Five as a kid is always shown to have a pocket watch.

Briefly on his closet, which is best pictured above. It is small. Also it appears to only hold his uniforms, which by the way he is going through them makes him seem like he should have more clothes and he can’t find them. This implies Five does have civvies or street clothes but they have been lost over time which would make Five’s “Shit” make much more sense. Its not that he only has uniforms as his option, its that he can’t find his civilian clothes.

Last but not least the dart board. I do have a headcanon about it. But the fact that you can see the equations go behind the dart board on the wall means he put it back up. Five in the original pilot script had a love of knives quite like Diego. My guess is the dart board is a call to that. But we also know Five is super competitive and I think he tries to get accurate with throwing knives to beat Diego. Also we know that Five has Diego’s knife holster in the apocalypse so Five liking knives is not just a original pilot script thing.

The Comparison ( his Apocalypse Home Base )

Five’s apocalypse home base ironically takes on many similar characteristics of Five’s bedroom. Meaning the core of who Five is has not changed. He has a love for learning, partially cause he is literally creating new math, but he has a desk still, and he still stacks books haphazardly. He also has his chalkboard which seems to be Five’s favorite way of doing math. I theorize its because he’s working on things that are so large he needs more room than paper can provide. Also paper is hard to come by in the apocalypse, at least blank paper is because he uses Vanya’s book. Five has a habit of placing important things on places he can easily see and find. Such as the probability map ending above his bed, and the equation on his chalk board likely ending up in his copy of Vanya’s book.

Final Thoughts

So what are my final thoughts? I think the making of TUA book has got Five pinned all wrong. Five’s room is sparse because he left early, but not because he didn’t have hobbies or time to decorate it. He clearly did. Five like athletics at least baseball, and he had an interest in robots, comics, and transportation. He also likes building as he has blocks and potentially even legos. The transportation could be an extension of him getting to know his power, maybe. But we know Luther is very similar with transportation just of the aerospace kind and we know that’s likely not related to his power ( unless you include my headcanon that his main power is actual gravity manipulation ). Five had interests and was even starting to personalize his room before he left, he also had an imagination seeing as the fireman’s helmet is still readily out and available to play which plays into Delores being part of his active imagination and becoming the imaginary friend he needs to stay somewhat sane in the apocalypse.

Five’s room tells us of a boy who was active, and had interests, and he still has a liking for those interests as we see him unable to help himself and play with one of the trucks during the show. It gives us a brief look into the boy that we truly know very little about. Because while we have so much of his story displayed for us, we have so little of what he was like before. He has toys and things all over his room with no real rhyme or reason as to why things are placed in certain areas. It makes sense to him obviously, but it is not the key organized thing you would expect. If it was all his trucks would be in one place for example.

We also can see Five is a bit more chaotic than his room implies on first glance. From both the Apocalypse and his kid bedroom Five has a habit of stacking books a bit haphazardly and storing things also a bit haphazardly as seen by the crate on top of his wardrobe, and the fact that he has stuff just piled into said wardrobe that comes tumbling out when Klaus does.

When it comes to his room location I believe it is on the third floor above Allison and Luther’s, on the second, and Klaus, Vanya, and Diego’s on the lower floor. Since we don’t know where Ben’s room is and the door across from Five’s is always shut, I do think that that is likely where Ben’s room was. But according to Five there are 42 Bedrooms in the place so it could be anywhere really.

Five’s room, like Five himself hides behind a layer of sparsity. You have to give him more than a cursory glance to know what is really going to get him deep down.

#headcanon: a single drop of coffee #five's bedroom meta

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leigheaux-venere · 3 years

Text

Behind Enemy Ties 4 - Much Ado About Knothing

It took three days and a lot of attention from Loren, Josh, and Davis for Carlyn to get over his time with Johann. He was insatiable during those three days, and miserable because of it. Carlyn hated being demanding, it made him feel like his mother's son, but his body was roaring, furious he'd let Johann go with fucking him senseless. His words to Johann came echoing back at him.

It's like there's this disconnect in their heads between what they know they want, and what they’ll allow an alpha to do, he'd told Johann, mystified.

But now it was his own body betraying him, demanding things from him that he didn't want to act on.

Betas are the only sensible people, Johann had said, and Carlyn wondered if it wasn't right.

Yet, his harem seemed content to baby him, bring him cold water and hot meat when he felt like drinking or eating, and otherwise taking turns letting him ravish them, sometimes two at a time to keep his mouth busy, until he was too tired to move and fell asleep, once while still inside one of them.

Carlyn did what little work he could manage from home, overseeing details of The Fangs operation, and receiving his sub-bosses in his bedroom.

On the third day at home, Lyric, curious to know what happened with the robbery at the compound, arrived at the house. Carlyn received her in his bedroom with all of his harem, still naked from sleeping. Lyric assumed what she wanted about what had happened with Johann, and Carlyn let her assumptions stand uncorrected. In any case, she was delighted.

“Finally acting like an alpha, little brother,” Lyric said. “I’m proud of you.”

Carlyn took her compliment with a smile-like wince and wondered if she considered at all what Johann had or hadn't consented to. Lyric stayed for a few hours, had dinner, and looked over the cleanup details of the compound before leaving. Alone with his harem, Carlyn was ready to settle in for the evening. He was dead tired.

Then the doorbell rang. Since Josh, Loren, and Davis were all curled up watching a movie, and Carlyn was up, heading for the stairs anyway, he told them not to get up and went for the door himself. He figured it was his mother or other siblings, the only people in his life who showed up unannounced to his house. But when he opened the door, he didn’t find family on the other side; he found Johann.

He wasn’t dressed in military style fatigues. He wore jeans and a t-shirt with sneakers. His dirty blond hair was loose and fell nearly to his shoulders. Carlyn hadn’t noticed it was so long or even that it had been pulled back.It made him wonder what else he failed to notice when the smell of an omega was in the air.

Johann was frowning, but he looked so good. He smelled clean, and his pheromones were low and unnoticeable.

“Johann?”

“Can I come in?” Johann asked.

“Sure.”

They walked inside. And once the door was shut and locked, Carlyn led Johann into the kitchen where they could talk.

“Glad I got dressed for dinner,” Carlyn muttered.

“Lounging naked?” Johann said. “Alphas love to show off, don’t they?”

“It’s more of a comfort thing, really. Can I get you something to drink? Ice water? Juice?”

“You’re not going to offer me wine like a fucking grown up?”

Carlyn shifted in place. “I didn’t think you’d want me to offer you alcohol.”

“Let’s not play stupid games, Carlyn,” Johann sighed. “If you’d wanted to have your way with me, you could have had it. I’m not an idiot.”

Carlyn said nothing but turned and took down two wine glasses and a bottle of red wine. After pouring, he handed a glass to Johann, who drained half of it at once before licking his lips.

“That’s good.”

“Glad you like it,” Carlyn muttered, then sipped his own wine.

“The Legion wants to know what you're offering.”

“Anything you would steal, I’ll give to you.”

“And they want to know what you get out of this. Something-something instinct, isn’t an answer.”

Laughing, Carlyn swished his wine. What was he expecting to get out of this? What did he want?

“I want to know about The Lucretian Legion,” he said honestly. “I want to know what you’re up to, what your goals are, and if they interfere with The Fangs’ goals.”

“They don’t.”

“I’d believe you if you hadn’t blown a hole in one of our walls.”

“Right.” Johann muttered. “Stay here a minute.” He finished his glass and turned and walked out of the kitchen. “Hey guys,” Carlyn heard him say as passed through the living room.

Carlyn waited. In the distance, he heard the front door open and close. He sipped his glass, wondering what Johann was doing, wondering if this was the last time he’d ever see him. After a few minutes the front door opened again, then closed. Carlyn didn’t speak to Josh, Davis and Loren on his way back to the kitchen. He came in and crossed his arms over his chest.

“The Legion accepts.”

“I see.”

“There’s a condition.”

“Which is?”

Johann looked at him, and that unmistakable look of rage crossed his features for a moment. “I’ll be staying to monitor you for the length of this agreement. This… pretend bond is what we’ll go with. I’ll be your only link to The Legion. You get no other members, no locations, no nothing. You talk to them through me, or not at all. Deal?”

Carlyn kept his face neutral as that same voice inside his head from before roared in approval. “Deal,” he said. He never had to hear an omega say yes twice.

Johann’s apartment in the heart of downtown was a small, unassuming studio, perfect for a single omega all on his own. While Johann packed with the help of Josh and Davis, Loren took a long slow walk around the place, her tiny notebook and favorite pen in hand scribbling notes and making little drawings. Carlyn stood in the middle of the apartment, not touching anything, as he’d been instructed to do as they came up the stairs and trying to stay out of everyone’s way.

Carlyn would admit that he hadn’t been expecting such a cheerful place to be Johann’s home. The kitchen was bright and clean, with simple, practical dishware and organized almost Spartan cabinets with no doors on them. The bed area was tidy and under filled, with a dresser next to the closet, a mirror tucked behind a folding screen and a bed partially hidden behind a tucked curtain hanging from rollers on the ceiling. In the living area was a dining table and a few chairs behind a small sofa, both set in front of a TV. Off to the side was a set of weights, a mat, a punching bag, and a pull-up bar stand. Between the little gym and the TV, there was a bookcase filled with DVDs and tabletop games.

What the apartment did not look like the lair of a member of a radical paramilitary vigilante group. The Lucretian Legion’s coat of arms, which Johann had described as an omega symbol above two crossed swords and haloed by a laurel wreath, couldn’t be found anywhere.

When he thought about it, Carlyn supposed it made sense. Nothing connecting him to The Fangs was on display in his eight-hundred-thousand dollar, 5-bedroom manor house, because he had guests over and threw parties and that would just be stupid. Still, somehow Carlyn had expected Johann to be less subtle than he was.

“I like your place,” Carlyn called across the apartment.

“It is darling,” Loren said. “Take as much as you want. Our home is your home.”

“I like it too,” Johann muttered. “I don’t think I’ll be taking much, though. It’s not like I’ll be inviting anyone over.”

“Won’t that be suspicious?” Davis asked.

Carlyn winced as he watched Johann turn his full attention on Davis. The two omegas watched each other for a second, before Davis gave a cheeky smile and Johann sighed.

“I’ll take the games and the DVDs. There’s no point and leaving anything I like in an empty apartment anyway, I guess.”

“Sensible,” Davis agreed and went back to packing.

Deciding his input would only make Johann angry, Carlyn turned his back to the bed and wandered over to the bookshelf. He wasn’t going to touch anything. He just wanted to see what sort of interests Johann had.

“Are you going to pack that stuff?” Johann asked.

“You told me not to touch anything, so I was going to do that.”

Johann sighed. “You can pack my bookcase.”

“Alright.”

“I’ll pack the kitchen,” Loren called. “I want to unpack it as well, so I know where everything is.”

Davis, Josh, and Johann packed the bedroom and kitchen. Loren packed the kitchen. Carlyn packed the living area. The bigger items that were being brought to Carlyn’s house or to storage, they hired movers to carry. The movers were three alphas. It had been three days since their stay together, and Johann had taken several doses of Loren’s alpha repelling tonic, but he still smelled enough like Carlyn for the movers to tell what was going on -or supposed to be going- from context. Though they thankfully said nothing, they directed their questions to Carlyn, not to any of the omegas. Normally, Carlyn was fine answering for his harem. He'd never even noticed himself doing it before. However, Johann’s gaze burned into the back of his head and he knew how Johann felt about the situation.

“Ask Johann,” he kept saying.

The movers would ask Johann the question, get their answer, and ask Carlyn the next question, starting the cycle all over again. By the time they were home and seeing the movers off, Carlyn was exhausted.

He fell face-up on the sofa and closed his eyes, happy to be home. Before they’d moved Johann’s things, he’d already set up automatic payment to Johann’s account to pay for his apartment, bills, and storage lot while he was staying with him. Loren was adding Johann’s things to the kitchen, and Josh, Davis and Johann were putting away Johann’s belongings in the spare bedroom. Carlyn was just about to drift off into a nap, done for the day, when someone sat down on the sofa by his hip. He opened his eyes to find Johann sitting stiff-backed on the sofa, staring straight ahead.

“Johann?” Carlyn muttered.

“Davis told me…" Johann hesitated for a moment before going on. "He thought I should come sit with you. Josh wants to get my room ready for me as a gift and wanted me out of the way anyhow, so… You’re not fucking me! Ever!”

“We agreed to that,” Carlyn reminded Johann.

“But that means… I have to sleep in the bed with you. So I smell like you.”

The thought had actually occurred to Carlyn, but Johann was right, just living in the same house, especially one as big as his, wouldn’t be enough. They would have to sleep in the same bed some more.

“How often do I have to sleep in your bed?” Johann snapped.

“Um… a few nights a week. Maybe every other night.”

“Fine. We’ll start tonight.”

“I’m pretty beat. I was going to go to bed soon.”

“Fine.”

They said goodnight to Loren, who gave them each a kiss -Carlyn on the mouth, Johann on the forehead- then walked up the stairs together. Carlyn took a detour to Johann’s room to get his pajamas, which were shoved at him through a crack in the door, then went to his own room.

In Carlyn's bedroom, they changed together, because while they didn’t like each other, they weren’t going to act like feuding children. Carlyn considered stealing a glance at Johann, but decided against it. He didn't want to start a fight right before their first night together. Instead, he not only turned his back, but closed his eyes as well.

The smell of Johann's skin was a musky, leathery smell, like the punching bag they'd moved into the fitness room. Johann smelled faintly of sweat, as if he'd just been working out. Carlyn now noticed he always smelled like that. It differed from the members of his harem.

Loren smelled of heat and whatever she had last cooked. Josh's favorite products, cologne, shampoo, lotion, etc., hung off him in a soothing, sweet cloud like cotton candy. Davis smelled like a science lab: unsettling, sterile, of antibacterial soap and rubber gloves. Carlyn had been told by other alphas that the smell was a turn off, but for Carlyn it was Davis's smell and he loved it. It made doctor's office visits a little more stressful for him as he struggled to keep his mind off things more intimate than check-ups.

But all his harem seemed so tame compared to Johann. They smelled urbane and domesticated. Johann's scent was wild, angry, like a lightning storm to Carlyn's senses. It made the voice in Carlyn's head roar and claw.

Johann got into the bed first, climbing into the same side he’d been kept on before and making himself comfortable with aggressive movements. When he was deep under the blankets, Carlyn turned off the lights, gave his teddy bear a pat, and slipped into his side of the bed. The urge to turn his back on Johann and simply go to sleep was surprisingly strong. Not that Carlyn was uncomfortable with Johann in his bed. It was the exact opposite. It felt right. He wanted to yawn, say goodnight, and fall into a dreamless, undisturbed sleep. But this was technically business.

Edging closer, Carlyn placed an arm over Johann’s waist, who surprisingly put his arm over his.

“Don’t get any ideas, alpha. It’s just more comfortable this way.”

“We already agreed we wouldn’t have sex. There’s nothing you do, no way you could touch me, that would make me break that promise.”

“Hmph.” Johann began to dig his nails into the back of Carlyn’s hand but stopped after a moment and relaxed. “Goodnight.” Johann said with an air of finality.

“Goodnight.” Carlyn muttered. The voice in his head purred in contentment.

The next day Johann’s room still wasn’t finished, so Carlyn gave him room to dress before they went downstairs for breakfast. Loren gave the grand tour of the kitchen and pointed out where she’d put all of Johann’s things, while Johann served himself. Carlyn waited for Johann to sit down at the table to get his own breakfast.

“You can’t avoid him forever,” Loren said as she poured him a coffee. “Johann smelling like you won’t be enough for long.”

“I just want to give him some space. He’s so jumpy.”

“He’ll come around.” She handed him the coffee, then shooed him away to sit in the dining room.

Carlyn sat in his normal seat at the glass table, a place Johann must have guested at, because he was at the exact opposite side of the table. Sighing, Carlyn watched him for a moment, considering his options. After a moment, he started eating and began the conversation casually.

“You know,” he said between bites of eggs, “you can’t just smell like me and otherwise avoid me.”

“Excuse me?” Johann muttered from behind his glass of orange juice.

“I mean, if we seem to hate each other, people might get suspicious about things. Especially when I donate things to The Lucretian Legion.”

Johann was silent for several moments, eating while watching Carlyn impassively. Carlyn looked backed just as coolly, refusing to let Johann jerk him around. At last, Johann shrugged and turned his attention back to his plate.

“I’ll take care of it,” he said.

“How?” Carlyn asked.

“Never mind it. Can I go into your base with you today? We need another truck for an upcoming demonstration and I want to drop it off.”

“Fine.” Carlyn said. “Better get the base used to seeing you around, in any case.”

They finished breakfast in silence and Carlyn took their plates and glasses into the kitchen to be put into the dishwasher. He kissed Loren goodbye for the day and told her to tell Josh and Davis he loved them, then headed for the garage. Johann sat in the passenger’s seat and frowned out of the window as they pulled out of the garage.

“Last time you were in this car you were unconscious,” Carlyn said lightly.

“Fuck you,” Johann said almost light-heartedly. There was a hint of a smile or sneer is his voice, though Carlyn wasn't sure which it was.

“I’m just making conversation.”

“How about you talk about something useful? Who should I know in The Fangs? There’s that beta I saw. Never seen a beta a bunch of alphas backed away from so quickly.”

“You must mean Adison,” Carlyn laughed. “She’s terrifying. I’m pretty sure she’s the only one who could raise a coup against me, but she loves and respects me, so I’m safe. She’s whip smart, handles the first stage of organizing everything. With her at The Fangs and Loren at home, I have most of my day-to-day life plotted out for me. And she’s a fighter. She might be able to take you on, one-on-one.”

“Maybe," Johann groused. "Who else is there?”

“Along with Adison is my two other under-bosses Becka, and Raji.”

“Those assholes who helped drug me?”

“Yes, them. Becka was the whip wielding one.”

“I remember,” Johann hissed.

“She’s never hurt an omega, Johann. She asks permission before doing what she does. Verbal permission. It’s a game. She’s not bad.”

“Whatever. What’s the hardass into?”

“Raji? He’s mostly into classic music and good food. His omegas are a little spoiled. I don’t think they’ve lifted anything heavier than a wine bottle since bonding with him, but that’s how he likes them, spoiled rotten. He spends a small fortune on presents for them and their kids. He takes them on vacation once a season, right after their heat to reward them for… getting through heat, I guess.”

“Good lord, what the actual fuck?” Johann shook his head. “And I figured you thought of yourself as a fairytale princess, shining armor and all. This guy beats even you!”

“Look, I was raised very traditionally. As an alpha, I was told it was my job to provide for and protect my harem. But Raji goes overboard. He left once and was gone for a day and a half. He told me later that one of his omegas was feeling lonely because he’d been working so much, and he just felt bad about it. I almost hit him. I had just taken over and we were in the middle of turf war with the Red Wolves.”

“Can you trust this guy?”

“We have an understanding now.”

“You hit him.”

“I… yes," Carlyn admitted. "I lost my temper. I was sorry about it later. I didn’t tell him though because I could tell he respected me for standing my ground, the idiot.”

Johann let out a small chuckle. “Delightful.” He was definitely sneering.

Carlyn walked into the main house of the base with his arm around Johann’s shoulders. Johann had his arms crossed and shoulders hunched, but leaned into his embrace as if he wanted to crawl under Carlyn's shirt. The people who saw them move through the building paused at the sight of them, and a few growled their approval, smirked, or nudged Carlyn. Even though Johann said nothing and even pressed himself harder into Carlyn’s side, Carlyn knew he was seething.

“I’m sorry,” Carlyn said when they were alone in his office with the door shut.

“I didn’t expect to enjoy any of this,” Johann said. “I’m in deep cover behind enemy lines. I wasn’t expecting it to be comfortable.”

“I want it to be comfortable for you. I don’t want you to hate this. I’m supposed to be your ally. Me, if no one else.”

Johann stared at Carlyn for a moment before sighing, and a little hatred melted off his face for a moment. “You don’t know anything about the real world.”

“Maybe,” Carlyn relented. He walked around the desk and unlocked his computer with a press of his thumb. “You said you needed one more truck?”

“Yea.”

“For what?” Carlyn’s computer started up, and he sat down to begin the transfer of the truck into The Legion’s hands.

“Redistribution of necessary amenities.”

Carlyn scoffed. “What’s that in real talk? Come on, Johann. You know who you’re talking to.”

“A drug lord and gunrunner.”

“So be real with me. I won’t judge you.”

Johann sighed. “We’re going to hit a pharmaceutical lab and take a few seasons' worth of heat suppressants. Then we're going to give them out to low- and no-income omegas who want to keep alphas off their backs.”

“Sounds legit. Much money in that?”

One moment Carlyn was looking at the screen, then he was colliding with his computer screen at full speed. Instinct kicked in and Carlyn pushed away from the desk, hunched to avoid the rest of the blow and swung out hard with his arm. His arm connected with Johann’s stomach, but only lightly as Johann had jumped back to avoid it. Carlyn lunged for him, hands aiming for his neck, which Johann must have seen coming because he crossed his arms in front of his neck and kicked to throw Carlyn off his balance. As Carlyn started to fall towards the floor, he adjusted his aim and put all his weight on Johann’s waist, bringing them toward the floor, but not without hitting the table behind Johann and knocking everything off it in a loud crash.

Johann hissed, put both hands on Carlyn’s face, and pushed, his knees coming up to dig into Carlyn’s torso. Carlyn growled, climbed to his knees, and used his superior size to pin Johann down at the wrists and thigh, hands on his wrists above Johann’s head, and one knee on his thigh.

“Stay down!” Carlyn growled, but his wasn’t the only growl.

From the door there was a small chorus of sounds and when Carlyn looked, Becka was in the open doorway, flanked by Jackson and another, lower, alpha Molly. Jackson and Molly were smiling wickedly, nudging each other and Becka. Becka looked more concerned.

“We heard crashing,” Becka explained. “I thought you need help with… I guess you didn’t.”

Before Carlyn could say anything, Johann moved, but not to attack him. He leaned up as best he could and nudged him with his head, roughly but affectionately.

“Hey,” he whispered and, when Carlyn looked at him, gave him a questioning look.

Carlyn was on the verge of stupidly asking what Johann was doing, and weren’t they fighting anymore, but Becka spoke first.

“I’m going to just shut the door.” She did, and the room went quiet for a second before Johann said,

“Get the fuck off me.”

“What was that?” Carlyn asked.

“Acting,” Johann said dryly. “Now get the fuck off me.”

Carlyn withdrew off Johann but was no closer to figuring out what sort of situation he was in. “I don’t understand,” he said. “Acting? What about you hitting me? What was that?”

“You’re thick,” Johann muttered as he climbed to his feet. “I’ll walk you through it. You asked if there’s money in what we’re going to do.”

“A fair question,” Carlyn said.

“You weren’t listening to the explanation you asked for, were you? Typical. We’re giving the suppressants to low- and no-income omegas, which implies what?”

“That they can’t afford the suppressants and therefore any money made would be ill gotten, which is not what The Lucretian Legion is about.”

“You’re dumb as a bag of rocks, but you learn fast.”

“Thank you. You could have explained that instead of hitting me.”

“But hitting you was so cathartic,” Johann sighed. “And besides, the situation worked to our advantage.”

“How?”

Johann walked around Carlyn and righted the chair that had been up-ended during their fight. “Rumors,” he said. “I was going to plant some rumors that we had an especially rough sex life. It would explain why I’m so combative with you.”

Carlyn gave a full-throated laugh. “No, it wouldn’t! That doesn’t make any sense.”

“Of course it does. Alphas believe that every omega that’s combative just needs to be fucked by an alpha. And the more combative and unpleasant an omega is, the more the typical alpha believes they need, nay want, to be dominated by a strong alpha. Docile omegas are assumed to be fragile and need gentle care. Aggressive omegas are assumed to need taming. So the less I actually seem to like you, the more the alphas around you will assume you’re fucking me super hard because that’s what I must need and want.”

Staring, opening mouthed, Carlyn processed what Johann said. It didn’t sound right. And yet, Becka and the others had immediately seen them and assumed they were doing something intimate. Sure, Johann had nudged him, but could they really not see they hadn’t been being affectionate?

“Alphas… are tremendously stupid.”

Johann chuckled, a surprisingly genuinely sound. “You don’t know anything about the real world, do you?”

“Hmm,” Carlyn muttered and sat down at his desk. “I’m sorry I asked about making money off your project. Force of habit. Let’s get your truck.”

“We’ll drive it to the drop off this evening,” Johann said, turning his back to Carlyn. “I acquaint myself with your base until then. You do your work. I’ll amuse myself.”

To Carlyn's surprise, Johann spent the whole day at The Fang's base without getting into any fights. He went around making mumbled apologies to people, asking them to excuse The Lucretian Legion for the damage done during their strike on the base.

"We weren't allies then," was what he said, according to Raji, who told Carlyn about it later. "It was just business. You understand."

The Fangs took it all in stride. To them, Johann was officially Carlyn's bonded mate, and it was "apologies accepted" and water under the bridge.

"He's a tough little meg," Jackson said almost affectionately, leaning in Carlyn's office doorway. "It was an honor to have my ass kicked by him. He must be good in bed."

"Amazing," Carlyn said with a smile, even though his skin was crawling. "Where is he now?"

"Having lunch in the yard with some of the girls. They're looking after him for you. Some betas want him to train with them because he's built like a fucking tank." Jackson chuckled. "I mean, he certainly fills out that t-shirt and jeans." He growled in the back of his throat.

"Keep your hands to yourself," Carlyn warned with a tight smile. "Or Johann will rip your dick off and I'll watch with him as you bleed out."

"Right, right. He's yours. Lucky."

Jackson walked away and Carlyn paused and think about how that nagging feeling of annoyance he'd always had with his own sex was blooming into an outright dislike for them.

But while Carlyn spent the day swallowing bullshit compliments about his new relationship, Johann spent the day endearing himself to The Fangs as an irritable, combative, but mostly importantly secretly tamed omega. By the time they left the base, Johann in the truck, and Carlyn following in his own truck, the whole base seemed to be smitten with Johann.

They drove for some time, Johann leading and Carlyn following. They left the city and drove into the country, up into the mountains where the houses became more and more sparse, until they seemed to disappear altogether. Finally, Johann pulled off the road onto a trail and cut the engine. Carlyn pulled up behind the truck and waited. In a moment, Johann appeared next to the passenger side of the truck, opened the door, and got in.

"We can leave," Johann said.

"Should we leave the truck here?"

"It's fine. It won't be here long."

"Should we wait?"

Johann chuckled sarcastically. "You'd love that. No. You see no one but me. Drive."

Seeing he wasn't going to get anywhere, and not wanting to get into another fight with Johann, Carlyn did as he was told. He backed up into the road, turned the car around and did the best he could to navigate his way back down the dark mountain roads. To break up the silence in the car, Carlyn spoke.

"So, we're getting along, aren't we?"

"I guess," Johann muttered.

"I mean, we are, aren't we?"

"I don't want to kill you, so there's that." Johann smiled tightly from what Carlyn could see from the driver's seat.

"That's… good. I mean, we have very different lives and see the world differently. I want to know that I can trust you to keep explaining things to me and not fly off the handle again and lash out at me."

"You're talking about earlier today." Johann said and slumped in the seat. "I said I was sorry."

"No, you didn't. You said it was cathartic."

"Well, I meant to say I was sorry." Johann paused, and in the interim Carlyn wasn't sure what to say. Luckily Johann spoke again after some silence. "Look, I am sorry, Carlyn. I lost my temper. There was something about you wanting to make money off the work we're doing, off of the most vulnerable and helpless omega that was so typical of an alpha that made me lose my sense of… you know…"

"Not hitting someone over the head?"

"Yea."

"I didn't mean to be cruel," Carlyn explained.

"You can't help it," Johann groused.

"And that's what I want to talk about. My nature, my upbringing, everything about me is an offense to you. Things I see as normal could be something you see as horrible. I need you to talk to me from now on. Maybe the world is as you say it is, but maybe it doesn't have to be. I've always been told I act more like an omega than an alpha, maybe I could start really living up to that and do some good, but I'm going to need a teacher. You have to be patient with me."

"I suppose. Frankly, you're less of pain than the rest of your sex. I doubted, when I came to live with you, that you'd ever say anything that'd make me break cover. I was almost disappointed when I said what you did."

"And that's why I need you to promise. I do not know what other things I could casually say that could offend you. For instance, I could have a conversation with someone about pairing centers."

Carlyn turned his head towards Johann for just a moment, just in time to see his reaction. It was just as he expected. Johann's entire body tensed as if an electric current had passed through it. His jaw locked up as he frowned.

Pairing centers had been outlawed decades ago to keep the peace. They were still around, of course. No church, or school, or job could legally force an omega into one, but family certainly could. No business could operate as a pairing center, but illegal businesses certainly did.

There was a stigma around them. No one admitted to forcing their child into a pairing center. The public opinion was worse than the jail time. Businesses accused of operating as a pairing center often used the defense that they were brothels and only coincidently did the alpha john end up bonding with the omega sex workers, and the payments made to the brothels were to pay off any debts the workers had. The chargers for running the brothel weren't as bad.

But that was an alpha's perspective.

To omegas, pairing centers were state sanctioned slavery. It used to be that omegas couldn't continue in school, get a job, register to vote, lease an apartment, open a bank account if they weren't signed up at a pairing center. The pairing center took all their information, height, weight, every measurement, their job, their hobbies, even their friends occasionally. And when that was done, alphas would pay to be paired with them by the center, and the center's word was law. An omega who refused a suitor approved by a pairing center could be kicked out of the system and have every right stripped from. Sometimes a rich alpha of an omega child would pay to have control over who their child bonded with, but that wasn't a guarantee no matter who the alpha was.

The male omega who'd mothered Loren had been bonded by a pairing center. Her father had been pregnant more often than not because that's how his alpha mate liked him. Loren, his oldest, had been the only child he'd been allowed to keep. Loren's father had been bonded to a male alpha who couldn't pass on his family name anyway and had no intention of letting his harem keep a bunch of kids he couldn't even give his name to.

Thinking about it now, Carlyn wondered why he hadn't asked Loren more about how she'd grown up. Maybe he really didn't know anything about the world. Loren had known about The Lucretian Legion, and she'd told him about the pairing centers that had closed just before Carlyn was born. Maybe he should have been asking her more questions. He'd thought leaving her past alone had been the respectful thing to do, but maybe it had been the ignorant thing to do.

Carlyn glanced over at Johann again. It had been several minutes since he'd spoken.

"Johann?"

The silence stretched on for another few seconds before Johann spoke.

"You would never, ever, in a million years support pairing centers," he said calmly. "You're just trying to rile me up."

"No, I'm not. I'm serious. I mean… I could support… the ease of it. Just go in, fill out a questionnaire, and get matched up with the omega who fit the profile. Easy."

"Oh my… One, you said you 'could' support this, which implies you don't. You couldn't even get the sentence out properly. Two, all the pauses while you try to think up something you supposedly supported. Plus, the weak-sauce argument. And, you're a princess in a shining armor, you could never bond with some you don't know. You don't even have a proper harem in your house. Each of your mates has their own room! If you have kids, you're going to need a bigger house! No. You would never stomach finding partners through chattel slavery system. It's not you."

"And if The Lucretian Legion said it was? If they told you I was a threat and ordered you to get rid of me? You said, you explained that alphas who are too big of a threat to let live, you get rid of. What if I become a threat?"

"You're not a threat, Carlyn. You're annoying."

"And if your bosses say otherwise?"

"Anything you do, I'll know about way before they do. They could never tell me anything about you I don't already know. You're not a threat. Not to us."

Carlyn sighed. He figured he should drop it. This wasn't getting him anywhere. Then he thought of one more thing.

"What if The Fangs get into politics? You know, greasing judges and prosecutors and politicians."

"What does that have to do with us?"

"Laws affect omegas. What if the people The Fangs support are your enemies?"

Johann didn't respond right away. They reached an intersection, which allowed Carlyn to look at him. Johann really filled out his t-shirt and jeans. He was gorgeous. Carlyn wished the omega didn't hate him so much.

"I don't think you would do that," Johann said at last. "At least not on purpose. You're too soft. And if you found out after-wards, well, you're not a man of legal ways, Carlyn. I expect you could do something about the judge or politician with those sorts of ideas.

"Are you asking me to possibly assassinate a politician The Lucretian Legion disapproves of?"

"I'm asking you to do to this hypothetical alpha what you do to any alpha who displeases you that much. Does omega abuse bother you, or doesn't it?"

The light changed and Carlyn began to drive.

#dusk novels #Behind enemy ties #alpha/beta/omega #alternative human biology #criminal elements #harams #lgbtq #politics #polyarmory #romance #science fiction #social justice #speculative fiction

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lethaderr-blog · 5 years

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I usually don’t take a relaxed approach to travel. Whether I’m embarking on a cross-country road trip or hopping from one country to the next by train, I’m usually attempting to cram in as many sights and activities into the day as possible. This trip is completely opposite to my usual jaunts, and I’m now convinced that I need to slow down when I travel. Cruising the Canal du Midi aboard a luxury barge is a stress-free, worry free journey from start to finish. You quickly learn to embrace the leisurely pace that defines slow travel. It’s a chance to relax, rest, and reflect. And it’s exactly what I needed.

European s: Athos du Midi

What’s it like sailing on the Athos du Midi? Think of it as a luxurious, first class hotel that floats down the river. Each day, you’ll spend your mornings exploring a nearby medieval village. In the afternoon, you’ll slowly drift on the Canal du Midi, whether you’re enjoying lunch on the deck or simply taking in the pastoral views. Once you dock, you might choose to wander around another charming village or borrow a bicycle to ride along the canal. Top it all off with another delectable dinner, and it will be time to call it a day.

The best part? You can unpack your luggage and make yourself at home from the moment you arrive. It’s a very easy way to see many places in one trip without feeling rushed or stressed. Unwind and unplug from your daily life as you admire the scenery of the South of . Cruising the Canal du Midi is all about slowly seeing the sights at your own leisure.

The Athos du Midi has five staterooms with the capacity of a maximum of 10 passengers at a time. There are four crew members on board, meaning that you’ll have lots of personal care. There’s a captain, a hostess, a tour guide, and a chef.

What’s Included

holidays in means all-inclusive luxury. From the moment I arrived in Béziers, everything was included! You don’t have to worry about anything on this six night barge cruise. Here’s what’s included:

Transfers to and from Beziers in an air conditioned van

All meals prepared on board by a master chef (breakfast, lunch, and dinner)

All wine throughout the cruise, served with each meal

An open bar of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, including liquor and beer

All excursions and admittance fees to the places noted on the itinerary

facilities and use of the bicycles

There are only a few things not included in the price of your barge cruise: any travel insurance, air transportation to , train transportation to Béziers and gratuities.

About the Athos du Midi

Athos was originally a commercial grain, sand, and wine barge, converted to a luxury hotel barge in 1982. You’d never be able to tell that this barge wasn’t always a first class floating hotel. Perhaps the only remaining connection to Athos’ origins is the association with wine. Rather than transporting barrels of wine, Athos drifts past the vineyards of the Languedoc-Roussillon region of . The wine on board comes from dozens of local vineyards, perfectly paired with our food. While we tasted white, red, and dessert wines in the evening, lunch was made for enjoying fragrant, light pink rosés.

Athos is a traditional hotel barge with charming and elegant decor. There’s air conditioning throughout the hotel barge so you’ll always feel comfortable, even during the hot, summer months.

My favorite area of the Athos du Midi is the spacious sundeck. There’s a large canopy over the wooden dining table, so you can stay in the shade and read a good book. However, if it’s a sunny day (we only had sunny days without rain!), it’s best to pull your chair into the sunshine, lean back, and marvel at the view.

Boating holidays in are meant to be leisurely. We meandered along at a slow speed of about 3mph. I admired the picturesque, rolling hills and vibrant fields of poppies and wildflowers from my temporary floating home. Cruising the Canal du Midi was even more beautiful than I imagined.

As it was a little breezy and chilly at night in late May, we mostly dined indoors. The saloon is also a fantastic place to curl up on the couch on lazy afternoons. The bar is always open, as is the fancy espresso machine. I always looked forward to my morning and afternoon cups of coffee. There’s always fresh flowers to brighten up the room, as well as a bowl of fresh fruit. A large bookshelf lines one wall if you’d like to learn more about the region (or if you forgot to bring a book from home).

My Cabin

There are five cabins in total on the Athos barge, each with their own en-suite bathroom. My stateroom was just large enough to fit a queen bed, a small table, and shelves that wrapped around the room. While you won’t have any large windows or balconies like on a larger ocean cruiser, you’ll have two little windows in the bedroom to take a peek at the scenery.

It’s easy to unpack and store all of your belongings in the cabin. There’s a pretty big closet with lots of hangers, as well as two giant drawers that pull out from the bed. There’s enough room to store your suitcase or backpack in the drawers that tuck beneath the bed.

The bathroom is bright and has everything you need to stay refreshed. There’s organic shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and soap. There’s also a hair dryer, so there’s no need to bring your own.

.kt-blocks-info-box-link-wrap {background:rgba(206, 249, 248, 1);padding:20px 20px 20px 20px;border-width:0px 0px 0px 0px;} .kt-blocks-info-box-link-wrap:hover {border-color:rgba(238, 238, 238, 1);background:rgba(206, 249, 248, 1);} .kt-blocks-info-box-media {color: 0px 0px 0px;padding:10px 10px 10px 10px;margin:0px 15px 0px 15px;} .kt-blocks-info-box-link-wrap:hover .kt-blocks-info-box-media {color:#444;background:transparent;border-color:#fff;} .kt-blocks-info-box-title {color: 0px 0px 0px;margin:5px 0px 10px 0px;} .kt-blocks-info-box-link-wrap:hover .kt-blocks-info-box-title {color:#444;} .kt-blocks-info-box-text {color:#444;} .kt-blocks-info-box-link-wrap:hover .kt-blocks-info-box-text {color:#444;} .kt-blocks-info-box-learnmore {color: 0px 0px 0px;padding:4px 8px 4px 8px;margin:10px 0px 10px 0px;} .kt-blocks-info-box-link-wrap:hover .kt-blocks-info-box-learnmore {color: <div id="" class="wp-block-kadence-infobox"><div class="kt-blocks-info-box-link-wrap kt-blocks-info-box-media-align-top kt-info-halign-center"><div class="kt-blocks-info-box-media kt-info-media-animate-none"><div class="kadence-info-box-icon-container kt-info-icon-animate-none"><div class="kadence-info-box-icon-inner-container"><span style="display:block;justify-content:center;align-items:center" class="kt-info-svg-icon kt-info-svg-icon-fas_hotel"><svg style="display:inline-block;vertical-align:middle" viewbox="0 0 576 512" height="80" width="80" fill="currentColor" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><path d="M560 64c8.84 0 16-7.16 16-16V16c0-8.84-7.16-16-16-16H16C7.16 0 0 7.16 0 16v32c0 8.84 7.16 16 16 16h15.98v384H16c-8.84 0-16 7.16-16 16v32c0 8.84 7.16 16 16 16h240v-80c0-8.8 7.2-16 16-16h32c8.8 0 16 7.2 16 16v80h240c8.84 0 16-7.16 16-16v-32c0-8.84-7.16-16-16-16h-16V64h16zm-304 44.8c0-6.4 6.4-12.8 12.8-12.8h38.4c6.4 0 12.8 6.4 12.8 12.8v38.4c0 6.4-6.4 12.8-12.8 12.8h-38.4c-6.4 0-12.8-6.4-12.8-12.8v-38.4zm0 96c0-6.4 6.4-12.8 12.8-12.8h38.4c6.4 0 12.8 6.4 12.8 12.8v38.4c0 6.4-6.4 12.8-12.8 12.8h-38.4c-6.4 0-12.8-6.4-12.8-12.8v-38.4zm-128-96c0-6.4 6.4-12.8 12.8-12.8h38.4c6.4 0 12.8 6.4 12.8 12.8v38.4c0 6.4-6.4 12.8-12.8 12.8h-38.4c-6.4 0-12.8-6.4-12.8-12.8v-38.4zM179.2 256h-38.4c-6.4 0-12.8-6.4-12.8-12.8v-38.4c0-6.4 6.4-12.8 12.8-12.8h38.4c6.4 0 12.8 6.4 12.8 12.8v38.4c0 6.4-6.4 12.8-12.8 12.8zM192 384c0-53.02 42.98-96 96-96s96 42.98 96 96H192zm256-140.8c0 6.4-6.4 12.8-12.8 12.8h-38.4c-6.4 0-12.8-6.4-12.8-12.8v-38.4c0-6.4 6.4-12.8 12.8-12.8h38.4c6.4 0 12.8 6.4 12.8 12.8v38.4zm0-96c0 6.4-6.4 12.8-12.8 12.8h-38.4c-6.4 0-12.8-6.4-12.8-12.8v-38.4c0-6.4 6.4-12.8 12.8-12.8h38.4c6.4 0 12.8 6.4 12.8 12.8v38.4z"><div class="kt-infobox-textcontent"><h4 class="kt-blocks-info-box-title">Looking for where to stay pre- or post- cruise?<p class="kt-blocks-info-box-text">The pick up and drop off spot for the Athos Canal du Midi cruise is in Béziers. Here are some hotels you can book in Béziers to extend your relaxing holiday.<div class="kt-blocks-info-box-learnmore-wrap"><a class="kt-blocks-info-box-learnmore" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://justinpluslauren.com/go/hotels-in-beziers/">Learn More <h2>Cruising the Canal du Midi <p>The <strong><a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="http://go.redirectingat.com/?id=125747X1586856&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwhc.unesco.org%2Fen%2Flist%2F770&sref=rss" target="_blank">Canal du Midi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and it has a truly fascinating history. It’s a 360 km network of waterways linking the Mediterranean and the Atlantic through 328 structures, including locks, bridges, and tunnels. Its creator, Pierre-Paul Riquet, designed the Canal du Midi and it was built between 1667 and 1694. It’s a technical marvel and a work of art. <div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><a href="http://go.redirectingat.com/?id=125747X1586856&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftravelphotos.justinpluslauren.com%2F%2FCanal-du-Midi-Day-5%2Fi-PWfQFG8%2Fbuy&sref=rss" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com//Canal-du-Midi-Day-5/i-PWfQFG8/0/f8f58672/XL/P1380502-XL.jpg" alt="Navigating the bridges and tunnels of the Canal du Midi - boating holidays in "/> <p>There are paths on either side of the entire canal. Back in the day, the barges were pulled by horses on both sides of the water. Nowadays, canal holidays in are popular, and one of the prime destinations is the Canal du Midi. While you can rent your own vessel for memorable boating holidays in , I’d much rather leave the navigating up to the experts. <div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><a href="http://go.redirectingat.com/?id=125747X1586856&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftravelphotos.justinpluslauren.com%2F%2FCanal-du-Midi-Day-3%2Fi-rV3chb5%2Fbuy&sref=rss" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com//Canal-du-Midi-Day-3/i-rV3chb5/0/4a5e6dd1/XL/P1380288-XL.jpg" alt="Paths along the Canal du Midi, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the South of "/> <p>Cruising on the Canal du Midi is a relaxing and restorative holiday from start to finish. While our pick up and drop off point was in Béziers, our trip started in Marseillan and ended in Argeliers. The driving distance between Marseillan and Argeliers is 55 minutes. We spent six days and nights drifting from point A to point B. You can see why it’s a “slow travel” kind of voyage! <h3>Fonserannes Locks <div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><a href="http://go.redirectingat.com/?id=125747X1586856&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftravelphotos.justinpluslauren.com%2F%2FCanal-du-Midi-Day-3%2Fi-5J5njwV%2Fbuy&sref=rss" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com//Canal-du-Midi-Day-3/i-5J5njwV/0/fa99f003/XL/P1380235-XL.jpg" alt="Fonserannes Locks in Beziers - Athos du Midi"/> <p>While cruising the Canal du Midi, we came across dozens of locks. Many of these were singular locks. The Athos barge motors into the lock, the lock fills with water, and we continue on our way. The most interesting set of locks on our journey were the <strong><a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="http://go.redirectingat.com/?id=125747X1586856&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FFonserannes_Locks&sref=rss" target="_blank">Fonserannes Locks in Beziers. It’s a set of six staircase locks (there used to be nine locks in total) that’s a feat of modern engineering. <div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><a href="http://go.redirectingat.com/?id=125747X1586856&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftravelphotos.justinpluslauren.com%2F%2FCanal-du-Midi-Day-3%2Fi-rt6s6zh%2Fbuy&sref=rss" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com//Canal-du-Midi-Day-3/i-rt6s6zh/0/93e6ed3e/XL/P1380223-XL.jpg" alt="Athos du Midi in the 9 locks at Beziers, "/> <p>Many people gather by the side of the locks to watch the boats, and quite a crowd gathered when our barge traveled through the locks. We had the option of staying on board or hopping off to watch from the sidelines. I stayed on board for the first lock or two, and then watched this incredible sight from the shore. I really didn’t know much about locks before this barge cruise, but I have a whole new appreciation and fascination for them. <div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><a href="http://go.redirectingat.com/?id=125747X1586856&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftravelphotos.justinpluslauren.com%2F%2FCanal-du-Midi-Day-3%2Fi-DpnNK9c%2Fbuy&sref=rss" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com//Canal-du-Midi-Day-3/i-DpnNK9c/0/a3be6850/XL/P1380255-XL.jpg" alt="Athos barge cruise navigating the 9 locks in Beziers "/> <div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><a href="http://go.redirectingat.com/?id=125747X1586856&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftravelphotos.justinpluslauren.com%2F%2FCanal-du-Midi-Day-3%2Fi-Qt2tDN7%2Fbuy&sref=rss" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com//Canal-du-Midi-Day-3/i-Qt2tDN7/0/a0bb921c/XL/P1380262-XL.jpg" alt="Rushing water at the 9 locks of Beziers "/> <p>It was amazing to watch the sheer amount of rushing water fill each lock to raise Athos up to the proper level to allow her to enter the next lock. Sometimes it seemed as though our barge just barely fit inside each lock! I was in awe of the navigation skills of our captain as he entered and departed each lock with ease. There were merely inches on each side of the boat, yet he didn’t manage to bump into the concrete edges at any time. <div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><a href="http://go.redirectingat.com/?id=125747X1586856&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftravelphotos.justinpluslauren.com%2F%2FCanal-du-Midi-Day-3%2Fi-ftzkFnn%2Fbuy&sref=rss" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com//Canal-du-Midi-Day-3/i-ftzkFnn/0/d8e767e4/XL/P1380278-XL.jpg" alt="Athos du Midi emerging at the top of the staircase locks in Beziers, "/> <h3>Sailing and Docking <div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><a href="http://go.redirectingat.com/?id=125747X1586856&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftravelphotos.justinpluslauren.com%2F%2FCanal-du-Midi-Day-1%2Fi-7WrMp6b%2Fbuy&sref=rss" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com//Canal-du-Midi-Day-1/i-7WrMp6b/0/dc594c91/XL/P1370971-XL.jpg" alt="Canal du Midi - Athos barge docked"/> <p>After our afternoon sailings, we’d dock at various locations on the Canal du Midi. Sometimes we’d be right alongside a town, and sometimes we’d seemingly be in the middle of nowhere. While it was nice to hop off the barge and wander right into town, it was also lovely to explore “the middle of nowhere”. With paths by the canal, you can always go for a walk or a bike ride before or after dinner. <h3>Bike Riding <div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><a href="http://go.redirectingat.com/?id=125747X1586856&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftravelphotos.justinpluslauren.com%2F%2FCanal-du-Midi-Day-1%2Fi-QDn3bRc%2Fbuy&sref=rss" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com//Canal-du-Midi-Day-1/i-QDn3bRc/0/49a8a951/XL/P1370968-XL.jpg" alt="Path on the Canal du Midi for cycling or walking"/> <p>One day, I hopped on one of the bicycles with a couple of the other guests and explored the area. First, we rode past a marshy region that was home to many birds, including flamingos! We glided past neighborhoods and seaside towns until we reached the Mediterranean Sea. I loved that we could ride from the barge right to the beach. While it was a little too cold to go for a swim in late May, I soaked up the stunning views of the deep blue waters. It also felt great to have the wind in my hair and the freedom of going cycling without a care in the world. <div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><a href="http://go.redirectingat.com/?id=125747X1586856&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftravelphotos.justinpluslauren.com%2F%2FCanal-du-Midi-Day-1%2Fi-d3NJRgw%2Fbuy&sref=rss" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com//Canal-du-Midi-Day-1/i-d3NJRgw/0/e42de5cd/XL/P1370990-XL.jpg" alt="Flamingo at the Canal du Midi, "/> <div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><a href="http://go.redirectingat.com/?id=125747X1586856&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftravelphotos.justinpluslauren.com%2F%2FCanal-du-Midi-Day-1%2Fi-hqL3kv6%2Fbuy&sref=rss" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com//Canal-du-Midi-Day-1/i-hqL3kv6/0/7d1454c8/XL/P1370965-XL.jpg" alt="Biking to the Mediterranean Sea from the Canal du Midi"/> <h2>Daily Excursions <p>The Athos barge docked every evening, and we’d wake up every day in a new place. This meant a new excursion to a nearby attraction or village. The staff on board took care of every detail. There were always two vans by the ship where our guides transported us to our destination. <p>Our primary guide, Mathieu, toured us around each town and attraction. He is so knowledgeable, sharing numerous facts and tidbits about the history of each place. At the end of our tour, we were always allowed to have at least an hour of free time to explore on our own. It’s the best of both worlds because you can learn about each spot from a local guide and have time to wander at your own pace. <h3>Marseillan <div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><a href="http://go.redirectingat.com/?id=125747X1586856&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftravelphotos.justinpluslauren.com%2F%2FMarseillan-2019%2Fi-pR5Djw3%2Fbuy&sref=rss" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com//Marseillan-2019/i-pR5Djw3/0/c948713a/XL/P1370687-XL.jpg" alt="Port town of Marseillan, "/> <p>Our cruise started in the seaside village of Marseillan, the starting point of the Canal du Midi. After arriving in the afternoon, I had time to explore Marseillan on my own. The next morning, we woke up to check out the Noilly Prat vermouth distillery. After our visit to Noilly Prat, we played a few rounds of <strong><a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="http://go.redirectingat.com/?id=125747X1586856&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FP%25C3%25A9tanque&sref=rss" target="_blank">pétanque, a French game similar to bocce. This was a great way to break the ice and get to know our fellow passengers even better. <h3>Pézenas <div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><a href="http://go.redirectingat.com/?id=125747X1586856&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftravelphotos.justinpluslauren.com%2F%2FPezenas-2019%2Fi-rbvhfLP%2Fbuy&sref=rss" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com//Pezenas-2019/i-rbvhfLP/0/d1342638/XL/P1380085-XL.jpg" alt="Medieval town of Pezanas, "/> <p>It’s hard to choose which town was my favorite of the whole trip, but it’s quite possible that it was Pézenas. Mathieu toured us around this historic town where we visited “hotel particuliers”, or mansions with very striking architecture. We also walked through the Jewish ghetto neighborhood and learned about the history of Pézanas on the way. I quickly fell in love with the narrow, cobblestone streets that were very quiet early in the morning. As the morning went on, a few tourists started to emerge as the tiny shops opened, but it never got crowded or busy. This is a great spot to shop for locally made and handcrafted souvenirs. <h3>Narbonne <div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><a href="http://go.redirectingat.com/?id=125747X1586856&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftravelphotos.justinpluslauren.com%2F%2FNarbonne-2019%2Fi-WZjz6xg%2Fbuy&sref=rss" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com//Narbonne-2019/i-WZjz6xg/0/4618c6fd/XL/P1380306-XL.jpg" alt="Market town of Narbonne, "/> <p>Narbonne is best known for its traditional French market, open almost every day of the year. While a trip to the market is mandatory, there are a few other intriguing areas of Narbonne. First, you can see remnant of the ancient Romans in Narbonne; there’s an excavated area of an ancient Roman road exposed below the modern day street. There’s also a shopping street lined with pink marble, and the spectacular (yet unfinished) St Just and St Pasteur Cathedral. <h3>Minerve <div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><a href="http://go.redirectingat.com/?id=125747X1586856&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftravelphotos.justinpluslauren.com%2F%2FMinerve-2019%2Fi-gxp9DH4%2Fbuy&sref=rss" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com//Minerve-2019/i-gxp9DH4/0/f41a07be/XL/P1380399-XL.jpg" alt="Medieval village of Minerve, "/> <p>Before our day trip to Minerve, we stopped at Oulibo where cold pressed and high quality olive oil is produced. We tasted fresh olives and olive oils that were very delicious. Next, we explored the medieval village of Minerve. It’s strategically built up on the escarpment and has a truly fascinating history of being under siege. <h3>Capestang <div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><a href="http://go.redirectingat.com/?id=125747X1586856&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftravelphotos.justinpluslauren.com%2F%2FCapestang-2019%2Fi-BFvTKTp%2Fbuy&sref=rss" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com//Capestang-2019/i-BFvTKTp/0/45b9d2e5/XL/P1380548-XL.jpg" alt="Charming town of Capestang, "/> <p>After an afternoon on the Canal du Midi, we docked right at Capestang. It was possible to walk from Athos right into town. It was optional to walk with Mathieu into Capestang for a brief tour of a couple of local attractions. Then, I had the chance to wander around the quiet streets on my own. <h3>Carcassonne <div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><a href="http://go.redirectingat.com/?id=125747X1586856&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftravelphotos.justinpluslauren.com%2F%2FCarcassonne-2019%2Fi-nxF8LJM%2Fbuy&sref=rss" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com//Carcassonne-2019/i-nxF8LJM/0/5b2ca140/XL/P1380602-XL.jpg" alt="Fortified city of Carcassonne, ."/> <p>Carcassonne was the most famous (and busy) place that we visited, and for good reason. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a fabulous example of a <strong><a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="http://go.redirectingat.com/?id=125747X1586856&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwhc.unesco.org%2Fen%2Flist%2F345&sref=rss" target="_blank">medieval fortified town. There’s the double fortifications, a brilliant cathedral, and a fairy tale castle. Stroll around the cobblestone streets of the village, poking your head into a few shops. I really loved how there was enough time to see everything on our trips into town. <h2>The Food on the Athos <div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><a href="http://go.redirectingat.com/?id=125747X1586856&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftravelphotos.justinpluslauren.com%2F%2FCanal-du-Midi-Day-1%2Fi-z2ZH7kW%2Fbuy&sref=rss" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com//Canal-du-Midi-Day-1/i-z2ZH7kW/0/ba5e006a/XL/P1370693-XL.jpg" alt="Vegan meals on the Athos du Midi luxury hotel barge in the South of "/> <p>Now, I’ll tell you all about the food on the Athos. Chef Lee skillfully prepared all of our meals on board, and I was so grateful that he managed to make 100% vegan meals for me! While he admitted that he hadn’t made an entirely plant-based menu before, he was up for the challenge. <div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><a href="http://go.redirectingat.com/?id=125747X1586856&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftravelphotos.justinpluslauren.com%2F%2FCanal-du-Midi-Day-1%2Fi-rMNQvhh%2Fbuy&sref=rss" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com//Canal-du-Midi-Day-1/i-rMNQvhh/0/043cec04/XL/P1370767-XL.jpg" alt="Vegan dishes prepared by Chef Lee on the Athos du Midi"/> <p>I loved how he was able to adapt the regular omnivore meals to produce a vegan version. It’s always nice to receive a similar meal to everyone else because I really didn’t ever feel left out. He even attempted (and succeeded!) to make vegan ice cream using coconut milk. Some of his vegan dessert creations were served to all of the passengers on board, and I doubt they were able to tell that they were vegan. Everything was absolutely delicious. <div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><a href="http://go.redirectingat.com/?id=125747X1586856&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftravelphotos.justinpluslauren.com%2F%2FCanal-du-Midi-Day-5%2Fi-DCjgn6x%2Fbuy&sref=rss" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com//Canal-du-Midi-Day-5/i-DCjgn6x/0/657b03be/XL/P1380590-XL.jpg" alt="Vegan and vegetarian meals on the luxury barge cruise on the Canal du Midi"/> <p>If you have an allergy, dietary restriction or preference, don’t hesitate to book your Canal du Midi cruise. Even though I wasn’t able to partake in the cheese course at dinner, there were other fruit or nuts that I could enjoy. Plus, I was always so full from the starter course and main course (not to mention the numerous slices of fresh bread that I indulged in) that it didn’t matter to me. And dessert was soon on its way! <div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><a href="http://go.redirectingat.com/?id=125747X1586856&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftravelphotos.justinpluslauren.com%2F%2FCanal-du-Midi-Day-5%2Fi-g3Gx3pg%2Fbuy&sref=rss" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com//Canal-du-Midi-Day-5/i-g3Gx3pg/0/dd94b2ac/XL/P1380530-XL.jpg" alt="Vegan dessert and ice cream on the Athos du Midi luxury hotel barge in the South of "/> <h3>Wine Pairings <p>Our incredible hostess, Marianna, took care of us in so many ways on board. She artfully decorated our table with flowers and decor before each meal. She cleaned our cabins and the barge daily. Marianna has a masterful knowledge of wine and local wineries, knowing precisely which bottle to pair with each meal. <div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><a href="http://go.redirectingat.com/?id=125747X1586856&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftravelphotos.justinpluslauren.com%2F%2FCanal-du-Midi-Day-5%2Fi-wcnKDJq%2Fbuy&sref=rss" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com//Canal-du-Midi-Day-5/i-wcnKDJq/0/6f6d06e9/XL/P1380483-XL.jpg" alt="Wine pairings for each meal on the Athos du Midi"/> <p>We received a short lesson about each winery before our tastings, and I was so impressed by how much she knew about each wine. Anytime there was a question, she always had the answers. While I know very little about wine, there was a wide variety of white, red, dessert, and rosé to taste throughout the week. You could enjoy as much or as little as you liked. <div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><a href="http://go.redirectingat.com/?id=125747X1586856&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftravelphotos.justinpluslauren.com%2F%2FCanal-du-Midi-Day-5%2Fi-C8scjDr%2Fbuy&sref=rss" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com//Canal-du-Midi-Day-5/i-C8scjDr/0/afaedaae/XL/P1380478-XL.jpg" alt="Wine from local wineries on the Athos du Midi"/> <h2>The Crew and the Passengers <p>On my Canal du Midi cruise, there were six other passengers: two couples from Australia and one couple from the USA. We all got to know each other so well as we went on excursions and bonded over meals. We also had enough alone time where we could explore on our own or relax on deck by ourselves. I thoroughly enjoyed the company of everyone on board while we were cruising the Canal du Midi. We met as strangers and left as friends. <div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><a href="http://go.redirectingat.com/?id=125747X1586856&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftravelphotos.justinpluslauren.com%2F%2FCanal-du-Midi-Day-5%2Fi-f2SmTRV%2Fbuy&sref=rss" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com//Canal-du-Midi-Day-5/i-f2SmTRV/0/2bb7bb05/XL/P1380480-XL.jpg" alt="Our group from Australia, USA, and Canada on the Athos du Midi"/> <p>While most people sail as couples or even within a small group aboard the Athos du Midi, I sailed by myself this time around. Justin wasn’t able to accompany me on this trip unfortunately. However, the Athos barge is a great vacation for solo travelers. You’ll have enough time to yourself, but you’ll meet a fabulous group of like-minded people. It’s the perfect holiday for those who are even a bit introverted. It’s a small group sailing and you’ll instantly have a group of friends for your travels. <div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><a href="http://go.redirectingat.com/?id=125747X1586856&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftravelphotos.justinpluslauren.com%2F%2FMinerve-2019%2Fi-58cxWk6%2Fbuy&sref=rss" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com//Minerve-2019/i-58cxWk6/0/3ff814f0/XL/P1380389-XL.jpg" alt="Our group just outside of Minerve, from the Athos du Midi."/> <p>I can’t say enough good things about our crew. We received the best care and comfort throughout our entire trip. I didn’t have to plan anything for this trip. The staff was so friendly and welcoming, and I really enjoyed chatting to them. I especially enjoyed bonding with Marianna over our love for cats. It was also lovely to meet one of the barge owners on our trip to Carcassonne, Dannielle. Her and her husband, Julian met aboard the Athos many years ago. Nowadays, they own the barge and work on shore to ensure that you have the best vacation ever. <h2>Booking Your Canal Holidays in <p>You can book your barge holidays in aboard the Athos through <strong><a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="http://go.redirectingat.com/?id=125747X1586856&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Ffrancecruises.com%2Ftour-detail%2Fathos-canal-du-midi-cruise&sref=rss" target="_blank"> s or <strong><a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="http://go.redirectingat.com/?id=125747X1586856&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.europeanwaterways.com%2Fitineraries%2Fathos-classic-cruise-canal-du-midi%2F&sref=rss" target="_blank">European Waterways. Both offer a vast array of hotel barge cruises sailing all over , whether you’re discovering the Canal du Midi, Burgundy, Provence, or other destinations. You can book a room as a solo traveler or a couple, or you can even book out the entire barge as a private charter with a group. I highly recommend cruising on the Canal du Midi for all of the reasons I mentioned above. <div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><a href="http://go.redirectingat.com/?id=125747X1586856&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftravelphotos.justinpluslauren.com%2F%2FCanal-du-Midi-Day-5%2Fi-85ZZPR9%2Fbuy&sref=rss" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com//Canal-du-Midi-Day-5/i-85ZZPR9/0/d64a16f9/XL/P1380587-XL.jpg" alt="Athos du Midi docked in Capestang, ."/> <p>This particular canal cruise sails from Sunday to Saturday. Spend some time browsing the websites to get an idea for the sorts of hotel barge cruises you can take. Whether you’re booking through s in the USA or European Waterways in Europe, you’ll receive professional and expert services from leaders in the canal and river cruising industry. Feel free to contact them directly with any questions that you might have. Also, feel free to ask me any questions about my experiences aboard the Athos in the comments section below! <div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><a href="http://go.redirectingat.com/?id=125747X1586856&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftravelphotos.justinpluslauren.com%2F%2FCanal-du-Midi-Day-5%2Fi-Qmczh9n%2Fbuy&sref=rss" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com//Canal-du-Midi-Day-5/i-Qmczh9n/0/94415294/XL/P1380544-XL.jpg" alt="Relaxing aboard the Athos du Midi on the Canal du Midi, "/> <h3>Getting There <p>I traveled from Toronto to Paris on a direct <strong><a rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="http://go.redirectingat.com/?id=125747X1586856&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.aircanada.com&sref=rss" target="_blank">Air Canada flight. After a night in Paris, I traveled from Paris to Béziers by <strong><a rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="http://go.redirectingat.com/?id=125747X1586856&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fraileurope.com&sref=rss" target="_blank">high speed train. Transportation was very easy to figure out, but the experts at s, European Waterways, and Athos du Midi are there to help you with any transportation questions that might arise. <style id="kt-blocks_12ff50-91" type="text/css"> .kt-blocks-info-box-link-wrap {border-color:rgba(238, 238, 238, 1);background:rgba(206, 249, 248, 1);padding:20px 20px 20px 20px;border-width:0px 0px 0px 0px;} .kt-blocks-info-box-link-wrap:hover {border-color:rgba(238, 238, 238, 1);background:rgba(206, 249, 248, 1);} .kt-blocks-info-box-media {color: 0px 0px 0px;padding:10px 10px 10px 10px;margin:0px 15px 0px 15px;} .kt-blocks-info-box-link-wrap:hover .kt-blocks-info-box-media {color:#444;background:transparent;border-color:#fff;} .kt-blocks-info-box-title {color: 0px 0px 0px;margin:5px 0px 10px 0px;} .kt-blocks-info-box-link-wrap:hover .kt-blocks-info-box-title {color:#444;} .kt-blocks-info-box-text {color:#444;} .kt-blocks-info-box-link-wrap:hover .kt-blocks-info-box-text {color:#444;} .kt-blocks-info-box-learnmore {color: 0px 0px 0px;padding:4px 8px 4px 8px;margin:10px 0px 10px 0px;} .kt-blocks-info-box-link-wrap:hover .kt-blocks-info-box-learnmore {color: <div id="" class="wp-block-kadence-infobox"><div class="kt-blocks-info-box-link-wrap kt-blocks-info-box-media-align-top kt-info-halign-center"><div class="kt-blocks-info-box-media kt-info-media-animate-none"><div class="kadence-info-box-icon-container kt-info-icon-animate-none"><div class="kadence-info-box-icon-inner-container"><span style="display:block;justify-content:center;align-items:center" class="kt-info-svg-icon kt-info-svg-icon-fas_camera"><svg style="display:inline-block;vertical-align:middle" viewbox="0 0 512 512" height="80" width="80" fill="currentColor" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><path d="M512 144v288c0 26.5-21.5 48-48 48H48c-26.5 0-48-21.5-48-48V144c0-26.5 21.5-48 48-48h88l12.3-32.9c7-18.7 24.9-31.1 44.9-31.1h125.5c20 0 37.9 12.4 44.9 31.1L376 96h88c26.5 0 48 21.5 48 48zM376 288c0-66.2-53.8-120-120-120s-120 53.8-120 120 53.8 120 120 120 120-53.8 120-120zm-32 0c0 48.5-39.5 88-88 88s-88-39.5-88-88 39.5-88 88-88 88 39.5 88 88z"><div class="kt-infobox-textcontent"><h4 class="kt-blocks-info-box-title">Want to see more photos?<p class="kt-blocks-info-box-text">You can see all of my photos from the Canal du Midi at our travel photo site. You can buy prints and housewares made from any of our pictures – click the ‘Buy’ button on any photo!<div class="kt-blocks-info-box-learnmore-wrap"><a class="kt-blocks-info-box-learnmore" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://go.redirectingat.com/?id=125747X1586856&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftravelphotos.justinpluslauren.com%2F&sref=rss">Learn More <p>If you’re craving the concept of slow travel and you’re interested in exploring the South of , cruising the Canal du Midi on a luxury barge is the trip for you. It’s perfect for those wanting a more personalized, intimate vacation where you don’t need to plan anything at all. holidays are fantastic for people of all ages (it’s not just for seniors!). I’m in my mid-thirties and I absolutely adored my Canal du Midi cruise on the Athos barge. Definitely add European barge cruises to your bucket list. It’s the journey of a lifetime. <ul class="wp-block-gallery columns-3"><li class="blocks-gallery-item"><figure><img src="https://justinpluslauren.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Canal-du-Midi--Pinterest3-683x1024.jpg" alt="Cruising the Canal du Midi Aboard the Athos Luxury data-id="18288" data-link="https://justinpluslauren.com/?attachment_id=18288" class="wp-image-18288" srcset="https://justinpluslauren.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Canal-du-Midi--Pinterest3-683x1024.jpg 683w, https://justinpluslauren.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Canal-du-Midi--Pinterest3-200x300.jpg 200w, https://justinpluslauren.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Canal-du-Midi--Pinterest3.jpg 735w" sizes="(max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px" /><li class="blocks-gallery-item"><figure><img src="https://justinpluslauren.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Canal-du-Midi--Pinterest2-683x1024.jpg" alt="Cruising the Canal du Midi Aboard the Athos Luxury data-id="18287" data-link="https://justinpluslauren.com/?attachment_id=18287" class="wp-image-18287" srcset="https://justinpluslauren.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Canal-du-Midi--Pinterest2-683x1024.jpg 683w, https://justinpluslauren.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Canal-du-Midi--Pinterest2-200x300.jpg 200w, https://justinpluslauren.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Canal-du-Midi--Pinterest2.jpg 735w" sizes="(max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px" /><li class="blocks-gallery-item"><figure><img src="https://justinpluslauren.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Canal-du-Midi--Pinterest1-683x1024.jpg" alt="Cruising the Canal du Midi Aboard the Athos Luxury data-id="18286" data-link="https://justinpluslauren.com/?attachment_id=18286" class="wp-image-18286" srcset="https://justinpluslauren.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Canal-du-Midi--Pinterest1-683x1024.jpg 683w, https://justinpluslauren.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Canal-du-Midi--Pinterest1-200x300.jpg 200w, https://justinpluslauren.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Canal-du-Midi--Pinterest1.jpg 735w" sizes="(max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px" /> <p><em>Thank you so much to s and European Waterways for hosting my cruise aboard the Athos du Midi. This post contains affiliate links. If you click one of them, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. <div class="kt-simple-box" style="background-color:rgba(232, 232, 232, 1); min-height:1px; padding-top:15px; padding-bottom:15px; padding-left:15px; padding-right:15px; "><div class="kt-simple-box-inner"> <center><strong>Did you find this post useful? Show your appreciation with a small tip! <div id="JPL01" class="quid-slider" align="center" quid-currency="CAD" quid-product-id="JPL01" quid-product-url="https://justinpluslauren.com/cruising-the-canal-du-midi/" quid-product-name="Justin Plus Lauren" quid-product-description="A Tip for Justin & Lauren" quid-text="Tip Us!" quid-text-paid="Thanks!" quid-amount="1"> <h4>Have you ever gone canal cruising in ? <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://justinpluslauren.com/cruising-the-canal-du-midi/">Cruising the Canal du Midi Aboard the Athos Luxury appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://justinpluslauren.com">Justin Plus Lauren.

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peach-and-willow · 5 years

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Foxglove - Prologue

Look, dude, I know this is a dark alley and all, but that guy is one of my customers. N-not like, drugs, though, trust me. I-I just sell crystals, y’know, for chakras. It’s fine, just… back off, please?”

Slowly, my friend was let out of the choke hold a guy had been holding him in. The assailant looked ashamed as he apologized, but my friend responded good-naturedly with a wave and let him walk out of the alley undisturbed.

Once the intruder left and we could no longer hear his footsteps on the cold concrete, my friend and I let out the breath we had been holding in. Postures relaxed, we leaned against the walls of the buildings, facing each other. I tossed him what looked like a crudely made cigarette. Taking one for myself, I got my lighter out of my pocket as well. Activating the “potion” with the flame, I inhaled the smoke, feeling my lungs take in the energy.

“And what is this?” He asked, fiddling with the potion I gave him.

“Condensed energy potion. Kind of like a cigarette, just a lot less likely to kill you. It doesn’t contain any of the gross stuff in actual cigarettes, just made in a similar way.” As I spoke, green smoke blew out of my mouth, floating up along the gray bricks of the walls surrounding and up into the sky.

“Huh. Non-addictive, right?”

“Guaranteed,” I assured him, lighting a flame once again. As he leaned in, I watched as it glowed with a dim green light. “Lighting it activates the potion,” I explained.

“Pretty genius,” He complimented, and we sat there “smoking” for a while.

“The chakra thing is a good cover, isn’t it?” I commented, “Makes us look like hippies, sure, but it’s not like we’re not, right?”

“Yeah, it’s clever enough. Call me a hippie, though, and you’re not selling me anything, Mallory,” he joked.

I smiled slyly, “Joke’s on you, Fergus-I’ve got some raw emerald today and this is your only chance to get some. My price is eighty.”

“Fine, done,” Fergus agreed excitedly.

He handed me a stack of bills as I took the small green rock from my bag. I sighed as I counted the money, “I said eighty, Fergus. Potion’s on me.”

Fergus immediately took back a portion of the money. He was a generous guy, but he knew from experience that I didn’t take any more than I asked for.

After our exchange, we said our goodbyes and headed our separate ways. I lived a few neighborhoods away, while this was Fergus’s block. However, I felt much more at home here, where half of the houses were cottage sized and the other half were being swallowed up by the brush in front of the forest. It was much less… “snooty” than my neighborhood, where we mowed the tidy lawns of our pristine, gigantic houses daily. I ran my business underground, figuratively, selling witchcraft supplies to those who knew, because no one suspected the rich girl from uptown to be a witch.

Two hours later, I arrived at my empty house. My boots, jeans, and jacket were covered in dirt and other stains from hiking through the forest, not to mention finding every excuse to doodle in my journal while sitting in trees. My parents hated when I did this, but it was an easy way to get anywhere in town and the best place to get away from people, and therefore my natural habitat. I walked through the forest almost every day, observing the plants and animals. In fact, I kept a journal on the forest recording its condition, sketches of wildlife, and anything strange I found.

From the outside, my house seemed perfectly normal, with a stone garden and various lawn ornaments. The inside, however, was as cold and boring as my parents. Although they were good people with good intentions, they often expected me to conform to their every belief and whim just because I was their daughter. What they call my “rebellious phase” is what I call my realization that I don’t deserve to be treated like someone’s property. So, we had our screaming matches and periods of complete silence, and eventually came to the conclusion that I should be left alone to do my own thing. Now, my parents were barely there, and didn’t really care what I did as long as it wasn’t illegal.

It was with this lack of supervision that I was able to start my business about a year and a half ago. With my weekly allowance, I bought my own witchcraft supplies plus surplus to sell. I started with small things-books, some inexpensive crystals, incense, and altar supplies. Then, as I started earning money on top of my allowance, I began selling crystal jewelry and small trinkets I made.

Even as I started to build my business out of my own space in the house, it never felt like home. My room was the only place in the house where there seemed to be any life. In fact, my room was filled with plants for that singular purpose. I never felt comfortable in places where there wasn’t nature and things growing and living.

My walls were a dark shade of green, except for my giant bookshelf covering the entire wall behind my bed. On it, my gigantic collection of books was organized by subject on each shelf, then by color. Empty spaces were filled by clay sculptures and pots I had made in Fergus’ art classes, small plants, and some photos from my photography class. One shelf held my stereo, with wireless speakers nearby. However, I had a whole five shelves dedicated to my crystal collection, each of them separated on a different section of the wall. So far, I had collected nearly every type of crystal from Agate to Unakite.

Despite it not being my preference, there were many perks to living in a house as large as mine, such as the large windows that let in plenty of light for my plants, and the fact that I had my own office next door, which was only accessible through the false wall in my closet (which was installed when I was a kid, originally the entrance to my playroom). I keep nearly my entire business in that room-supplies and tools for crafts, the many boxes of all the things I sell, and records of everything I order.

Was my business completely legal? Probably not, but it supported an entire community of witches. Despite the large number of us in the area, there weren’t many witchcraft or Wicca shops in town. The closest thing was incense you could get at a dollar store or the crystals sold at tourist attractions. So, I ordered anything a witch might need in bulk, keeping some for myself and selling everything else.

I entered my room, drained from such a long day and an eventful meeting with Fergus. Tossing my dirty jacket onto the bed, I followed suit, flopping on top of it and rolling onto my back. Taking out my phone, I connected to my stereo, and played a bit of music. For a few minutes, I just sat there, listening to the sound of a perfectly in-tune choir. Then, the song switched to a traditional Scottish piece that reminded me of Fergus.

Suddenly inspired, I stiffly rose from my position on the bed and grabbed a sketchbook from a low shelf behind me. Flipping through one and walking back over to my bed, I took a pencil from a pot on my larger bookshelf and sat on my bed once again. I could visualize all of the subject’s features-Fergus’s scruffy beard on his long, thin face, his perpetually tired eyes, and the trace of his cleft chin. It was hard to draw, but I tried my best in getting his long, tied-up-and-under a-beanie hairstyle right. It was a rough sketch, but once I finished it had turned out better than I had expected.

My style was pretty realistic, and the sketch captured him well. Since I was in a portrait mood, I decided to do another self-portrait, which I did many of. I began with the outline of my head, but then had a brilliant idea. Remembering a photo I had taken in photography class, I decided to draw a copy of it.

A few months ago, we were asked to photograph a few tamed animals in the local petting zoo. Everyone loved to compare me to a fox, with my short, red hair, which was cut to the length of long fur. I also had a squarish face with a long, thin nose and thin lips, which strengthened the similarity. So, I was paired with the domesticated fox for the project, and they positioned us to face the camera in mirrored positions as if to emphasize the resemblance.

When people started to call me nicknames like “fox,” or “vixen,” I embraced it. It was a childish thought, but I always wanted to believe that the local foxes were something special, and my resemblance to them made me special, too. Often in my walks through the forest, I saw foxes through the bushes and trees, doing whatever it was that wild animals did. They minded their business, and I minded my own, but I could never explain why they seemed to be so comfortable with my presence. This made my fantasy seem valid, as if our similar features bonded us.

It was almost eerie, how alike to the fox and I seemed in my drawing, once I had finished. While the picture pointed out the simple similarity in our features, the expressions, positions, and details in the portrait I had drawn pointed out so much more in common between us. As if pouring a bit of my soul into the picture, I stared outward from the portrait with a mischievous and coy expression. As if I had learned it from the fox, it wore the same expression with a wiser, more learned glint in its eyes. I had almost forgotten that it was a self-portrait as I was about to add more freckles and whisker-like markings to my face.

I stared at the finished picture. A thought recited itself in my mind: the fox was commonly a symbol of adaptation, cunning, and mischief. Maybe that was something I could learn from them.

#mine #writing #wip #original #witch

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