#pssst I have a thing for this orange suit

[lucas-grey]

Happy Birthday, Grumpynora!

My dear friend and loving member to the fandom, @grumpynora; I wish you all the best for your birthday 🥳 ❤️ I wish you another year full of beautiful memories, adventures and wonderful experiences. And even if life is sometimes difficult, I send you the strength you need to deal with it 🙏 I'm grateful to have met you thanks to the Hitman fandom here on Tumblr and for sharing your amazing pictures with us fans. I'm glad you exist 😘 And as a little "gift" I wrote you a short story. Pssst, you have a little cameo appearance here 🥰

A normal life

Shrouded in shadow, 47 stood barefoot and dressed only in his suit trousers at the small, barred window and looked out at the sun slowly rising in the distance. He sipped a cup filled with hot black coffee. It had been two months since the ICA and Providence had fallen under his hand. And now here he was, in a small hotel room in St Petersburg. A free man. Or was he not? After these two powerful organisations had fallen, he and his handler Diana Burnwood decided to live the life of a freelancer. The decision to do so was very much of his own free will, but was he what they call a "free man"?

A normal life. That was what his brother had wanted for himself, but above all for 47.

"And what kind of life is that?" 47 had asked on the deck of the ship they had once travelled on to Sgail to capture the Constant. Grey had smiled at him. "Well, you know. A normal life, like all humans lead. With a normal job, a girlfriend, build a house, plant a tree. That sort of thing." 47 raised an eyebrow. "Sounds exhausting," he replied. Laughing, Grey had put his hand on his shoulder. "Yeah, I'm sure we'd hate it. But at least we'd be free, old friend."

The thought of his brother and of perhaps having disappointed him with his decision to continue with this life choked his throat. He needed some fresh air to clear his mind. 47 put the cup down and began to get dressed. The sun had risen enough by now to bathe the small hotel room in a warm orange colour. 47 chose his usual uniform of a black suit with a white shirt and a red silk tie. To match the Russian winter, he put on a black woollen coat.

As he left the hotel, he took a deep breath. The cool air filled his lungs and the feeling of a knot in his throat, which tightened the longer he thought about his brother, dissipated. He walked a few metres around the block until he reached a small park. Although it was still early in the morning, some children were already in the park, laughing and playing in the snow. Couples were walking through the morning sun, holding hands.

The snow crunched under 47's footsteps. The life he had now chosen was certainly not what his brother had imagined. Grey had wanted a life away from all the death and suffering he had faced all his life. For himself and for 47, but in the end 47 had decided in favour of a life as a killer again. It was the only thing he could do. The only thing he felt good about. Anything else was out of the question for him.

47 looked up. On the meadow in front of him, a young woman was playing with two small dogs. She threw them a ball and the two animals ran after it, their tails wagging happily. She seemed carefree, even though 47 was sure that she also had to carry her baggage. Just like him. Normal life or not.

When she noticed that 47 was looking at her, she smiled kindly. 47 automatically returned with a slight smile and continued to watch as she threw the ball again and the two dogs ran through the snow to retrieve it.

Maybe this thought wasn't so bad after all. This thought of a normal life. A life, where he would probably just walk up to this woman, start a conversation with her and invite her for a coffee. A life where he walks through the park with her and plays with her dogs. He would probably never really let go of his old life. It was his calling. What he was made for. But maybe now was the time to allow other things into his life as a free man.

For you, brother, he thought, before walking slowly up to the woman.

[mimimarilynart]

Day 21 - 1C Hartwin for @gouachley <33

[razorblade180]

Lasting Embers pt10: Sparks in the air

[Market street]

*filled with light night vendors and grocery stores in and outside. Paper lanterns light the many dirt paths as people walk about*

Yang:It’s nice to know even after ten years that somethings don’t change too much. This place seems as busy as ever; even at midnight.

Yujin:I guess that’s one of the beauties of Patch. It’s small but always going.

Yang:Sounds like you to be honest.

Yujin:Hey! My height is fine; you’re not even that much taller!

Yang:Hehehe, am I talking to my daughter or my sister right now? We’re here for eggs right?

Yujin:Yep, that store should be right over-

*crowd of people cheering about something*

Yang:Huh? What could be possibly be drawing a crowd like that this late?

Fans:*fawning* TZ!!!!!!

Yujin:What!? *starts pushing through the crowd*

Yang:Wait up! What’s the-pardon me. What’s the rush about. *breaks through crowd*

Yujin:He’s really here.....

Yang:Who is-woah......

*A young man in a light green track suit is break dancing in the center of the crowd. His face hidden by a fox mask; only thing visible is orange hair*

Yang:Hey this kid got some moves on him. You know him Yu- uhhh Yujin?

Yujin:*watching intently with a big grin and slight blush on her face.* There he goes showing off again; don’t tell me he’s here for me? There’s no way he’d know I’d be here.

Yang:? (Is he the other crush?)

*young man does a backflip and lands with one hand.* And that’s that folks!

Fans:Encore!!!

TZ:Oh I would love to but I should really- *sees Yujin in the crowd*

Yujin:*waves happily*

TZ:Actually I do have one more move to show you all. It’s a little something I like the ninja *leaps into the air* vanish! *poofs into orange sparklers. Mask and track suit left behind*

Yang:How the heck did he do that Yujin? *sees she’s missing* Uhhhh what!?

Yujin:*behind a vendor* Pssst! Over here!

Yang:*sneeks over there* First him and now you; what’s with the vanishing act?

“Hello!”

Yang:Hmm? *Sees a young man in a white t-shirt, orange shirts, and pink high tops. A prominent pink streak in the front of his hair that matches his eyes.* Hello? I’m guessing your TZ?

Yujin:That’s what his fans call him at least since he doesn’t use his real name. Mom, meet Lie Tenzen.

Yang:Tenzen!? Lie!? That makes you-

Tenzen:*bows slightly* Yep! You know my parents; a pleasure to meet you. Oh, I guess I already said hello though. My bad *smiles and scratches his head*

Yang:(Oh no he’s precious!) What are you doing in Patch?

Yujin:I’d like to know the same thing. *punches his shoulder* We’re not suppose to leave our home towns remember? This doesn’t look like an emergency.

Tenzen:Relax! I got permission from my parents.

Yujin:Parents or Parent?

Ten:*sheepish smile* So maybe dad doesn’t know I’m here, I’m still following mom’s orders. Come here and back before the last airship leaves. At 1:00 am

Yang:*looks at a clock* “12:52” You’re cutting it a little close. The hangar isn’t even in the market area.

Tenzen:It’ll be fine. Worst comes to worst I can just spend the night with Yujin. *smiles wholesomely*

Yujin:*red* Why are you even here!

Tenzen:It’s your birthday dummy. *hands her small box* no way I was gonna miss that. You’re awesome!

Yang:*trying not to gush over him* (He’s such a sweet boy! It’s like the perfect little fusion of Ren and Nora!)

Yujin:If you came here for me then what was up with the street performance? I didn’t realize the mysterious internet heart throb did tours.

Tenzen:I wasn’t planning on it, but then I heard the music and saw the festivities! *eyes sparkling* how could I not join in.

Yang:(I just want to hug him and never let him go!)

“12:55”

Yujin:You better get going before you miss your flight.

Tenzen:Yeah, mom can get pretty scary. It was nice meeting you Mrs.Xiao Long. You have a wonderful daughter.

Yang:She’s single....

Yujin:*red* Goodbye Tenzen!!!!!

Tenzen:Bye, and remember...*tosses the present up*

Yang:*catches it* remember wha- *he’s gone; only orange sparks remain on the ground.*

Yujin: “Don’t blink....” *points to an airship taking off in the distance*

Yang:*can see a familiar smiling young man waving from a window seat* I...did he.....what?

Yujin:Don’t think too hard about it now. *smiling* I swear he does as he pleases.

Yang:So.....is he the boy you didn’t want to talk about?

Yujin:*face heating up* Perhaps.....

Yang:Who would’ve thought my daughter would be crushin on Ren and Nora’s kid. I can’t blame you; he’s gonna leave a trail of broken hearts I can tell. I haven’t seen him since he was teeny tiny; now he’s as tall as me! All by the age of 16

Yujin:You sound like a fan girl and you just met him.

Yang:He was so polite and sweet! Wait, didn’t you say your crush was-

Yujin:An admirer of both men and women? Yes.... (but not me apparently!)

Yang:I want ten of him. No, I want Tenzen of him!

Yujin:*covers face* Oh my god that was so....let’s just get the eggs.

Yang:What about your present?

Yujin:Oh yeah...*opens the box to find a note*

“Clashes with your outfit a little but I figured a dragon deserved some dragon material.”

Yujin:What is he talking ab-*looks at her right wrist* When did he?

*a jade bracelet with a dragon engraved on it*

Yang:*whistles* He’s good, I see why you like him. Hey out of curiosity....

Yujin:Yes I’ve had “the talk”

Yang:Oh thank god! Alright, let’s get these eggs and go home!

Yujin:*still looking at the bracelet happily* Kay...

[nerdyskeleton]

vangaygh replied to your post “*pssst* POST THE OLD TRASH FIC”

you HAVE to post the PL trash fic

ok fuck. there’s admittedly not much of it. here is the first chapter of a crossover fic I was writing with skulduggery pleasant. I apparently planned out the whole fic where both teams were sent to find the same artifact for some dude and it would ultimately kill him?? idk what’s going on I had big ambitions. (this chapter is less than 600 words and I wish I still lived like that) 

Luke Triton placed the morning mail onto the front table, and he rested his satchel on the floor. Luke marched into the kitchen, holding one very specific letter that struck him as odd.

“Hello there, Luke,” Professor Hershel Layton greeted him, placing his teacup back on its saucer. “Who is that from?” He gestured to the letter.

“It doesn’t say,” Luke replied and handed the sealed envelope to Layton. The professor quickly opened the envelope and scanned its contents. He mumbled a few things as he read the letter.

“Oh, the mail’s here,” Flora Reinhold chimed cheerfully, entering the kitchen. “Who’s that from?”

Luke shrugged. “It didn’t say.” He paused “What’s in it, Professor?”

“Why not read it aloud, Luke?” Layton asked, placing the letter next to the boy.

Luke picked up the paper and cleared his throat and began reading it:

“Greetings Professor Hershel Layton, Luke Triton, Flora Reinhold,

I hope you don’t find this letter a surprise at all. You are quite a renowned team throughout London and Ireland, my home. I’m here, writing to you, asking a simple but puzzling favor of you.

There is an object, known as the Lament. No one still alive knows what it can actually do, but there are many who speculate about it. Some think that it will bring back the dead. Others believe it can solve world hunger or wars or things along those lines. I believe differently. I’m willing to reveal my own suspicious about the object once you find it for me.

I am old and crippled and unable to go and search for it myself. No one knows where it is located, but it is most certainly somewhere in Ireland. I suggest you head to Dublin first, then to a small town called Haggard. There, you are to report to this address: 184 Crystal Road. It can’t be hard to find when you look at the attached map.

I hope you will accept this puzzling adventure, since I do know of the love you all share of a great mystery. The Lament is quite a mystery. No need to reply to this. I will know immediately when you have stepped foot on Irish soil.

And so, anxiously, I shall wait to see your actions.

Kindest regards, Anonymous.”

“How strange,” Flora muttered.

Layton sipped his tea quickly and took the paper back when Luke handed it back to him. “This does sound like a worthy adventure,” he said, smiling lightly from behind his teacup.

Professor Hershel Layton was esteemed, simply. His name was known throughout London and a great deal of the United Kingdom area. The Professor had a great talent for solving mind-blowing, tear-your-hair-out puzzles as well as brewing the perfect cup of tea for guests. He had taken two young children under his care, though his apprentice had his own parents. He constantly wore a simple brown suit, orange shirt, and matching top hat. Rarely had people seen him without his trusty apprentice and young ward.

Luke Triton was that apprentice. He was in his very early teenage years and neither his voice nor his body had matured yet. He often wore an outfit made of different shades of blues and browns; he also carried around a large satchel that held his precious belongings.

[fandomsfeelsandfanfics]

The Best We’ve Ever Had///Professor!Remus Lupin x Reader

Request: Could you do something where their a student at Hogwarts and have somehow gotten two detentions at the same time? Instead of going to either they just hide in a classroom panicking until Remus or Dumbledore comes along and cheers them up. Pssst.. I love your blog. Great writing!

A/N: Hello! Pssst...thank you. I have been having the best time writing these types of fanfics lately so thanks for the request. Requests are always open guys. Enjoy!

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

    You’re luck was incredibly unfortunate. Of all the crappy situations you could have been in this was absolutely the worst. 

     Before class that day Fred and George cornered you in the hall. 

    “Hello,”the one you thought was Fred said. 

    “Hey,” the other one said.

    “Hi,”you replied. 

    “We heard you’ve been having some problems at school.”

    “A little birdie told us. Some problems with anxiety.”

    “Especially in Potions.”

    “We get it, Snape’s kind of an arse.”

     “Anywho, we’ve got a little something for you.” George pulled out a piece of pink and orange candy and waved it in front of your face. Your eyes fixed on it. 

    “That is a puking pastille, eat it and you’ll be vomiting almost immediately,” Fred explained.

     “Now, we usually wouldn't usually just be giving away things-”

     “However, we like you, you seem nice enough-”

     “And there’s also the fact that we need to start trying out our merchandise.”

    “But we also like you.”

    “Yeah, sure.” 

    “So?” He held the candy out to you. You stared at it for a moment. 

    What they were saying was true? How they had found out was a complete mystery. One of your friends must have blabbed to them. Lately, going to class seemed to only make you more anxious. You would’ve given anything to take a break but you didn’t know if you were exactly up for breaking rules. 

    You looked up at the boys. They had that same mischievous smile they always had that told you they were up to no good. Despite that you grabbed the candy. You gave them a quick thanks and walked away. At this rate you would barely make it to Potions on time. 

    You walked quickly. You stared at the candy in your hand distractedly not looking at where you were going. Something caught your foot and you fell to the ground. Your hand clenched around the candy so that it wouldn’t fall. 

    When you looked up you realized you had tripped over Mrs. Norris. You were just about to curse at the cat but someone cleared their throat behind you. You spun around and saw Filch staring at you. 

    “Fil-” you stopped. “I mean, Mr. Filch.”

   “You need to watch where your going. What’s got you so distracted?” Instinctively your eyes darted to your hand. Filch followed you gaze. “What’s in your hand?”

    “It’s nothing.” You stood up and tried to leave but he blocked your path. 

    “Come on let’s see it.” When he saw you hesitate he became angry. 

    “Now,”he barked. You opened your hand and he grabbed the candy. He held it up to his eye and inspected it. 

   “Ahh, I’ve seen these before. One of those candies the Weasley boys make.” He scowled at the mention of the twins. “You’re in a lot of trouble, young lady. Detention. This Friday starting at 6.” You groaned. He looked proud of himself. 

    “Now off to class with you, you’re late.” 

    Your eyes widened, you hadn’t even thought about being late to Potions. Once you were out of his view you sprinted. When you arrived, you threw the door open. You were panting from exhaustion and everyone turned towards you. Snape looked like he was in the middle of a lecture.

    “Mrs. (Y/L/N), nice of you to join us.” 

    “Professor, I-”

    “Silence! You waste my time not being here, I won't have you further waste it with your excuses. In fact, I think I’ll take some of your time. You will serve detention with me. Friday at 6.” Of all of the times he could’ve picked he had to pick the exact same time as Filch. 

    “But, sir-”

    “Take your seat now or else.” You wanted to protest but you knew it would only make your punishment worse.

    When the class finally ended you approached Snape. 

    “Professor, I’d like to talk to you about my detention.” Snape turned towards you with a grimace. 

    “There is nothing to talk about, leave my classroom.” You thought it best to leave but you were rooted at the spot. 

    “Actually, sir, I have another detention. It’s that night, at the exact same time with Filch. I can’t be expected to be in two places at once.” He looked at you like you were a complete idiot. 

    “Well, I guess you’ll figure something out.”

    “Sir-”

    “Get out of my classroom now,”he hissed. 

     As the week wound on you became increasingly nervous about your detentions. Only one of your teachers took notice to this. Professor Lupin had noticed a decline in your mood. He asked you what was wrong multiple times but you didn’t feel like sharing. You saw no point in it. Neither of the men were willing to change the time or work anything out with you and both had promised that if you didn’t show up there would be serious consequences. There was no way out of this predicament.

    When Friday finally arrived you made your way out of your dorm. You were shaking from nerves but you still continued. You hadn’t really thought of what you were going but you continued. You didn’t know which detention you would serve but either way you were completely screwed. 

    A couple steps out of your dorm and you felt the wight of everything crashing down on you. You couldn’t do this. You ran into the nearest empty classroom and closed the door behind you. Your knees gave out just in time and you crashed to the floor. That’s when you started to cry. 

    You heard the door open and your eyes followed the source of the sound. Standing in the doorway was Professor Lupin. He was frowning. 

    “(Y/N)...”

    “Sorry professor, I was just about to go I just...” You couldn’t continue as you began to cry harder. Lupin came closer to you. He kneel beside you. 

    “Calm down, take a deep breath. In and out, in and out.” He repeated his instruction over and over again. He rubbed up and down your back switching directions with each breath you took. 

     When you finally had your breathing under control he said,” Now tell me what’s happened.” 

     You explained to him your situation. He listened very closely and nodded along. When you were finished he was completely quiet. He took the hand that wasn't on your back and put it in his pocket, rummaging around a bit. Finally, he pulled out a full-sized chocolate bar. He handed it to you. You looked p at him in surprise and he gave you a reassuring smile. 

    “Eat, it’ll help.” You opened the candy bar and took a bite. It was absolutely delicious. Lupin got to his feet and helped you up. 

    “Let’s go.” You didn’t ask where he was taking you, you just ate your chocolate and followed him. Soon the location he was going became apparent. You thought this was a horrible idea but you followed anyways. 

    Without knocking Lupin entered Snape’s office. Snape was sat behind his desk, grading papers. When the two of you entered he looked surprised but when his eyes fixed on you he became angry. 

    “Look who’s finally arrived. Did you really need someone to escort you here?” You moved behind Lupin and hoped you were completely out of view.  

    “She didn't need an escort, I brought her here to tell you that she would not be serving your detention or Filch’s for that matter.” Snape's eyebrow drew up. 

    “Oh, is that so? I know you don't know much about how things run around here Lupin but teacher’s do not interfere with the way other teachers discipline their students. We also don't particularly put up with favourites.”

    “Maybe I don't know how things work around here but I do know how people should be treated. I know you are aware of Mrs. (Y/L/N)’s circumstances yet you still refuse to be rational and fair. She is clearly under a great amount of stress, most of which is brought on unnecessarily by you. If you have a problem then you should find other outlets to let them out instead of bullying children. At least that’s how things work here, in the adult world.” 

   Snape looked at a loss for words. His mouth hung open. He closed his mouth and he looked about ready to punch Lupin. 

    “How dare you?”

   “From this point on I would be very careful about how you treat your students because if I here word of you mistreating any other teachers it will be taken straight to Dumbledore.” Snape looked like he was gonna hex him but he didn’t do anything. “Now, if that’s all we’ll be on our way.” 

    Lupin turned to exit the classroom and you followed suit. When you were far enough away from the dungeons he stopped. 

   “So that was that. I’ll talk to Filch as soon as I find him. You can go back to your dorm.” You hesitated for a moment before going in for a hug. He seemed surprised but soon enough he had his arms wrapped around you. He was warm and you were certain you were safe. 

   “Thank you, professor.” Your voice was slightly muffled but he heard you. You backed away and saw that he was smiling. A wonderful smile that reminded you that there was someone at this school who was in your corner. You returned his smile and turned to leave. 

   “Enjoy the chocolate,” he called after you. 

[rtwlovers]

Japan, We Love You

When handing out awards, Japan is the dark horse of our trip. We didn’t know much about the country or culture, nor did we know many people who’d visited. We’d traveled through 11 countries in Asia at this point. We’d been through Africa, the Middle East, and South America and had traveled constantly for the past 9 months. We got comfortable and felt that nothing could surprise us. And as usual, the world proved us wrong.

Japan’s culture is unlike any other in Asia, which is a good (incredibly clean) and bad (incredibly expensive) thing. Incredibly conservative and polite, there is a huge emphasis on respect, manners and honor. We learned some of our favorite customs here. For instance, one never turns their back on a customer. So when a conductor travels through one of the high speed bullet trains and must turn his back in order to walk down the aisle, he turns around at the end of every train, takes his hat off and does a very deep bow. This is at the end of EVERY single car.

Or, there is absolutely no tipping. So when you accidentally leave money on the table, one of the waiters will chase after you to return it!

And then there’s the food. Another surprise. Japan is a foodie paradise with an incredibly wide range of traditional dishes and you’re sure to find one you’ll love. From sushi to ramen, you could eat a traditional dish every night for a month and not repeat. We’ll recount some of our favorites as we go through our itinerary.

We started in Tokyo at Anne Hostel. Unfortunately, Japan is more expensive than other places on our itinerary, so we kept accommodations simple so we could splurge on experiences. We immediately set to work seeing the sights.

First on our list was the famous Tsukiji Fish Market. About 2,000 tons of seafood is traded here daily, but the most sought after sight is the Tuna Auction held in the VERY early morning. We got up at a casual 3AM in order to earn the privilege to watch this auction in action. Experts from the best restaurants in the country review these gigantic tuna shipped to port in the past night, and then a Japanese man spouts off prices until the highest bidder is found. We’d seen a lot by now, but this experience was bizarre.

The next day we continued to hit Japan hard. We headed to the Meiji Shrine, which is located on a park of 170 gorgeous green acres. The shrine is dedicated to the deified spirits of Emperor Meihi and his wife Empress Shoken to commemorate his role in the Meiji Restoration. (Pssst the Meiji Restoration was in 1868, when Japan realized how behind it was from the West, it opened up its doors to foreign trade and technology. This was further done after WWII, and is the reason the country is so changed from our grandparent’s generation to ours). The shine and park were beautiful and wonderfully peaceful.

On the walk home, we experienced Tokyo’s fashionable district and soaked up the glamorous beauty that is Tokyo. We. Love. Cities.

Next we headed to the Imperial Palace, which is the primary residence of the Emperor of Japan. The grounds and architecture were gorgeous.

Next, we took advantage of our incredible luck to be in Japan during the Sumo Wrestling Championship! The Japanese absolutely LOVE sports (more on that later). Sumo is their national sport and indicative of their deep heritage. It is a ritualistic form of wresting from ancient times involving two overweight men clothed in loin cloths with their hair in topknots (like hipster man buns) battling out their strength to try to force their opponent out of the circular ring or into falling to the ground. Though that is the technical explanation, there is much more to it than that.

Sumo wresting isn’t just a sport, it is literally a way of life. As usual with the Japanese, they go all in. The wrestlers are required to live in a heya where they train and live. Their diet and lifestyle is heavily regulated. These guys may look fat, but in real life you can see they are HUGE mountains of muscle and disarmingly flexible. These mountains crashing together was a sight we’ll never forget.

After the sports, we needed to support the arts! We did so by visiting one of the largest art museums in the world: The Tokyo National Museum. Located inside a beautiful Ueno park, the museum is dedicated to art works and archaeological objects of Asia with a particular focus on Japan. We finished off the day with a walk through Otaku, Tokyo’s anime or gaming district (Japan is OBSESSED) with skyscrapers covered in neon lights and anime characters dancing around us!

All of this touring made us hungry and we visited one of our favorites (that we even came back to later!). Kikanbo Spicy Ramen. The craving returns just by typing the name!

After Tokyo we headed to Kyoto, which is considered the cultural capital of Japan due to its rich history of the Imperial time. The city holds the vast majority of Japan’s National Treasures and UNESCO World Heritage Sites and is obviously a must if you travel to Japan. Even the Japanese citizens go here to learn more about their own heritage.

The Arashiyama Bamboo Forrest is a gorgeous must, and it transports you to another planet. A quieter planet. Be sure to get there early as it is a (rightly so) popular spot.

Another must is Fushimi Inari-taisha, which is the mountain shrine that holds the pathway with the thousands of iconic orange gates. We were grateful to have each other on the two hour walk, as once you get lost in the pathways, the sound disperses and it becomes eerily quiet and isolating. Though it is technically one shrine, it holds as many as 32,000 sub-shrines.

Now, it is time for a confession. After the sumo wresting match, we went to dinner with an Australian couple who sheepishly asked us if we liked Harry Potter. Blakely tried to play calm and casually said yes. They then proceed to tell us about the UNBELIEVABLE Harry Potter World located at Universal Osaka. Even though the couple weren’t fans themselves, they were impressed. Again, Blakely tried to act casual, but Ryan received multiple kicks under the table which communicated that their plans were set.

If you get the opportunity, the Japanese culture is made for theme parks. The impeccable cleanliness, unwavering respect to strangers, and relentless cheerful demeanor make them the perfect hosts in this imaginary land. Plus, they’ve got the funds and the following to invest in these ventures, and the Harry Potter world alone received an investment of over $400 MILLION. We couldn’t help but be taken in, and were grinning madly from the moment we got in line.

OF COURSE, Harry Potter world was the first place we went. We’ll let pictures describe the utter joy that filled Blakely’s being. It was complete system overload. While standing in line for a ride (The Flight of the Hippogriff, thank you for asking), Blakely asked Ryan urgently for 5,000 yen (about $50). This was A LOT for our world trip daily budget, and far more than the souvenir department ever requested on a whim. She offered no explanation but Ryan handed it over. 10 minutes later, Blakely came back with her very own Harry Potter wand. Yes, these wands perform magic in the park (she hasn’t tried since leaving because she’s worried about breaking the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy).

We went on to enjoy TONS of rides and calls to our childhood like Jaws and Jurassic Park. We consumed cheesburgers and huge cokes with tons of ice. We walked down the streets of “New York” and ended the day at TGIFridays. Then almost fell asleep in utter exhaustion on the ride home. It was a wonderful day.

And the treats weren’t over, because next we headed to a Glamping.com assignment in Miyama with some of the most charming people we’d ever encountered. Read about the amazing experience in our gorgeous thatch roof hut here.

Of course, another must is to view the ruins in Osaka, where the US dropped one of two atomic bombs during World War II. We were there for the historic visit from President Obama, and it was an honor to be present as our two countries met to continue the healing from that horrible time.

Lastly, we headed to the mountains for a little relaxation. It’s a fairly well kept secret that Japan has some of the best skiing in the world. While we were there during off season, we still got to enjoy amazing hiking as well as a Japan highlight and a Blakely delight: The onsen.

An onsen is a Japanese hot spring with spas, inns, and bathing facilities built around them. Since Japan is volcanically active, thousands of onsens are scattered throughout the country.

We were very skeptical. Firstly, it’s intimidating because, like many traditional Japanese activities, onsen bathing is seeped in etiquette. We shouldn’t have been hesitant, because also like other traditional Japanese activities, the rules are clearly explained and (even better) make sense!

So the onsen ritual is essentially bathing in a hot spring. This used to happen with both men and women, but since the Meiji Restoration the bathing has been separate.

The main etiquette for onsen bathing is ensuring cleanliness before you get into the bath. There are showers with toiletries, and you are expected to clean yourself THOROUGHLY and rinse off absolutely all traces of soap before entering the onsen. Love this rule.

Bathing suits are normally not permitted, and towels and wash clothes are normally not allowed to be dipped into the bath. This is all to preserve cleanliness.

Onsen bathing was absolutely one of the most relaxing things we’ve ever done. The only regret is not finding one in every city!

We ended our Japanese adventure back in Tokyo where we experienced entertainment unlike ANY other in the world. A Japanese baseball game.

Yes. The Japanese absolutely love baseball. While the game resembles its American cousin, it has been Japan-i-fied with choreographed cheers, multiple life-size mascots, and skimpily dressed beer girls. Our seat neighbors promptly lent us gear in the proper colors once they realized we didn’t have any team paraphernalia, and the stadium was perfectly clean when we left. Such a cool experience.

As we said at the top, Japan was the dark horse of our trip. No place delighted us more, surprised us more, or welcomed us more. We can’t recommend it highly enough, nor wait to go back.