#luckily i ate beforehand but still it was so awkward

[whatdoesshedotothem]

Friday 19 July 1833

3 ¼

2 50

waited ½ hour for the horses – Off from Quillacq’s Calais at 4 ½ a.m. Ardres stragling little place but the poste not in the town which in fact one does not sea – La Recousse good, pretty little village – the postillion asked for a pour boire tho’ I had given him 2fr. per poste – sign there is not much travelling this way – good road – much prettier so far than by Boulogne, tho’ one has not the fine sea views – hosing rye and barley just out of La Recousse – wheat riper here than in Kent – nice land here and nicely wooded – Enter St. Omer thro’ a handsome avenue of large clipt elms – large, dull town – handsome cathedral but interior spoilt by whitewash – about ¼ pavement of nave up to chancel of small carved square stones, has a striking appearance – 1 of the handsomest looking organs (at West end) I ever saw – just peeped into the handsome (smallish) church of St. Denis – St. Bertin dismantled, but a handsome tower and other parts of the building remain – could not get in – just peeped into the Palais de Justice in the midst of the pleading – the court and building looking-shabbyish order – 1 ¼ hour walking about with Eugénie – I bargained for breakfast (I had only boiled milk and bread and butter and gooseberries) for 6/. – charged 1/50 additional for the servants wine! grumbled but paid it at the hotel de l’Ancienne poste – the best, but not good – the man had even the imprudence to mention the postillions’ breakfast – several English families, they said, in the town and neighbourhood – I saw no sign of them in any extra tidiness – the wide good streets seemed deserted – town strongly fortified – Fine avenue of out of the town but alas! from here we began with pavé – nice country about Aire – pass 4 bridges

SH:7/ML/E/16/0084

and 1 more in the town itself into Aire (shew passport here as at St. O- tho’ Quillacq said I should never be asked for it – however spite of not being signed at Calais no objection was made) – nice, good town – Thomas thirsty – could get nothing at the Poste – went into a little Place close by and bought him a bottle of wine (Bordeaux) and a small drinking glass – pass afterwards thro’ grande place with a very handsome hotel de ville and good houses – would rather live at Aire than St. O- not so dull a town – Lillers goodish little town – nice country and villages – near Flanders, so better land and farming and neat villages – Pernes, an awkward sharp turn down to the post house (badly done, and grazed the near side the carriage) in a sort of shabby straggling village faubourg before one drives thro’ curious, old, gable-ended, brick gateway, with old brick tower close by, into the shabby little town, poor and very picturesque – Pavé all the way from St. Omer to Pernes but on the other side Pernes, a happy cessation of it – I had all possible trouble to make the men go on the parterre – they said it was heavy (so it was – and the dust tremendous; but choice better this and jolting out self and carriage, was not difficult – the carriage too was lourde) – drove thro’ fine avenue of elms for a considerable distance – St. Pol shabby looking little town – at 5 ½ drove to the hotel d’Angleterre for the servants to dine as going 1 poste per hour there was no chance of reaching Amiens before midnight – Laffittes’ diligence was luckily just arrived, and table d’hôte dinner on the table – the servants sat down to dinner in the kitchen – I took ½ a roll and walked about – went into the church and ate my bread – the maître d’hotel (aubergiste) very civil but charged 6fr.! for the 2 servants dinner – would have charged me 5/. of course – a house one might sleep at, on bargaining beforehand off at 6 7 – still nice country – at 6 50 – very decent looking m. and w. on horseback – (2 horses) the w. riding astride!  Frévent large good village or shabby little town – 2 or 3 auberges or cabarets but impossible to stop there to sleep or eat – Pavé again for about the last ½ poste but then good unpaved road again – les chevaux dans les champs – had to wait for them 25 minutes – nice country hereabouts and all today, particularly from just on the other side St. O- took Euégnie inside at Frévent and asleep or dozing most of the rest of the way till stopt at 1 10 at the hotel de la poste à Amiens – the cook and busy in the kitchen preparing for tomorrow – a marschal de camp and his suite in the house – had boiled milk and bread and butter – pretty well put up, and everybody glad to get to bed – very fine day very dusty –

[fairytalesofthewind]

Could I get a Peter Parker x Reader? With Fluff prompts 10, 12, and 13? Thank you!

Fluff 10: “Are we on a date right now?”

Fluff 12: “He’s so pretty I think I’m gonna faint.”

Fluff 13: “Are you flirting with me?” “You finally noticed?”

Thank you for your request! I tried to write trans!Peter, but I failed a bit. If anyone has tips/ requests, hit me up!

Requests are open!!!

Warnings: a hint of transphobia

Peter x reader (gender neutral)

It was the first day of school. But it’s wasn’t September. You were the new student, and you were joining in the middle of May. Thanks to your parents who wanted to move. So it was your first day in Midtown School of Science and Technology.

You were allowed to come one hour late. Then you would get an entire tour of the school and a conversation with the principal, Mr. Morita. Usually you do this beforehand but that wasn’t the case seeing as your parents moved so suddenly.

After a very awkward hour with Mr. Morita, he led you to your first class. Science, he informed you. You were relieved to start with that. It was your favourite course at your previous school.

Luckily you didn’t have to do an introduction, Mr. Morita did that for you. The teacher gave you the required books and assigned you to your seat. The girl sitting there didn’t even look up to give you some sort of greeting.

To make it even worse, the subject was one you had already seen. So everything Mr. Harrington was explaining, you already knew. You knew the answer to every question he asked the class. You didn’t answer, though. Perhaps that’s for another day.

The boy in front of you turned around to get something out of his backpack on the ground. You stopped complaining in your head about how boring the class was, because all your thoughts were tuned to the beauty of him. As he saw your staring he gave you an awkward smile and then he turned back around. His brown puppy eyes were now forever embedded in your mind. You hoped it wasn’t too obvious with how hard you were blushing, but you covered your cheeks just to be sure.

Eventually it was time for lunch. It was the thing you were not looking forward to at all. You considered this to be even worse than having to talk with the principal for an hour. You wanted to hide in the toilet but that wouldn’t give you any friends.

You walked in right away, without hesitation. Many students were already seated in the cafeteria. They made no move to invite you over to their table. Alright then, I guess it’s not really obligated to invite the new kid to your table.

A lot of them were staring at you. They didn’t really give you a welcoming look. You shifted your weight from one foot to the other and scanned the big room. You saw one girl not looking, she was very invested in the notebook in front of her. You walked over her and asked if you could sit with her.

“Yeah sure,” She shrugged and put her notebook aside. “You’re the new one, right? I’m MJ.” You smiled in greeting and introduced yourself too.

You were talking about how your day was going when the boy from the science class walked in. Your attention was once again completely enraptured by his presence.

MJ looked at you with a closed off look, a bit defensive. She didn’t like it when people stared at Peter, their gaze was almost always filled with disgust. “Why are you staring at him?” You looked at her with wide eyes. How could you not stare at the beauty currently walking in the cafeteria?

“Are you kidding me? He’s so pretty I think I’m gonna faint!” MJ considered the blush coating your cheeks, and the look in your eyes; completely enamoured. “What’s his name?” You turned back to ask the girl in front of you, but in no time you were looking back at the beautiful boy.

You saw that they were approaching your side of the cafeteria and your heart beat faster and faster the closer he got. You got to see more and more features of him. He was quite tall, he was lean. And he was so handsome.

Suddenly MJ yelled out: “Hey losers, we’re here.” You looked at her with wide eyes and you felt the blush on your cheeks spread. If your blushing wasn’t so obvious a few seconds ago, it was certainly now.

The mystery boy arrived along with a friend. He was in your class too, but you didn’t pay him much mind. You were entirely focused on the boy who was sitting in front of you. They greeted you with a smile. If you weren’t a healthy teenager, you would have been lying dead on the ground by now due to a heart attack.

Both of the boys got seated and introduced themselves to you. The one opposite to you, stretched out his arm to shake your hand. “Hi, I’m Ned.” You already knew that they were both incredibly friendly. The other boy –the handsomest person you’ve ever seen, stretched out his arm too. You could see a colourful bracelet adorning his wrist. It was made out of blue, white and pink strings.

“I’m Peter, we saw each other in science, right?” Peter, such a basic name for a unique person. You nodded and wanted to answer but all that came out were strangled words due to your nervousness. All of you laughed it off. Peter give you another gorgeous smile and said: “It’s alright, take your time.” He mistook your nervousness for being new, and talking to new people. Although that was partly true, it was mostly because of him. That exquisite smile didn’t help to calm you.

After that it didn’t take long to calm down a bit. You were talking with the group as if you were friends for years. When you saw it was almost time for the next period, you all exchanged numbers so that you could keep in contact.

Just before everyone left the cafeteria, MJ showed you a drawing of you and Peter. It was you sitting at a table staring at Peter with big love hearts. In the clouds above your heads was Peter’s name written multiple times. The longer you looked the redder you became. You quickly walked away from MJ. And you heard her chuckle behind you.

More days passed, and you tried to be more obvious every day. You liked Peter, a lot. But he still didn’t seem to get the hint. MJ and Ned did. But they assured you that Peter wasn’t not interested but that he was just extremely oblivious.

But it seemed to have finally dawned on him the fourth week of you trying. You were studying in the park after school. Ned and MJ had claimed that they couldn’t come with an excuse that seemed reasonable enough. But you knew better as you saw their smirks as both of you realised you were going to hang out together. Alone.

It was really warm, so you suggested to get some ice-cream, your treat. Peter waited patiently on a bench in the park as you went to an ice-cream stroller. You came back with two cones with scopes of vanilla.

As you both ate the desserts, neither of you said anything. You turned to him and said: “You know, I think you look really nice today.” Peter stopped eating from his cone and blushed. You received a small thank you.

Peter suddenly stopped eating all together and turned towards you. Now you were sitting very close to each other. You felt bold, and reached out to him. You pushed a misbehaving curl back behind his ear.

“Wait, hold on. Are you flirting with me?” You couldn’t contain your chuckles. Your hand shifted to cradle his cheek.

“Yes, Peter,” You managed to say between your laughter. “You finally noticed?” He laughed along you, but they were laced with a bit of nervousness.

“Well, that’s good…” He mumbled, it sobered you up a bit. You hummed in question. “’Cos, I really like you.”

“Well,” You mimicked, “that’s good, because I like you too.” Your hand stroked his cheek once, twice, before you went back to eating your ice-cream.

Then Peter made the same thoughtful look as he did just seconds before. “Are we on a date right now?”

“I’d hope so.” You smiled cheekily at him.

Let’s just say that both of you decided that you would like to hang out together again.

#trans!peter #fluff #peter x reader #peter parker #gn reader #reader #male reader #marvel x male reader #marvel x you #peter x you #marvel x reader

[trailmafia]

R2R2R - trip report

4/20/2019

I didn’t sleep at all. After rolling around in my tent aimlessly for a few hours I decided it was time to get going. At about 4am, after a quick coffee and a couple of avocados, I left Mather Campground and drove toward the grand canyon visitor center to park. From there I ran a quick 1.5  miles or so to the South Kaibob TH. 

I decided on the South Kaibob > North Kaibob > Bright Angel Route. First, because it gave me a chance to see more of the canyon, and even though it was 2-3 miles longer, it was a “less steep” ascent out of the canyon when I would need the relief most - I knew I would be feeling the hurt at that point. As a bonus, parking at the visitor center, about halfway between both trailheads, would let me tick off an extra couple miles to get me as close to my goal of 50 miles as I could bear, having to run to the South Kaibob TH from my car and possibly back to my car from the Bright Angel TH if my legs were still functional. 

One of the most difficult parts of the day was just getting out of Mather Campground. I drove around for about 20+ minutes trying to find my way out. After flagging a family in a minivan down to ask for help escaping the campground, they laughed and told me to follow them out. Finally making it to the visitor center, I parked, stretched, ran to the South Kaibob TH, and descended into the abyss. 

The weather was perfect - 55 degrees F at the TH and about 65 degrees F down at skeleton point - clear skies and crisp, clean air with this deep hypnotic purple and crimson red glow permeating down into the steep corkscrew below. 

 I was only at Cedar Ridge (1.5 miles in) when I knew that the stairs were going to be a major problem for my left knee that had been having some IT Band issues. I’m not a fan of stairs on any trail really as they force you into an unnatural rhythm and create a very awkward angle on your joints. Luckily though, I didn’t hit any mule trains on the way down and I knew that would save me some time.

When I finally made it down for my first glimpse of the Colorado River, I submitted to the pain, even though my knee was in a full blown rebellion against me, hinting for me to abort while I still could.

 It was normal for the joints in my knees to start rubbing at that time, before I discovered how to stretch, strengthen, and foam roll properly, but usually only after about 25 miles in. I was only 9 miles in and knew I had about 40 something miles to go. This would be the going back point if I decided to give into the growing discomfort, but I dug in, and decided there was no way in hell I was going back, even if it meant not walking for a couple days. I was hell-bent.

After my first crossing of the Colorado, the terrain flattens out into one of the most exotic, single-track, slot-canyon trails I have ever been on. Or at least for the next 8 miles from Phantom Ranch to Manzanita Creek. The latter I knew was my only water stop on the entire north side of the canyon because the north rim would be closed for another couple of weeks.

I was in a nice groove, running about a 9 min/mile pace, listening to boulders crack into each other beneath the Bright Angel Creek beside me, crossing small suspension bridges, smelling the prehistoric red dust that came up with each step, becoming more and more comfortable with the pain in my left knee as my world above the rim began to melt away. I began to settle into this lush, Sonoran canyon-land.

I had only passed a handful of hikers at this point, but was more interested in catching up to the two running shoe prints that I had been seeing since I dropped in. At Manzanita Creek I bumped into two  Canadian girls in full running gear who seemed super happy to see another runner planning on completing the same route. They confirmed they had left the trail head 45 minutes before me so I was convinced it was the two prints that I had been chasing all morning. This gave me some closure that I was making decent time, being right on schedule with the splits I had calculated beforehand. We talked for a few minutes while filling up on water, all of us thrilled about being on this epic run. I pressed on ahead though and told them I would see them on my way back down from the north rim. Off I went.

Passing Roaring Springs was another cool rush and a well needed distraction from the ever sharpening pain in my knee. I could feel the vibration of this massive waterfall thundering down into the canyon, reminding me how small I was. Farther up the trail I began to hear what sounded like helicopter blades, echoing louder and louder as I passed over and under misty bridges and aqua blue waterfalls. Finally, about 3/4 of the way up, I came around the corner to the source of loud echoing blades. It was a helicopter lowering what looked like a generator to two workers harnessed onto the side of the sheer canyon wall. I was stunned that these two guys were just hanging onto the side of a cliff going about their work like it was normal, grabbing onto the slowly repelling machine, giving the helicopter pilot a thumbs up that they had control of it. I remember wanting to say something to them but I didn’t know what to say because I was so perplexed, so I just kept running up the trail smiling in wonder, smh.

At this point, I had passed a couple of runners who were on their way down. This surprised me because I hadn’t really seen any other fresh tracks earlier on the South Kaibob besides those of the two girls I just bumped into, so I assumed they probably just came down Bright Angel. I over-enthusiastically exchanged high fives with them, being so excited again to encounter other people on the same run as me. I noticed that none of them were wearing packs though which made me question if I was the only one wearing one, but then it dawned on me later on that most of them had probably stashed them at Manzanita to cut down unnecessary weight for the 5,000′ climb up the rim. Next time.

When I finally made it up to the north rim there was nobody. Just a bunch of left over snow. I had pictured this moment in my head, but I couldn’t have imagined how much peace and happiness I would feel as I rested my legs for the first time and slowly ate a bag of dried cranberries and some trail mix. I was as far away from safety as I had ever been and I had never felt better. What a strange and enlightening moment that was.

After about a 10 minute rest, my mind was back to the 24 mile challenge ahead of me with a blown out knee. The water spigot was dry which I knew was going to be the case reading every nps report I could, but nonetheless I was hoping to fill up at the slight chance the spigots were back on for the season. I also decided that on this rare occasion I would take some Ibuprofen I had packed, attempting to numb the increasingly sharp pain I was feeling. So I threw some pills in my mouth and a big handful of snow to wash them down. I packed some snow into the knee brace I was wearing as well as my hydration bladder to cool down and supplement whatever water I had left. Regardless, I felt amazing as these hardy calories coursed through body. I had only been eating gels up to this point (about 8 GU’s). The temperature had dropped to about 43 degrees F on the north rim so I put some layers back on, covered my neck and face with a buff, and dropped back into the gorge with an incredible sense of refreshment and vitality. 

About 3 switchbacks down from the trail head or 400 yards or so I turned around the corner to hear a “Cack cack cack cack” of branches snapping in half that I will NEVER forget. I turned to respond with my eyes to see what my ears just heard. 

I’m not sure exactly what it was, but it was big, and as quickly as my head could turn, whatever it was disappeared back up towards where I had just come from. I had read several reports of cougars being spotted in this particular area this time of year but I’ll never really know what it was. I was officially spooked though and started running like hell. All pain in my body disappeared as the adrenaline took over. 

Shortly after this encounter I bumped into the Canadian girls again who were on their way up. I was coming at them fast and when I finally got to them I told them what had just happened. They immediately stopped in their tracks and turned around to come back down with me. I didn’t want to discourage them from missing the north rim but I think they could tell that I was genuinely spooked and that was enough for them. They  followed me pretty closely for about a mile down until they were feeling a little more at ease, and they finally stopped to rest. I kept going, and this was the last I would see them. I was genuinely spooked, but as my downhill pace picked up and the endorphins started flooding through my veins, that fear transformed into exhilaration like I have never felt. This was now a true adventure.  

Then, as quickly as my high surged to its highest point, the pain began to set in again. This time with a ferocity that still sends shivers down my spine thinking about it. I was now unable to control the limp that had been developing as my knee was almost completely locked. 

At this point the temperature started spiking again as I made my return to the canyon floor. I was burning through water quickly and ran out about 2 miles before hitting Manzanita again. Water never tasted this good. There was a guy lying on the bench there getting some rest. He had his hat resting over his face but kept one eye peeking out at me, watching me nervously, gulping water into my mouth faster than I could swallow it. 

I knew this upcoming section from Manzanita to Bright Angel campground would be the easiest and the perfect opportunity to make up some time that I had begun to lose from my slowing pace. It was about 8 miles of slightly downhill running. I went into autopilot, grinding my teeth, and wincing in pain at every uneven step I was forced to take. Somewhere around Cottonwood campground I found a nice river crossing and soaked my legs in the rushing cold water for a few minutes. 

Throughout the day, I had this growing realization that even though I was in pain, all things were fair somehow. Nature provided as much as it could for me. It gave me snow to stuff in my knee brace and in my pack when I ran out of water. It gave me a gentle breeze when I was burning up, and a nice cool river to soak my legs in when they began to swell. Ultimately though, nature is impartial. It’s not there to  soothe your pain.  It’s not there to comfort you when things get bad. Nature is there to give you a glimpse into yourself. It’s there to remind you that you are alive. Each moment your heart is still pumping blood throughout your body is a good moment. 

My legs still slightly numb from the ice cold soak in the river, I flew through the rest of the narrow canyon, past Phantom Ranch and back to the Colorado. 

I had been contemplating going back up the South Kaibob knowing it was the shorter route, but I was determined to stick with the plan, knowing I would be seeing one of the most beautiful trails on earth, and finishing what I set out to do.

The sun was blazing down as I crossed the Silver Bridge during the hottest part of the day and ran the sandy banks of the Colorado River toward the bottom of the trail. I knew the hardest part of the trip lie ahead. They say the Bright Angel is the safest trail in the canyon, but 40 miles in, nothing seemed safe. Beautiful streams and lush gardens taunted me to stop and enjoy like all the other hikers and leisure seekers, but I knew I had to keep going. Surprisingly, I was still passing people on the trail pretty quickly and began to develop the feeling that I was on the other side of my fears, confident I would make it out. I knew looking up to the top was a big mistake and would check my growing confidence if I did. I could see it out of the corner of my eye, but I tried to keep a balanced approach, staying focused on the moment and each next step, but not forgetting to appreciate the desert paradise surrounding me. 

At this point, I was helplessly tripping over rocks and smashing the tips of my toes harder and harder as I became more fatigued. I couldn’t lift my legs high enough to step over them anymore. I knew that my left and right big toenails were probably going to fall off. I couldn’t feel them anymore though. I knew this was pretty common with ultra runners and it used to gross me out quite a bit. Now, it was a sign that I was progressing. It was an initiation, a marker on my path to running long distance ultra marathons. 

I made my final water refill at Indian Garden. Using the last of my salt tablets and the rest of my food, I felt like I had planned my nutrition pretty well, and now that the sun was beginning to set below the rim I was really bouncing back from a mental low. This was the most beautiful portion of the trip I thought. The final switchbacks were long and steep and took everything I had, but I felt good and really took in the beauty of the trail for the last few miles as I reflected on my day.

As my ears began to pop, I knew I was close. If I stopped at all at this point though my knee would completely lock up, so I kept a steady pace most of the way back up. With the help of some positive vibes from a hiker, my spirits were lifted just high enough to get me out with a smile. As I slowly and haggardly made my way past her, she asked if I was ok. Apparently I didn’t look so good, but I smiled, coughed, and nodded my head up and down in exhaustion. We had a couple quick laughs at my expense, questioning my sanity and the dirt covering my face, and then before I knew it, she was gone, several switchbacks below as I maintained course. I was still so focused on the end.

Seeing camera clad tourists with no hiking gear on was my sign that I was close. They had no idea what I had just done, and that was comforting to me, knowing that I had this little secret. They would probably never see what I saw or experience what I experienced that day. This was my moment of self-transcendence. This is what I had been searching for my whole life. Just over 12 hours and 49.2 miles later, I reached the Bright Angel trail head. 

#r2r2r 

[chocobroscrossing]

A Prince and a Valentine

Hiya! I'm Momo and I was super secret writer for V-Day with the @ffxvalentines exchange. I'm glad you participated in the FFXV V-Day fic exchange. Welp, I hope you like this. It's a lot of fun writing for Prince Sassy. Please excuse my tardiness life got in the way of my completion timeline. For @inconsistencys!

Prompts: "You could say that I got us into this, but you didn't exactly stop it from happening either" "I am shy and delicate. A sensitive flower. I used to bite other kids until I was twelve."

You were being escorted to the Citadel by none other than Marshal Leonis.  Why? Because your boyfriend, who happens to be the prince of Lucis, decided to do something fancy for Valentine’s day. He wanted the day to be special and well, it was definitely that. Let us backtrack to the beginning.

Your boyfriend, the prince of Lucis, called you before you could begin your work day. To even hear from him during the AM hours was an astonishing. He asked you to have breakfast with him at his place. Luckily, you lived two floors below him, so you obliged him. You gathered your work clothes you did a shortened version of your morning ritual. Within 20 minutes you were ringing his doorbell.

Noctis poured the orange juice and looked at the perfect table setting. With a lot, more like all, help from Ignis the table looked festive. He walked to the door when he heard his bell. Feeling a bit nervous he wiped the powder sugar from his hands and opened the door. He revealed a charming yet nervous smile when he laid eyes on you. Even in your adorable pajamas you were still the most beautiful girl in all of Eos. He took your hand and pecked your cheek.

“Morning, I missed you last night.”

“I know. I was beat after work. I didn’t want to snore in your ear.”

“What?? You don’t snore...every night.”

You playfully hit his shoulder then hugged him again. He could be really cute when he wanted to.

“So, what made the Prince of Lucis leave his super comfortable bed and call? You’re not hurt are you? Is it another chocobo butt emergency??”

You examined his dark locks looking for anything like the last fiasco. He blushed a bit and shook his head.

“No! I just...a guy can’t make breakfast for his Valentine?”

You made a face then looked into his eyes. He was serious about this! You smiled wide and pecked his cheek. How sweet of him! He pulled away and kissed your lips. With an awkward smile he led you to his table. The cutest breakfast was waiting for you.

“Aww! You’re the sweetest prince I know! Thank you for this!”

With a kiss to his lips you took a seat after placing your bag down. The pair of you ate the food Ignis prepared beforehand. The prince looked at your plate and went in to steal some of your food. You used your fork as moderately deadly weapon and stabbed your boyfriend’s hand.

“Ow! What was that for??”

"I am shy and delicate. A sensitive flower. I used to bite other kids until I was twelve."

The prince quirked a brow then nodded. He finished his last serving and looked over to you.

“It all makes sense to me now. You’re not gonna bite me again are you? I mean...it was kinda hot.”

You rolled your eyes and grabbed your bag. You kissed his cheek and used his bathroom to get ready for work. You were grateful the small bag had all you needed. Once you emerged you found Noctis wrapped in a blanket on his couch. Yes, he is back to his natural habitat. You walked over and kissed what was exposed of his head. His eyes resembled slivers as he sluggishly pulled out one arm and pointed to the counter.

“Have a good day…” “Thanks, I will.”

You looked in the direction of where he was pointing and walked over. You grabbed a golden envelope and opened it. Inside was an invitation for a valentine dinner with the Prince of Lucis.  

A night of dinner and romance made you smile. To be the human version of a cat he was quite romantic. You giggled and hugged your blanket burrito boyfriend one more time.

“Noct!! Of course I will!! AH! I’m so excited! How can I go to work and concentrate?!”

“...ah...just try. I’ll see you at dinner?”

The poor guy was half sleep and delirious. He moved to sit up and kissed your cheek.

“You’re so cute! Bye, Baby! Yay!”

You nearly skipped out his apartment and onward to your job. All day long you thought of your boyfriend and your coming evening with him. Candle light dinner and kisses...oh so many kisses! You were teased as you continued to gush and squeal about the boy you loved.

The evening was finally here and you readied yourself with an elegant outfit. Your dress was the perfect mix of flirty, beauty and grace. It was sure to Noct a certain someone on his butt. Since your work was only a block from the exclusive restaurant you agreed to meet Noctis there.

Noctis was nervous about his night with you. He called ahead to check for the arrangements for the third time that day. His suit was perfectly pressed thanks to Ignis and his connections. The strategist did look a bit frazzled when he returned, but that was not a concern now. Noctis made a mental note to ask Ignis was he looked like a ruffled chocobo. One last sigh and he was out the door. He met you with a bit of a smile despite his butterflies in his entire being.

“Hey...wow. You look gorgeous! Can I keep you to myself?”

“You will later tonight. For now, let’s eat. I’ve always seen this place packed out and busy no matter what time I go by.”

“Oh, I had to call in a few favors but it’s worth it. The waiting list is 3 months long.”

“Wow! It really does count to be Lucian royalty.”

“It’s fun some of the time. I would kill just to be a nobody.”

“Huh? Aww, don’t say that.”

“You’re about to see why…”

With an exasperated sigh he walked through the door with his hand on your hip. The staff and patrons all stood and bowed in his presence. Prince Noctis was not the most elegant so he rolled his eyes before giving a nod to everyone.

“Please, I’m just here to eat like the rest of you. Thank you.”

With that he was led to his semi-private table. You watched as everyone kept eyes on him. Yes, he was handsome but this staring was not what you could have predicted. The whispers about him were a buzz throughout the place.

“If you ignore it long enough they stop talking about you.”

A piece of princely advice from him. You nodded and looked to your menu. Some things were better left unsaid. As the night went on you noticed all the whispers died down and the attention was elsewhere. You were relieved about that. Noctis noticed your relaxed state and reached over to take your hand in his. You smiled and gave him your full attention.

“This place is magnificent, Noctis. Thank you, I’ll cherish this night. “

“I’m glad you like this. I--what’s going on?!”

Before your romantic words could flow he was out the door. You tried to follow him but your view was obscured bit the window decorations and a pillar. You knew he would return so you waited. You continued to wait and held off dinner until your prince returned. Sadly, he did not. You looked at the time and decided to leave. Only one thing wrong with that notion, no money to pay for what you have already eaten. Like the forgetful sleepy prince he is he forgot to give his credit card as he was making this fantastic arrangement. Did you know that? No, and did he remember? No again.

As you wiped your tears you picked up your purse and walked over to coat check. Before you could don it the manager was in your face. A tall prissy man with a mustache that screamed evil genius.

“Excuse me, but you have not settled your bill.”

“Fine, how much is it? Stupid EX-boyfriend…! I can’t believe him!”

In your angry muttering the man presented an elegant piece of paper with a total bill number from Ifrit. You squinted then raised your eyebrows.

“I can’t afford this! One of your salads is more than my rent! No, I’m not paying that!”

“Oh, a dine and dasher. I should have known. What did you do to get the prince to have dinner with you? Even the most resourceful call girls have something in their wallets. Now, you may pay or--”

As he was peaking you grabbed the coat girl’s drink and tossed it into the evil mustache's face...or so you thought you could. He dodged the liquid like a champ. You growled and made an effort to leave again. This time you were stopped by Cor Leonis. Yes, you just doused Marshal Leonis and he was mad. Suede suits are not cheap. You looked at him and notice his face was red. He was so angry you could, most likely, fry an egg on his head.

“What is the meaning of this?”

The Marshal’s voice was low and very intimidating. The snitch of an evil moustache told him of your dining and dashing attempt. You sighed as he grabbed your arm and dragged you out of the restaurant. He looked to his beautiful curvy lady of a date and spoke to her before he left. More tears flowed down your cheeks the more you thought about this night.

The night comes full circle. The Marshal led you to the Citadel and on your way to a jail cell. You grabbed your phone and texted Noctis.

{To Prince of my Heart 💓} HELP ME! The Marshal is taking me to jail!!

“I will ask you to hand over your phone. You can’t have that where you are going.”

“Marshal, I’m so sorry! You see I was--”

One of his large hands raised and stopped your babbling. You watched his as his lips turned into a frown. His jaw clenched as he listened.

“Yes, understood.”

He hung up and took you away from the direction you were once headed. He glared at you and walked the silent dark halls. Is this the part where the hero snaps and kills everyone in the Citadel? After a long trek he walked to a lavishly decorated door. He opened it and bowed. You watched with a skeptical look until Noctis called your name. You looked into the room for him.

“Noctis? Where are you?”

“In here. Come in the room!”

You looked to Cor then walked into the room. On the other side of it was a dinner fit for any member of Lucian royalty. Meats, meats and a few veggies sprinkled in just for good measure. You looked at Noctis from across the table and part of you wanted to punch him.

“Noctis Lucis Caluem! You leave me at the expensive without a way to pay for things, then you have me arrested by the freakin immortal so I can’t get away!?

“Ok, ok! I deserve full name, but I ran out there because some guy was towing my car! Hey, I knew I could count on Cor getting you here so it still worked out!”

You walked over and went in for a hug. Before you could complete it you grabbed his ear and sneered.

“Don’t you EVER do that to me again!”

“AH! OWOW OW! OK! OK! I won’t! Remember…”

He wiggled out of your grasped and went around you to hold your waist from behind.

“I asked you out when I thought you would say no. I mean you could say that I got us into this, but you didn't exactly stop it from happening either."

“Why would I stop a handsome guy for asking me out? I liked you before we got together.”

“Then can we have a great dinner together? My dad made a few calls and got us this food.”

“Alright...you better be lucky I love you so much.”

Noctis froze turned your body to face him. This was the first time one of yo said the L word. He kissed your lips and smiled at you.

“Happy Valentine’s, Babe. I love you too.”

#Noctis Lucis Caelum #FFXV #Final Fantasy XV Fic Exchange #For Inconsistencys #I hope you like it!

[rememberthattime]

Chapter 59. Cornwall, Charleston, and Chicago

Well we’re into our final chapters. It’s nearly time for Chelsay & I to head home… The end of our time as expats.  

The preceding post, our EuRoad Trip, may go down as our last big adventure abroad. That’s not how we planned it but, if it turns out that way, it’d be a helluva last hurrah.  We have this “on-again-off-again” thing Egypt initially scheduled for November, then delayed to December, and now delayed again until January… but an escalation in Covid cases makes that trip less & less likely.

Regardless of whether Egypt comes through, our last few months abroad will be anything but boring. This post is going to cover December alone, where in just four weeks, Chelsay & I enjoyed TWO winter retreats in Cornwall, and visited Charleston & Chicago for prospective neighborhood tours.

As mentioned, we’d been planning an early winter trip to Egypt. I had the flights, hotels, itinerary, visas… everything was arranged. I even had a dog sitter for Indy. But Covid infections had been rising since the summer, so Chelsay & I always knew this trip was a long shot.

Sure enough, just a few weeks before the trip, our flights were cancelled. We were prepared though and already had a back-up.

3.5 years ago, the same week the Bears drafted Mitch Trubisky, Chelsay & I took a four-day trip to Cornwall. There were two surprises. One turned out to be a good surprise, the other was bad…

The bad surprise was Mitch. As I wrote in our 2017 Cornwall post (Chapter 20), he wasn’t good in college and the Bears passed on so many safer prospects. Fast forward to today, where Mitch is likely in his last season with the Bears while the two quarterbacks drafter after him, Pat Mahomes and Deshaun Watson, are future Hall of Famers.

Well, at least that 2017 Cornwall trip was blast. It’d been a few years though, and with winter surfing a possibility, we decided to use our now-cancelled Egypt vacations days for a return to the Cornish coast.

It seemed like we arrived at our small cottage, Scilly Stack, in the middle of the night. It was actually just dinner time, but the sun sets at 3 pm these days so everything feels like midnight. That first evening, we enjoyed homemade Bolognese and Planes, Trains, & Automobiles. …This cosiness would be a theme.

The trip really began the next morning, with the Cornish wind being our wake-up call. We were visiting the nearby Crown Mines, abandoned for 70 years but still bracing along the Atlantic coastline. I don’t know how they’re still standing: essentially at land’s end, there is no hiding from the elements. Gusting gales, salty mist from the crashing waves… even hail.  Still, Chelsay, Indy, and I were stirred by the wind, and bounced around the craggily coast.

The next stop was one of our primary draws to Cornwall: the beach. It’d been a year since we left Manly, and I missed the water. I keep telling Chelsay that my outdoor activities are limited in London: all I can do is go to the park – no surfing, swimming, or running along the beach. Later in this post, I’ll get into our house tours in Charleston & Chicago… It isn’t a coincidence those cities are both waterfront.

Cornish beaches are unique though: at low tide, the beach seems to be a million football feeds wide. Boats moored in the harbour gradually sink and settle in the sand. The winter crowds are sparse, so Chelsay, Indy, and I had miles to roam. We raced around the beach, threw his ball, played in the waves, and dashed through the surrounding dunes. After wind and hail earlier in the morning, the extreme weather continued: we raced through snow and rainbows in our few hours on the beach.

Afterwards, we warmed up with lunch at a beachside cafe in nearby St Ives. I went a bit risky with the Korean fried cauliflower, which I thought was ambitious for a beachside cafe. This place knew what they were doing though: lunch was delicious, and Chelsay said it was her favorite fish & chips thanks to a special tartar sauce. The town was quiet in the winter, and while we ate, Chelsay and I watched as a lone surfer catching a few waves. I distinctly remember us saying: “We can do that.”

We wrapped up lunch, but with the sun was quickly setting AT 2 PM!, we quickly made our way to the day’s final stop: the Wheal Coates mines.

As a refresher, we’d been here before. We visited in our last trip to Cornwall, but only thanks to a bit of luck. We’d lost cell service so our GPS couldn’t find the mines, and to complicate things, Chelsay had to pee. Somehow, the solution to both problems was the same. We pulled off at a public restroom, where a cartoon map led us directly to the mines.

This time around, I downloaded ‘offline maps’ beforehand, so finding the mines was much. That said, the setting sun made the coastal setting just as special as our previous visit.

Just as we’d done the previous evening, we closed the night with a homemade pasta. This time amatriciana.

We pretty much only had one goal for our second day in Cornwall: surf. It’d been a full year since Chelsay & I left Manly, and we were so anxious to get back in the water. So anxious, in fact, that we were willing to go in the winter.

That morning, we had some serious doubt as we picked up our rental boards & wetsuits boards in Sennan. Literal gale force winds over 40 mph were battering the shoreline. And as if the speed of the wind wasn’t enough, it was directly onshore and killing any chance of wave formation.

That said, the great thing about Cornwall is that it’s a peninsula. If you’ve got onshore winds on one side, just go to the other and you’ll find perfect offshore conditions. Gnarly green faces. Rad rollers. Clean barrels. Smooth breaks. SETS. OUT. THE. BACK.

The surf shop recommended Praa Sands, where a surrounding cove funnelled the south-easterly winds offshore from the beach.  We knew it was the right call when, as we pulled up, noticed Cornwall’s dedicated (though small) surf crowd had also chosen Praa.  

Because it was too cold, windy, and rainy to be outside, we awkwardly changed into our 5mm wetsuits in the car. This was awkward… Not only were the steering wheel and limited space difficult, but anyone passing can look in. Have you ever pulled 6 muscles all at once, while shirtless, while making direct eye contact with someone?  I have now.  

The wetties (and accompanying boots) were critical for this surf session. Just the day before, it had both snowed AND hailed on us. Today there were gale force winds and spots of rain. 5mm of neoprene and incalculable adrenaline were the only things keeping us warm as we plunged into the water.

I specifically remember trying to keep my head high as we paddled out, attempting to stay dry and well above the water. This was one of our strategies to stay warm, with the other being our “get in-go hard-and-get-out-quickly” strategy... Rather than wait for the right wave, we’d paddle hard and take whatever came first.

Luckily there was a pretty solid wave as soon as we hit the lineup: a four foot face that, based on our Manly riding, was perfect for our skillset.

We quickly turned our boards and paddled hard to match the wave’s speed. This was it. Our return. After 12 months, we were going to catch our first wave - Let’s gooooo-NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Chelsay and I both flipped directly over the front of our boards, tumbling through the churning wave. Adding injury to insult, each of our boards popped out of the water and landed on the other person’s head.

No return to surfing glory: just a face-first dive into the frigid water, resurfacing only be whacked in the head by each other’s boards.

This was pathetically unathletic, but also hilarious. Chelsay and I both popped out of the water laughing. We’d now been submerged in the winter water, but survived and actually weren’t *that* cold. Chelsay thinks I’m crazy, but I really think I had colder swims in Manly.  

We needed to reset our wave-riding expectations. The biggest problem was that we were out of surfing shape. Our back & arms lacked both the power and stamina we’d built in Australia, so we never had enough speed to keep up with the waves.

After several misses, we ultimately decided to settle for white water (the wave post-crash), and caught a few beginner sets. Like, true novice waves. The kinds you’d see the kids surf school handle in Manly.

We were probably in the water for just 30 minutes, but our arms were already wrecked. Little did we know, our upper body workout was far from over.  The same offshore wind that built up perfect waves was now standing between us & the car.

The combination of these 40 mph winds, our soft surfboards, and utter exhaustion created the funniest scene of the trip. Chelsay and I were fighting for every inch as we made our way up the beach… If our boards even slightly opened to the wind, gusts would catch the board like a sail, punching us back several steps. We’d torque around, trying to get the board into an aerodynamic position, but the heavy wind wouldn’t let up. We’d twist and turn, completely out of control and hyperventilating from laughter. It genuinely looked like Chelsay might fly away with her board, before she eventually gave up and collapsed in the sand.

Needless to say, our Cornwall surf day was very different from the sunny, guacamole-on-the-beach days in Manly. We still had a blast though.

After the most necessary showers ever, and coffee to energize our depleted muscles (and egos), Chelsay and I returned to Penzance to visit St Michael’s Mount. We let Indy play on the beach with other dogs (all collies, which seems to be a UK theme everywhere except London), while Chelsay & I searched for critters until the tide pools were once again flooded.

The sun set by 4 pm, and I don’t need to tell you our dinner that evening: pasta, along with the Mariah Carey Christmas Special.

The next and last day was another highlight.  Although Cornish weather is turbulent, the forecast said our clearest day would be the last. I was so excited about this hike that I initially planned it for our first day, but reschedule to ensure it coincided with the best chance for sunshine.

Well, we got more than just sunshine. It was mild, almost warm. Light breeze. Dry. Absolutely perfect for our hike from Lizard Pointe to Kynance Cove.  

The Lizard Peninsula is known for its craggily coast, where its countless coves were popular for pirates hiding their treasure. Chelsay, Indy, and I didn’t find any treasure, but we felt very lucky to enjoy the seaside setting in essentially summer conditions. To complete the sunny scene, we enjoyed ice cream cones once we arrived in Kynance Cove’s, playing fetch with Indy along the beach. You can’t ask for any better in December.

These few days in Cornwall were excellent. Very different from the Egypt trip they replaced, but somehow both relaxing and adventurous.  We had a such a great time that we booked a return visit just three weeks later.

This return Cornwall visit was entirely intended to decompress. You’ll see when I write about it later: we did nothing.

Why was an ‘exhale’ trip necessary? Well, between our two Cornish holidays, we were visiting Charleston & Chicago, evaluating if either were right for Chelsay & I’s eventual return to the US.  

These visits were mostly Chelsay and I independently exploring each city, gauging “What’s Possible” in terms of neighborhood and home quality, outdoor activities, community values …and, as mentioned earlier, access to the water.

I won’t go into too many details here, but a few memories worth noting:  

That first sunrise in Charleston. It felt like we hadn’t seen a single sunrise since we moved to London… because we hadn’t.

Biscuits and gravy to start the day, followed by walks along the large beaches on Sullivan’s Island and Isle of Palms.

The charming homes of Charleston, which Chelsay and I agreed, made this the prettiest city we’d visited in the US.

Soups, sandwiches, and warm waterfront views at Kiawah Island’s Freshfields Market.

The unbelievable size of American grocery stores. They’re like airplane hangars, with an entire aisle for cereal. We counted 12 unique flavors of Oreos alone! It wasn’t until we browsed these snack aisles that we realized how much we missed all this variety and convenience.

The views from my parents’ 14th floor condo, including surrounding skyscrapers, sunrises over Lake Michigan, and the general city buzz.

Portillos!

The smell of heavy incenses and grilled cabeza steak in La Chaparrita Taqueria.  

Our no-nonsense realtor Greg, who handled our four house tours with the militaristic precision of D-Day. This style was in direct contrast to the selling agents, who were all very kind but far too affable for Greg. There was one agent that couldn’t answer a single question without sprawling in a million directions: “Well the first thing is location… Wait did I tell you about the… Actually my oldest daughter lives down… Oh, where was I?”.  The question we asked was the difference between Winnetka & Wilmette.

The safety measures necessary to make this trip work. This was our first time flying since the start of the pandemic, and we were as careful as possible throughout.  Our extra precautions included getting tested, paying extra attention to social distancing, and even investing in hospital-grade KN95 masks.  

The trip was extremely informative, and we enjoyed envisioning what our lives would be like when we eventually return to the US.  That said, it was a sprint and, especially considering our jet lag, we were exhausted.  This is precisely why we’d booked another 5 days in Cornwall upon our return.

After our overnight flight into London, we picked up our rental car, stopped by the house to grab Indy (and a shower), then started our five-hour drive to Newquay.

This Christmas Eve trip was surprisingly easy. I was nervous beforehand, anticipating minimal sleep on the plane followed immediately by five hours on the road. Just think of how extreme a trip Chicago-to-London-to-Cornwall is in under 15 hours… Although my fears about plane rest turned out to be accurate, the drive was made immeasurably calmer thanks to Obama’s A Promised Land audiobook. Something about having an empathetic, logical President was reassuring. The good ol’ days.

The calm vibes would continue in Cornwall. Round two was nothing like the round one I previously wrote about. In fact, it was unlike any trip Chelsay & I have taken: we did nothing. No itinerary. No plans. No sight-seeing.

This was our opportunity to exhale, and we took full advantage.  We slept in until 10:30 several days, hardly leaving the house and never driving more than 30 minutes from our accommodation. Some of the most memorable highlights:

The accommodation itself, a four-bedroom cottage overlooking Mawgan Porth Beach. 

Our Christmas calls with family, where we opened presents with all the nieces and nephews. Miles got a dragon toy, Orly a stuffed pony, and Jeff & Liv’s couch got leather care formula.

Christmas Day with Chelsay, where we made Beef Wellington and gingerbread cookies, and watched Home Alone 1 & 2.

Our daily beach walks with Indy. After our Cornwall trip earlier in the month, we knew to expect turbulent weather. In just a few days, round two provided a mix of every kind of winter weather: rain, hail, sunshine, gale force winds… Regardless of the weather, we enjoyed beach time with Indy as the tides shifted.

I need to re-emphasize just how windy the beach was. I’ve never seen anything like it. As we walked, the sand kicked up by our boots would catch the wind and shoot 15 feet away. 

Playful walks along the Cornish coastal paths, including stops at the Bedruthan Steps and Port Isaac.  

Teaching Chelsay to play chess. Although she was skeptical at first, we both enjoyed the light competition in an otherwise relaxing few days.

Stealing a line from Jeff & Liv, “Well, that’s Christmas.” …That was December 2020.

I’m actually writing this post on January 1, 2021, which I’m sure I’ll look back on as a significant day. Not only is today a celebratory end to one of the worst years in history (pandemic, economic decline, racial tensions, Trump…), but it’s also excitingly the beginning of what will likely be Chelsay & I’s biggest year yet.

Our December 2020 was actually reflective of today’s mixed New Year’s Day emotions. Our two Cornish holidays represented closing chapters to our international travels, which have consumed our past five years. Meanwhile, our tours of Charleston & Chicago foreshadowed our exciting return to the US. Our past & future look bright …and filled with dozens of different types of Oreos.

[fireinmoonshot]

First Date.

Requested by Anon: Could you write Male!Reader x Eggsy first date fic where the reader is a young but established Kingsman agent who watches him through training and got so impressed with him, he asked Eggsy out? The date is cracky bc reader is so easily flustered and kinda awkward (also I’d like some overprotective Harry for humour but it’s up to you.) Pairing: Male!Reader x Eggsy Unwin. Fandom: Kingsman. Warnings: Drinking. Word Count: 1267.

As a Kingsman agent, you had pretty much accepted that you were never going to fall in love. You spent most of your time either in the tailor shop or Kingsman HQ, which meant you never had any time to actually try and find somebody. You expected that relationships would be hard.

You knew that anyone you dated would have to live with the fact that you couldn’t tell them the truth about your job. You loved being an agent more than anything, though you knew that you’d never be able to lie to someone you loved like that.

So, when Gary ‘Eggsy’ Unwin showed up at Kingsman HQ to start his training for the now open position of Agent Lancelot, you never really expected anything to grow from that. You admitted to yourself that yes, he was very attractive, and seemed to be a decent guy, but that was it.

Plus, you had your own candidate to help train, and you had no plans to start getting all close with someone else candidate when you had to be loyal to your own.

It was only when you saw the footage of him breaking the glass in the underwater task that you were really impressed with him. You, during your own training, had barely made it to the toilets in time to get a snorkel working, yet he’d picked up on the mirror right away. 

And then, again, when he landed right in the target after the skydiving task with Roxy. They’d opened way too late, but somehow they’d made it. You were slowly finding yourself much more attracted to him than you intended, but you really couldn’t help it. You’d been an agent for a few years now and you knew that something about Eggsy was different. He was better, smarter.

When your proposal for the position was sent home, you didn’t feel as guilty for liking him.

You hadn’t really spoken to Eggsy all that much. You’d told him to call you by your real name, but he liked to annoy you by referring to you as Gaheris, your codename. You found it quite amusing, however. You spoke during lunch breaks and sometimes as you passed in the hallways of HQ, but you’d never really had a proper conversation.

Which was why, you supposed, Eggsy was so surprised when you somehow got the guts to go up to him during a training day at Kingsman HQ and ask him out on a date. You set a time and a place and that was that. Everything was happening.

Harry Hart, better known around Kingsman as Galahad, cornered you on the afternoon of your date as you were finishing up on a mission report in your office. You looked up, eyebrows raised. “Galahad?”

He looked down at you. “I’ve heard that you’ve got plans tonight,” he began.

You nodded at him, sitting the pen you’d been using on the table. “I do, sir,” you confirmed.

Harry hummed and nodded. “A date with my proposal for Lancelot’s position, am I right?”

“You’re right, sir,” you nodded. “Is this a problem?”

Harry was your superior, you knew that, and you also knew that he was the one who proposed Eggsy for the new position. You hadn’t really thought he’d mind, though now you were wishing that you’d asked for his permission beforehand.

He nodded slowly before smiling softly and shaking his head. “No, Gaheris. You’re fine,” he assured you. “Just make sure that you don’t tire him out too much. He’s got a busy day ahead of him tomorrow. He is my proposal for Lancelot’s position, so I would very much like him back here tomorrow to continue his training in one piece. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Galahad. I can promise you he’ll be back tomorrow, unharmed,” you confirmed. Your heart was beating out of your chest with your nerves - you hadn’t realised just how important Eggsy was to him, though, when your proposal for Lancelot’s position was still here, you’d felt the same.

You picked up Eggsy from the outside of his apartment in London at precisely 7:00pm later that night. You’d organised a somewhat fancy dinner, and you, luckily, didn’t look too odd in your suit - considering Eggsy saw you mostly in this suit, it was normal for him.

As soon as Eggsy walked out of his apartment, you felt your heart swell in your chest. Your palms were sweaty with nerves and you were terrified that this would all go wrong. Eggsy thought you looked rather handsome, even though he’d always thought that. 

The two of you made your way to the restaurant in silence. Eggsy managed to make some small talk, but it was clear that you were nervous. You didn’t want to mess this up in any way, because you knew that if you did, and if Eggsy became Lancelot, work would be painful.

You took your seats at the table you’d booked and instantly picked up the menus, ordering whatever sounded good and trying to make a bit of small talk before you ate.

“So,” Eggsy began, taking a sip of his beer. “How long have you been an agent?”

“Uh, eight years,” you muttered, taking a gulp of your own beer - a gulp that was much too big. He almost asked Eggsy how long he’d been an agent, but then you realised he wasn’t and, instead, chuckled awkwardly.

Eggsy nodded. “That’s a bloody long time. I’d like t’ think I’ll get to that point one day.”

“I’m sure you will,” you assured him, knotting your hands together on the table in front of you. “You’re doing really well in your training. I, uh, I’ve been watching. I’m very impressed.”

Eggsy grinned at you. “Really? That’s nice, Y/N,” he mused.

Conversation died off for a few minutes and you could feel the awkwardness slipping into the moment. You hadn’t expected to be so lacking of things to say - you’d expected this date with Eggsy to go well, easy, even. But it was proving to be anything but.

When your food arrived, both of you gratefully started eating. 

Eggsy, to his credit, started talking half way through the meal. “Could I ask, Gaheris,” he began. “Why did you ask me out tonight? We haven’t really talked before.”

You paused, food half way to your mouth, and with an awkward chuckle, returned your fork to your plate. “Well, I, uh, I like you...” you muttered, your heart beating crazily in your chests and your palms sweating again. “You impressed me in the challenges. I just... I had to give it a go.”

Eggsy nodded and ate another fork full of his dinner. “Y’know,” he said, chewing his dinner and talking with his mouth full - something you knew that Harry would chastise. “I’ve actually had a pretty good time t’night.” 

“You have?” You furrowed your eyebrows and looked at him. 

He hummed. “Yeah, I have. Maybe next time we should go somewhere less formal, though. Y’know, like a pub or somethin’. It’s not like I don’t enjoy bein’ all fancy, cause I do. But I feel like it’d be easier to talk without the pressure of this place. You get me?”

“Next time...?” You muttered. You had thought that, after the awfulness of this date tonight, Eggsy would just leave and that would be that. You hadn’t even considered a second date.

“Yeah, next time,” Eggsy nodded, taking a sip of his beer. “We’re definitely going out again, Gaheris. There’s no way you can ask me out once and expect that to be it.”

#eggsy unwin #kingsman #male! reader #eggsy unwin x reader #kingsman x reader #kingsman imagine #eggsy unwin imagine #eggsy unwin reader insert #kingsman reader insert #imagine

[otis-the-undead-blog]

Two Blind Mice Looking for Love

I knew from the moment we met, he was going to leave me. It was the summer of 2018. I’d just started my job as a lifeguard and was MIA in a closing shift. When I realized I was supposed to be working the pool was already closed. For over an hour I was anxiously pacing back and forth in my room making calls and texts, apologizing to everybody on that shift, and telling them it wouldn’t happen again.

My manager at the time, Gabby, assured me it was alright, “Yeah, everything turned out okay, we called Sam in luckily, so he and Jay got to hang out together.”

Sam. That was the first time I heard his name. Short, simple, and to the point. I’d never had a shift with him, so I thought he’d hate me because he had to cover for me. To my surprise, he never mentioned it. I think he forgot it was me because the first time we met there was not an ounce of recognition on his face.

I don’t know why he caught my eye, but I couldn’t help but peek at him when he wasn’t looking. Maybe it was the coy grin that would lift off his lips, the sun that would radiate behind him which made my face flush pink. Maybe it was the way his laugh filled every corner of the room, causing my heart to beat faster. Maybe it was the way he’d talk so fervently about his plans for college that made me feel like I would never catch up to him

Sam was a rising senior at my highschool. He planned to go to Stanford, get a graduate's degree at MIT, then settle down in Apple as an electrical engineer. The way he put it, I felt like I was behind him. I didn’t think I was smart enough, funny enough, or pretty enough to catch his attention. Even if we did get into a relationship what was next? He would leave for college in a year.  I’d be left behind in a small town high school finishing my last year in high school. I didn’t know if he’d even want to keep going at that point.

Even so, I felt an undeniable magnetism to him.I thought he was too good for me and probably already had a girlfriend. Which is why I was so surprised when he asked me out to Homecoming.

It was a text. I know, not the most romantic, but when I met up with him the next day I could see why it’d be hard for him to race around the school to find me. It was in the little courtyard between the language and science buildings. Sam was on a red metal bench in the little courtyard between the language and science building.

He was crouched over, looking at his phone. He wore a red school hoodie, blue shorts with a white stripe lining down, and a cast that covered nearly half his right leg. He’d tore his meniscus in a water polo practice earlier in that month in October.  

It was a very awkward and nice chat. We made a plan for dinner before and when we’d get tickets together. So basically, In-N-Out and Monday at lunch, respectively. The whole Homecoming week we’d be side by side, to classes, to lunch, to lunch games, and to the bike cages where we’d say our goodbyes. It was one of the best and the most nerve-wracking weeks of my life because I was still confused about whether we were going to the Dance as friends or more than friends.

Call me as dense as you want, but as someone who was raised as a tomboy by two oldest brothers, I’ve never picked up the skill of flirting. I thought that he thought that we were going to Homecoming as friends because it was his last year and he thought he might as well ask a friend to join him.

Okay. Looking back at it now I definitely had a thick skull but who could blame me! No boy had ever shown a keen interest in me, let alone asked me out. I was baffled and confused. For the whole week, I was working up my courage to ask him, “So I like you. Do you like me too?”

I know, stiff, awkward, and cheesy, but I had to know by the end of the night! Otherwise, what was the point? I’d lose my very first and maybe last chance of someone being interested in me.  

The day of Homecoming was also coincidentally the same day my family hosted a Halloween party for all of my extended family on my Dad’s side. So along with meeting my parents for the first time, he got a packaged deal with aunties, uncles, cousins, and second cousins. I did tell him beforehand so don’t call me cruel, he knew what he signed up for!

A long night of talking, laughing, awkward dancing with a stiff leg, we ended our night with a decade favorite slow dance, “All of Me,” by John Legend. We walked hand and hand back to his Red Chevrolet, our hearts beat furiously.  I was sure I was going to confess to him.

We drove back to my house and parked right outside the gazebo at the front of my house. The whole car ride back I’d finally built up the courage and asked the one line I’d been practicing all week, “Hey Sam,” I took a breath in and went for it, “I like you, and I was wondering if you like me too?” My heart pounded in my ears, the blood rushed to my face as I turned to him for a response.  

“Definitely.”

Definitely, a word so certain and concrete.

I could only reply with, “Cool.” ‘Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!’ Why am I like this? ‘Cool?’ Was that really all I could say? I just nodded my head and got out of the car. I was in a daze but had enough in me to clarify if he wanted to start a relationship. “So, in that case...would you be interested in starting a relationship?”

He just nodded his head furiously.

“Are you sure about that?”

Again he nodded and I was sure that he meant it.

I didn’t know what to expect when we started dating. It was the first romantic relationship for both of us. As my dad had put it, we were “two blind mice looking for love.” That couldn’t have been any closer to the truth. Sam and I were testing the waters with one another, seeing what worked and what didn’t, trying not to step on one another's toes as we searched for something called Love.

After three weeks into our relationship we had our first kiss. It was the night of my family's Thanksgiving party. We’d just come back from my uncle's house. Sam and I snuck away into my room and just sat there, side by side. The night before he’d given me an awkward forehead kiss because I swerved the real one in a panic.

So as we sat together, I built enough courage to lean in and whisper,“I..I don’t know how,” my face flushed a bright red at my confession.

“Me, neither..” he spoke back in a soft voice, “But it can't be that hard.”

He leaned in and gave me a soft peck on my lips. His lips were supple and delicate, sweet, and quick. It was perfect. I wanted to do it again.

The next day, my dad said, “No boys in your room until you’re 18.”  

Sam and I had a slow and steady relationship for the whole school year, no drama, no fights,

but I was scared. A seed of doubt rested in me because I didn’t know what it meant to love someone. I was scared that I didn’t love him, that I liked him almost enough to love him.

For the ongoing months I dealt with an internal battle. I was worried that Sam didn’t like me as much as he said he does. We don’t hold hands in the hallway, we don’t kiss after school, every event I thought would happen never came. Books are truly overrated because none of it is true. My doubt began to grow and consume me. I held onto saying, “I love you,” because I wasn’t sure I could say it in full honesty.

“So...I think we’ve come to a point where if we go any further, that means a lot more commitment,” Sam broke the car’s silence as he drove. It was the middle of march, it was the end of the night and we were driving back to my place to say our goodnights.

“I’m willing to commit Sam. I was just scared that you weren’t. I don’t want to hold you back when you’re in college.”

Yes, I was afraid that when he left for college. He wouldn’t just leave for college, he’d leave me, he’d forget about me and have this wonderful new life in college with college kids, doing college things. I was scared that I wouldn't be able to catch up with that which is why I held myself back. I didn’t want to blindly dive into a relationship knowing full well it was going to come to a crashing halt.

“You’re not holding me back Jamie. We’ve worked so hard to where we are now, I’m not going to let that go so easily.”

Honesty. I love that about him.

As the months passed we grew closer and closer. We went to prom, Sam graduated, summer started, we went to the movies, played minigolf, watched Netflix, and ate good food. My heart felt fuller when I was by his side and the idea of Love became clearer the more we were together. I was so sure I loved Sam, I was so sure that the seeds of doubt in my heart were just self-sabotage, that I was just so scared I’d lose one of the best things that have happened to me, that I’d rather end it while it was good than to feel the pain of when he was leaving.

“Do you know what they call it when you enjoy someone’s company so much and it hurts to leave them?” Sam stopped walking and looked at me. A midnight walk along Juana Briones Park, right across from Juana Briones Elementary School.

I stopped and looked back at him. The July summer night behind Sam’s head revealed my favorite constellation, Orion’s belt. I knew what he wanted to say but I acted coy,

“Attachment?”

“Nooo..”

So I stopped and glanced up towards his eyes and asked, “love?”

“Yeah, I love you.”

“Thank you,” was what first came out, then “I love you too.”

He smiled and a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. 8 months in we said our first I love

you’s.

Then before I knew it, it was our last night together. We’d just finished a Shabbat dinner with his grandma and we were sitting in his room together, side by side. He was going to leave for UC Davis the next morning, only a 2-hour drive north but it was still far. Our silence seemed to contain a thousand unsaid words of ”I love you’s” and “I’ll miss you’s”. As we held each other in one another’s arms, the realization that we won’t see each other washed over us. I tried to hold back tears. I tried not to cry. I didn’t want Sam to see me sad on our last day together, but I couldn’t stop it.

I felt hot tears fill my eyes and overwhelm me. As more tears came, more thoughts of being apart rushed through my head. Sam pulled me and I could tell from his quivering shoulders, he was crying too.

We ended the night sooner than expected, a complication with Sam’s deposit came up, so I departed early so that the family could focus on peace. Before I left, I swiped Sam’s school sweater and in a small voice, I said my goodbyes to Sam’s parents and walked out.

As Sam led the way out to the driveway, he was tense and anxious. I tried to stop him, pulling on his shoulder, but he was too strong and just kept heading to his car, biting his fingers. That was a clear sign that something was bothering him.

“Do you want to take a breather before leaving?” I asked

“No, I’m fine.”

That was a lie. He was physically distressed. I didn’t know what I could do. He’s too stubborn to stop at the side of the road and breathe. I knew that. So I just tried to comfort him and rub his back and arm.

“Are you okay?” I began.

“No, I’m just feeling a lot right now. I was sad that you’re leaving so early, and now I’m scared and anxious.”

“Okay.”

“It’s not fair.”

“What’s not fair?”

“You’re not supposed to be comforting me when it’s our last day together. You should be happy.”

That caught me by surprise. He always puts other people in front of himself so I understood why he said it.

“It is fair. As fair as fair can be. I don’t want you to be sad, and I’m trying to make you feel better. You would do the same for me.: The rest of the car ride was silent.

We pulled up to my house and I headed straight to the garage. I headed straight to the garage to get the space kets and when I turned back I see Sam slowly making his way towards me.

I opened my arms for a hug. When he's a foot away, he embraces my body. His weight pulls me downward, his arms nearly suffocate me as they’re wrapped over my shoulders, I was his human-sized stress ball.  

He sniffled quietly, and tears escaped his eyes. His shaken voice continued to repeat, “I’m sorry, I'm so sorry.”

“Why?”

“Because I’m leaving you.”

I didn’t want to let him go. At that moment I understood why books say that a person's shoulders could seem so much smaller. I didn’t know what else to say so I kept repeating and trying to comfort him. I tried to laugh and smile, “ it’s okay, don’t worry, it’s okay. I love you Sammy”.

After a few minutes, he stopped and pulled away to look at me. I held on just a little longer just to make sure he was really okay before I let go. His face was tear-stained. And somewhat lost. I went in for another hug. It hurt me to see him so sad. I pulled on his hand towards the door. I could feel him hold back and only now do I realize he may not have wanted to leave so soon.

Standing outside the front door, we said our farewells.

“Goodnight Sammy, I love you.”

“Goodnight Jamie, I love you.”

Our last goodnight. As we stood outside my door I felt such reluctance to leave. One last hug. One last kiss. One last goodnight. I opened the door, then rushed back to him and took in one more hug and kiss and went inside.

When I closed the door, I peeked through the closed blinds and watched Sam’s figure walk away. The relative calm I preserved on the car ride back broke. Clutching the door, my lips began to tremble. I couldn’t hold it in any longer. I held the doorknob to keep me up as my grief flowed out of me through silent tears.

I wanted to run back, yet I painstakingly watched as Sam got into his car and drove away. I strained my ears to listen as his car turned the corner until the hum disappeared. I cried my heart out until I felt broken and numb. I’d rubbed my eyes so much, my face was red and swollen.

After several minutes, I opened the door and in a daze wandered out to return the spare key into the garage. I made my way to the front gazebo and slumped into the hanging chair.

I wished I could restart everything, relieve every single moment one more time. I wanted to feel the rush of our first dance, our first kiss, the late-night walks, and the daytime adventures. I learned how to love someone who became my rock, and with his encouragement he instilled so much confidence in myself. Although we may not be side by side right now, we carry each other in our hearts wherever we go. From the moment I met him, I knew he was going to leave me, yet I loved him like no other and I feel the future we have together is bright and boundless.

[athousandfootsteps]

21st September 2019

It's been a month since I last posted and a lot has happened since then. Last time I posted, I was just leaving New Orleans on my way to Las Vegas to see the Grand Canyon. 

I can say that I really liked Las Vegas. The first day I was there I just walked down the strip to the famous "Welcome to fabulous Las Vegas Nevada" sign. It was really hot though. Like in the low 40s. And I was struggling so much that I had to stop into a McDonalds along the way to get some A/C and a drink because it was just so hot outside. But I eventually made it to the sign. You have to line up to get your picture taken in front of the sign. After I got my pic taken I caught the bus to a Wholefoods, instead of walking another 20 mins in the heat, and bought some groceries and then caught the bus back to my hotel. My hotel was pretty sick, I stayed at Paris Las Vegas, with a massive Eiffel Tower out the front. My hotel bottom floor was really awesome, it had a sky blue painted roof and a casino. You didn't need to be ID'd to walk through the casino. My room was really nice also. The next day I went to see the Grand Canyon West Rim. A lot of people go and see the South Rim, apparently that is the one that is in movies and on postcards but I decided to be different and see it from another angle. The West Rim has the skywalk where you walk on a glass floor over the canyon, but I didn't do that because it was around 80$USD. There were 3 stops at Grand Canyon West. First stop was a ranch, pretty much just a replica of an old western town and there wasn't really anything I wanted to do there. The next place was Eagle Point, that's where the skywalk is. There were also Native Americans singing under a tarp and they had replicas of teepees which was cool. The third stop was Guano Point, where you get the best round view of the Canyon and can see the Colorado River. It was really amazing and breathtaking. We got a total of 4 hours at Grand Canyon. On the way to Grand Canyon we also stopped at Hoover Dam to take some photos and check it out. That was really cool to. On one side was Nevada and the other side was Arizona. I also saw the Bellagio Fountain show in Las Vegas. A lot of people recommended me to see it, and it was really pretty. 

Then I flew from Las Vegas to San Antonio Texas. Texas to me wasn't really that much of a vibe. San Antonio was nice because it had the riverwalk, which I actually really did enjoy. It also had the Alamo which was interesting to walk through and learn about the history. I also went to San Fernando Cathedral. It was very pretty on the inside and outside but it was so silent in there and people were sitting in silence so I felt awkward because every move I made echoed so loudly, so I didn't stay long. I also went to the Market but I didn't buy anything. It was really hot in San Antonio, like 38 degrees. My hotel in San Antonio was also in a really shitty location. It was just off the interstate, one of those lodging exits to stop for a night or two on a long road trip. But it wasn't conveniently located for public transport and I had to walk 20 mins with my heavy bags to bus stops. I caught the Greyhound to Austin, which took about 2 hours. The Austin Greyhound station was wayyyy out of the city and my hostel was a little bit further out too. So it took about an hour to get to my hostel from the Greyhound station by bus. My hostel was really nice, I really liked it, and it was right on the river. It was only a short bus ride into the city from my hostel too. The first night I got there I ate Chipotle and went grocery shopping and then caught the bus to the Congress Avenue bridge to watch the bats fly out. There were a lot of people waiting where I was, on the bridge itself and the other side to see the bats. The bats finally came and it was quite a sight to see them all soaring out from underneath the bridge. They were really little bats too. 

The next day I caught up with some of my best friends from camp. We went to Barton Springs and hanged out and had drinks and then we went to a vegan restaurant for dinner where I had a seiton burger which was really good. Seiton is a new thing I only heard about at camp, it's not gluten free though so I shouldn't eat it, but it's really good. Then we went out at Sixth Street and went to a couple of bars. There was a live band playing in one and we were dancing to them before they finished. Then two guys challenged me and my best friend Sam to a game of Connect four. We won, and they blamed it on me being sober so better thinking and judgement since I had stopped drinking at that point. Sore losers. My friends drove me back to my hostel and then we said goodbye. The next day, I went on a bike ride along the river behind my hostel in the heat which was fun and freeing but I got very sweaty. 

Then I flew up to Anchorage. My flight left at 6.14am on the 2nd of September. I packed my bags beforehand the night before so I only had to get dressed and then grab all my stuff from the room and go. The room was really small though and I was nervous about waking everyone up so early. Because of this anxiety, I barely slept, kept waking up and then it was already 3am and I woke up just before my alarm. I had to order an uber to get to the airport because there were no buses running at that time and I don't think I would want to be running around Austin with my bags at 3.30am.

I had a layover in Seattle and it was a full flight to Anchorage from Seattle. I had to catch an uber to my hostel from the airport in Anchorage because it was Labor Day, so no buses were running on the airport route. It felt pretty amazing being in Anchorage although I was so tired. I didn't do much the first day, I napped, I went grocery shopping and cooked and then decided what I was going to do in Anchorage in the time I was there and then went to sleep. The next morning, I slept in til 11am. Then I went on a 4 1/2 hour bike ride which went over 30kms for some stupid reason. I think I thought I would feel so accomplished by going 30kms on bike and I would be so proud of myself. But the truth is that I'm not really fit and strong enough for that, so my legs soon began to get really sore and my knees were killing me. I couldn't cycle uphill, I had to walk and push the bike up. The views of Cook Inlet from the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail were stunning. But the second half of the bike ride was just on the streets. Needless to say, I was very tired when I got back. 

The next day I tried to hike to the top of Flattop Mountain and shat myself trying to climb up a rockpile and started crying. I was just really sore from the bike ride the previous day and it was really steep and I was really scared that I would take a wrong step and slip off and slide all the way down the rock pile and cut myself or break something. So I was very anxious to go up. And some people from my shuttle were trying to help and encourage me, but I ended up getting to the point where I started crying and decided to just sit down close to the summit. I still got amazing views from where I was and I think I made the right decision to stop where I did because apparently it got even more challenging higher up. I was not too far from the peak though, so I think I did a good job. 

My fourth day in Anchorage I went on a bus tour which went to a Wildlife Reserve where I got to see a big grizzly bear from behind a fence and moose from behind a fence, the only place I want to see them. The grizzly bear was really cool though, it sat down on it's butt and posed for us all and it looked like a big teddy bear. I also saw elk, reindeer, muskox and a baby black bear playing with a stick. I saw a pod of beluga whales in the Turnagain Arm which was exciting. We saw a series of different glaciers and made it to a ring of glaciers. My tour guide made one extra stop where we got to see icebergs and hold glacier ice and stand in the water. The water was sooo cold and when I held the glacier ice it was freezing my hands as well, so the photos aren't the greatest but it was fun. 

The next day I hanged out in the hostel and then went out with a girl from the hostel to the mall and then the museum which was fun. My flight was at 1am, so I had all day. When I got to the airport I was undoubtably tired. I slept on my flight back to Seattle, and then fell asleep in my seat at Seattle airport. I had a 5 hour layover from 5am-10am, so I just found a seat and got comfortable and I was falling asleep. Then I decided an hour before boarding that I should move to my gate for my flight, and fell asleep in that seat. I was so tired. I was sleeping during boarding and woke up just in time to be one of the last people to board, which was lucky. We got a bus to our plane which was an Embraer. The flight from Seattle to Calgary was short luckily and the flight was operated by Compass Airlines which is a Delta Connection.

The journey didn't end there though, once I got to Calgary, I had to catch a bus 2 hours to my hostel in Banff. But I was tired and it didn't feel like it took too long. The first night in Banff I just cooked food, I don't remember doing anything else. My first day out in Banff I went to Sundance Canyon. I was nervous about bears the whole time in Banff, (and Alaska too, but I didn't go anywhere too off the beaten track in Alaska where bears would be out and about), and there were bear signs at the trail but I felt like I followed the proper safety precautions to steer clear. I had music playing on my ipod loudly, so any animal would know I was there, I had bear spray and I didn't go off trail. I didn't come across any bears thankfully, there were bear signs up though saying that it was berry season, and that bears will come to eat the berries on the sides of the trails. Along the walk the water was soo blue and amazing. It was spectacular how it looked. When I got up to the top of the canyon the view of the mountains and the forest was amazing too. I really liked that walk, well worth it.

On the 9th of September, I had booked to go into Banff National Park and see Morraine Lake and Lake Louise that I had wanted to see for a long time. It was an early morning, with the bus leaving at 7.45am, but it meant that we beat a lot of the crowds at Johnston Canyon, our first stop. On the way back there were bus loads and bus loads of tourists coming into the canyon and along the park. Johnston Canyon had a waterfall that was nice. Then I decided to go to Morraine Lake first instead of Lake Louise with everyone else because Morraine Lake is the main one that I had wanted to see for a long time, and so I thought I would do a hike there. I didn't have bear spray that day and I was a little worried, but I just followed the same precautions and played music loudly as well as being on the lookout, as I have been told how to react around bears, so if I saw one, I would know what to do anyway. There were a lot of people on the track as well, so I didn't feel unsafe. I walked up the Rockpile and got an amazing overlook of the Lake, and then I did the Consolation Lakes walk where I walked at to see another lake and glacier. It was soo pretty! I ate lunch there and then headed back. My last stop was the Chateau Lake Louise. The Chateau is a super rich and fancy hotel and I only walked in there for a minute before going out to Lake Louise. I didn't walk much around Lake Louise because I had already done a 2 hour hike. But it was really pretty as well, if I had more time and money it would have been nice to canoe on it. 

My third day out in Banff I did the Sulphur Mountain hike. It was a little bit disappointing because I hiked 5.6kms uphill and when I got to the top all I could see was clouds and snow, instead of the amazing spectacular views of Banff I was supposed to. It was also really cold, I was freezing. It was only 3 degrees. The clouds cleared for a bit and then came back in, and I was cold and wanted to get back down so I started walking down. Not long after I started walking back down, the clouds completely cleared and so if I had have stayed 30 mins longer I would have seen it from the top. But oh well, I still saw it through the trees on the way down. I wasn't wearing the right shoes, I was wearing my Dr Martens and so my feet had no support and my ankles ended up being really sore, in pain. It hurt to stand in the shower they were so sore, they have been sore for a long time since then as well, only started to ease up in the last couple days or so. So don't go hiking in Dr martens, it's not a smart idea. That night I went to karaoke with some people from my hostel and I sang Teenage Dirtbag with a girl from Belgium which was fun :)

I had an early morning and had to catch the bus back to Calgary for my flight to Toronto. I flew Air Canada, and I pretty much just slept the entire flight. When I landed in Toronto I had to figure out how to catch public transport to my hostel. Thankfully there was a train, which was easy to find, which I could catch out of the airport that connected me to the Toronto subway, and the subway station I needed to go to was literally a one minute walk from my hostel. I really liked my hostel in Toronto, and I liked catching the subway around there. Toronto also has trams which I caught a few times and street art. It reminded me a lot of Melbourne. I didn't go out in Toronto or make a bunch of friends but I really just felt at home in Toronto, it's weird. One of the days I went to Niagara Falls, which was one of the best experiences. I caught the Greyhound to Niagara Falls and took about a million photos from different places and angles as you can imagine. I also paid to do Journey Behind The Falls, which I thought was catching a boat, but instead it was just going through some tunnels behind the falls and then going to a closer viewing platform where the waterfall sprayed water out on us. It was pretty cool. The water spray from the waterfall goes out such a long distance from the falls, so you get sprayed walking around on the streets and the ground is all wet, it's pretty powerful. The Canadian Horseshoe falls are the really big falls that you see in movies and pictures and the American falls looked tiny in comparison. I also saw a rainbow across the waterfall which was really pretty. 

Instead of flying from Toronto to Montreal, I caught the Greyhound again. It was a long journey, taking about 8 1/2 hours, and I had a layover in Ottawa. Montreal also has a really good public transport system, so I could easily catch the subway to my hostel. I was in Montreal for the longest out of all the places I went, apart from Camp obviously. As soon as I got there I remembered the subways with the rubber tyres as wheels. I took my time in Montreal doing things and 2 days where I didn't do that much apart from hang out at the hostel. But I did go to Notre Dame which was amazing and beautiful inside with a pipe organ, I also walked to the top of Mont Royal and saw the view, I went to Jean Talon market, I went ziplining from a 85ft (25m) tower after 30 mins of convincing, I did a pub crawl, I tried to go to the botanical gardens before realising it cost 20$ just to enter, I went to the ice hockey, Montreal Canadiens vs Florida Panthers, my first ice hockey game and Montreal won! Go Habs Go! The next day I went to Saint Joseph Oratory which also had a pipe organ, the Museum of Fine art and saw some Picasso pieces along with real mummies (gross), and went to the top of Montreal Tower, which is on a 45 degree angle and saw amazing views of the city. I had a much better time this time in Montreal than last time. Last time people were rude to us because we didn't know French and only spoke English. It made me quite anxious this time because I didn't want to be rude and I didn't want people to be rude to me for speaking English. But everyone was friendly and no one minded speaking English, so it was fine. 

Now I'm on a flight back to Calgary for a layover and then I'll fly to Los Angeles. From there I booked Super Shuttle to my hostel, which I hope doesn't take too long because I'm tired. But it probably will take ages knowing my luck. I haven't really eaten much today, so I hope that there's a McDonalds or something at the airport in Calgary or something because I have to eat, I'm so hungry. I'm also thinking of having Chipotle when I get to my hostel in Hollywood. 

Tomorrow I'm going to walk around Hollywood and re-visit some places I went with my mum when I first arrived in the US. Check out is at 10am and then my flight is at 10.40pm, so I have a bit of time to see some stuff during the day. I should also get snacks for the plane, because last time I could barely eat any of the food they give and I'm going to be starving for 16 hours. 

I'm sad about leaving and coming home. I've had a really great time in Canada the last 2 weeks and I really enjoyed travelling around the US as well. I've grown so much on this trip it's crazy. Apart from having my birthday, I've learned a lot about being safe on the streets, street smarts. I also feel like I've become more confident and believing in myself because I've had to rely on myself to get myself around and do things for myself. I'm self-sufficient now. I can catch public transport around, I can keep track of my things, I can walk around the street and feel confident and walk with purpose, I can pass people off when they try and talk to me in the street and I don't want to talk to them, I can catch flights and buses around, I can manage my money appropriately, I am more social. This trip has changed me in a lot of ways for the better. I feel like I've fully grown up as an adult and I think this is one of the best things I've done in my life. I am hoping that I can transfer these skills I've learned on this trip to my life back home. I'm excited to come home as well. I'll get to see my family and friends and my pets. It just means that I have to get back into reality, which is working and not sleeping in every day and partying and sight seeing. But I can still travel when I'm at home, go on weekend trips and trips around Australia too. I want to see more of Australia. I want to go to Byron Bay, Kakadu, Port Douglas, Broome and Esperance. I'll never stop being a traveller.

[dandelliongirl]

More or less

back in action.

What a crazy two weeks it was! Unforgettable in the best of ways ♥

Mum came over to stay with me and dad last weekend. We went to see the ladies race on Saturday, and I joined mum for the awards ceremony. On Sunday I had a day off so me and mum went to watch the latter half of the men’s 50km race. It was an unforgettable day. The sun shone warmly and we went to the forest stands to cheer for the skiiers. Mum bought me a crepe, and we got to cheer with the audience as we took 3rd place! Such an almost unbareably exciting moment! We drove back home in the evening, and stopped to buy groceries on the way.

Needless to say that after a two weeks absence from everything getting back to work and studies was a bit of a struggle. I noticed how fast my deadlines were approaching and had to do some serious planning and scheduling to survive. I had very little freetime all week.

On Monday I watched a video lecture, worked on my thesis and my game development essay. I went to work and to a meeting with the board of the organization I teach dance for. I was chosen as the secretary, which gave me a few added tasks such as compiling meeting records and updating our documents. That kind of threw me off the loop on Tuesday and Wednesday.

I watched a lecture and went to the office on Tuesday. I had a whole bunch of IT issues but after an hour I got to actually log on to the computer and do work. In the evening I did some reading for methods class but was extremely tired. My two weeks at the world championships was basically a vacation, but even so I didn’t really take a single day off apart from the last Sunday.

I had ballet class in the evening, and turns out I have to learn a duet variation by the end of April. Me and my friend chose the pearls’ variation from the Little Humpbacked Horse and she’s already been ordering costumes online. It’ll be super cute even though it’s a bit of extra burden on my spring semester. ♥ My friend is also moving away next summer, so it’ll be kind of a farewell choreo for us...

On Wednesday I stayed at home working on my thesis, game dev essay and methods essay as well as seminar comments. My friend from high school and my guy’s current classmate visited, and they worked on physics homework. I got a bar of chocolate from my guy for women’s day, and our friend gave me a coffee/tea ticket to the uni café! How sweet! In the evening me and my guy lay on the sofa watching animal videos on YouTube.

Thursday was busy. I woke up early to watch some video lectures for game dev class and work on my thesis. So far thesis work has been going really well. I’ve gotten some good results from my analysis so far, and I’m really proud of it already. Let’s hope I don’t get crushed or sutuck in a rut at some point.. We had a double methods class with a visiting lecturer. Nobody really understood the reading materials that he sent us beforehand and I was afraid it would be super awkward. Luckily he loved to monologue and a few of us had actual questions for him so we survived the almost 4 hour torture. The second part of the lecture was a lot more entertaining, so time went by reasonably quick. I came back to the apartment to plan Friday’s dance classes for my students and rush off to ballet in the evening.

By Friday I was exhausted from the week. Our study group met for the last time and we tried to finish up our report. It didn’t exactly work out as well as I had planned, mainly because my guy hadn’t finished any of his work. It stresses me out so much to know that it’s going to cut really close to the deadline but what can I do... I just have to wait and kick him into finishing his part. Friday’s thesis seminar was bad. The poor guy whose seminar work we were commenting on is super bad at taking feedback, and his work sucked majorly. We tried to stay positive but eventually our teacher flat out told him he wouldn’t succeed unless he started taking feedback seriously, and fixed the issues in his text. For a nonconfrontational person like me that was a pretty awkward situation to be in, but I’m glad our teacher was strict with him. I was really annoyed by his dismissive attitude. I didn’t read and write down comments on this 20 pages for you to laugh it off? I’m trying to help improve your grade, at least respect it.

Anyway after my seminar I came back to continue writing the report. My guy had bought me a veg burger. ♥ I had to rush off to work and I didn’t even have my parent-child dance group’s spring show CD with me so we had to practice without music. Other than that (and a terrible tantrum for one of the kids which embarrassed the mother more than it inconvenienced me), work went great. I went home to eat dad’s baked potatoes and salmon filling and take a shower. Mum took me back to the apartment where I played a bit of ACNL. My friend finally got her copy and I’m so excited to have a friend who plays the game. She got wifi to work on her 3DS so we could finally visit each other’s towns and it was a lot of fun. ♥

After 9 I met up with my friend in the corner store. She came over for the weekend to play DAI and Mass Effect with me to celebrate both her and my birthdays. We bought chicken nuggets and mozzarella sticks, and came to eat and play DAI. I watched the Pax East stream of Mass Effect Andromeda while she played. It was past 5am when we went to bed and didn’t actually go to sleep until around 6am, but we had tons of fun finishing up Trespasser with her inquisitor - finally.

On Saturday we went to buy some groceries. We made veggie soup and bread rolls with carrot. We played a bit of Mass Effect 1, she went for a quick excursion to her boyfriend’s parents’ place and I edited my and grandmum’s poem project. My friend came back around 8pm. We baked a delicious carrot cake and continued playing ME1 until 3am. We talked a bit about dreams and nightmares but I was super exhausted so I passed out pretty soon.

This morning we snoozed the alarm and stayed in bed scrolling instagram until almost 1pm. We had a bit of breakfast and started up ME1 again. For dinner we made some pizza, and I got to play ACNL for a few hours visiting dream towns and doing some landscaping in Sonetia♪ for the first time in a while. We continued playing ME1 until 9pm -ish and then she left. So yeah, we sat gaming for the entire weekend, stayed up late/early, ate a ton, talked and laughed. It was amazing and much needed after a tough week at school and work. I feel so blessed and happy even though I’m incredibly sleep deprived :)

I finished editing the material for the poetry project and copied an early version of it on a CD. I’m going to take it to granny next week so she can listen to it, make comments and decide on a name for it. I need her to write an intro text for it and we need to decide on a cover picture as well. But at least we have a concrete CD now and it’s awesome! Some of the poems hit so hard on granny’s own life and she’s an amazing artist so I teared up several times while editing. I have one blooper track saved on my computer for times when I feel like crying.  It’s rough to edit stuff this emotional, personal and important to me, but I’d do it a hundered times over for my granny ♥ She truly means the world to me, as do each and every one of our artistic projects together over the years.

My guy is still at his friend’s working on his studies. He’s been working incredibly hard this past few weeks to arrange things for his exchange year and get enough study credits to get his financial support back up again. I’m incredibly proud of him. He’s also holding out on Breath of the Wild, and won’t start it until the start of April even though he’s getting his Nintendo Switch next week.

I’m probably going to call it a night, it is past midnight after all. Another busy week with two written works to complete.. Man I’m tired - but emotionally well rested after my girls’ gaming weekend.. ♥

#personal #diary #March2017