#was half tempted to add a view of the main room from the entrance but i think i would fuckin DIE if i tried that w/o a 3d model or smth lmao

[honkowo]

a look at hotrod's insides teehee

wanted to add this to the post hotrod's in but it was taking long enough to finish so i just said fuckit & posted it without lmao

prolly the main differences between hotrod and a classic meat car model would be cockpit placement; rather than it being tucked away under the main room, hotrods is in his skull, right above his brain(makes for faster connection)

thanks to clink's profession & interest in xenobiology, hotrod also has quite a bit of lab equipment in him, such as the big table & more varied storage outside of the default general storage

thanks to hotrod's habit of storing things(both alive & dead) to show off at a later date, the main room is pretty much always trashed lol

like always, gif stills and a no text alts r under the cut :)

#owo whats this #angel tag!!! wahoo #spec bio #xenobiology #was half tempted to add a view of the main room from the entrance but i think i would fuckin DIE if i tried that w/o a 3d model or smth lmao #i prolly will once i find a 3d modelling software that wont rend me broke or insane lmao #anyway thats all the tags i can think of

[eagehaunting]

Mystery March 2021 day 4: Storm

Thank god Arthur let her borrow the van while he worked today. It made it so much easier to load up her small apartment and ship it to their new home- and in only three trips! Vivi bounces lightly in the drivers seat, glancing around and checking over the van one more time to be sure she got every box inside. Who knows how much stuff Arthur had to pack. He had his tools and his cork boards, along with his mattress and television... it would probably take them three-to-four trips at most. Knowing Arthur, they would probably be smushed together in the front seat because he’d pack the van to the brim!

There wasn’t a single box left, mind for a hanger or two. Perfect! Vivi starts the van and eases herself out of their new driveway, and hurriedly begins to drive down the road.

Thankfully Kingsmen’s mechanics wasn’t too far. Vivi leans over the wheel to take in the dark, heavy clouds that began to circle in the last hour. It shouldn’t take too long to get everything in order, but they should at least try to beat the rain.

Next thing she knew, she was pulling up behind the mechanics shop, and a familiar blond man props the back door open.

“Hey there, stranger!” Vivi calls as she shuffles out, quickly skipping to open the van’s back doors and keep them open. Arthurs footsteps trail up behind her, Vivi casts a small glance. “Are you excited?”

“A bit.” Arthur says, rubbing the exhaustion from his eyes. “Lance let me off early so I can prepare all my things, so it should be easy.”

“Nice!” Vivi beams, swiftly moving past him and making a beeline for the back door, whilst completely ignoring how Arthur looks up at the sky with a frown. “Wanna get the big stuff first?”

“Sure.”

Vivi was right, Arthur and her did wind up squished together in the front seat. Arthurs mattress, cork boards, and dresser were crammed in the back, and then surrounded by several boxes full of clothes, tools, and books. Although she did overestimate how much he actually had.

Arthur had managed to cram the entire van with everything he physically had. Stacked from floor the ceiling in haphazard and shaky towers besides and against the bed frame! Vivi would have to drive steadily to avoid a catastrophe.

In the front seat was Arthurs toolbox, a crate full of Galahad’s items, and then a small travel cage that he held in his own hand holding his hamster.

Arthur scoots over as much as he can, fidgeting a bit the more their thighs touch. Of course due to the lack of space, that led to a centimeter of room.

“Sorry about this, Vi,” he coughs into his hand, “I honestly thought that we wouldn’t be this cramped! I figured-“

Vivi blows a raspberry, scooting over herself so she was pressed against the door and offering up another centimeter. “No biggie! I’m glad we did it this way. Now we can get everything inside before we get hit with hail.”

“Hail? I thought it was just a thunderstorm!”

“I thought so too.” Vivi squeezes her hand into her pocket and whisks out her phone - which was partially damp from sweat. Wiping it off quickly, Vivi opens the weather app and lets Arthur snatch it.

He grimaces, “Yikes.”

“Yeah, better hope Lewis doesn’t get hit in the head when he comes home.”

“Or that the power goes out.” Arthur adds grimly. Vivi blows out another raspberry.

“I don’t think that’ll happen. Dont be such a sourpuss.”

“Wanna bet? It’ll be in character for whatever house we got.”

Vivi lifts an eyebrow, glancing over at him, “And whats that supposed to mean?”

Arthur’s smiling, and with a short shrug, “terrifying and haunted. Perfect atmosphere for a black out-”

“Nope!” Vivi barks back, wagging her finger intensely and shaking her head, “Lewis and I made absolute sure that there would be no ghosts in this house. I told you this.”

“Are you sure? You guys double checked? Triple checked?” Arthur probes, leaning forward and sticking his face into hers before retreating, making her laugh.

“Of course! I even had Mystery scope out the house, and there are no ghosts.”

“And if there is?”

Vivi shoots him a pointed, comedic look, “then you can add another.”

They both chuckle now, lightly elbowing one another. But soon after Arthur hums quietly and sinks back in his spot, a small smile crossing across his face as he watches the road ahead of them. He was convinced, perfect. Vivi gloated silently.

For a moment she’s tempted to turn the radio on to fill the silence, but Arthur suddenly turns to her inquisitively.

“Hey, so I never fully explored the house like you and Lewis did, mind filling me in on everything?”

A thrill of excitement rockets through Vivi and her head bounces in time with her, and she rapidly taps the steering wheel. “Okay so- it’s a fairly cheapish house for its size. It’s got a decent sized backyard, a nice sizable garage that can fit two cars and all of our equipment. And if it doesn’t, then we can just get a shed behind the garage to do so.” Vivi illustrates her point with her fingers, hoping that Arthur could follow along. “Lewis was actually talking about setting up a garden back there and- wait, never mind, back to the house. First and foremost, the most exciting aspect, there’s a basement!”

“Which is probably why you say it’s ‘cheap’?” Arthur says with a light snicker.

“Yeah! The guy didn’t charge us extra for the space- or the alcohol cellar! And I even went down there to check and everything seems up to code and in well order? I don’t know- we may have to worry about some floods, but we also live in the desert.”

“Right.”

“Next, we have like...” Vivi counts on her fingers three times before she holds up three fingers. “Three rooms! Two on the main level and one upstairs, but there’s also a closet on the main floor, along with a bathroom- and then one of the rooms actually has its own bathroom! Honestly I feel you should get that room, since you should have your own space and all that-“

Arthur opens his mouth to object, but Vivi doesn’t give him a chance.

“Lewis insisted that I got the upstairs bedroom and he can take the smallest- but! We haven’t decided on who gets what room just yet, so we got time to rock-paper-scissors it out. Moving on-“

Up ahead on the dirt road, a lonely-looking house with a tree along the side of it pops into view.

“There’s a nice sized kitchen, and while there isn’t a dining room, Lewis was thinking of converting some of the space into a dining room? I mean- he actually ordered a table online but it hasn’t shipped yet, so for now we’re going to be using my table. So get ready to be sitting on the floor for a while.”

Arthur rolls his eyes with a small laugh and nods, just as Vivi pulls into the driveway and into the backyard. Her eyes glaze for half a second as she parks the van.

“And... that’s it I think! There’s going to be a lot of setting up, but I think we can make it all work.”

“Yeah, besides we can always just eat in the livingroom amongst a sea of boxes while we figure things out. Although Lewis might flay us for suggesting that.”

Vivi chortles and nods, “Yeah! Yeah you aren’t wrong. But c’mon! Let’s get your stuff inside, I think Im hearing thunder.”

“Already?” Arthur glances up at the sky as Vivi throws open her door. She makes a mad dash for the back door, propping it open for them and waving to Mystery who was just out of sight. Arthur slinks out after her and carries Galahad inside.

“Okay so-“ Vivi doenst kick off her shoes but wipes them off on a mat that was placed at the back door, “since we haven’t chosen any rooms yet, Lewis and I agreed to put all of our stuff in the livingroom. Is that cool with you?”

“I - I mean it’s not like I have a choice, now do I?” Vivi winces and nods, and Arthur sighs. “Okay, we can leave the bigger stuff in the van for now then, but then let’s get the little stuff.”

“Good idea,” Vivi hooks his arm and pulls him further down the hall, passing two doors on either side of them and a stairway.

“Besides! If we have to camp out in the living-room then we can just pull out the bed in the couch and a couple of futons...”

Vivi freezes in the entrance of the living-room, jaw falling.

Arthur stops glancing around at the floorboards and then wallpaper and joins her, “Something wrong?”

Oh, something was wrong alright, and it hits them both like a bag of bricks the second they step in.

On the couch, Mystery was curled up and lightly chatting to a heavy set ghost. A ghost who drapes their arm across the couch snd sneers at them. ”Welcome to my humble abode.”

...

“What the fuck?”

Vivi flinched as she nearly feels Arthurs glare digging into her neck. Her own mouth went dry as it hits her all at once.

“I didn’t know- Arthur, I swear to god I thought there wasn’t a single ghost here. I promise.” Arthur’s face is still twisted in dismay, and she couldn’t really blame him. Twisting, Vivi points at Mystery and the dog jumps to attention.

“Back me up here! We both investigated this place top to bottom, he-“

”She.” the ghost hisses

”she- my bad- wasnt here, right?”

Mystery nods, folding his paws on the couch’s arm. “It’s true, Arthur, we had done the best we could and we honestly believed that there was no one else residing in this territory.” Mystery then casts a cursory glance back at the spirit, who nonchalantly drank from a a darkened glass, hardly sparing them a glance. “However, you know that experienced spirits can be excellent hiders. She merely concealed herself until now.”

Arthur let’s put a heavy breath that Vivi didn’t notice he was holding, before gently setting down Galahad’s cage. A stark contrast to the rapid twitch in his eyelid.

“Great! Fantastic. So why did she decide to hide?”

”Im right here.” The ghost suddenly says, casting a dirty look that both spoke profanity and exuded grace.

“Okay,” unaffected, Arthur side steps until he was able to face her himself, “then I’m sure you don’t mind telling us why you’ve been squatting here.”

Her eyes snap open, before her face twists with menace and she unfolds her crossed legs, slamming her glass down with a sharp clink. Arthur flinches as that sound shoots through him.

”’Squatting?’ My, those are some awfully bold words for someone who started trembling the second you entered my domain.” She rises, and despite how short she was compared to Arthur, she trapped him in her shadow. ”This is my home, and no bank can simply give away my property to measly little rats.”

“He-hey now, ma’am,” Vivi steps in front of Arthur, who’s hands immediately latch onto her shoulders, “look, this is a misunderstanding on our part. You see- my friend here is a medium, and he’s been ... tormented by a lot of spirits. So he agreed to live here under the assumption that there were no spirits. You can understand why he’s upset, right?”

”And you can understand that so am I, correct?”

Groaning lightly, Mystery hops off the couch and also stands between the two groups, lazily guarding as if nothing was really wrong.

“Of course! This is your home... can you describe to us how? So that way we can respect your boundaries and ensure no other issues occur?”

Arthurs fingers tightly grip Vivi’s shoulder, and she reaches up and pats them lightly.

Thankfully, the ghost seems pleased with the pseudoapology, and their shoulders relax by a fraction. ”I built this house, a ways away from my old home so that way I can have the luxury of peace and quiet. It was an expensive project, but one I carry pride in. I simply couldn’t leave my home to just anyone after I perished.”

Arthur creaks, “S-so you.. stick around?”

”Precisely. I ensure that no punks come in and try to take claim to what isnt theres.” That is marked by a pointed glare at Arthur, who shrinks back behind Vivi further. Regretting his choices up until now.

Blowing out the breath she was holding, Vivi forces a smile and claps lightly. “Alright! Then, what can we do to show you that we mean no harm? Or will we be thrown out regardless.”

With this, she chuckles, voice getting low and almost purring. ”You will have to prove yourself, and earn a place in my hearth. If you cannot do so by the end of the month, then I will make your lives a living hell until you run for the hills.”

”Great..”

“Awesome!” Vivi claps again to hide the bemoaned muttering. Taking a few steps forward- and incidentally dragging Arthur with her- she holds out her hand to the spirit.

“Well I hope you wish us luck. My name is Vivi, and this is Arthur.” Arthur coughs lightly and nods a greeting, but keeps his mouth shut.

The woman blinks calmly, taking in Vivi’s hand with a surprised consideration, before smiling herself and taking it in a firm handshake.

”The pleasure is mine. Address me as Lilith Primrose.”

“Oh~ that’s a lovely name you have there!” Vivi offers, smiling brightly.

”Thank you. I picked it myself.”

Vivi nods and release her hand, stepping back. “So.. I know we got off to a rough start, but do you mind if me and Arthur bring his stuff in? It’s going to rain soon and we still will be moving in-“

A crack of thunder fills the air, Arthur and her both flinch, before turning to Lilith for confirmation. Who then rolls her eyes and shoos them away.

”Like I said, you all have a month to come into my good grace. You better get started now.”

“Thank you.”

With that, Vivi grabs Arthurs wrist and pulls him down the hall, lightly scolding him and apologizing at the same time, but also letting him do the same back.

It’s what she deserves honestly...

Within fifteen minutes, the rain had started to sprinkle. They decided the best thing to do was to get the largest items - the mattress- inside first so it wouldn’t get drenched, but that left the cork boards and the bed frame, which they decided may be better to keep in the van to protect the integrity and quality. Then they spent the next half an hour racing back and forth with various boxes that they decided to dump into what was now Arthurs room- the bedroom closest to the back with a bathroom. Vivi opted to stack his boxes on the mattress while Arthur simply tossed them onto the floor- claiming he knew they weren’t going to break as easily.

After an hour, it was pouring in sheets. The last of the boxes were quickly abandoned in Arthurs room, and both of them tore into one of the boxes to fetch towels to dry themselves off.

“Jesus Christ..” Vivi huffs, ringing out her skirt into one of the incredibly damp towels. “I feel bad for Lewis, he still has to drive home in this.”

“Yeah, poor fuck.” Arthur groans lightly and rubs his eyes, “brace yourself, turning on the light,” Palming the wall until he hit the light switch, Arthur prays that they’ll be given just one thing.

Only... for the room to remain just as dark.

Vivi looks at him for a moment as he stares in befuddlement at the switch, which he rapidly flipped on and off. Muttering to himself, ”oh come on...”

“Hold up, maybe the wiring is funky?” Vivi offers, stepping over boxes and opening the bathroom door, and she quickly flips the switches herself.

Nothing.

“Fuck.”

The power was still out as the storm persisted. Even when Lewis came home drenched from the walk to the porch from his car.

Of course, that wasn’t going to stop them. They were plenty prepared with gas canisters, spare batteries, flashlights, candles, and a gas stove.

Lewis made a remark on how glad he was that they only seemed to have meats in the fridge, but those comments slowly dwindled as he got to work making spaghetti by candle light. Vivi set out to line the kitchen’s low table with several of her unscented candles. As much as she wanted to bust out her various sweet smelling ones, the boys asked her to refrain so not mess with their senses.

Which wasn’t an issue by any means! Vivi didn’t want to dig them out anyway...

“Alright, that should do it.” Lewis murmurs to himself as he turns off the burner and grabs his tongs, pulling out the cooked noodles and layering them on three separate plates. He calls over his shoulder, “Arthur, Vivi! Dinner is ready.”

A distant “Coming!” And then frantic footsteps fight against the sound of the rain outside, and Lewis covers the noodles in their sauce before turning and placing them on Vivi’s low table. Vivi comes in with flat pillows and places them in their respective spots before kneeling and taking her spot.

“Thank you Lewis~ this smells really good.” She says, wafting in the garlic and onion at her face with a dramatic sniff. Just in time for Arthur to trail in with Mystery at his side.

Mystery scans the plates, before frowning at Lewis.

Lewis raises an eyebrow and smirks, “What? You can’t eat this, remember.”

“You and I know very well that I can eat more than all of you combined.” The dog shoots back, plopping down beside Vivi who scratches his ear.

“Well it’s not good for you.” Lewis points out, before reaching beside him and pulling out a plate of Mystery’s gourmet doggy dinner. “Now are you going to keep complaining or eat?”

“Oooh~” Vivi grins and pats mystery’s head, “Youre this close to missing out on greatness, boy! Better shut your trap.”

Mystery did indeed shut his trap, quickly scuttling over to Lewis’s side to retrieve his bowl- licking his lips to avoid showing how much he was salivating at the smell.

Arthur takes his seat on his bottom than his knees. Rolling his fork through the noodles slowly, but not saying anything, even as Vivi and Lewis chat as he grabs drinks.

It’s only when Vivi shoves a heaping of spaghetti into her mouth and moans in delight does he realize that they need something else. Lewis froze in his tracts, wincing the smallest bit as Vivi chews. She’s been hungry all day, so it makes sense that she would rather dig in- Mystery too.

Poor guys misophonia has got to be going crazy.

“Hey, do you guys want to watch howls moving castle? Or - uh.. spirited away?” Lewis and Vivi both shoot him inquisitive looks, although Lewis relaxes the smallest bit at the distraction. Arthur adds on, tapping his earlobe, “I can also grab your ear plugs, Lew. So that way the ... sounds don’t bother you too much.”

Lewis’s lips tighten. Oh shit, he probably didn’t want to embarrass Vivi-

A loud gasp and smack grabs both of their attention. Vivi stopped chewing, a hand over her mouth as she realized. Swallowing everything down in one gulp, Vivi gestures frantically in apologize. “Shit- Lewis I’m sorry. I can grab your ear plugs if you want? It totally slipped my mind.”

He lifts his hand, smiling sweetly. “It’s okay, I’ll go grab them. But yes, Arthur, I certainly wouldn’t mind a movie.”

Still flushed, Vivi nods too, “the rain will be a nice backdrop to a beautiful Ghibli movie. Do you need the disk?”

“No,” Arthur pushes himself up, “I got it downloaded on my computer. I’ll go grab it.”

He and Lewis both leave the kitchen, and he turns to go to his room, a small flashlight in hand to light the way.

It was already unpacked, plugged into a battery pack and charging for the past few hours. Arthur whisks it up and ambles back to the kitchen, where Lewis and Vivi were talking again. Good! Lewis is situated, now time to pull up the movie. Holding it one arm, Arthur input his password, searches through his hard drive...

But before he steps back into the kitchen, a soft flow catches his eye.

Lilith is sitting on the couch still, possibly had been for a while now, but either no one noticed or no one choose to bother her in the dark.

He watches her for a few moments, filling with guilt and momentary fear over earlier...

Then he sighs, resigning himself, and he steps into the kitchen and sets the computer down. Instead of getting back in his spot to turn on the movie, Arthur shuffles to the cabinet and fetches another plate.

“What are you up to, Artie?”

“Going to feed some raccoons?” Vivi jokes, even as Lewis makes a disgruntled noise at the thought.

“No, just give me one moment, okay?”

Arthur can feel them watching him, but he sucks in his breath and layers noodles and sauce onto a plate, before fetching a fork.

And then leaving the kitchen again, this time making a beeline for the couch.

Lilith hears him coming and gives him a cursory glance. Her eyes widen as she takes note of the plate as it’s set down beside her.

Clearing his throat, Arthur grips his hands together anxiously and forces himself to keep eye contact. “A-about earlier.. I’m sorry that I snapped on you. It... I hope we can get along.”

Lilith doesn’t say anything, looking from him to the plate.

She stands, nods, and turns on her heel to go to the basement door, vanishing before she even touched it.

...

Well fuck you too then. Arthur scowls lightly, huffing the smallest bit after she was out of sight. There’s nothing he can do now, and it’s up to her to decide if she wants to accept his apology.

Whatever, just go and eat dinner.

He takes his spot. While he was offering the meal, Vivi had found the movie and paused it before it began to play, and Lewis had already plugged his ears. He sends Arthur a thumbs up and a thankful smile. Arthur nods in return and grabs his fork to eat.

The movie started, and the atmosphere was both warm and comfortable, especially with the four of them enraptured in the unfolding plot. Spouting small ideas and pointing out little details, along with memories and theories.

The conversation only came to a halt when someone else clears their throat.

Vivi pauses the movie in an instant, and all four of them look up to see Lilith standing before them. Her face contorted in worry as she grips... a wine bottle. Lilith shrinks a bit at the sudden attention, but she clears her throat a second time and holds the bottle out a small bit.

“C... congratulations you four, you passed my test. I am looking forward to living with you all, and to celebrate, I wanted you to have some of my aged wine.” She stammers a bit, shifting anxiously from side to side, before setting the bottle down with a hefty clank. After doing so, she turns to leave.

Vivi, however, jumps up and latches onto her sleeve, pulling her back the smallest bit and earning a wide eyed stare.

Vivi beams back at her, “We’re watching some movies, would you like to join us?”

Lilith blinks rapidly, glancing between all of them, and being met with gentle smiles and affirmations.

”I... of course, I’d love to. Let me grab my plate! Oh- and some glasses. What are we going to be watching?”

Lilith shuffles beside Lewis, and the five of them all continue watching, sipping some tasty wine and eating their food peacefully.

They didn’t even notice that the rain died down and the power was back on until they were heading to bed

#mysterymarch2021 #mystery skulls animated #mystery skulls headcannons #vivi yukino #lewis pepper #Arthur kingsmen #sooooooo I totally didn’t use this prompt as an excuse to write a story that’s been on my mind for a while now nope #fun fact homes in Texas usually don’t have basements #also I have no idea if the flash flood thing happens typically in Texan basements #I could totally be showing my northernness from it

[ladymelissaduthe]

Challenge #1.75

Aka The Greenhouse RP with Jackson (Day Mode)

a/n: this is by far my fav fic so far JKDSNKDJK also I really just want this out because,,, reasons YEETHAW 

Thank you Bri @jackson-graham​ for this RP and Jackson, the sweetest bean around. (I love him, okay????) Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy this one as much as I’ve enjoyed writing this one. (3696 words) 

I really love plants, most especially flowers.

Plants always brightened up a room whenever you placed them by a windowsill.

All they ask is a little tender love and care, some water, and some sunlight.

Plants also didn’t typically weren’t around secret passageways in full blown dark mode.

It was safe to say that after getting trapped in that one secret hallway in the palace, I was going to avoid the library for a little while to make sure I didn’t end up in another precarious situation, only this time with no one to really help me.

That’s probably why I liked the palace’s greenhouse among all the places here, more than the palace gardens themselves.

It was bright, but not too hot. The surrounding greenery kept the greenhouse cool enough to lounge around in. It reminded me of my own garden back in Orleans, except it was probably twenty times larger. My favorite part about it was that no one else frequented it. I guess people preferred the palace air conditioning.

It was nice to walk around the greenhouse and be one with the greens, maybe soak in the sunlight just for a while and feel it warm my skin. Vegans have to photosynthesize somehow.

As usual the main entrance was open. The light hum of some watering system the palace filling the room. The west side of the greenhouse was full of vegetables and easy to grow fruits: tomatoes, eggplants, raspberries…

Sometimes I was tempted to pick some from their stems and sneak some of the flowering citrus plants here. Angeles was hot enough to grow those kinds of fruits, just like Orleans really.

The east side was mostly flowering plants aside from a bit of extra aesthetic weeds. I had a feeling that the gardeners here grew some of the flowers here before moving them to other spots in the main garden. There were occasionally patches of flowers that would be empty the next day, probably relocated to somewhere else on the grounds.

My eyes scan through the kinds of flowers. They kept a lot of flowers I was familiar with, actually. Floral arrangements were a regular aspect of my job back home, if not something I loved to do.

I got secondhand butterflies every time a bride asked me to help piece together her bouquet, or whenever I would go to my flower supplier and see the fields and varieties of flowers they have got. The options were always lovely, no matter the season.

A lot of flowers grew around these parts. Roses, veronicas, lavender, dahlias, daisies, hydrangeas. I wonder if the palace kept sunflowers.

Oh, a chunk of the gardenias were gone. I wonder where they were moved.

I could barely make it out, but there was some movement close to the dahlias.

Maybe it was a gardener who could help me figure out where the gardenias had moved.

I walk towards the dahlia section to investigate, stopping right in my tracks when I get a better view.

“Oh, well good afternoon.” I say before I feel my foot go behind mine in a quick dip.

The other person pops up from where they were half hidden by a couple of taller plants.

Dark hair, nice eyebrows, and a warm smile.

Jackson Graham…. with a couple of flowers in his gloved hand.

“Good afternoon, Missy.”

“Hello, Jackson.” I smile at him, still eyeing the flowers in his hand.

Dahlias. Lisianthus, and Roses. Boy’s got some good taste.

I gesture to the bunch.

“Pretty bunch of flowers you’ve got over there.” I lift an eyebrow. “Special Occasion? A date?”

A short laugh comes from Jackson.

“No. No, not a date.” He holds up the flowers in his gloved hands, “My mom’s birthday.”

Wow. You don’t typically see a boy making a bouquet from scratch. I feel a smile creeping on my lips.  

“Oh, that’s so sweet.” I look over the flowers in his hands, curling my lips in. They were all focal flowers. I hope he wasn’t going to pick another huge flower to add to it, that would be a shame. He needed some greenery, some lines, some verticals to fill in the gaps.

“If that’s the case, mind if I make a suggestion?” I ask, impulsively wanting to help piece a bouquet together. It was one of those little things I missed about my job back at home.

“Um,” he looks down at the flowers for a second before looking up. “Sure. Why not?”

GREAT. I saw some line flowers close to the lavenders. I put my hands behind my back, looking for some nice line flowers.

I couldn’t help it, a part of me was itching to do something I used to do back home; and well, it looked like planning a wedding wasn’t exactly on the list. Floral arrangements, well—that was something close enough.

“I’m not being too intrusive, am I?”  

He shakes his head. I really hope he didn’t mind me wanting to help.

“Not at all. I think if anyone knows about bouquets, it’s you.” A smile seems to grow on his face.

I laugh lightly, shaking my own head.

“Actually, most of the time, I don’t pick the bouquets.” I lift a shoulder up. “I just make… friendly suggestions.”

Friendly suggestions. Mama taught me to use that word when brides were two steps away from making some tacky choice. Thankfully, the clients I had usually asked me what I thought looked great or what was in style for the season. Friendly suggestions.

“Right, friendly suggestions.” Jackson chuckles softly before raising a brow, “I’m guessing they always take them.”

I consider it for a bit, bobbling my head still determined to find the perfect line flower.

“They do, but you’ll be surprised by the number of brides that still want their perfect Pinterest board weddings.” I muse before laughing ever so slightly at a few memories of how great a wedding they wanted on a specific budget.

“Happiest day of their lives is almost a paradox.” He says, and I catch him smiling to himself before he looks away.

“It’s my job to make them feel like they’re not stressed out,” I lift a shoulder, looking around the greenhouse before I catch the perfect addition by my feet.

“Aha! Found you.” I crouch down, making sure not to topple over in my platforms, inspecting the patch if they were fully grown. “Astilbe.”

False goat’s beard. Not the prettiest alternative name, but the flower was perfect to compliment the dahlias in Jackson’s hand. It also helped give some fullness to the bouquet.

I feel Jackson peek over my shoulder, “Looks nice.”

“They’re just filler flowers.” I look to him, holding a hand out for the scissors he was holding in his other hand. “You’ve picked out some real nice focal flowers though, just needs a little…” I wave a hand in the air, “jzhusing up to really make it pop.”

“Jzhushing?” I see the corner of his mouth tilt up as he offers me the scissors.

“Yes. Jzhushing. The difference of something that’s good and something that’s great.” I explain, giving him the explanation my Grammy used on me when I was a kid. That little something you add to make it extra special.

I snip at the stems, making sure not to destroy them, then standing up to hand it to Jackson to add to the bunch. “Jzhushing up.”

Jackson’s smile suddenly widens as I give him the stems. I hope he thought they were a good addition and smiling for the sake of just being nice.

“Any more suggestions on how to give my mom the best for her birthday?”

Well, he sounded genuine….

I place a hand on my chin, tapping it lightly. How else could I make this look even better?

“Dahlia, lisianthus, and roses are the focal, astilbe for the filler,” I blink, trying to figure the kind of flowers I could still help add. “You just need a line flower and some greenery, and you’re good to go.”

Jackson’s head turns slightly, giving me a half squinting side glance.

“Line flower.” He looks a bit amused. “You lost me.”

My smile tilts, right… it sounds kind of crazy without the explanations. “A tall flower, it’s meant to dictate the shape and height of the arrangement… or something like that.” My hand rises up slightly to make a gesture of height.

He seems to understand the term now. “The more extravagant for my mom, the better.” The amused look on his face doesn’t leave as he starts to arrange the Astilbes I gave him into the bunch.

“I’ll make sure that your mom’s bouquet turns out great.” I assure him, looking around the greenhouse for any line flowers and making my way around. I was determined to give him something pretty for his mom. I still thought that this was a sweet gesture. “Jumping off the effort you’re putting into this, I suppose you two are close?”

I hear his footsteps from behind me as he answers, “More or less. I still like to give her what I can regardless of that. What about you?”

“Me and my mother?” I bobble my head, my eyes still scanning the greenhouse. The answer way too easy. “She’s like my best friend.” I laugh. “It’s kind of weird for most people, but,” a giggle escapes me. “That’s what happens when you see her at work almost every single day.”

In all honesty, my mother didn’t feel like my mother. She had me when she was 17, and being pretty young… well… it felt like the two of us grew up around the same ages. At least Grammy was the mother figure we both needed.

“Family business.” There’s a half smile on his face. “Did it start with your mother?”

I shake my head at that. Knowing the humble beginnings of Duthé Debuts and Weddings. “Grandmother, actually. Grammy started it when my mom and dad got married.”  

Grammy loved the idea of planning my parent’s wedding, young as they were. “First wedding she ever planned was in her very own backyard.”

My parent’s wedding.

“Quite the origin.” His focus shifts to one of the flower stems, picking at a small dead leaf. “Did you always want to follow in their footsteps?”

The answer to this was easy.

“For as long as I could remember.” I laugh. “I mean it’s all I’ve ever really know, ya know? Baking’s fun and all but it’s more of my dad’s thing, and well—someone needed to take over the business eventually.”

Oh wow, that sounded like I didn’t have a choice into this. In all honesty, Grammy and Mama wouldn’t have minded if I didn’t join the family business. It just so happened that I loved it anyway. Who couldn’t say no to planning weddings without having to actually getting married?

“No complaints though, I love my job.” I glance back to him, clarifying how happy my job actually made me.

He looks back up to me, giving me a curious look. “What’s your favorite part of the job?”

Another easy question.

“When the groom sees the bride for the first time in her wedding dress, hands down, no question.” I raise both of my hands to make a point. There was no arguing about that one single moment. “That part makes me cry inside a little every time.” I laugh at the memories of me holding one of my fellow coordinator’s hands whenever that moment happens, again: secondhand butterflies.

“What about you?” I ask, blinking for a second. Oh gosh, I think I forgot what exactly Jackson did. “Uh, I’m sorry… I… forgot your job.” I think I just wanted to dive into a bunch of plants from the embarrassment, but I settled for covering part of my face instead. I know we talked about this before in the kitchen. I know it was happy… it had something to do with animals.

He chuckles, shaking his head. Okay he didn’t look offended, thank God.

“It’s alright.” He clears his throat. “I work at an animal shelter. I start veterinary school in the fall.”

“Oh right, the just as happy job choice!” I chuckle to myself, “Saving little critters and treating them. I’m sorry, it’s hard remembering everything about everyone I’ve met here so far.” Sometimes I felt overwhelmed by it all, but that was a welcomed problem. To be surrounded by so many interesting people.

I blink once, bringing myself back to my conversation with Jackson. “So are you taking up any specializations in vet school?”

“You know, I’m still undecided actually.” He hums for a bit. “You’re the first person who’s asked me that in a while.” A breathy chuckle escapes him before he looks down at the flowers again.

“Well, it’s something to always keep in mind.” I bobble my head. “You still have a lot of time to decide, no rush amirite?”

“Not at all.” Jackson looks back up at me. “How’s the first couple weeks been?”

My eyes still try to search the greenhouse for the right line flowers, when he asks that.

“I don’t really have the right words to describe it.” I turn to look to him. “Exciting but also nerve-wracking? Informative but also a bit of an overload?” I feel myself curl my lips in. “Comfortable but also not?”

To be honest, living in the palace as Selected… was a paradox. I did quite like being called Lady Melissa Duthé, had a nice ring to it.

But oh boy, the whole living in the public eye, just waiting for Prince Arin to take me out on a date… that didn’t feel… nice.

Only adds to the amount of people I needed to keep on impressing.

“I think you’ve perfectly encapsulated what it’s like to be a royal.” I laugh at that. He smiles briefly before taking a seat on a nearby ledge. “Not that I would know completely. Mostly observed.”

“Have you and Arin really been friends since you were kids?” I ask, multitasking as a particular patch of greens catch my eye, making myself crouch down to get a better look.

“Pretty much. Though it’s Safiya who I was always a bit closer to when she could be torn away from my sister.” He seems to speak fondly about them, before he blinks and stands up straighter than he was a while ago.

“Your sister and the princess seem… close too.” I reach up and tuck some of my hair behind my ear. The princess and Felicity seemed close indeed based on our etiquette lesson from day 1 here in the palace.

My eyes catch a patch of Veronicas and I shuffle over to the nearby patch, and look up to Jackson. “Do you think these would do? These are Veronicas if I’m not mistaken.”

He looks over to the patch and nods quickly. “Yes. They look nice.” He reaches up to rub his nape before glancing away.

Why… was he… acting like that? Was it because of Felicity?

“I can imagine it might be odd. What with… Felicity.” Jackson then adds quietly.

I shrug, “Oh please, engagements are broken all the time.”

I take the pair of scissors and start snipping at the Veronicas, my hand then moving over to a nearby patch of silver dollars.

Engagements are broken all the time? Great observation, Melissa.

“Better to break it off earlier than,” I continue with a snip of veronicas and silver dollars, “after you’ve married someone. Now that’s messy.” I snip again at the flowers. Divorce. That indeed was the messier circumstance.

“I suppose that line of thinking is… efficient.”

“Well, being in the wedding industry makes you realize certain things.” I lift a shoulder, thinking about it. “If I had a bride or groom express doubts about marriage, typical action is to make sure that they’re still committed.”

God forbid that I have to see another bride walk down the aisle and watch a groom leave her standing alone at the altar. Never again.

I stand and hand over the new bunch of greens and flowers to Jackson.

Jackson’s eyebrows raise, taking the flowers. “Does that happen often?”

“Not too often,” I meet his eyes, “it just happens and I’d rather help make sure that there isn’t much long term damage.”  If I were interested in the long term damage, I would have studied to become a Divorce lawyer. Now that would be ironic.

I click my tongue, the conversation topic digging a pit in my stomach. I didn’t want to talk about this anymore, or think about it.

“Most of the time, people reach the altar on my watch.” I point to the bouquet. “Does this look good enough for your mom?”

It just needed to be arranged a little more. Maybe I could convince him to let me just.. make… some adjustments.

Jackson lifts the bunch up, and higher to his nose to smell them. He flashes me one of those sincere smiles. “They’re beautiful. Thank you, it’s greatly appreciated.”

He glances around for a few moments, and walking over to a nearby bush of flowers, ones I didn’t quick recognize. I watch him as he bends to gently pluck one and walk back and hold it out to me.

“I know you gave me flowers, so here’s one for you. As a thanks.”

For a moment, I just stand there and look at the flower. It was definitely different from the ones he gave me. It was pretty.

I smile, taking the flower. “That’s mighty gentlemanly of you.” I laugh. “I just gave you a bunch of glorified decorative weeds.”

He laughs deeply, his eyes closing for a moment. “What my mother doesn’t know won’t hurt her.”

It was quite the adorable look on his face.

“Well,” I tilt my head and look away, not sure why I did before looking back to him and use the flower in my hand to point at the bouquet in his hand, I’ve outdone myself with this one. “at least it’s pretty. I hope she likes it.”

Jackson smiles before saying, “I’ll send you a thank you note if she does. If not, well, maybe you’ll get a weed.”

I shake my head at that, “No need to send me a thank you note, ooooor,” I lift a brow, “a weed.”

I look at it for a quick second before adding, “This was more your work than mine really. You might wanna wrap the bouquet in some paper and ribbon. Might help with the final presentation.” I give him a bright smile.

He nods his head once before starting to tug off his gloves and setting them on a table filled with other things. He then turns to me with knit brows.

“I think I forgot to ask why you came here.”

“I come here whenever I can.” I explain, my eyes scanning through the greenhouse. “I used to garden a lot back in Orleans and well, this greenhouse definitely is a lot better than what I had before back home. It’s a nice place to breathe and get out of that Women’s Room they usually ask us to stay in.”

“Do you actually garden here? Or is it more of sit and observe activity?” He asks, as I watch him take some string to tie all the stems together.

A part of me wishes I could garden in a place like this.

“Sit and observe, mostly. Can’t quite get my hands dirty over here, or well dresses like this.” I gesture to my dress, a light yellow number for today, before continuing. “Sometimes I’d find flowers that have fallen and press them into some old books. It’s a nice little routine.”

I don’t think I’ve told anyone that before.

“If you haven’t seen it already, I recommended a bench near the east corner.” Jackson gestures to the east side of the greenhouse. “Near the hydrangeas. Pretty secluded view of the gardens, especially near the sunset. I think you’ll enjoy it.” A small smile appears on his face, shifting to hold the bouquet with both of his hands.

“Thank you.” I look over to the east corner of the greenhouse, feeling myself smile while my hands fiddled with the flower Jackson gave me. I think I knew the spot he meant.

“I’ll take your word on that.” I add before my eyes fall back on Jackson and the bouquet, one of the pieces was sticking out and hanging dangerously. My hand reaches out to help fix it for him.

Jackson doesn’t look down immediately, looking slightly confused before a sheepish look ghosts his features. “I guess I should be more careful.”

“Wouldn’t want that to fall.” I can’t help but laugh before pulling my hand away. “It’d be a shame if it fell off while you were moving.” I put my hands behind my back, still fiddling with the flower Jackson gave me. I look around, the daylight having already started to fade.

It must be close to dinner time. I needed to retouch my make up, I needed to maybe change my dress. I must have gotten a bit of it slightly dirty.

“I guess it’s time for me to take my leave. I have to fix myself up for dinner.” I say before lifting up the flower, “Thank you again for this.”

“Sure.” A crooked smile forms on his face. “I um, I should be leaving for home. I have a delivery, thanks to you.”

“Be safe going home. It was nice talking to you again.” I remark, giving him a small wave with my free hand. I then take my leave towards the exit of the greenhouse, adding while I leave, “Give your mom my regards!”

“I will.” I hear Jackson say, catching him wave, a smile on his face from the corner of my eye.

As I walk back to my room, my eyes look down on the flower Jackson gave me.

I raise it up to my nose and smile.

I loved flowers.

#selection oc #selectionoc #selectionoc6 #~jackson tag #((I love Jackson okay?)) #((HE IS THE SWEETEST)) #((I PERSONALL SCREAMED WHEN JACKSON GAVE HER THE FLOWER)) #missy fics #missy duthe #side rp tag

[emtheanxiousdragon]

Sanders Hospital AU

(Special thanks to @justisaisfine for some help developing this story!)

(This is the introduction to the AU. For full info, please see the AO3 story.)

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Located in sunny Miami, Florida, Sanders Hospital is one of the top-ranking public hospitals in the country. Famous for its charitable president Thomas Sanders (no relation to the name of the hospital, as he loves to joke), Sanders Hospital features an award-winning mental health department and pediatric center! Its connection to the local university has allowed for a wonderfully talented resident program and educational opportunities. In the hospital's long history, they have treated people from all walks of life- from homeless people to the President of the U.S! (He just spent a few days in the hospital with a broken leg, but still!)

As a public hospital, they naturally have less funding than private institutions. One of the biggest rivals to the hospital is St. Gemma's Hospital, a respectable private hospital that makes its home on the other side of Miami, closer to the rich beach houses and expensive hotels. They've been praised for possessing what some call the best burn ward in the Southern United States. Many of the doctors of the two hospitals share a respectful relationship and have aided one another when their personal expertise was needed. However, there's still tension between the two hospitals for government funding, alongside some personal tension between doctors.

Major Hospital Locations

The Main Lobby. The main entrance to Sanders Hospital is the first glimpse of the wonderful care that awaits you during your stay. The front doors are wheelchair accessible, with a long slope going down to the main floor. The smooth, curving metal reception desk sits below the hospital's logo- a rainbow-colored caduceus. Hubs of blue and grey lounge chairs and couches collect below warm circular lights. The lighting in the lobby changes depending on the time of day- on bright days, the lobby will use as much natural sunlight as possible. On dark days, or during dusk and dawn, the lights will shine a bright, but neutral color. During the night, the lights are turned to a warm yellow, as yellow light encourages rest far better than harsh blue or white. This part of the hospital lacks the stereotypical smells of rubbing alcohol and disinfectant. Instead, the smell of freshly baked pastries from the hospital coffee shop fills the lobby, accompanied by whatever Baths and Body Works scent the barista decided to use for the day. There's also a gift shop in the lobby where visitors can buy their ailing loved ones gifts to aid recovery!

The Pediatrics Ward. With beautiful swirls of color on the walls and cartoon characters, it doesn't take long to understand why the pediatrics department of Sanders Hospital has won so many rewards. Every step of the way, the doctors and nurses patrolling this side of the hospital are ready to comfort a child in pain. Patient rooms have a TV where families can put in DVDs they brought from home or from the hospital. Each room has a recliner and couch so parents and immediate family members don't have to leave their kids. This part of the hospital also contains the NICU, which can be a heart-breaking place at times. The doctors keep in close contact with the legal department's Child Protective Service officers. If the pediatricians suspect child abuse or a child loses their parents, they don't hesitate to call the CPS officers, cause guess what? These folks are the nice sort of CPS officers! The department has gone under fire at times by people claiming they have pushed the borders of a doctor/patient relationship (giving personal gifts to patients, favoritism, becoming too much of a friend to the patient and less of a doctor), but so far they've kept their heads above water

Entertainment Row. While not its official name, hospital staff call this part of the hospital Entertainment Row for its patient services. This part of the hospital has a library that patients can borrow from, including books and DVDs. There is a lounge room with TVs and gaming devices with windows looking over the city. Since its on the top floor of the hospital, it also opens up to the roof-top garden, where patients can walk around and enjoy some fresh air. There's even a gardening program at the hospital where patients can help grow and harvest fruits and veggies to use in the kitchens! It's a wonderful way to boost a patient's emotional health and give them a chance to relax between tests and treatments. Entertainment Row also hosts classrooms for long-term students so they don't fall behind on studies. Often these classrooms are used by patients booked long-term into the mental services department, but those struggling with cancer, tuberculosis, and other diseases that require long-term hospital care are still able to keep up their education.

The Emergency Department. While not as famed as other parts of the Sanders Hospital, the emergency department does host a no wait policy- patients are taken straight to beds without waiting, as those with serious conditions cannot spend half an hour waiting for someone to check them in. This makes the ED a pretty chaotic place. However, the policy has been credited to saving multiple lives and even for stopping an epidemic! (That's a story for another time). With a central hub of desks and computers, doctors can hop from one patient to another and quickly determine if they need to be checked into a room or if they can soon head home.

The ICU. The hospital tries its best to keep the ICU a naturally lit environment. It runs on a similar light system as the main lobby and they try to have windows in each room. However, with the nature of the ICU, there's still a sense of dread and worry that hangs over anyone who visits the area. Experienced doctors appreciate the less gloomy atmosphere, but with the smell of disinfectant trying to overpower the lingering stenches of those too far gone to save and withering gift shop flowers sitting on mantels, the gloom still remains.

The Psychiatric Department. The other most awarded department of Sanders Hospital, this part of the hospital has the most personalized rooms. As most patients who find themselves in these rooms are at the hospital for long-term care and observation, the staff allow them to add a few more personal touches to the rooms than long-term patients in other departments may be allowed to. As long as the items can't hurt them, they can have them. The offices of each doctor are also personal, designed for therapy, to relax patients when they come in. Each office also has the personal touch of the doctors, as it helps them bond with their patients in a way that makes them feel more open to share their issues.

Doctor's Lounges. With a few in different parts of the hospital shared by different departments, the lounges are places where doctors, nurses, and residents can settle down for a bit. There are beds against one wall for those on long shifts and kitchen space for doctors to store food and even do a bit of cooking if the chance comes. You can find many residents finishing papers and studies around the rectangular plastic tables in the center of the room while also chowing down a quick dinner. The staff like to keep most of their work troubles outside of the lounges, however.

The President's Office/The Board Rooms: Thomas Sanders' office is usually empty. Since this is a president who likes to be on the floor doing what he went to school to do whenever he can, its usually locked. When he's working on presidential business or other similar work, those entering are greeted by the usually open balcony behind his desk with a marvelous view of Miami. Sometimes he'll be on that balcony, drinking some coffee and watching the sunset. The shelves along one wall contain a mixture of personal items and work-related stuff- diplomas and awards, Steven Universe pop figurines, the latest medical journals, a few favorite knick-knacks. (Dr. Picani usually avoids the office so he's not tempted to steal his boss's figurines). Next door to the office are the hospital board rooms, where the hospital board members meet and discuss the goings-on of Sanders Hospital. A yellow-tan room with a long wooden table and a monitor at the end, the board rooms are very professional. If a staff member gets called up there during a board meeting, something's probably going to go down. While the hospital president may be an honorable man, the same can't be said for all of his board members. The rooms are more inviting when used for Thomas's meeting with his department chairs.

The Lock-Up. As a public hospital, Sanders is in charge of treating prisoners from some of the big prisons around Miami. All prisoners are kept in a special, separate ward away from the rest of the prison under heavy protection. Doctors and nurses must put all equipment through scanners and confirm items with security personnel before they can enter. Prisoners are to stay in their areas (curtained off sections with beds) unless given permission to leave. All types of prisoners are treated here, from juvie kids stuck for a few months for vandalism, to serial killers doing double-life sentences.

Staff Members

Thomas Sanders- Hospital President

Thomas Sanders started his career at Sanders Hospital when he was a teenager, volunteering in Entertainment Row. Living in the area, young Thomas snagged a summer job in the library and helped many young kids find books to entertain themselves during chemo and therapy. Thomas loved helping others, even back then. He went to med school specializing in art therapy and mental health services but later got some cardiovascular certification so he could better assist in surgeries. He got a job at the hospital that started it all, getting a residency in the psychiatric department. When he joined the department, the place was gloomy, with depressing rooms and depressing offices. As Thomas climbed the ranks, his positivity and infectious happiness spread around the department. Rooms became brighter, offices became more welcoming, and patients became happier. While the hospital board cared less about patient happiness, they did care that Thomas's effect on the department was bringing in more patients and making money. He became the head of the psychiatric department. When the former president retired, Thomas was offered the job. He accepted, hoping to improve even more of the hospital.

While he can struggle against the greed and ambition of his board members (whom he sadly cannot get rid of alone), Thomas has slowly but surely found his place as a respectable, kind, and intelligent hospital president. He helped turn the hospital into a major LGBTQ+ supporter in Florida. He's a hands-on sort of president, wanting to keep in touch with each part of his hospital. He tries hard to make real changes happen and affect the community in a positive way. His personality, which helped change the psychiatric department so much, has now changed the entire hospital for the better. People joke that he's done so much, they renamed the place after him, but he swears it was a coincidence. He justs tries to put some good into the world.

Joan Stokes- Medical Director

Joan Stokes is Thomas's right hand in the hospital. The two met in med school, when Joan helped Thomas work on this thesis on the health issues of Miami LGBTQ+ people. Joan kept in touch with Thomas after they graduated and the two were very close friends. Joan started their residency at St. Gemma's and got first-hand experience in their prized burn ward. They moved to Sanders a few years after completing their residency to take a job as a general surgeon. They met their partner, Talyn, while working on a case involving a kidney transplant on someone who recently lost an arm.

Joan has always been the more level-headed, more focused one in their friendship with Thomas. As medical director, they are able to take Thomas's swirls of imagination and inspiration and apply those ideas on a practical level, adding in their own ideas. The only real arguments you'll see Joan get into with Thomas are about the job. They are a private person, but when they are around people they're comfortable with, their outgoing and funny sides emerge. If kids spot them in the pediatric ward, they'll probably make a few jokes. Depending on the adults in the area, they may sneak in a few 'mature' jokes as well.

Roman Prince- Public Services Director

Where Joan is the right hand of Thomas, Roman is the left. He doesn't have the medical skill that Joan and Thomas have, but he does have a presence that few can argue with. He's in charge of Entertainment Row and manages fundraisers, public appearances, speeches, and special events. He puts a special effort into the entertainment that patrols the pediatric ward entertaining kids- balloon artists, hospital dogs, everything! Entertainment is the best way to cheer up kids! He's the face of Sanders Hospital, appearing on talk shows and representing the issues of the hospital and the medical community.

Of course, there's doubt in his role- a high school drop-out managing a hospital? What can he say about the medical community when he never even went to college? To his friends, it doesn't matter. But it does to him. When the stress of public services becomes too much, he'll take part in his passion- teaching kids how to act at the local YMCA. He loves acting, and tries to find any chance he can to do so.

Patton Foster- Head of Pediatrics

This bubbly man was simply made to handle kids! Patton is known as 'Doctor Sweetheart' by some of the nurses and lower-level staff, as he treats everyone with fatherly kindness and respect. He always takes time to ask people how they're doing and is always ready to give advice. He always gets a laugh out of the younger kids and connects to the teenagers in the department extremely well. (If we're being honest, he's the source of most of those accusations of pushing the doctor/patient relationship too far, and they're probably right, but is that a bad thing?) He's ready to share tears with parents in pain, who are definitely included in his advice-giving. When people questioned whether to hire Logan Berry as the head of the Emergency Department, their biggest concern was that Patton would lose focus working alongside his husband. So far they haven't had to worry. Much.

Despite his fatherly and loving nature, Patton can be extremely stubborn. He often refuses to resort to any treatments that would cause a conflict with his morals, always searching for different ways to go about things, therefore ignoring the treatment that would save his patient's life until it was truly the only answer. When it comes to his moral standards, he can be strict. However, he's always looking to improve himself and be kind to others, supporting self-care, self-love, and the expression of emotions (even when he tries to repress the ones he has).

Logan Berry- Head of the Emergency Department

When you think of a doctor, you're probably thinking of Logan Berry. A logic-driven man able to put aside his emotions to get the job done, he is a shining example of the knowledge and respect commanded by doctors. When asked why he doesn't pursue a more glamourous and financially rewarding position at St. Gemma's or a similar institution, his answer is always the same- "I'm needed here." Logan has spent his life seeking to spread knowledge. He got a teaching degree alongside his medical degree and had a very unique residence- as a teacher's assistant at a medical college in New York, spending half of his time teaching and the other half fulfilling his medical requirements at the nearest hospital. Only a few days after his residency ended, he quit his TA job and moved back to his home state of Florida.

Logan took a job at a small, poorly funded clinic in the slums of Miami. He tried to educate his patients to better care for themselves, but he couldn't reach many people. He worked himself into exhaustion. The end result is poorly recorded- all that remains are some buried medical records in the file rooms of Sanders Hospital, a few police reports, and a metal leg that clicked whenever Logan walked. It was during his physical therapy at Sanders Hospital that Logan met Patton, who was only a year into his job. The two became close, and in a few years of therapy, re-adjustment to work, and new friendships, Logan and Patton were married. Logan tied up the loose ends of his old clinic and applied for the position as the head of the Emergency Department at Sanders Hospital.

Virgil Lawson- Head of Nursing

Being at the top of the chain of nurses for Sanders Hospital is tough, but at least Virgil actually cares about what he's doing. Despite the fact that he lives off the hospital coffee shop and its vending machines, hasn't been back to his apartment in four days, deals with more work than one man should legally be allowed to, and deals with not only generalized/social anxiety but chronic panic attacks, Virgil Lawson is the happiest he's been in a long time. He protects and encourages both his nurses and his friends, acting as a source of calm in the constant storm of medical work. His no-nonsense attitude is perfect for nursing as he deals with crabby patients. He's rarely more in the zone than when he's running around the hospital to his next assignment, running through treatments in his head. Hospital security even consider him an honorary member of their team when the head of security caught him practicing kung fu in an empty doctor's lounge (he learned in high school, as a hobby and for self-defense)

He didn't start out working at Sanders Hospital. Virgil grew up in Atlanta and went to school at University of Florida. Once he was a registered nurse, he realized that he was actually alone in Florida. His single mother had died while he was in college, and he didn't have any other family. He started out working for a company that sent the rich private nurses, but he would have gone insane had he stayed. He decided to find a job somewhere that would pay well, and ended up in the employ of St. Gemma's Hospital. He doesn't talk about his time there. What most people know is that Virgil looked into the recently opened position for Head of Nursing at Sanders and a few months later, he was fired from St. Gemma's. A week after that, he became the new Head of Nursing. Few understand why he has such a deep hatred for the rival hospital.

Emile Picani- Head of the Psychiatric Department

Sanders Hospital has been known for a quirky staff, but Emile takes the cake. He did a tour with the Navy for a few years out of high school before resigning and beginning his path towards becoming a licensed therapist and psychiatrist. He found some fame in the medical field for his fascinating thesis paper on the use of cartoons as a therapeutic tool. That was what made Emile such a unique therapist- he was able to find cartoons and shows and movies to connect with his patients and help them understand themselves better. That was also what made it difficult to hold down a job. He got positions at a lot of places, but he could never stay long. It was always the same song- he was too loud, people found him too strange to connect to, he couldn't keep a stable patient quota, he didn't blend well with the other staff.

Emile bounced around the country, doing his best for people for as long as he could before he was eventually forced out. If it bothered him, he didn't let it show. Eventually, he stumbled into Miami on the coattails of DisneyWorld tourists and found a therapist position open at Sanders Hospital. He wasn't expecting to get the job. However, Thomas got a hand on his file and remembered reading his thesis- he loved that thesis! He hired Emile and, fully expecting to be fired within the month, started setting up his old cartoon routine. But something was different this time. This time, he stayed. He got a steady flow of patients who wanted to stay with him. Emile finally found his place.

Remy Dormir- Barista

Remy seemed to fit more with the club-hopping, coffee shop roaming, hipster crowd than anything found in a hospital. Still, there he was, running the Sanders Hospital coffee shop. And owning it. He's got the orders of his favorite and frequent customers memorized, Emile and Virgil among the top of that list in their respective categories. If you want news about Sanders, then honey, you've come to the right place. He knows every dirty secret floating through the hospital. He could destroy careers with a single word, but mostly he just uses that knowledge to tease friends and put a greedy doctor back in line once and a while.

Remy acts like the counselor for the hospital in a way. Despite his love of gossip, he's great at keeping secrets, so many find themselves venting to the barista as he pulls out the next batch of cinnamon rolls. He might spill a petty secret here or there, but he would never truly betray someone. He sometimes acts superior to everyone and like he doesn't care. Only one of those statements is true. Many ignore him, but the wise will drop a tip into his jar and get the latest scoop of Sanders Hospital drama. He's living in a medical drama and he knows it.

Nate Christopoulos (Crime-Fighter Guy)- Head of Security

Hospitals aren't safe anymore. Scoundrels lurk behind every heart monitor, ready to strike. Even doctors can be bought. But Sanders Hospital is safe under the protective watch of Man in Black, the Man of Two Worlds, the Man of Legend- Nate Christopoulos! A biracial, bisexual, former private investigator with a film noir obsession, Nate is in charge of the hospital security. He keeps a special eye on the lock-up so no prisoners cause any disturbances. He relishes when he's called to action to defend someone. He's a crime fighter at heart! He spends half of his time watching the live security feeds in his office and the rest patrolling the halls. When near the pediatrics ward, he pretends he's going in slow motion to make the kids laugh.

He spends quite a bit of time around Remy, fueling up on coffee and getting the latest in criminal goings-on. The two share a passion for sarcasm and sunglasses. The most excitement he sees on a regular basis is handling a violent patient in Dr. Picani's department. He works with the police whenever suspects and witnesses to crimes are treated in the hospital- he's not going to let a stereotypical hospital assassination take place under his watch!

Talyn- Physical Therapist

Never one for last names, Talyn deals in those recovering from limb loss, intense injury, certain surgeries, and those dealing with certain chronic illnesses. Their job is to strengthen their bodies so they can return to something resembling their old strength. They're quite the fashionista, coming in with new hair colors every other week (patients are extremely impressed when they dye their eyebrows). Their blunt attitude helps push their patients towards recovery and helps them not give up. They've heard their fair share of war stories from veterans returning from overseas. They just let their patients vent it all out.

When relaxing from their emotionally draining job, they'll often talk to their partner Joan or Virgil, both of whom had enough common sense to talk about things other than work sometimes. They love wearing fun clothes whenever they can, occasionally coming up with silly costume days for patients just to get an excuse to wear funner clothes. They are one of the two people Logan is comfortable discussing his injury with.

Dr. D.- Cardiovascular and General Surgeon of St. Gemma's, Sanders Hospital Consultant

For someone in the medical field, Dr. D. should really be clearer on what his name is. Some call him Deceit behind his back because of his secretive nature. Of course, official records and close friends know his full name, but he prefers to keep it hidden. His patients don't need to know his full name. He gets what he needs from his patients and tells them what they need, and then he leaves. The next time he sees them, it'll be under the knife. It would be a stretch to call Dr. D. a crooked doctor. He doesn't take bribes or kill anyone. He is, however, always ready to break hospital policy to get his job done, and has developed a special skill in covering up his lawbreaking. Usually, he tosses hospital security at whatever Remus is doing and that's that.

He specializes in surgery on burn victims, operating in St. Gemma's famed burn ward. When he was a child, Dr. D. was treated at that very burn ward after his father's smoking burned down their apartment, killing his mother and leaving him orphaned. He still has the scars from the experience- crumpled, burned skin that covers half of his face, surgical scars repairing his nerves, hands so scarred he never takes off his gloves. His injuries don't affect his surgeries, but he never bothered to get plastic surgery and fix his face. His scars were a reminder- he couldn't trust people, like he couldn't trust his dad to stop smoking or get a job.

Remus Prince- St. Gemma's(?) Janitor

Every hero needs an evil twin. Remus fulfills that role for Roman. The twins were both high school dropouts, but Remus wasn't quite as successful as his brother. Perhaps it was his violent tendencies that made it difficult to find a job in the creative arts. It could also be his OCD- those intrusive thoughts of his that forced him to do such strange rituals, Roman was the only one who ever understood why he did those things. Sometimes it was tough to tell what strange things Remus wanted to do, or what were truly intrusive thoughts. A relationship with his twin was always difficult to maintain. It was tough to tell whether either twin wanted to know the other sometimes. Sometimes they did, sometimes they didn't. Most people don't know he's related to Roman. Regardless of siblings, Remus works as a janitor, cleaning up hospital floors and messes with intense focus.

Sanders Hospital staff aren't sure where Remus works. They'll see him cleaning the halls of Sanders Hospital or changing bedsheets- one of the nurses once spotted him giving a patient a sponge bath! He's not listed in the staff, but he still cleans the hospital (someone apparently saw Remus get a check from the hospital, but that was never proven). It's the same thing at St. Gemma's, but there isn't a staff member there willing to confirm or deny Remus's employment. He most likely works there, but no one is completely sure. Nate and his security team have been ordered to escort Remus off hospital grounds when they catch him, but they don't do a good job at it. He is Nate's number one enemy.

—————————————-

There you go! The start to a new AU! I’m ready to make a tag list for anyone who likes this AU! I’m also suggestings asks about this series directed to me or the characters! At the time of this post, all characters are open.

I also accept prompts for short stories about the characters! I can’t guarantee your suggestion would be written, or that it would be quick, but I will see what I can do!

#sanders sides #thomas sanders #virgil sanders #patton sanders #roman sanders #logan sanders #deceit sanders #remus sanders #the duke sanders #sanders hospital #sanders sides au #joan and talyn #joan stokes #talyn #dr emile picani #emile picani #remy sleep #sanders sides fanfic #hospital au #crime fighter guy thomas sanders #cartoon therapy #cartoon therapy au #thomas sanders shorts #thomas sanders shorts au #nate thomas sanders

[pikapeppa]

Hello! Happy Friday! How about the prompt "Where, Curse, Tender" for Hawke x Fenris?

Thanks for this lovely @dadrunkwriting prompt! Here we have some Fenris x Rynne Hawke arguing, some hurt/comfort, and some NSFW smut. 

Revolves around the Act 3 quest, Best Served Cold - i.e. the one where Hawke investigates the plot to overthrow Meredith, and Grace goes apeshit and kills poor Ser Thrask.

Read on AO3 instead.

************************

“You didn’t have to accompany me, you know,” Carver muttered. “I’m not injured.”

Hawke looped her hand through her brother’s elbow as they strolled through the gates of the Gallows. “You said that already,” she said cheerfully. “You said that on the Wounded Coast, and you said it when we got back to Kirkwall and I was making you that sandwich, and you said it on the boat too.” She reached up and playfully rubbed Carver’s hair. “Are you sure you’re not brain-damaged from the blood magic? You’re repeating yourself a lot.”  

“Do not say that so lightly,” Fenris said. “Blood magic can have some unpredictable effects.” Then he bit the inside of his cheek as Hawke shot him a stricken look.

Carver glared at him over her shoulder. “Thanks a lot, Fenris,” he said waspishly.

Fenris grunted, feeling slightly guilty as Hawke wrestled her smile back in place and hugged Carver’s arm. “Don’t blame me for wanting to spend some time with my baby brother,” she said. “I should have gathered a picnic for the Wounded Coast before coming to rescue you. You have to admit, it’s a nice view out there. Aside from all the dead bodies and everything.”

Varric snorted. “Don’t forget the giant spiders. They really add a certain panache to the scene, I think.”

Hawke gave a barking little laugh as they entered the courtyard. The other Templars turned to stare at their party’s entrance, and Carver hunched his shoulders defensively. “All right, all right,” he grumbled. “I have to report to the Knight-Captain now. Will you let me go?”

Hawke chuckled, then finally released Carver’s arm. “Fine. I see how I rate. Go give your report to Big Bad Cullen. I bet it’ll go something like this: ‘I fell asleep, and then I woke up when my fantastic heroic sister saved me. The end.’” She stood on her tip-toes and gave Carver a noisy kiss on the cheek.

He wrinkled his nose, then shrugged awkwardly. “Thanks for the sandwich,” he muttered, then strode away with his ears up around his shoulders.

Hawke folded her arms and sighed contentedly. “First he becomes a Templar, then he lets a rogue blood mage take him hostage. He makes the family proud, doesn’t he?”

Varric huffed and folded his arms as well. “Count your lucky stars that that’s all he does,” he drawled.

Hawke twisted her lips ruefully and patted Varric on the shoulder, then sighed. “Well, I suppose we have to go tell Orsino about his little rebels.” She grimaced as they made their way toward the inner courtyard. “Is it too much to hope that he and Meredith will just kiss and make up?” Suddenly she straightened, and a mischievous grin crept across her face.

She turned to Varric. “I have a fantastic idea for a serial. Get this: the Knight-Commander and the First Enchanter. A tale of the most forbidden love ever told.”

Varric groaned as they made their way up the steps toward the Gallows’s offices. “Well, that’s an idea I can’t unsee.”

“What do you mean? It’s a great idea!” Hawke protested. She elbowed Fenris teasingly. “I wouldn’t mind hearing you read me that story in bed.”

Fenris grunted. He was not feeling particularly in the mood for jokes. He was generally displeased by Hawke’s management of this whole situation so far, and he suspected that her conversation with Orsino was only going to irritate him further.  

Varric, meanwhile, cleared his throat loudly. “Thanks, Hawke. That makes two ideas I can’t ever unsee. I’m definitely never writing it now.”

She tutted in disappointment, and they sidled into Orsino’s office to explain Thrask’s conspiracy and his grim fate at Grace’s hands. Fenris folded his arms and leaned against the wall as he listened to their conversation. He frowned as Orsino hinted none-too-subtly that he wished to overthrow Meredith, and he scowled even further when Hawke made a joke about making Meredith a farewell cake if a coup should ever occur.

He was silent as he followed her and Varric out of the hall. They made their way back to the little boat that would return them to Kirkwall, and Hawke joked constantly with Varric during the short trip. Fenris, meanwhile, sat near the bow and mulled over the evening’s events.

As usual in these situations, he was irritated at Hawke for her mage favouritism. But he was starting to wonder if his irritation was more an artifact of the past: a habitual annoyance, as opposed to true discontent with Hawke’s decisions.

From a completely objective point of view, the Knight-Commander’s behaviour was seeming less and less logical. If Templars were speaking against her, willing to actually work with mages to oust her, Fenris could no longer completely attribute the problem to the mages being entitled. Years ago, he would have blamed the mages for tonight’s debacle; he would have chalked it up to the Templars being enchanted, twisted and corrupted from their noble purpose by the mages’ manipulations. But his years in Hawke’s company had rendered him uncertain.

Hawke was proof that mages could be strong. She had never been even remotely tempted by the power that blood magic could afford. And then there was Keran to consider. Keran was so convinced of the rightness of Thrask’s cause, despite being tortured by blood mages all those years ago.

The mages want the Circle, Keran had said. They want it to work like it’s supposed to. Fenris had never heard such a thing said before. But he supposed he hadn’t had much opportunity to hear such opinions. The only mages he knew were apostates who disliked the Circle on principle, including Hawke herself.

Fenris sighed and ran a hand through his hair. As much as he hated to admit it, this whole incident was quite damning indeed for Meredith.

But then there are mages like Grace, he thought. Grace, who had professed herself to be innocent all those years ago, and who had betrayed her own ally at the first sign of trouble.

Fenris curled his lip in disgust. The memory of Grace’s vicious and power-hungry face as she drew her bloody dagger from her own belly, then exploded into an abomination…

Curse these blasted power-hungry blood mages, Fenris thought. This was why the Circle needed to control mages, not simply protect them. This was why the Rite of Tranquility existed. The familiar anger leaked back in, diluting Fenris’s uncertainty once again. By the time they reached Kirkwall, he was quite prepared to hash it out with Hawke.

Varric could clearly gauge his mood. He shot Fenris a fleeting look before shoving his hands into his pockets and smiling at Hawke. “Thanks for the adventure, Champion,” he said. “Maybe we can stick to the city next time? Keep my best boots out of the muck.”

She bumped Varric playfully with her hip. “I can’t leave the city without you! What would I ever do without your glittering accolades? I forget sometimes how fantastic I am. I need you to talk me up in case I forget.”

“Careful, Hawke,” Varric warned. “You might need a new hood if your head gets any bigger.” He winked at her, then nodded in farewell to Fenris. “Elf. See you around,” he said.

“Goodnight,” Fenris said politely, and Varric nodded once more before sauntering away.

Hawke took Fenris’s hand as they made their way back to her house. “Well, that was fun,” she said breezily. “Nothing like a good kidnapping-and-conspiracy combo to shake up the old routine. I don’t know about you, but I despise peace and quiet. Sitting at home with a good book? Boring! No no, give me cloaks and daggers every day. That’s the ticket to a good life.”

She was upset. It was obvious in the tightness of her grip on his hand. It was obvious in the constancy of her jokes. As Fenris listened silently to her cheerful prattle, he realized that he was torn; on the one hand, he was angry about the evening’s events, and the familiar impulse to fight with Hawke was as strong as ever. Their fights had become more satisfying over the years, evolving from his vicious one-sided explosions of rage into heated two-sided debates, and although her opinions often rankled, Fenris always wanted to hear them.

He liked that Hawke listened to him. He liked that she heard him, and he liked that she countered him and pushed him to think beyond the seething hate that he’d been conditioned to hide behind. If he was perfectly honest, he also really liked that their fights now ended more often than not in sex. And so it was that he was more than ready to fight with her the second they returned to her house.

But Hawke was upset. And despite his anger, the other half of him wanted simply to enfold her in his arms and to ward her distress away.

She opened the mansion door and kicked off her boots while propping her staff against the wall, then turned to him with a smile as he locked the door behind them. “Shall we have a drink?” she said brightly. “I could really use-”

“Hawke,” he said. “Speak plainly now. What do you really want to say?”

Her smile froze for a split second. Then she turned and meandered into the main room and held out her hand to Toby. “Who’s the smartest droolmaker in Kirkwall?” she crooned. “You are! Yes, you are.”

He watched with an odd mixture of sympathy and annoyance as she knelt beside the mabari and ruffled his jowls, then rubbed his ears until he was madly wagging his tail. Fenris leaned against her writing desk and folded his arms, and when she finally looked up at him, he raised his eyebrows expectantly.

“All right,” she said. She rose to her feet, and her smile was gone. “You want me to speak plainly?”

He waved one hand. “Please,” he said. “Speak your piece. I’m listening.”

“Fine. This is all Meredith’s fault,” Hawke said bluntly. “She’s so busy chasing imaginary demons that she can’t protect her own men.” She pulled off her gauntlet, then began unbuckling her chest plate. She turned toward Fenris with a crooked smile. “How in the Void do you manage to let a Templar get abducted from your own ranks? And Carver, of all people? My fool of a baby brother? It’s ridiculous.” She plonked her armour on the desk beside him. “Terrible leadership. Aveline would never let one of her men get abducted,” she continued. “Can you imagine if someone tried to take Donnic? The reckoning she’d inflict-”

“And the blood mages?” Fenris interrupted. “Grace would have had Carver killed simply to spite you. You would call her blameless in this?”

“Of course not!” Hawke snapped. “But she was just one mage. One isolated crazy person. Alain refused to listen to her, I’ll have you remember. And the others…” She trailed off, and her face creased with regret for a moment.

She swallowed hard, then glared at him. “We killed so many mages tonight. All they wanted was to be treated fairly. They didn’t want to be imprisoned and kept like-”

She broke off suddenly and dropped her gaze, and Fenris narrowed his eyes. “Say it,” he growled. “They didn’t want to be kept like slaves. That is what you were going to say, is it not?”

She pursed her lips, then turned and began walking up the stairs.

Fenris followed her. The anger was beating steadily in his ears now. “And what of Thrask?” he demanded. “Your precious Ser Thrask. He trusted that blood mage, and she turned on him in a heartbeat. She didn’t hesitate to draw the power from her veins!”

Hawke strode into her bedroom and started pulling off her clothes. Fenris folded his arms and glared at her as her shirt drifted to the ground. “These mages have no self-control,” he railed. “They’re too easily tempted by power. Controlling the elements is not enough for them. They must control everyone around them as well!”

“The Templars are no different!” Hawke snapped. She fumbled at the laces of her trousers as she continued to talk. “They don’t care about protecting the mages. They just want to control them and keep them under their thumbs!” She pulled at her laces for a second longer, then threw her hands up in frustration. “Fuck’s sake, these fucking trousers-”

Fenris tutted. She was so damned impatient. “I will do it,” he said, and he stepped close to her and began to unknot her laces.

They were silent for a moment as he picked at the stubborn knot. Fenris watched the careful rise and fall of her belly against his knuckles as she breathed. The longer he worked at the knot and watched her steady breathing, the more he began to calm down.

He finally untied the knot, then brushed fingers lightly over her bare belly. “Mages don’t need protection,” he said quietly. “They need control. You and Anders think mages are treated like slaves, but it is not the same. A slave cannot set his master aflame in a fit of fear. A slave cannot transform into a  murderous monster by slitting his wrist.”

She sighed loudly. “Fenris, you’re being so-”

He reached up and took her chin in a gentle grip. “Mages need to be more like you,” he said firmly. “You have control over your magic. You do not let it control you. You do not let it get the better of you. You do not understand how rare you are.”

“I wasn’t raised in the Circle,” she countered. Her voice was low, but her tone was fierce, as fierce as the look in her eyes. “You think I would be the same person if I’d been raised in a place like the Gallows? With Templars telling me I was a sinful piece of trash because of the way I was born?”

Fenris stared at her in silence for a long moment, unable to find a reply. The angry part of his mind rebelled, wanting to argue with her, to tell her she was wrong, but he… couldn’t.

He couldn’t tell her she was wrong, because perhaps she was right.

She gently pulled his hand away from her chin. “I’m not special, Fenris. I’m just lucky. I’m lucky that my father was a mage and a good teacher. I’m lucky that my parents hid me and Bethany away.” She pushed her trousers down and kicked them away. “I’ve always been lucky. Other people, not so much. Thrask understood that. He was one of the unlucky ones.” She shook her head. “Andraste’s tits, was he ever unlucky. His daughter and his co-conspirator both becoming abominations?” She was quiet for a moment, then she looked at Fenris with a feeble imitation of a smile. “Too bad we never played diamondback against him. Varric would have bankrupted him.”

She walked away and disappeared into the bathroom, and Fenris slowly began to strip off his armour as he listened to the sound of her brushing her teeth. He pulled on his sleeping clothes, then wandered into the bathroom to join her.

He picked up his toothbrush. “Thrask was not blameless in this,” he said. “He… he chose his companions carelessly. Grace has been angry and resentful of you for years. He should have noticed how volatile she was.”

In truth, Fenris wasn’t sure anymore whether he was trying to convince her of Thrask’s wrongdoing, or to convince himself. His anger had been whittled down to a feeble hint of irritation now, and he was starting to get the distinct feeling that he was losing this argument.

Hawke seemed to notice his indecision. She leaned over the basin and spat, then shot him a knowing look. “I don’t know, Fenris. Sometimes the angry and resentful companions are the best ones.” She winked at him, then slipped out of the bathroom and unbuckled her bustier.

Back to the jokes. Fenris knew she was upset, and he knew he should let the conversation end, but he couldn’t seem to still his tongue. For some reason he couldn’t quite understand, he wanted Hawke to argue with him. He wanted her to push back.

He placed his toothbrush back on the counter and followed her out of the bathroom. “Don’t be glib,” he said. “Thrask was incautious. He placed himself at the mercy of a blood mage. He placed Carver at that mercy. Your brother in the thrall of blood magic-”

She spun toward him, and Fenris drew back in surprise at the uncharacteristic fury in her face. “I know that,” she shouted. “I know, all right? I get it. Carver’s life was in danger, and I should have protected him better. You think I don’t know that?”

Fenris gaped at her as she threw her bustier aside. “That… Hawke, that is not what I meant,” he said.

“That’s not what you’re saying, but that’s what you’re thinking!” she retorted. “If I hadn’t let Grace go free all those years ago, she wouldn’t have gotten caught, and she wouldn’t have taken Carver hostage, and he would have been safe and happy in the Gallows with his stupid Templar friends.”

Fenris stared at her, thrown off by the sudden turn their conversation had taken. He hadn’t been thinking that, but clearly she had.  

“It was not your fault that they took Carver hostage,” he said carefully.

“Of course it was,” she snapped. “If I wasn’t so bloody famous, he wouldn’t have been a target. Rynne Hawke, the Loudmouthed Champion of Kirkwall, putting her family in harm’s way by sticking her nose in everyone’s business.” She was moving haphazardly around the room now, picking her clothes off the floor only to put them back down and fiddling idly with Fenris’s tidy pile of armour.

He frowned, then slowly approached her and took her arm. “Carver is fine. He’s back at the Gallows safe and sound. Fretting will serve no purpose now.”

She pulled her arm away from him and idly ran her fingers over his armour, and Fenris noticed with growing concern that she wouldn’t look him in the eye. “What if we hadn’t gotten there when we did?” she asked. “It was a close fucking call. That crazy bitch turning into an abomination, and Carver just lying there looking like he was dead-”

Her voice cracked, and she wrapped her arms around herself and began scratching compulsively at the left side of her ribs, the side where her tattoo curled across her skin.

And just like that, Fenris wasn’t angry anymore. He reached out and took her hand to stop her from scratching. “Come here,” he said gently.

She shook her head and pulled her hand away. “It was my fault that Carver was taken,” she said. She looked him in the eye. “That’s what you really think. Isn’t it?”

“No,” he insisted. His chest was aching now, aching with sympathy as he studied her fragile and defiant face. If he’d known this was what she was thinking, that she was blaming herself for the night’s events…

He reached for her scratching fingers again, but she took a step back. “Is it cold in here, or is it just me?” she said. “I’m absolutely freezing.” She rubbed her goosebumped arms, then turned away from him and picked her shirt off the floor.

Fenris watched with growing distress as she put on her shirt. He walked over to the fireplace and added a few logs to the glowing embers, then poked at them until they bloomed into flame. When he turned around again, it was to find Hawke tucked in bed.

He studied her for a moment, then slowly slipped into bed beside her, and he couldn’t help but notice that she was wearing soft flannel trousers as well as her shirt.

Hawke never slept in clothes, not since they’d been together. Feeling more and more uneasy, Fenris settled himself awkwardly on his pillow, then glanced at Hawke from the corner of his eye.

She was lying on her back with one arm tucked behind her head. Her face was calm and her eyes were closed, but as he studied her quietly, he noticed the way she was chewing subtly at her lower lip.

Fenris didn’t know what to do. He’d never seen Hawke acting so aloof before; it wasn’t like her to shut down like this, not even when they were arguing.

He gazed in silence at the canopy of her bed. With every second that ticked past and every anxious beat of his heart, he felt distinctly like the air was thickening between them, brewing into something increasingly dark and ugly.

He couldn’t bear it. He tentatively reached for her hand beneath the blankets. “Hawke,” he murmured, and he slid his fingers across her wrist.

A moment later, before Fenris could so much as take a breath, Hawke rolled toward him and slung her leg over his.

She pressed herself against him and slipped her fingers into his hair. “Make me forget,” she whispered, then kissed his jaw.

“What?” he said dumbly. He was thrown off once again, unbalanced by her abruptly shifting mood, but his arms wrapped instinctively around her body all the same.

She kissed his cheekbone, then his ear, then she awkwardly pulled her shirt off and tossed it aside. “Please, Fenris, make me forget all of this,” she begged. “I can’t… fuck’s sake, I hate thinking about it. I hate all of it. Just make me forget for tonight, all right?”

She pressed herself against him, and he could feel the heat of her chest through his shirt. He swallowed hard, feeling torn yet again. His undisciplined body was already responding to hers, rising with interest as she pressed her groin against his thigh, but he wasn’t sure this was the right thing to do; shouldn’t they talk about this…?

He opened his mouth to speak, and Hawke kissed him hard. She shifted her body until she was between his legs, bracing her weight on one hand and clasping the back of his neck with the other, and Fenris surrendered himself to her kiss, parting his lips and allowing the slick entry of her tongue into his mouth.

She nipped his tongue and pressed herself against his swiftly swelling crotch, and Fenris grunted and clenched his fingers against her waist. “Hawke,” he rasped. “I don’t - I didn’t mean…”

Kaffas, he couldn’t think properly, not with her pressed against him through the torturous barrier of his clothes. He scrambled for a coherent thought and tried again. “I was not trying to blame you. I meant -”

“Shhh. Don’t talk,” she whispered. She brushed her thumb across his lower lip, then followed her thumb with a careful tracing of her tongue.

He greedily flicked his tongue out to meet hers, and then she pulled away and slid her hand from his neck down to his chest. “Touch me,” she breathed.

He panted with increasing desperation as her hand slid down along his belly and beneath his shirt. Her fingers were on his bare skin, tracing up along the planes of his belly, then higher to stroke his nipple -

She rolled his nipple between her fingers, and he released a helpless groan. He smoothed his hand up her bare back and cupped the back of her head. “Where?” he rasped. “Where should I touch you?”

“Everywhere,” she said. She shifted up onto her knees, then rolled up the edge of his shirt.

Fenris complied with her wordless request, pulling off his shirt and throwing it aside. Then Hawke’s lips were on his skin, her tongue trailing from his collarbone down to his chest.

She licked his nipple, then bit his nipple lightly, and he arched into her mouth. “Rynne,” he gasped.

She pinched his other nipple, forcing another desperate breath of air from his lungs, and then her hands were pulling insistently on the waistband of his breeches, dragging them down as he obediently lifted his hips. Before he could say a word, before he could beg or protest or ask if she was sure about this, her lips were wrapped around the throbbing beacon of his cock.

“Venhedis,” he groaned. The sudden heat and pressure of her throat around his cock… He slammed his head back in the pillows and moaned her name. The pleasure she was bestowing upon him was neither gentle nor tender; it was focused and fierce, her mouth rising and falling along his length in a single-minded rhythm, and Fenris could barely keep up with how swiftly his pleasure was rising. It was like a storm low in his belly, a rushing and unstoppable roar that her voracious mouth was pulling forth, and before he was ready, before he had a chance to properly appreciate the pull, he was crying out his rapture and shuddering beneath her.

She continued to suckle him hard until he reached down and lifted her chin. She looked him in the eye and licked her lips, and Fenris stared stupidly back at her, feeling simultaneously wrung out and set on edge by feverish look in her eyes.

She sat back on her knees and began to shimmy off her flannel pants. “I want to fuck your face,” she said bluntly. “Can I-?”

He grabbed her arm. “Yes,” he said, and he pulled on her arm. “Come.”

She kicked off her pants, then crawled up his body and straddled his face, and Fenris wrapped his hands around her thighs and pulled her against his mouth.

He dragged his tongue over her swollen bud, and she gasped and braced her hands on the headboard. “Oh Maker,” she whined, and then she was rolling her hips against his face, rolling the taut little nub of her clit against the flat of his tongue, spreading the slick of her arousal across his lips and his chin, and Fenris clenched his fingers against her thighs to pull her more firmly to his face.

A few delicious minutes later, she arched her back and writhed against his tongue, then cried out sharply in her climax. Fenris slowed the swirling of his tongue, easing off to a sally of soft kisses to her slippery folds until Hawke lifted herself up on her knees.

She crawled down his body to straddle his hips, and he pushed himself upright, and then Hawke’s hands were clasping the back of his neck in a firm grip as she kissed him hard, heedless of her own arousal still coating his face as she tugged his lower lip with her teeth. Fenris panted against her mouth, then kissed her back in kind, a nearly punishing kiss with his tongue stroking hers and his teeth nipping at her lip.

She broke the kiss with a gasp. Her hips were moving again, a steady grind over his semi-hardened cock, and Fenris breathed hard as she nipped his earlobe. “Touch me,” she whispered. “Please, Fenris, touch me - I just, I need you to touch me…”

Touch me, she said. But Fenris was starting to grasp what she really wanted. She wanted a distraction. She’d used this tactic on him more than once, pulling him from his anger with the sweetness of her lips and the sweet pliancy of her body, and now she was asking for him to do the same to her.

She sank her fingers into his hair and pulled. “Please,” she mewled.

Fenris surged forward, briefly laying her on her back before rolling her roughly onto her belly. He pulled her hips up slightly, then ran his finger along the length of her cleft.

She whined pleadingly and pushed back against his fingers, then cried out as he slid two fingers inside of her. “Fuck!” she gasped.

He twisted his wrist carefully, then curled his fingers inside of her, and she pounded her fist on the mattress and let out another cry of pleasure. Fenris slid his fingers in and out of her sleek heat, curling his fingers with every entry until she was bucking back against his hand.

He leaned over her, leaning as close to her ear as possible while he continued to fuck her from behind with his fingers. “Is this what you want?” he demanded.

Hawke arched her back. “Yes!” she blurted.

“You like this, do you?” he taunted. “My fingers pushing inside of you like this? This is enough for you, is it?”

She mewled and pounded her fist on the mattress again. Her breathing was becoming more ragged, a whimper accompanying her every exhale, and Fenris fought to control his own breathing. He knew how much she enjoyed his voice when he growled in her ear, and he could only hope it would be enough push away the thoughts she was trying so hard to evade tonight.

He swirled his fingers inside of her. “Tell me, Hawke. Is this all that you want? Just my tongue and my fingers between your legs? Is that enough for you?”

“No,” she whimpered.

“No. It’s not enough, is it?” he mused. He removed his fingers and slid them teasingly along the swollen edges of her folds. “Then tell me, Rynne. Tell me what you want. Is it my cock? Is that what you want?”

She arched her back more deeply and spread her legs further apart. “Yes!” she sobbed. “Yes, that’s what I want, please!”

He dropped his lips to her back and nipped the edge of her tattoo. “Shall I fuck you until you scream my name into the Void?“ he growled. “Is that what you want?”

“Maker’s fucking balls, yes!” she cried.

Fenris plunged his fingers back inside of her, and she shoved her face against the mattress and cried out into the blankets. He curled his fingers inside of her for a moment longer, then pulled his fingers free and rolled her onto her back.

He shoved her legs apart, then dragged her closer. “Tell me,” he ordered. “Tell me what you want.”

She arched her chest and lifted her hips toward him. “Fuck me hard, right now!” she screamed.

He pumped his fist along his length once, then positioned himself at her entrance. “Consider it done,” he grunted, then he slammed himself into her slick depths.

She arched her neck and cried out, and then Fenris was fucking her furiously, exactly as she’d asked. She twined her fingers in the sheets, her face twisting with rapture and her breasts bouncing with the ferocity of his pumping hips, and Fenris stared at her, watching attentively to catch her pleasure as effectively as he could, angling himself slightly and grinding deep and hard when she gasped and clenched her fingers more tightly in the blankets.

He watched Hawke, watching her face and her body and listening to the sounds of her gasps and savouring the heated feel of her thighs under his palms, and then he was gritting his teeth, trying to hold back his own impatient climax as she lifted her hips toward him, her eyes shut tight and her lips parted as she breathed hard -

She released a wild cry and jammed her fist against her mouth, and Fenris cried out as well, shuddering fitfully as his own climax ripped through him from his groin all the way up to his throat, like the most exquisite knife rending him from the inside out.

He hunched over her, bracing his weight on one palm as he gasped for breath. Hawke was trembling still, her fist pressed against her lips and her eyes closed. As Fenris caught his breath, he gently pulled her hand away from her mouth.

There was a reddened bitemark over her thumb. Fenris gently kissed the mark, then kissed the inside of her wrist before releasing her hand. He carefully withdrew from her, then flopped onto the bed beside her and pulled her back against his chest.

He curled his arm tightly around her waist. She pressed her spine into his chest and smoothed her palm along his forearm, and Fenris allowed her a moment of peaceful silence.

He brushed his nose along the edge of her shoulder before speaking. “Don’t dwell on this night,” he murmured. “You averted a major disaster tonight, and Carver is no worse for wear. There is no point entertaining such doubts.”

She sighed, then pressed her back a bit more firmly into his chest. “Averted for now,” she drawled. “Just wait and see what happens tomorrow. How much do you want to bet that I’ll get a fresh new batch of problems to deal with in the morning mail?”

He twisted his lips, but he didn’t refute her. It was the unfortunate truth that problems seemed to fall into her lap, whether she invited them or not.

He kissed her shoulder, gently braising her skin with his lips until she released a heavy sigh. Then she rolled over to face him.

Her amber eyes were serious and sad. “Are you certain you want to stick with me and the mages when the time comes?” she whispered. “You weren’t happy about tonight, I know…”

Fenris cupped her cheek. “I am not certain about the mages,” he told her honestly. “But I am certain about you. Never be so foolish as to doubt that.”

She pressed her lips together and nodded silently. Fenris gently wiped an errant tear from the delicate ridge of her nose, then pulled her closer.

He tucked her head beneath his chin, and she wrapped her arm tightly around his chest, and Fenris simply held her shaking form. Some time later, when the tears and the tension were finally leached from her body, he listened as her breathing slowed and evened into the easy rhythm of sleep.

The fire was burning low, fading into little more than flickering embers. Darkness cast its nightly veil over Hawke’s bedroom, and Fenris finally closed his eyes.

He’d told Hawke not to dwell on her doubts, but he had his own doubts to entertain: doubts about the mages and the Templars and the Circle, uncomfortable doubts that picked at the way he’d always understood the world to be. But those doubts could wait until tomorrow.

For now, he would simply hold the one person he had no doubts about at all.  

#fenris #fenris fic #fenris smut #fenhawke #fenris/hawke #fenris x hawke #fenris/femhawke #fenris x femhawke #fenris/f!hawke #fenris x f!hawke #pikapeppa writes #thanks for the prompt!

[bussanbaby]

With the sun setting over New York, Magnus and Alec stumble through the main door, letting it click shut behind them. With his arm around Magnus’ back, Alec leads him over to the couch, supporting a big part of the warlock’s tired weight. The loft is alight with golden rays of the sun, everything so seemingly peaceful compared to what they had gone through just a couple of hours earlier.

It’s almost like the stressful day had never happened, but the lines of exhaustion, both physical and mental, are obvious in the furrow of Magnus’ brow, in the way he slumps into the soft seat with a bone-deep sigh. With his elbows set on his knees, Magnus rubs at his face with his fingers, not even paying much attention to his eye makeup, with how distracted he is.

When they returned from the core maintenance room, a little bit ruffled and still coming off the high of adrenaline, the OPS centre had been a mess - Jace held Raj pinned down against the table and a couple of other lower-rank Shadowhunters were stood by the far wall, guarded by Izzy and Clary. Alec should’ve expected the opposition to his idea if he had to be honest, given what has been said about him in the recent weeks by some of the staff  - at least everything worked out despite Raj’s interference, they’re all alive, the plan worked, and the Institute is still standing where it should be.

At first, Magnus just seemed tired, out of breath and jittery with all the magic that had been running through his fingers just moments before, but as they made their way back home, the excitement wore off, swapped for heavy limbs and a sleepy smile.

Magnus leans against the couch, letting his head fall back against the cushions, looking up at Alec who’s standing in parade rest, hands clasped behind his back.

“I don’t think I’ve taken a cab since the New York Knicks won their first NBA championship back in the seventies,” Magnus muses, his lips quirked up and eyes twinkling with what has to be a mix between nostalgia and mirth.

Alec shrugs off his jacket and tosses it onto the blue armchair, rolling his shoulders. He can feel a headache coming on, a slight throbbing in his temples, probably as a result of Lorenzo going on and on about every portrait of him and all the various ways each artist has captured the essence of his smile; people bickering around him all day and questioning his authority perhaps had something to do with it as well.

“What about a martini, a hot bath, and a steak, medium rare?” Alec offers, coming up behind Magnus to set his palms on his shoulders, kneading the tense muscles there.

A noise akin to a moan wrings itself out of Magnus as he pushes into Alec’s touch, eyes dipping closed with bliss.

“You read my mind, darling. But the bath comes first, I feel like I got hit by a bus.”

“Pure angelic power can do that to you,” Alec chuckles, pushing his thumb into a very tight knot of muscle in the junction of Magnus’ neck. “You sit tight, I’m gonna go and start the water.”

Alec kicks off his shoes and heads to the bathroom, turning the knobs until steam starts rising from the water and then adds in the bath soaks and essential oils. The scents mingle together, creating a lovely aroma of flowers and herbs. When he turns back, Magnus is standing at the entrance, shoulder pressed against the doorjamb, his eyes half-lidded and a soft smile on his face.

“Go ahead, I’ll be right back,” Alec says and Magnus nods at him as he starts to shrug out of his suit jacket with a grimace.

Socked feet padding across the floor, Alec beelines for the apothecary and towards the second-top shelf in the corner of the room. He’s looking for a small, jade-glass bottle with a dropper on top - he finds it way in the back, still half full.

Magnus is already halfway through unbuttoning his shirt which halts Alec’s steps as he decides to just enjoy the moment. Hearing a noise, Magnus looks up with the hint of a smirk playing on his mouth.

“Enjoying the view, are we?” he quips, making quick work of the rest of the buttons and slipping out of the shirt to hand it over to Alec.

“Don’t mind me, go on,” Alec chuckles, folding the shirt haphazardly to deposit it on top of the laundry hamper. Unsurprisingly, his gaze drifts back to the expanses of Magnus’ chest, tempting Alec to run his fingertips against Magnus’ sternum and down his stomach.

“How about you join me? The bath’s big enough for two,” Magnus proposes with feigned innocence, shrugging one shoulder as he works on undoing his pants - it’s a bit more difficult to do without magic (and when the belt buckle is in the back).

Alec holds his breath for a moment, tempted by the suggestion. He should catch up on reports for the day, consult Izzy about the demonic possession footage, but Magnus is right there to hold and the water looks so deliciously warm that he can’t help himself; he breathes out.

“I could use some down time,” Alec aims for an unaffected tone, but Magnus sees right through the facade, raising one questioning eyebrow. Alec rolls his eyes fondly. “Oh, shut it.”

Magnus breathes out a laugh as Alec steps closer to him, deft hands helping to set the buckle free and tug the belt out of the loops. This close, Alec allows himself to look, to take in every line and curve of Magnus’ body, the way the late afternoon light makes his skin glow better than any highlighter he has on his vanity.

This is not about the sexual kind of closeness, not this time - it’s about the feeling of safety, winding down in the presence of the person you trust with your life, letting the walls down, figuratively and literally at once. It’s about taking care of each other.

Magnus’ wide shoulders are slumped slightly and he seems ready to fall asleep across any horizontal surface when Alec grabs his hands gently where they hang at his sides, aware of the sore spots magic has left behind. “Take some of my strength.”

Magnus pulls his eyebrows together and tilts his head in a half-aborted headshake.

“Alexander…”

“Come on, even a little bit, just so you can get your mojo back quicker,” Alec insists, running his thumbs over the blue veins on the insides of Magnus’ wrists.

With the first touch of magic, Alec shivers as it tugs on his core - it’s not uncomfortable, per se, but it’s a strange feeling nonetheless, like an incorporeal arm reaching up along his spine, careful fingers searching his body for angelic power. By now, it has become somewhat familiar to him, the sensation of Magnus’ magic being something Alec’s soul leaps toward without a second thought.

Magnus takes a deep breath, already seeming more awake than just moments before as the energy continues to trickle between them through their linked hands. It slows to a stop and Magnus tilts his chin up to brush his lips against Alec’s. “Thank you.”

“This, as well,” Alec murmurs after they kiss, pulling the little potion bottle from his pocket and holding it up for Magnus to see.

Magnus opens his eyes, then purses his lips when he recognizes his own concoction, clearly labeled with curled handwriting.

“My rejuvenation serum? How did you know where it was?” he asks, seeming positively surprised and almost impressed, even with a task as simple as this.

“Well, I listen to you, believe it or not. Also, I spend a lot of time in the apothecary with you.”

Alec hands it over, watches Magnus uncork it and deposit two drops of it on the back of his hand before licking it off. He scrunches up as his nose at the supposedly bitter taste and Alec can’t help but smile with fondness.

“I don’t doubt that, you do tend to stare at my lips quite often.” Magnus sets the bottle aside after sealing it up and gets back to taking off his clothes without a hitch in their conversation.

So, he has noticed.

“I don’t stare, I appreciate,” Alec balks at Magnus’ words, huffing as he pulls his henley over his head, dropping it onto the floor. “And you can’t blame me, really, since they’re so lovely.”

Alec is just telling the truth as it is - he’d kiss Magnus constantly if he ever had that option. And it’s not that he doesn’t pay attention, since he always values what Magnus has to say; sometimes his eyes just drift down to simply watch his boyfriend talk, to follow the curve of his lower lip as he pouts, lost in his own thoughts, or learn over and over again how they stretch into a smile, so tantalizingly close.

Magnus pauses, fingers hooked into the hem of his boxer briefs. “But are they more exquisite than Lorenzo’s fabrics?” he teases, his voice tinted with laughter.

“Magnus, I was winging it! He didn’t exactly give me much to work with,” Alec explains as he tugs his legs free from the confines of his jeans, having to take a step to the side to prevent himself from toppling over. “Well, until he started talking about himself being used as a baby model by an artist.”

At that point, Alec was just guessing his answers - apparently he had luck on his side, since that baby looked nothing like Lorenzo himself.

“El Greco?” “Yeah, how did you know?”

Magnus stops the water before the bath fills up too much and dips his fingers in, testing the temperature. His back is turned to Alec, but he can hear the disdain in Magnus’ scoff loud and clear. “Because he tells that story to anyone who has the patience to listen.”

He does seem like the type, Alec thinks. It took them maybe twenty minutes just to go through one room and he’s not even sure how many more there were. In some sort of way, Magnus making noise saved Alec from further extensive Lorenzo Rey history lessons.

“I thought he was going to talk my ear off about all of his antiquities! Your loft isn’t modest by any chance, but Rey’s just showing off with that mansion chock full of expensive crap.”

Almost simultaneously, they both tug their underwear down and step into the water, holding onto each other for balance.

The water feels blissfully hot against Alec’s skin, washing against his calves in little waves as Magnus sits down by the more rounded edge. He motions for Alec to come closer and moves them around until Alec ends up with his back pressed against Magnus’ chest, and with curious fingers tracing paths through the dark hair on his chest.

“Oh, I know! He’s always been like that, loving any attention coming his way. He thinks he’s the Jay Gatsby of warlocks.” Magnus’ voice resonates straight through Alec’s torso and he can already feel his own stress draining away - the problems with the Institute, the Greater Demon case - nothing exists in that very moment, just Magnus as a solid weight behind him and the water around them, tinted a faint purple with lavender.

Alec imagines Lorenzo in a Gatsby get-up, having read the book back in the days when he had free time, but then another, better fitting character comes to mind. Alec smiles to himself, a laugh bubbling up in his chest at the vision of the new High Warlock in a sparkly 20s’ dress.

“In reality, he is more of a Daisy, who also needs to hang back on the hair pomade. That ponytail is slicker than his attitude.” Alec tips his head back onto Magnus’ collarbone, as Magnus laughs shamelessly at the jab, making the water ripple around them with each breath; it’s Alec’s favorite sound.

He closes his eyes for a moment, tangling his fingers with Magnus’ and pulling their hands to rest on his stomach. Then, he adds, “He is so full of himself, he didn’t even realize I was just buying you time with the compliments.”

“Such an ass. And you did so well, my dear. I’ve never heard you talk with such passion about ceilings!” Magnus nods exaggeratedly, poking fun at Alec’s ‘professional’ acting skills; for how long he’s been a Shadowhunter, anyone would think he’d get better at acting, but alas it’s never been Alec’s strong suit, leaving him slightly panicked and searching for topics to grab onto. Considering the sudden circumstances of their heist, Alec is still proud of keeping his cool long enough around that pompous buffoon.

“I had to improvise somehow, I couldn’t let him see you making faces from behind his fancy couch. But you would make an excellent spy.”

Magnus chuckles, dropping a kiss on top of Alec’s messy hair that probably still smells like sandalwood. “We should start our own detective agency - Bane & Lightwood, here at your service. For the right price, of course.”

It’s a nice thought - Alec and Magnus, working together, solving crimes and helping people in need; kind of like they do now. Maybe in the end, their lives wouldn’t turn out so differently.

“That’s our retirement plan, then.”

It’s both casual and monumental, hanging in the air between them. Magnus stills above Alec, his chin resting against Alec’s head, who can sense him tense up a bit, before relaxing back into the water.

“I’m already looking forward to it.” Magnus’ voice snags on one of the words, gaining confidence as he finishes his sentence, having made up his mind about whatever thoughts he chooses to keep private for now. “I appreciated your help today. I would rather have you safe and sound somewhere else, but you being there with me meant a lot.”

Alec is glad to see Magnus open up more about his thoughts and feelings, as it allows them to understand each other better. Sometimes it’s easier to leave certain things unspoken, but they’re trying to go against that, to keep themselves open instead, to allow themselves comfort, understanding, and honesty - the cornerstones of a relationship to outlast time itself.

“Of course. I told you, I go wherever you go and if it means into danger, then so be it. I’m not leaving your side, never again,” Alec confesses, squeezing Magnus’ fingers between his.

“Have I mentioned how much I love you?” Magnus chuckles, tightening his embrace around Alec and making something warm bloom in his chest. Alec laughs as well, closing his eyes.

“Once or twice.”

#malec #shadowhunters #the real senpais #shfanficnexus #highwarlockofhell #izzybabewoods #magnusbaene #userrike #belovedbane #alecsimon #melbopo #alecfancywood #hufflebee #sharona1x2 #maialec #laughingmagnus #magnusbicon #redappleblossom #my fics #coda #3x02 #prev. maghnvsbane

[lizzytheauthor]

Chapter 1

Yo, I dunno where else to put this, but I want to at least start putting something out. I plan on trying to get this published, so I won’t be posting the whole book, but if you are interested in it, message me and I’m sure I can get it to you in some way shape or form. I hope you enjoy my writing! ^_^

I’ve always been fascinated with police work, and federal investigations. I want to start a way to keep track of my new career, so to speak. I gotta think of a way to keep it interesting though. “My Name is Sydney, and I’m-” No no, that sounds artificial. “Welcome to my blog! Police and Things! I’m your host” Ugh, no. That’s far too casual. I don’t want people to think I’m not professional. “This is going to be the first post of a continuing line following Investigative work” No. Maybe I could just try…

This just in, we have reports of a 211 in progress, any available units please respond.

Oh! Oh! This will be perfect for the first post on my blog! Sydney Farrow is, uh, missing her pants. I cannot go anywhere naked. What a horrible time to be doing laundry. Crap. Why does my apartment have to be such a mess at this time? How inconvenient. I’ll have to talk to Fred about that later.

Walking into the living room only increases my anxiety, ugh. Pizza boxes on the TV? Really? You would think a Synth would be a bit more tidy. Yup, kitchens a mess too. I really wish they didn’t include eating, and other human functions, in the design. Emotions are a pain too. We just had an argument last night about the dishes. If he doesn’t stop leaving the frying pans on the counter with dried bacon grease in them I’m going to blow a gasket.

Laundry room, my one safe haven. At least I know he won’t ever go in here. My bedroom is safe too, but I haven’t been able to keep up with cleaning and my job. It’s not a mess by normal people standards; My standards are a bit higher, however. Thank god the drier is done, now to just get some pants on and head out the- “Yo Syd!”

Fred’s voice. As irritating as ever.

“Hey Fred, I can’t talk now. I have something important to tend to.”

“Ooooo, what? Going on another ‘Mission’?

Try not to lose your cool, maybe he didn’t mean for that to be condescending

“Yea, actually. There’s a Robbery in progress...And you aren’t listening.” “What did you say? Sorry, I was uh,” he’s looking around. For what?

I’m just going to grab my jacket from the closet and leave. I don’t have time for his nonsense. “Look, you’re wasting my time. I need you to clean up your garbage by the time I get back.” I turn, but he’s halfway out the door already. Great. I’ll just leave a note on his computer for him. Seems to be the only way I can talk to him some days. Anyway, I gotta go! It’s going to take a little bit, it seems. I really need to get my license, my bike is far too slow, I’ve already missed 3 crime scenes. I have absolutely zero experience for my blog! It looks like the trip is gonna take 15 minutes, maybe if I cut through Mrs. Jones’ yard I can cut it in half.

Going up and down these stairs all the time really bothers me. Not because I dislike the stairs themselves, but because I can’t bring Timmy up them. The neighborhood is good, and nobody has reported any bike thefts recently, but I’m still worried. There he is, right where I left him.

“Timmy! Glad to see you haven’t gotten yourself stolen yet.” I await his response.

As usual, there is none.

“Well, we have a quick errand to run, buddy. We don’t have much time, so don’t fail on me now.”

I take off the bike lock, and stow it in my messenger bag. Well buddy, let’s get going. We are going to ride through Mrs. Jones yard tonight, we need to shave about 5 minutes off our ETA. Yea, yea, I know that you don’t like cutting through yards, but last time wasn’t so bad. Look, I didn’t see that squirrel, and I know it wasn’t your fault. However the trampoline incident was all you.

The city looks really pretty at night, it looks like it might rain again. It rained all day, too. That’s one of the reasons I like to live here, plenty of rain. I forgot to grab my raincoat though, so I hope the weather holds out. Ok, East on main st. right? I’m so glad I got that attachment to hold my phone on my bike handles. Let’s me use my GPS a lot better. Ok, so Mrs. Jones’ yard should be just around the corner...here! Whoa, whoa wait!!!

I pull up to where the crime scene is supposed to be, soaking wet. There’s police tape, and it’s been sectioned off and everything, but I don’t see anyone here. Oh no. Did I miss it? I rush under the tape, and...Yep. The door is sealed entirely. I can’t believe I missed it. This is all Fred’s fault. The dumb, uh. I need to get better at thinking of insults. Ugh. Well, Timmy. It seems we fell into the pool for nothing. Hey! Don’t get defensive, I didn’t know Mrs. Jones had gotten a pool! Yea? Well, you’re the bike. You should have stopped. Don’t you turn this around on me.

Look at me, talking to a bike that isn’t sentient. Chasing crime scenes to get blog views. Rent is going to be due in a couple days. How much do I have in my account, hopefully it’s enough. 563|08. Well. I guess I could get a Taco on the way home. Wait, was this building always here? I’ve ridden down this street so many times. How could I never notice this? No. This definitely wasn’t here before. I can’t even recognize the writing on the sign. What language is that? I know more than 356 written languages, sure that’s not as many as the average, but I should still recognize something on a sign. How interesting. Well, I have nothing else to do. Timmy, wait here, and stand guard.

Walking up the steps...these seem, old. For sure. Like, old old. Spiders, dust, and creaky wood. All adds up to an old building. Have I really just not paid attention? Let’s, uh, I guess knock? The city wouldn’t just let an unused building sit here. It’s a busy street. I reach up to knock, and the door opens automatically. That’s not too unusual, I suppose. Many buildings have knock sensing tech, right? Even, uh, old creepy ones from the 1900’s. Well, let’s go inside then.

The interior is, unexpected to say the least. Gold inlays all over the place, wires dangling from the ceiling, a gigantic double helix staircase in front of me, numerous halls line the sides of the room. It’s not a business building. Does someone live here? They need to fix their cleaning bot. Noticing a broken vase in the corner, maybe they don’t have any bots at all here. I’m going to pick a hallway and just see where it leads.

This hallway. How would I even describe it? Uh, wildly different from the main entrance. I go through one door and it goes from creepy mansion to high tech secret underground base. What’s going on here? Oh! An intercom? Maybe I can talk to someone.

I push the button, “Uh, hey. What’s the haps, yo?” Try to sound relaxed and laid back. If they accuse me of trespassing I got cover stories, and if they try to kill me. Well. It’s been a bad life anyway.

“What. Who are you? How did you get access to this?” the voice sounds, synthetic, like an old timey text to speech program. “Uh, my name is Sydney! I stumbled across your mansion here, I don’t recall it being here before.”

There’s some scuffling on the intercom. “Hello?”

“Yes. Uh. Hi. What, uh. Hm. What year is it?”

Now that’s a strange question.

“It’s, uh. 2044. Why would you ask that?” My sci-fi nerd in me says time traveler. “That’s not right. That’s not right at all.” after this, I just hear a bunch of typing.

“Uh, I’m pretty sure it is.” I glance at my phone, in bright blue letters, 9:38pm April 9th, 2044. “No you see.” the voice sounds a bit frantic now, “You can’t be right, cause that means I’m wrong.”

Attempt at time traveling, that’d be interesting. Who is this?

I push the button again, “Hey, uh. What’s your name? What are you up to? Where are you?”

Silence. “Hello?”

The wall opens abruptly. I didn’t even recognize that as a door, so naturally I jumped.

“You. Sydney, yes?” the man talking to me, is old. Strange. Like, a cross between mad scientist and bad yoga instructor. “Yea, that’s what I said. You still haven’t given me your name though.” I let a little bit of irritation out, I don’t like being ignored. Fred does that enough to me. “My name? Ah, yes. Uh. You can call me Nere.” somehow that fits the old man. “Near? Like, as in close to me?” I am confused as to why someone would name their child near.

“N-E-R-E. As in, my name. As for ‘The Haps, yo’, I am testing some devices.” he looks over my shoulder as he says this.

Obviously you are testing devices. Raising the dead are we? Going back to 1955? “What kind of devices? And uh, why are you looking over my shoulder?”

“You ask a lot of questions. Look, the year isn’t 2044, it’s 2048.” he’s been eating from the hose, for sure.

“Buddy, look. You’re wrong. See?” I show him my phone, crazy old guy. He looks genuinely confused. I might have broken him. “Hm. Well, the good news is it worked, the bad news is you got caught in the middle of it.” He gets this twitch in his eye. I don’t like him, I don’t really like anything about what he said either.

“What do you mean I got caught in the middle of it?” My voice got a little panicky there.

“No worries, I think you are only time misaligned by a week or two at most.” he says this as he pulls out the most ridiculous looking laptop you can imagine.

“What does THAT mean? What is this place?” I don’t like the implication that I time traveled by accident here.

“This is my house. Well, kind of. I stole it out of time. I went to the past to grab this house and bring it back to the future. They just don’t make houses like this anymore.” He seems, calm. He doesn’t believe he is lying.

“Ok, well. I’m going to leave, cause you are kind of freaking me out.” I move to the door I entered from.

“Good, yes, go. I don’t need an unwanted hitchhiker through time.” As tempting as that sounds, I want to go home and clean my room. “See ya, crazy.”

And I leave. Only, stepping out the front door, I can’t shake what he said out of my mind. My phone is on UTC time, so it should be correct. I don’t need to pull out my phone again, but everything seems off. It seems normal, but different. Timmy is waiting for me, the rain clouds have moved on.

I pull out my phone. Do I dare check it? If he was right and we moved through time a week, what do I do? Do I go back in? The blue text pops up, as usual and plain as normal.

9:38pm April 16th 2044

“Oh.”

#Chapter 1 #Long Post #My writing #Sci-Fi #Mystery

[papcrback]

awake; nonfiction/ memoir

Here is a piece that I wrote in my nonfiction class this past semester. It is centered around my experience with religion. From a young girl in awe of her Catholic church to a young woman who was forced into a new cult-like church by her mother. 

My family went to church twice a year every year without fail. Every Christmas and Easter we would carpool my entire extended family to the church and attend Mass. There were no questions, no arguments, not a complaint to be heard. This was law. 

My two older sisters and I were always gifted new dresses for the festivities, and we wore our matching gowns with pride as we swayed and sashayed down the aisle and into our pew. Our church was grandiose and beautiful. The marble-like floor sparkled as the kaleidoscope of color rained in through the glass-stained windows near the top of the church, like a vibrant halo sitting perfectly atop the picturesque structure. 

My church was a beautiful castle where priests would rise and tell stories of the Bible with such passion and grace that I always found myself sitting on the edge of the pew, transfixed by the stories of Mary and Joesph and their miracle baby. My favorite part of these services was when he would tell a story of his own choosing—one that always made you think, made you wonder what you would do, how you would choose if you were in their shoes. They always ended with a peaceful resolution because the main character made the righteous choice, always keeping God’s words as their guide through their stories. These church visits brought me peace and shared the wisdom that I hold dear to me, even to this day. 

When I was fifteen this tradition was shattered. 

As my parents sought out religious marriage counselors my mother stumbled upon an online add for Cornerstone Church. She quickly called and explained her uncertainty in her marriage, her suspicion of infidelity, and her desperate need for help. After their first session, my mother made the decision to convert us to the Baptist church.

She quickly found out that biannual church-goers like ourselves were snubbed as “chreasters” (people who attended only on Christmas and Easter) by the members of our new church, and my mother decided from that moment on that we were going to leave our old traditions behind, along with the Catholic church, as we converted to this new Baptist faith. 

On our first visit, my sister and I were pulled to the side and spoken to by the head ladies of the church. We were warned that we were going to hell and that unless we repented, asked God for forgiveness, and turned away from our life of sin, we would be eternally damned to live in the lake of fire and brimstone forever. 

“I don’t understand,” I said to my sister, interlocking our arms as we hid behind a large tree outside of the church. We were waiting for our parents who were speaking to the assistant pastor by the entrance doors. 

“Why is everyone so mean here?” I asked. My sister, Courtney, shook her head as she tightened her grip on me, and after seeing my parents turning toward us, immediately pulled me toward the car. 

That was the last time Courtney went, however, it wasn’t without a fight from my mother, who now passionately believed that Sunday was the Sabbath and it was a sin to not attend church, and an additional sin to work on it. Courtney, who was never particularly religious in the first place, told my mother that she could add it to her now growing “list of sins,” and worked every Sunday from then on. My other sister Brittany, who was away at school, tried to ease tensions but was also noticing the new sinister streak that my mother had inherited since joining this new church. She drank the Kool-Aid and was now Hell bent on erasing the sin from the rest of her family. 

My father had conflicting feelings about the new church. He was trying to repair the marriage that was quickly deteriorating, but after a particularly explosive counseling session at the church, he moved his clothes and books upstairs into the guest bedroom and refused to go back again. My mom kicked him out of the house a month later and blocked him from my cell phone. She claimed that his sin needed to be atoned for and losing his children was just the beginning of it. I was unable to speak to him for four years until I finally moved out of her house. 

After my mother had declared her sentencing of my father, a bold line was drawn. My sisters, although not much older than myself, were old enough to choose their own sides. And after my mother’s blatant mental breakdown consisting of a screaming fit at a graduation, a fist fight in the front yard, and multiple stalking allegations, my mother had officially shattered.

Somehow the family of five had been reduced to two. 

Our twice a year celebration turned into a twice a week responsibility, which now included a three and half hour service every Sunday morning alongside our Wednesday Bible study groups. I was signed up for every group, meeting, and festival that the church held, as my mother was attempting to solidify her position in the church. 

My mother’s sinister streak did not end with the banishment of my father and sister. Instead, it was simply redirected. With every passing month, I could feel myself harden inside. I began to truly listen to the pastor preach every Sunday. I would see how my peers would talk about others. How they would view them as if they were nothing more than dirt and grime. 

They would speak of women who dressed immodestly. Her shirt not to her neck or her dress above her knees. “This is a whore,” they would say, “how could someone treat their bodies so carelessly? How could you tempt men like that? Don’t you care about how men will lust after you? Men cannot control themselves. As a wife you are to serve your husband however and whenever he wants, but not until you are married, or else you are a whore.” I began to pull my sweaters close and hide my body, ashamed of how men looked at me, knowing that it was my fault that their eyes lingered around my covered chest. Knowing that my body was more theirs than my own. 

They would speak of two men kissing. “Sin, sin, sin. They are possessed by demons.” My Pastor would say, “God destroyed an entire city because of them. They are destined for hell. They have chosen evil.” I began to fear those different than me, afraid that I would too become possessed.

I would think of my father and think adulterer-sinner-evil. My mother would preach daily that he was hell-bound, possessed by demons and unworthy of Heaven. He was of the world. And I was cut of the same cloth. 

One Sunday, as we were welcomed into the church and seated alongside our new family, the pastor stood up and called for our attention. “One of our own needs our help today. She needs all of us. Mary would you please stand.” 

A woman who I recognized as a member of my mother’s bible group stood, the man seated next to her rose as well. 

“Mary’s son has fallen to homosexuality. He has been possessed because of the sinful and worldly nature of his lifestyle. He has watched pornography and through this sin, he has opened himself up to the demon of homosexuality.” 

Murmurs of disgust echoed through the room and Mary’s face reddened into a deep purple as her eyes welled. 

“Mary, you have come to me and asked that we all pray for you son.” Mary nodded her head. 

“What is his name?” Mary looked at the man standing next to her. He bent down as she whispered the name into his ear. Women were not permitted to speak during the service. 

“His name is Toby.” The man, Scott, who was a junior Pastor and often came into my youth group meetings, announced. 

The Pastor nodded his head solemnly. “We will be praying for Toby to be awoken to his sin. We will pray for harm to fall unto him. For the devil to attack. For the demons inside of him to swallow him whole. It is only then that he will truly see the light of God and come forward to be saved. He must first see the severity of the sin that he has chosen.” 

I starred at the Pastor for a long moment and was elbowed in the rib by my mother when he began the prayer as I was still staring off idly. This was my moment of clarity. As I listened to a chorus of people pray to God that this young boy would be harmed (for his own good, you see!) I could feel the hypnotic-like haze evaporate from my body. Suddenly, I felt very sick, as the gravity of the situation hit me. 

I wasn’t allowed to stop going to services and bible study, but my awakening led me to see the world differently than I previously had. I no longer saw women as objects to be presented to men. I no longer saw those in other religions as less than or unworthy. I no longer saw myself as better than girls who didn’t attend church on Sundays or read their bibles before bed at night. I was awoken to the color of the world, seeing truly that life was not black or white. Good or evil. Heaven or Hell. I was not just a sinner. I was a human being in a world with more to it than the hate and resentment that this church so vehemently fed off. 

I graduated high school not long after the predatory prayer was introduced into the church. Years later I am ashamed of how twisted and toxic I allowed my thoughts to become. Knowing that I condemned love as hate and freedom as sinful is shameful. I have struggled with the idea of religion ever since and feel most comfortable with the idea of living peacefully with a loving and open heart rather than following any specific ideology. It took me a long time to realize that the church that my mother had brought us to was not really a church, but rather a cult. 

A few months after I moved out of my mother’s house a news article caught my attention. Church Pastor arrested for sexual and physical abuse of children. The mugshot on the front page caught my eye, the familiar deep domineering black holes staring right back at me. His jeer made my stomach churn as I read the article. 

A close friend of the Pastor’s family reports that he made his wife and daughters bleach the garage every Sunday night. From floor to ceiling. Apparently, this is where he would sexually assault his daughters. He believed this bleach ritual has cleansed him of his sins. 

I emailed the article to my mother. She simply replied the World doesn’t understand God’s work.

#my writing #memior #nonfiction

[uterusclub]

I think it goes without saying that Sharon and I were well-aware of the infamous town of Alton, IL for quite some time due to our extended ghost-hunting research. The only detail daunting us from execution was the 5 hour drive down state. It wasn’t until Ghost Adventures recently released a few episodes investigating the spooked town that our fire was fueled! The itinerary was, shortly thereafter, drawn up (thanks to Sharon) with inclusions of Saint Louis, Missouri as well.

Our journey jump-started at a departure of 7:30 a.m. With freshly burned CDs in tow for music accompaniment, we headed out the door with much excitement. First stop – Grafton, Illinois to check in early to our hotel, Ruebel Hotel where we had prebooked an allegedly haunted room #11. Driving into the small town, we noted but dismissed several ‘road closed’ signs as they had no effect on our commute to the hotel. Upon speaking with Moe at the front desk, we were informed that our check-in was actually scheduled for the night before and that our reservation was for 2 nights? Whoops! This conversation had taken place a few weeks earlier as I recall trying to verify this detail with Sharon who assured me we were only staying for 1 (she later redacted and apologized for miss-remembering). In any case, we checked out our room very briefing concluding it didn’t ‘feel’ haunted before heading back out to soothe our aching bellies. Next stop? Grafton Harbor for food and drinks!

On the way to the car Sharon scoffed at her GPS. “This wants us to go all the way around which is 18 minutes, but it’s a 7 minute walk!” We prepared to depart but happened to look back at a ‘road closed’ sign which now made sense. It was then that we noticed the backdrop to our hotel – high waters submerging the streets below it. “Guess that’s why it’s telling me to go this other way” Sharon concluded. Leaving with minimal annoyance, we made our way to a flooded roadway of unpredictable depth. Sharon reluctantly backed the car up to return back the way we came, only to notice several cars behind us. “Wait, wait, wait, let’s see what they’re going to do” she said. So we sat and waited as one ballsy car at a time drove through the wading tides to the other side. We watched in awe and terror. And while tempting, decided in the end, it wasn’t worth it. The panic, that is. So no food.

Venturing forward with a slight chip on our shoulders, we skipped to our next scheduled stop: Piasa Bird. As Sharon drove along the shoreline we continued our perfect view of the high waters. We also noted several barriers stating ‘road closed – local traffic only’ which Sharon concluded didn’t apply to us for some reason. Bi-passing without a thought, we continued our journey hoping upon hope that there was indeed an end in sight as there was really no way of turning back on this one-way road. As we anti-climatically reached the Piasa Bird and climbed out of the car, our enthusiasm dwindled as we both half-heartedly took turns reading the backstory to it. I can’t even recall it now (and this occurred yesterday) so clearly, it was too much detail for my a.d.d. brain or just uninteresting. You decide. A couple photos later, we jumped back into the car and headed to the downtown area of Alton, Illinois!

Next stop? My Just Desserts! The thing is, we hadn’t even had what I refer to as ‘normal’ food yet so by the time we got to this little town and found the joint, I didn’t care much for pie or baked goods. I’ll also blame my questionable stomach but we ended up splitting a spinach, bacon, and chicken salad with an amazing poppyseed vinaigrette that Sharon ended up purchasing. Having fed the hunger demons, our demeanors quickly simmered. The majority of our ‘activities’ for the town were based around the local shopping area. We visiting the Mineral Springs Antique Mall where we saw some gorgeous ceiling-lined umbrellas and had far too much fun in the Historic Museum of Torture Devices! Several random shops later, Sharon had a Doodle Bear ($1.50) and I, an awesome corduroy hippie dress (definitely not $1.50). Shopper high complete, we now made our way to Elijah P. Lovejoy Monument or what I’ll refer to as, ‘pretty cemetery’ for all intent and purposes.

Cemeteries. You’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all and if you’re Sharon, they’re all ‘pretty’ so there’s really not much to say about the stop. Literally. We can move along now. To St. Louis, specifically.

Now my only recollection of St. Louis, Missouri was occasionally visiting childhood friends of my family ‘back in the day.’ That and it being hot as balls during the summertime. Outside of that, nada. First and most regrettable stop – Gateway Arch. So I guess it’s a thing now that you can ‘ride’ inside an elevator to the top? Sounded cool. SOUNDED. Foreshadow much? Anyway, after a confusing debacle over the ‘parking’ situation ie. being in a ghetto ally and asking a random ‘officer’ looking dude for assistance, we parked in a nearby garage and walked over to the grassy grove encompassing the Arch. I wont knock the splendor of the shining sight and absorbing all the un-obnoxious people enjoying themselves around us, however, I WILL take a few jabs at our attempts at finding the goddamn entrance to the illusive ‘ride.’ There was no ‘pot of gold’ at the end of either rainbow for these unlucky leprechauns. It wasn’t until we actually FOLLOWED the random arrows painted on the ground that we discovered an underground mound. Victoriously entering the ticket line, I glanced at the pricing monitor: ‘Trams sold out for the day.’ Mother****! ALL that effort. Though I will add that we mysteriously ended up departing our parking garage without paying which I can only assume was karma’s apology to us.

So now what? BOOZE. Much much deserved BOOZE. A quick ride took us to Brick River Cider where we were greeted immediately and provided with an oratory comparison of all draft ciders. Sharon and I settled on different, favorable choices which resulted in a growler and 6-pack for the homefront. With inebriation healing past wounds, we moved ahead to the City Museum of St. Louis. Sharon had briefed me on this but I couldn’t recall much – save for it looking interesting.

Upon arriving to the City Museum of St. Louis and parking across the street, you could see a whole, structural display on the very top of the building which we hoped would be open for the season (it wasn’t). You could also see and hear the shrills of lots and lots of children playing outside on the interactive displays. Normally this would put me off but the booze had muted the sounds and annoyance for the moment. I suppose I should take this time to mention Sharon’s wardrobe change from a dress into a different dress with pants for what she claimed was ‘comfort’ purposes. Entering this playground from hell, I can only describe it as a poor man’s attempt at a children’s Meow Wolf inside the locker room of a YMCA. Between the chaotic amount of children, the dingy apparatuses and the confusing layout (which was suppose to be a ‘schtick’ of exploration’), sobriety became king. I’d like to also point out that the main form of ‘travel’ was through slides and tunnels – the likes of which were most inconvenient for probably the only individual at this place wearing a dress! Still, I attempted to ‘play nice’ and took a turn on a ‘slide’ which I’m fairly sure, resulted in me flashing one very happy man (he owes me at lease $5 for that). Fixated on annoyance, we didn’t last long and decided our only salvation now was food.

We chose to eat at Square One Brewery & Distillery solely based on my pre-researched discovered of them having a goat-cheese artichoke dip appetizer which was the best part of the entire meal. My salmon with potatoes and broccoli was beyond basic (shame on you) and Sharon’s ‘barbecue’ pork sandwich tasted of funky, spiced ketchup (I still can’t believe she ate as much of it as she did after trying it myself). The only saving grace to this most egregious meal was our next stop down the street – Bailey’s Chocolate Bar. Surely, no wrong can come of chocolate!

This cute little bar was situated atop an escalating stairway into a dim, intimate dining area. The menu consisted of ice cream booze drinks, booze drinks, or desserts. Both deciding upon ice creamed, booze martinis, we partook in some mini, complimentary chocolate chip cookies which were divine! Drinks were strong AND delicious. I’ve actually never heard Sharon confess something to be ‘dangerous’ so many times.

Feeling much better after chocolate intoxication, the only thing left now was to continue boozing for the remainder of the evening! We headed over to W Karaoke Lounge which I had previously researched and observed a super cool looking ‘performance’ floor that lit up beneath the performers. We stayed just long enough for me to get one rendition of ‘Just a Girl’ in and finished up one drink before moving along to the next booze endeavor.

Thaxton Speakeasy. Another place I had previously researched which looked super cool inside. We arrived a few minutes after the place ‘opened’ and were met by an older gentleman outside the door advising us that the place was closed for a private party. Goddamnit! Foiled again! Guess we didn’t need that drink. Onto the next!

Our last stop for the night was at The Monocle & The Emerald Room where we had purchased tickets to a see a Burlesque show a few ladies I knew were in. We sat, drank and bided our time for an hour and a half – despite the show time scheduled for 10pm. Once 10:30pm hit and the performances began, we knew we wouldn’t last long. Sharon’s mentality drastically switch from ‘if your friends are in the second half, we have to stay’ to ‘yeah, I’m sorry, no, if they’re not on the first half, too bad, I’m tired.’ We were glad to stand in line next to a super buzzed, hilariously friendly gentleman who had absolutely no filter. The theater gods granted us the delight of seeing my wonderful friends during the first half of the show after which we immediately took our exit for the long journey (hour) back to our hotel in Grafton, Illinois.

Suffice it to say, we were absolutely exhausted by the time we got back to the hotel. Ironically, I had a difficult time falling asleep after falsely identifying paranormal activity of my toiletries. My heart was literally in my throat for quite some time. I could hear Sharon had no problem getting to sleep. At some point, tossing and turning throughout the night, I caught some portion of sleep and roused at the usual, ungodly hour of 7am Tired still but forcing the will to journey for more immediate comfort at home, we showered, packed and departed in optimal time. Discovering no roadside coffee availability nearby, save gas station coffee, we waiting patiently (2 hours) for the reward of Dunkin Donuts. I took the reigns for the rest of the drive home and played road tag with a Kia whom I’m not sure when I divulged from. I can only hope that some day – definitely not today – definitely not tomorrow but in the very, very distant future, we may meet again in St. Louis.

Meet Me In St. Louis Or Rather, Don’t I think it goes without saying that Sharon and I were well-aware of the infamous town of Alton, IL for quite some time due to our extended ghost-hunting research.

[batalbedodesignposts]

Inspirational Living Room Design Ideas

For those of you with small living rooms, you might be tempted to just throw in a sofa, a coffee table and a TV and be done with it. But there is much you can do with your space in order to create a favourable milieu for gatherings with family and friends or just for unwinding after a stressful day. These tips and tricks will help you master that small living room design ideas for that all-important space in the home.

One of the very first things before you begin your living room arrangement is to find a focal point for the space. Focal points are the first things people see when they enter the room and will help in creating a visual balance for your space. For small living rooms, a focal point is particularly crucial as it helps to build the rest of your furniture around it. For many of us, the focal point will be our television but it could also be a feature wall, an oversized piece of art, a large mirror or a recessed ceiling. It should be something that stands out and is interesting to look at.

You might like to over-decorate your living room, but it’s important to consider the traffic flow of the space. This refers to how people can move in and out of your living room. Create a smooth traffic flow with a clear path so that people are not falling over furniture when passing through. To do so, think about the walk patterns in your home – usually it will be from the entrance to the living room, the kitchen to the living room, the living room to the dining room, and make sure furniture pieces are placed approximately 40 to 70 cm apart from each other.

Think about whether your living room is meant primarily for tête-à-têtes and entertaining or for watching television, as that will affect what furniture to buy and your layout. For the former, you might want to invest in a variety of seating such as armchairs, ottomans or beanbags other than a main sofa so that your guests can move them around and mingle. Have the seats face each other to facilitate conversations.

If you prefer a living room where you can chill and relax with the TV, orient your seats towards the television. Make sure the viewing angle from your sofa or armchair isn’t more than 30 degrees. And mount your television at an appropriate height – the centre of your screen should be at your eye level from where you sit.

Sometimes, going for one large sofa can make your small living room seem bigger than placing several small ones in the room. Your space will look a lot less cluttered with just one piece of furniture in the room. But don’t immediately jump on that overstuffed couch you’ve been eyeing for a while – a sofa with clean lines and exposed legs would work better in a small space. If you need extra seats, go for pieces that can be stowed away or do double duty e.g. an ottoman that can serve as a side table or a daybed that can double as a guest bed.

It might seem counter-intuitive, but large rugs would work better in a small living room. Small carpets and rugs are great to break up different zones in a big space but in a small room, they break up the floor visually, making your living room appear fragmented.

Choose a rug or carpet that is big enough for all your living room pieces to sit within. But if that is not possible, at least make sure the front legs of your sofa are able to rest nicely within the carpet or rug. Smaller pieces like armchairs and side tables should have all their legs sitting nicely inside.

It would seem coffee tables are a living room prerequisite, but if you have a small space, having one might take up unnecessary space. Consider going for a side table instead, which as their name suggests, goes at the side and usually at the end of your sofa.

When it comes to choosing coffee tables, keep in mind that they should be at a height that’s approximately half (or three quarters) the height of your sofa seat from the floor to make reaching out for things on the table easier. For side tables, they can be a bit taller – located around the height of your sofa arms or just an inch or two shorter. The depth of the side table also shouldn’t exceed the depth of your sofa.

Round tables are perfect for a living room with lots of straight lines as the curves will help to soften the overall look. But if you’re looking to position your side table at a corner, you might want to purchase a square one so that it will fit the corner better.

Lights can either be decorative or functional, or both. In the living room, determine what tasks you would be doing in the space in order to decide what type of lighting to go for. If you’re looking to create a focal point (see point 1), go for a statement chandelier, ceiling pendant or an overhead arc lamp. But make sure the glow from your light doesn’t affect the glare from the TV or it will be distracting.

Accent lights, like table lamps, are mainly decorative and they can add a cosiness and warmth to any living space. If you tend to do light reading in the living room, you might want to go for a floor lamp or a reading lamp that can be placed on a side table.

#living room design ideas

[randomconnections]

Nineteen Miles on the Savanah River

It was another Second Saturday and time for a paddling trip with my friends from Lowcountry Unfiltered.  For our September trip we had planned to do the western portion of Okefenokee Swamp, but we decided to put that on hold.  I had told Matt that after our epic Morris Island excursion I wanted something with current, preferably going on the direction we were paddling.  We got that…sort of…by paddling a section of the Savannah River below Augusta. However, any helpful current was offset by the length of the trip, a new record for Lowcountry Unfiltered.

For this excursion our launch site was the New Savannah Bluff Lower Dam and Lock Boat Ramp south of Augusta on the Georgia side of the river.  The take-out was the Jackson Landing on the South Carolina side.  The shuttle itself was even longer than the river route we had planned.  Much further than this and we would find ourselves on Savannah River Plant land with little or no access to a take-out for many more miles.

Savannah River Paddle Route

This route would take us through an area rich in history.  The Savannah River was once the main route inland, so both Native American and Colonial settlements formed all along its banks.  Many of these settlements were bypassed with the coming of the railroad, or consolidated into larger towns such as Augusta. 

For this trip I’d be putting my new kayak racks to the test.  Both Jim Leavell and Alan Russell would be coming along, so it was my first chance to try the 3-kayak configuration.  I loaded up two boats on Friday and everything seemed stable.

Two boats loaded, with space for a third.

Saturday morning Jim arrived at my house early and we headed down to pick up Alan.  The third boat went up on the car with no trouble, and everything seemed stable.  We stopped for breakfast, then headed down for the long ride to the put-in.

It seems that there is no good way to get to Augusta from Greenville.  Yeah, there is Augusta Road, but it turns into a two-lane country road below Greenwood.  You could take interstates, but that would take you out of the way down to Columbia.  Our route took us down through Clinton, then Saluda and across country.  There was tempting scenery all around us, but we couldn’t stop to explore.

Eventually we reached the high bluffs overlooking the Augusta and the Savannah River Valley.  I-520 provided an amazing view of the city.  Sadly, that view was marred by smoke and pollution.  The air looked just nasty, all most as bad as the smoke-filled air we had driven through out west.

We crossed over the Savannah River and made our way to the launch site.  There was some activity, mostly folks fishing off of the  boat ramp’s dock.  Matt, Jerry, and Todd were meeting at the put-in at Jackson Landing and would drop off a vehicle, then meet us here.  We unloaded our boats and prepped our gear until they arrived.

It took longer to shuttled from Jackson Landing than they had thought, but eventually Matt & Co. arrived and we got the rest of the boats ready for launch.  It was about this time that I discovered that I’d left the frame for my GoPro at home.  I had no way to mount it to my boat.  I would only have my waterproof Fuji and my small Nikon.

Expecting us to launch you, Jim?

Finally we were on the water.  The lock and dam were about a half mile upstream, so we decided to paddle up that way to check it out.  It seems that so many of our LCU trips start out that way, paddling at least part of the way against the flow.  I had just watched Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, so a paraphrased quote from the voodoo priestess Minerva in Gullah patois popped into my head.

To understand de downstream, you got ta commune wit de upstream.

We paddled by high bluffs on the Georgia side, and eventually the dam and lock came into sight.

The boat landing, dam, and lock are part of a larger recreation area known as the New Savannah Bluff Lock and Dam Park.  When I first saw the name I thought that it meant that this was a new park.  Wrong.  The term actually refers to New Savannah, a former settlement in the 1700s at this site.  Boats stopped here to process tobacco.  According to Wikipedia…

After the Revolution, New Savannah became a tobacco inspection. Tobacco leaf grown at local farms was packed into large hogshead barrels, and rolled to the town to obtain the official quality inspection necessary for its marketing. Sealed and quality-branded hogsheads were then loaded onto pole boats for transport to the seaport and market at Savannah, Georgia 215 river miles downstream. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Savannah,_Georgia

As we were driving into the park Jim had spotted an old cemetery.  It turns out that this was once the cemetery for New Savannah.  Had we known about the park and significance of the cemetery we might have explored a bit more.  This might warrant another trip down this way.

Central Savannah River, circa 1780

We approached the dam cautiously.  Strong currents and roiling water created hazards at its base.  A cable and series of floats prevented boats from getting too close.  On the west side of the dam a channel opened into the lock.  We ferried across the tricky currents and over to the lock entrance.

The dam and lock were built in 1937 by the Army Corps of Engineers to facilitate boat traffic from Savannah to Augusta.  Up until 1979 barge traffic regularly plied these waters.  The lock was decommissioned and in 1999 plans were made to remove the structure.  However, it was not demolished, but incorporated into the park.

The lower lock door was permanently open.  The upper doors were closed and water sprayed in through cracks.  Water lilies floated at the entrance to the lock and fishing lines draped downward from folks casting from the wall up above.  We paddled on in, dodging the lines.

Alan and I commented on how this reminded us of our trip through the Pinopolis Lock on Lake Moultrie.  Sound echoed off of the concrete walls and steel doors in much the same way.  This lock is much smaller than Pinopolis, though.  The lock is 56 feet wide, 360 feet long, and when in operation raised and lowered boats 15 feet.

I paddled all the way to the upstream doors where I spotted a turtle struggling on a ledge.  It had gotten overturned somehow.  I paddled into the spray from the door and righted the creature with my paddle blade, getting soaked in the process.

Only Alan and Matt had ventured into the lock with me.  I headed back downstream to find them checking out the lower door mechanism.  From there we joined up with Jim, who had been waiting outside the lock, then with Jerry and Todd to finally head downstream.

Just below the dam was another remnant of the days when commercial traffic plied these waters.  An old barge sat derelict on the South Carolina side, almost becoming one with the river bank.

It was an absolutely spectacular day for paddling.  It was good going with the current, but we had a long way to go.  That meant doing more paddling that I was hoping to do on this trip.  The river was lined with wooden jetties added by Army Corps of Engineers to keep the river clear from debris for  navigation.

In addition to the jetties the ACoE had bypassed oxbows, straightening the rivers.  Along these stretches they added rip rap to stabilize the bank.  On one of our previous treks on the Savannah River we found military headstones embedded in the rip rap.  I kept my eyes open for more anomalies like this, but I didn’t see anything out of the ordinary.

I’ve called our group the “ADD Paddlers” because of our tendency to get distracted.  The truth is that we love to explore.  Any side channel or oxbow presents an opportunity for further exploration.  We headed into one such oxbow that we thought might connect further down the river.  When I checked the map I saw that we were, in fact, headed north.  We had to retrace our steps when we ran out of room about three quarters of a mile into the oxbow.

Normally such side explorations wouldn’t be a problem.  However, today we had many river miles to cover and we couldn’t really afford time for further exploration.  We had also gotten a later start than we had hoped.  Even so, it was past lunch time and we needed to take a break.

We found a very nice sandbar downstream and set up for lunch.  We had our typical river fare – bratwurst and sauerkraut.  We relaxed in the cool current with a couple of brews.  Honestly, I could have stayed there a couple of hours relaxing.

Jim also had a surprise.  He had brought along his drone.  He didn’t feel comfortable flying it over the river, but he did fly it over us as we relaxed at our lunch stop.

Not far down the river we found an old structure consisting of vertical logs.  We paddled close for inspection, then quickly paddled back.  Dark brown effluvia leached into the river.  The stench was terrible.  It was as if raw sewage were being released into the water.  We were glad we had stopped for lunch UPSTREAM of this contagion.

When I checked our route later, Google Maps identified this as a water treatment facility.  It must not be doing its job.  Even in the overhead images you can see the brown fluid entering the river.

The miles stretched on and on through deep bends in the river.  We stuck to the main body of the water with no more side excursions.  The sun was starting to get to me, so I covered up as much as possible to avoid burning.  We tried to stick to shady edges as much as possible.

We were exhausted.  It would have been nice to stop for a rest, but we had such a long way to go that we didn’t dare stop paddling.  Even pausing to get a drink seemed like a luxury.

A high bluff appeared on the South Carolina side of the river.  We had reached Silver Bluff, a historical landing on the Savannah.  The landing was quite rough, but there was a dirt road down to the river.  Matt offered to come by and pick up anyone who was too tired to continue.  Everyone opted to continue the trek on down to Jackson Landing.

Silver Bluff was so named because it was thought that silver could be found in the area.  Hernando DeSoto visited the area and it is said that his men attempted to cut a canal across one of the oxbows to divert water from the bluff so that it could be mined.  The narrow neck on the point across from Silver Bluff is known today as Spanish Cut.

DeSoto didn’t find silver or gold, but that doesn’t mean that the area wasn’t prosperous.  George Galphin bought the property in the mid-1700’s and established a trading post and large plantation.  Galphin traded mostly with the Creek Nation, and during the Revolutionary War he was instrumental in making sure that the Creek remained neutral.

The plantation is now on the National Register of Historic Places. The Audubon Society purchased the property in the 1970’s and now maintains a 3400 acre wildlife sanctuary which includes the bluff.  (PDF link – Archeological Survey of Silver Bluff)  On a shorter trip we would have lingered and explored the property.  I made a note of yet another place I’d like to visit later.  Matt hung back to check out the high bluffs while the rest of our crew forged on ahead.

It was getting late.  Fortunately, we didn’t have much further to go.  Finally we spotted the landing and pulled in, exhausted.

Total trip with the side distractions came to 19.3 miles, according to my GPS.  This photo by Matt shows just how tired we were.  I was still standing with one foot in my boat, too exhausted to lift my leg without fear of falling in.  At this stage, that might not have been a bad thing.

From left to right, Jerry, Tom, Matt, Jim, Todd, and Alan. Photo by Matt Richardson

We loaded boats onto Matt’s trailer and prepared for the long, long shuttle back to New Savannah.

Jim at Alan remained with our boats while I road back with Matt to retrieve my car.  If I’d know how long the shuttle was, I would have insisted that we all ride back with Matt.  The trip was nearly 45 minutes each way.  When I left the others at New Savannah we made tentative plans to meet at Duke’s BBQ in Aiken.  By the time I got back down to Jackson Landing and we loaded our boats it was dark, and Duke’s was about to close.  We missed out on our traditional end-of-paddle feast.  We did manage to find food in Aiken at a Chilis that didn’t mind three soaked river rats.

Despite the length of the trip and our exhaustion, it was a great day on the river.  There is lots more to come back and explore and I hope to do that sometime soon.  It will certainly go down as the longest paddling trip made by Lowcountry Unfiltered…at least, until we find an even longer trip.

SIDE NOTE:  This is the first extensive post I’ve created using WordPress’s new Gutenberg editor.  I like the new block style and the ease of embedding external media, but I’m not sure it’s ready for prime time.

You’ll notice that the images in this post are larger than previous posts.  With the embed feature I have no control over the image size.  That’s not a good thing.  I also have to add an empty paragraph after each set of images to make the spacing better.  They need to improve the Flickr embed process.

There were also other wonky little problems, such as links not working correctly and autosaving failing at random times.  It also took multiple tries to publish.  I’m hoping WP gets these sorted out before the go live with the product.

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These Malfunctioning Indicators Are Hilarious

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These Malfunctioning Indicators Are Hilarious

Each day, we’re bombarded with limitless quantities of billboards and neon indicators often promoting one thing that we in all probability couldn’t care much less about. But, as soon as in a blue moon, we’re handled with an indication that has a malfunction, giving the signal a completely new and hysterical which means. From main retailers to mom-and-pop retailers, it’s unbelievable what one little malfunction can do to the branding on a complete retailer. Click on by means of to see what occurred at Massive Heaps!

As a baby, not a lot might examine to the uncontainable pleasure of going to Blockbuster on Friday nights. The scent of popcorn, the cabinets of sweet, and the limitless film assortment was the top of any child’s week. Apparently, little did we all know, that after our film had ended and we have been quick asleep Blockbuster took on a brand new search for a brand new set of consumers. It seems that what was as soon as crowded with keen youngsters deciding on films, became a way more deviant sort of video retailer. We marvel what sort of crowd this signal attracted at 2 am?

One thing tells us that this carnival shouldn’t be of the yard tools selection. Greater than seemingly situated subsequent to a laundromat, folks ready for his or her garments to scrub and dry could make a fast pit cease on the carnival to make doing laundry extra attention-grabbing. Apparently, it is a no-shame institution with the entire lights utterly on for everybody to see the mischief occurring inside. With the Hoe Carnival up and operating you received’t need to ask your husband greater than as soon as to do the laundry ever once more.

This signal is for the entire individuals who suppose there are nonetheless 10 extra seconds to make use of the crosswalk though you’re not purported to. Though it’s offensive and no one needs to get the hen flipped to them, not to mention by a machine, it’s fairly efficient. Out of pure intuition, I ponder how many individuals have given this signal the center finger proper again. All in all, this malfunction simply appears too good to be true. We’d be keen to wager that this was orchestrated by a gaggle of critically intelligent hooligans that simply need to sit again and watch the world burn.

Bigots, the one-stop store retailer for your entire racist and hateful wants. They carry all the things from klansman robes to real Nazi attire; they actually have a tailor on-site. On Sunday’s, they’ve goose step classes for the little ones and open readings from Mein Kampf. This Saturday, there’s a buy-one-get-one-free deal on tiki torches so that you and your family members can head over to the upcoming rally in fashion. Additionally, in case you speak to the appropriate folks, they could even present you the hidden gun retailer within the again, totally computerized weapons included! Completely kidding. That is hilariously terrible.

You received’t imagine it, however a brand new planet has been found. Maintain studying to search out out what it’s!

Nothing screams good meals, household enjoyable, and nice instances higher than Jerkins Household Restaraunt and Bakery! I doubt that it’s known as that due to their in-house made beef jerky although. Your finest wager might be to stay with a salad however omit the dressing as a result of who is aware of what’s occurring within the again. Though that is clearly an indication malfunction, it’s in all probability complicated folks as properly, since it’s a must to stand up near see that any a part of the signal is out. If it took longer than six months for the homeowners to repair, folks in all probability began to check with the restaurant by the identify on the malfunctioning signal!

What would we do with out our favourite rental place? They’re offering the neighborhood with an especially priceless and much-needed service, and are the one ones courageous sufficient to do it. In all seriousness, at the present time, butt leases really don’t appear that far-fetched with the entire plastic surgical procedures and physique modifications going round. Earlier than you understand it, you’ll be capable to hire Kim Kardashian’s actual butt mould on the native CVS down the road to impress everybody on the membership. What have we turn into?

In america, we satisfaction ourselves on our wealthy historical past and commemorate all issues surrounding the start of our nice nation. We’ve statues and monuments to recollect those that devoted their lives to our trigger and museums stuffed with artifacts. With that being stated, it might be un-American for us to not commemorate the primary American breast. So, it seems somebody took issues into their very own fingers and did it for us. Hopefully, this might be acknowledged in Washington and might be moved to the Nationwide Mall for all to see.

It’s a story as previous as time – make enjoyable of the virgin within the group. Effectively, this institution has taken issues one step additional and even arrange a spot for your complete virgin neighborhood to return collectively and unite as one. It’s both that or it is a place the place the virgins are exiled to, we don’t know. What we do know is that whoever owns this lodge higher discover a resolution to this drawback shortly, as a result of no one needs to be seen checking in or out of the virgin lodge or else, you understand what occurs.

Effectively, there actually isn’t an excessive amount of to say about this one. It’s fairly simple. Though the signal itself is simply flat-out disturbing, one other regarding factor is that there’s a automotive parked out entrance when the shop is open. Hopefully, it’s the one individual working they usually’re questioning why they haven’t had any prospects but. Additionally, by the seems to be of their beer choice, they in all probability have a fantastic completely satisfied hour in case you’re keen to threat it. Simply bear in mind to convey your drink into the toilet with you – by no means unattended!

Opposite to well-liked perception, a brand new moon has been found within the Milky Manner Galaxy. It’s a moon that has been orbiting the planet Uranus, we’ve simply by no means had the power to see it till now. Scientists have been scrambling to get a gaggle of courageous astronauts there as shortly as doable. They declare that there are keys to understanding our existence situated someplace on the planet, and it has nothing to do with the identify in any way. Pray for the courageous astronauts who appeared greater than desirous to threat their lives to succeed in this new vacation spot. Godspeed.

The unhappy factor about this signal malfunction is that it’s in all probability not going to discourage a single buyer away from giving them their enterprise. I imply, who can cross up a beer and wine drive by means of it doesn’t matter what the signal says? Additionally, the signal isn’t precisely deceptive, needing your automotive to be able to purchase alcohol in all probability isn’t one of the best mixture, as a result of everyone knows how 2 AM beer runs go down. We simply hope whoever took this image acquired house secure and sound with out residing as much as this fairly malicious signal’s identify.

This spot opened up simply in time. I believe we have been all operating out of room for our MILFs and wanted a second location to retailer all of them. Beginning at a low cost of $20 a month, you may match as much as 10 MILFs in a single unit. If you happen to’re a critical MILF collector, you may improve to a $30 a month unit which inserts over 25. Refer a good friend and also you get a month’s storage without spending a dime! However truthfully, we’d be curious to know if the proprietor of this self-storage place even is aware of what a MILF is, hopefully, he’s seen American Pie.

Is it simply us or does no one like going to the docs? It smells bizarre, there’s often an previous man touching your physique, and half the time you’re there since you suppose you’re in your deathbed. Effectively, it seems to be like this joint isn’t altering the way in which we view the physician’s workplace. Apart from the tempting neo cocktail signal, one thing tells us that we would like nothing to do with this place. Then again, there very properly could also be some individuals who would discover this interesting. I imply, in case you’re into that complete physician fetish factor.

You wanna know what we like proper once I get up? A contemporary cup of espresso, a bagel, and a pleasant huge bowl of cock yogurt. what they are saying, breakfast is a very powerful meal of the day! Some folks say that it’s too fatty and that they add preservatives, however the style makes all of it price it. Offered solely at a number of shops, it’s turn into a excessive commodity for lots of people. We all know some those that make sure that to incorporate it into each meal. I heard it additionally does superb issues to your pores and skin and cuticles.

Some folks inform you to say no to medicine, however in response to this signal, LSD is the start of one thing great. That sounds fairly interesting, so we predict we’ll take the signal’s phrase for it. If you happen to look intently, it seems which you can purchase some tabs of acid at your favourite retail shops akin to Nordstroms, Macy’s, Emporium, and Mervyns, so it could actually’t be that dangerous, proper? I’m certain that will make procuring along with your mother much more attention-grabbing. It would take an additional eight hours, however hey, you’d have enjoyable doing it!

You’re driving alone at night time and virtually operating out of fuel, do you cease right here? As if filling up your automotive with fuel isn’t horrible already, now it’s a must to cease and replenish in precise hell. It’s as in case you can already see the undead poking out from behind the fuel pumps. We predict we’ll cross on this one and ultimately run out of fuel, name AAA, and get towed to a different fuel station within the space. Possibly somebody was good sufficient to inform the clerk inside that there’s a critical situation with the signal. I’m certain it might assist to extend enterprise.

This signal is clearly making an attempt to inform one thing to somebody. Possibly for some folks, that is only a humorous signal malfunction, however to others, this would possibly very properly be a message from God. This was what lastly made them come to the belief that perhaps it’s time to put off the… yea you get it. As soon as once more, I don’t know if that is some pure phenomenon that created this piece of artwork, or if any person took manners into their very own fingers to deface this piece of property within the funniest means doable. We’re going to say it was God.

Now, this signal malfunction might imply a number of various things. Is the buffet meals nasty? Are there nasty issues occurring within the buffet? Is it a buffet of nastiness? The probabilities are limitless actually, so, all of the extra motive to go over to your nearest Nasty Buffet to see for your self. Phrase round city is that no one that goes right into a Nasty Buffet ever comes out. We marvel why? Don’t these huge glowing pink block letters let you understand that there’s nothing however good, clear household enjoyable occurring inside?

That is a kind of fortunate conditions the place an indication malfunction really labored out within the favor of the institution. Though it’s a little unprofessional and a bit apparent, nonetheless, it will get the job accomplished. that anybody that caught a glimpse of this damaged signal won’t ever check with it by its authentic identify ever once more. It’s without end “Imhurt” Emergency Heart, Elmhurst is a factor of the previous. You’d suppose that an emergency and trauma middle would come up with the money for to repair this instantly, or perhaps they’re simply rolling with it.

I don’t find out about you, however this new and improved signal would in all probability make me extra intrigued to sit down down and take a look at considered one of these “Worlds Biggest Hamburgers” than the unique. It’s simply too blatant and in your face to cross up. It’s comprehensible that perhaps you wouldn’t need to take your kids there, for concern of them asking you to take them to you-know-what once more, however even that will be a bit humorous. Hopefully, the proprietor realized this damaged signal quick sufficient so an indignant soccer mother didn’t have to inform them what their signal stated on the aspect of the freeway.

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10 Fun Things to Do in Ocho Rios, Jamaica

The chances are if you’re heading to Jamaica that you will be staying in Montego Bay or Ocho Rios, as this is where many of the luxury all-inclusive Jamaica resorts are located. Of course, you’ll want to spend time sunbathing but there are many Ocho Rios attractions to tempt your fancy too. It’s a great base from which to explore the surrounding area and we’ve come up with 10 fun things to do in Ocho Rios which we hope you’ll find helpful.

Dive into the deep at Island Gully Falls

Many visitors to Jamaica head to the famous Dunn’s River Falls, but it can get very hectic there if a cruise ship is in port. That’s why we suggest that you consider visiting another Ocho Rios waterfall – Island Gully Falls. It was formerly known as The Blue Hole, and is hidden away down a quiet road. The journey is definitely worth it, as there’s an impressive cascading waterfall which you can dive into as well as a Tarzan style river swing. Island Gully Falls is open from 9 am to 5 pm every day.

Climb up a waterfall at Konoko Falls

Another picturesque Jamaica attraction is Konoko Falls and Park. What makes this place unique is that you can climb all the way up the waterfall, with the help of a guide. It’s essential to wear water shoes but you can buy them on site if you don’t have your own. Towels will also come in handy to dry off afterwards! Before climbing up the waterfall, enjoy the guided tour around the botanical gardens. They were once the home to the Taino Indian tribe and now feature a wide variety of our indigenous animals and birds. The park is open from 8 am to 4.30 pm daily.

Enjoy beachfront dining with the locals

For laidback dining with your feet in the sand, Bamboo Blu is the perfect choice. A true hidden gem, there is no signpost at this beachside restaurant within Mammee Bay Estate on Mammee Bay. Just check with the security guard that you’ve come to the right place! Once you reach the end of the track. you’ll find a charming blue and white building set on the 700 foot beach. Tuck into Caribbean and European dishes, washed down with a tropical cocktail. You can also do snorkeling or enjoy a banana boat ride for a small fee.

Learn how to cook jerk chicken

One of our favourite Ocho Rios excursions is to Yaaman Adventure Park. This 18th century estate, previously known as Prospect Plantation, has some fun activities on offer such as horseback riding, Segway tours and buggy rides. After a look around the aviary where you’ll come across some friendly birds, hop on board the jitney, a tractor drawn carriage for a ride around the 1,000 acre estate.

Our guide, Donovan, had us in stitches with his deadpan humour so make sure to ask for him if he’s available. The estate was purchased by Sir Harold Mitchell in 1936 and its grounds are dotted with trees planted by heads of state such as Sir Winston Churchill and Pierre Trudeau who visited. There are also many crops such as coconut, all spice, bananas and coffee. You’ll then have a tour of the Great House and learn how to cook jerk chicken and other delicious Jamaican food on the shady terrace overlooking the Caribbean sea. If you’re wary of spicy food, the trick is to add only a little Scotch bonnet pepper!

Get close to nature in a Flower Forest

Cranbrook Rainforest Gardens are a beautiful place to stroll around and makes an interesting excursion in itself. Set in 40 landscaped acres, the walking trail takes about a mile and a half to the river, where you can bathe if you wish. From the beautiful torch flower to the peacocks parading around, it’s a real treat for the eyes. There’s a small gift shop and cafe at the entrance.

Soar above the forest

However, the main attraction at Cranbrook Flower Forest is the Zip Line Canopy where you soar above the trees. It’s an adrenaline packed experience, as you swing along, admiring the scenery! The expert instructors create a sense of anticipation as you approach the first zip line. With traverses ranging from 105 to 660 feet, it will keep you busy for several hours.

Eat authentic Jamaican food at Miss T’s

To experience real Jamaican cooking, head to Miss T’s Kitchen. Hidden away in a quiet backstreet of bustling Ocho Rios, it’s the brainchild of Anna-Kay Tomlinson, otherwise known as Miss T. She’s passionate about Jamaican food and ever since the restaurant opened in 2009, it has been one of the top spots for fine Jamaican cuisine. In a beautiful courtyard setting, try a variety of sharing dishes such as curry goat, oxtail or lobster rundown.

Pamper yourself at Jamaica’s largest spa

If you’re looking for relaxing Ocho Rios activities, consider a spa session at Jamaica’s largest spa. AWE spa ® is located inside Moon Palace Jamaica®, one of the best hotels in Ocho Rios. Before your spa treatment, enjoy a complimentary Water Journey guided by your very own spa valet! They will lead you around the different areas such as the steam room, sauna and hydrotherapy pool before taking you to your professionally trained therapist. My massage was so relaxing that I fell asleep!

Take in the views from Oceans on the Ridge

For a panoramic view over Ocho Rios bay, you can’t beat Oceans on the Ridge in Shaw Park. This casual Jamaican restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch or dinner, though you could just savour one of their frozen cocktails. DJs or local bands often play there and the ambiance on the observation deck is very chilled. Check before you go whether the cruise ships are in port as it can get crowded at those times.

Admire the sunset

Although Negril is the most famous area of Jamaica for the sunsets, Ocho Rios isn’t half bad! It’s also worth getting up early for sunrise, when you might be lucky to see dolphins in the bay.

Where to Stay in Ocho Rios

One of the best Ocho Rios all inclusive resorts is Moon Palace® Jamaica. With the largest private beach in Ocho Rios, it has great sea views from most of its 705 guest rooms. The bedrooms are very comfy and as its all inclusive, the mini bar is fully stocked. We particularly liked the range of complimentary non-motorized watersports on offer, as well as the unique FlowRider wave simulator. Children will love the kids club and there’s also a teen lounge as well as several swimming pools. It’s popular for weddings with its gazebo overlooking the ocean and ballroom for larger parties.

As for food options, you’ll be spoilt for choice with six bars and five restaurants as well as 24 hour room service. We sampled Oriental cuisine at Momo, Italian at La Gondola, seafood at Pier 8 and sweet treats at La Boulangerie, open 24 hours a day. Of the bars, the adults only Martini bar was our favourite – don’t miss the chocolate Martini! The swim up bar outside is great fun too, and there’s regular entertainment on the outdoor stage too. All in all, a great place to stay.

We hope you’ve enjoyed these suggestions of things to do in Ocho Rios. You’ll find many of the activities in question featured here and lots more suggestions for what to see in Jamaica:

Have you ever visited Jamaica and which activity would you like to try out of these?

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Saturday, 1st of April – Sunday, 2nd of April

Extended weekends are ideal to take short trips within China. Especially in Beijing we have the advantage of an excellent railway system, so you don’t necessarily have to take a plane to reach sights that are withing a 500-1000km radius. There are night trains that can bring you all the way to your far off destination while you sleep. Although I have to say that we haven’t done an overnight train ride yet, I’m tempted to try it on our next trip. The rail routes are not too spectectular, so I figure we might as well get there well rested. On this trip though we booked an early morning high speed train to the ancient city of Pingyao.

By now I am wondering why we did not make better use of extended weekends while we still lived in Germany. You can discover quite a few travel gems that are only a few hours' trainride away from Beijing and fit nicely into a two to three day holiday. Beijing's West Railway Station is our point of departure for a short weekendtrip to Pingyao Ancient City today. The EMU hightspeed train that services that route is affordable, has comfortable spacy seats and quietly take you all the way to Pingyao in just over 4 hours. Of course, traveling in a highspeed train in Germany will most likely drop you off in different country after traveling a few hours, instead of the bordering province😜 #china #instachina #beijing #instabeiing #hypebeijing #igersbeijing #peking #thatsbeijing #timeoutbeijing #pingyao #ancient city #travel #tourism #travelchina #unesco #wanderlust #railwaystation #beijingwest #fellowtravelers #livingabroad #holiday #extendedweekend #weekendtrip #shorttrip #ritnb #riceisthenewbread

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We rose early to catch our train at 7:45am. Like everything in China, the West Railway station is quite large, so you definitly want to be there ahead of time in case you don’t find your platform right away. Also, security checks at the entrance will slow you down, not because they search you thoroughly, but simply because a few hundred people try to push into the station with you. Everyone just throws their baggage onto a conveyer band that carries the suitcases, rucksacks and travel bags right into a large scanner. So far that’s just good security practice. The interesting part is the person entrusted with checking the contents of the baggage. They’re either fast asleep, are chatting with their coworkers or play candycrush on their mobile phones – surely anything but their job. On a regular day that is a fairly funny sight to behold (when you ignore the security implications). Not so when you are in a rush to get to your platform and still have to endure this work creation program (I apologize for the rant). At any rate, we were in a very good mood this particular morning and actually factored in enough time to go for a coffee before bording the train. If only we had known that the West Railway Station had a McCafé (and a Starbuck) we wouldn’t have bought a black coffee at the regular McDonalds. It still served it’s purpose and refueled us for the four hour train ride some 600 km all the way down to the south-west of Beijing.

A city within a city.

We had bought our tickets over the CTrip platform for 183 RMB, had assigned seats, and an unobstructed view out the window. Early as it was though, we slept most of the train ride anyways, but as mentioned above the scenery isn’t too impressive, so bring music or a good book/magazine to pass the time. And before you know it, you will arrive in Pingyao Gucheng (平遥古城). Prior to our trip we had asked the hotel if it was possible to arrange for a pick-up into town and thus we were greeted by a guy holding a “Fly By Knight Hotel” sign upon exiting the railway station. Once on the road, the first few kilometers take you along an industrial highway, looking nothing like the imagines you saw online. Only after a 15 minutes car ride do the ancient city walls of Pingyao come into sight. To our astonishment, the car drove right through the gates and into the tiny hutong-like alleys. As comfortable as this car ride right to the front steps of our hotel was, being a tourist trying to explore the city on foot among all the cars and golf caddies was quite annoying. You are constantly being honked at, and the streets are too narrow to accomodate cars and people (and cyclers) at the same time. Car drivers on the other hand have figured out that driving at top speed into a group of pedestrians is the best method to get them out of the way as quickly as possible, and so we were constantly pressing into buidling walls to avoid being hit. Fortunately, this was the only issue we faced during our time in Pingyao.

Jelte had been to Pingyao before with his family and recommended the Fly By Knight Courtyard Hotel, which didn’t fall short of his praise. Not only is it located right in the middle of the Old Town, the courtyard atmosphere adds a calm extra layer to your holiday. Many of the rooms have their own bathrooms with good water pressure and hot water, and some even have a small glass conservatory in front of the entrance to their bedroom, which makes for a relaxing reading spot. As the name suggests, the center of the hotel features a large inner courtyard that blocks out the busy city noises and may be used to have an early morning coffee or as ‘basecamp’ to plan your day trip.

The entrance to the Fly By Knight Hotel, right off one of the busy main streets of the city.

The Courtyard of the Fly By Knight Hotel.

Since we were not here to stay in the hotel all day, we just went for a quick shower and headed right out to explore Pingyao. Conveniently, tourists can buy a “through ticket” at one of the visitor center (130 RMB, half price if you have a student ID), which grants them access to each of the small museums and the city wall as well. Just make sure you keep the ticket at a save yet quickly accessible pocket of your bag, because you will need it often. There are more than 20 or so noteworthy houses where former accountants or other prominent bank employees used to live and/or do their business. You walk past them as you navigate the main streets and can easily hop from one museum to the next with only a few steps to walk in between.

Pingyao Ancient City, Shanxi Province, P.R. China

Pingyao Ancient City, Shanxi Province, P.R. China

Pingyao Ancient City, Shanxi Province, P.R. China

Pingyao Ancient City, Shanxi Province, P.R. China

Two of the major sights to be explored are the Pinyao Confucius Temple and the City God Temple. Whereas the ‘house museums’ are centered around the families that lived there and their role in buidling up Pingyao as a financial center, these two temples exhibit the religious facet of life in the ancient town. Though they may not have known it at the time, especially the interior designers of the Temple of City Gods had a pretty sarcastic sense of humour. When you enter the temple, the two buildings lining the left and right of the courtyard feature all sorts of gods. The left side was reserved for the ‘good’ and gentle gods, that smile at you and have a serene facial expression. The right side of the courtyard however was set up for the evil gods, that torture and torment people you have sinned (or at least that is my explanation).

Entrance to the Temple of City Gods.

The Temple of City Gods.

The Temple of City Gods.

The Temple of City Gods.

The gentle gods of the city.

The malevolent gods of the city.

Pingyao Confucius Temple.

Pingyao Confucius Temple.

Pingyao Confucius Temple.

Pingyao Confucius Temple.

Pingyao Confucius Temple.

Pingyao Confucius Temple.

Pingyao Confucius Temple.

An astonishing feature of the building shown last in the galery above is the way its gable was constructed. There are no nails or screws involved and it holds togethers simlpy by a very elaborate plug system.

Of course, one of the main reasons for everybody to visit to Pingyao is the enormous and intact city wall. We saved this bit of sightseeing for the evening hours, so that we could enjoy the sunset as we strolled along the top. Before climing up the wall though we each bought a bottle of local beer so that we could make a quick break and have a drink together. But be warned: each of the four sides of the wall have only one entrance/exit, so you better take a restroom break before visitng this part of Pingyao.

The morning of our second (and last) day of our visit to Pingyao we spend strolling along the smaller streets and eating our way through the local specialities.

Hunting for some snacks in Pingyao.

Hunting for some snacks in Pingyao.

Surprisingly, vinegar seemed to have been an important commodity in ancient Pingyao. Or maybe it just developed into a best seller in modern days, but on ever street you could see these kinds of vinegar fountains.

This furry friend might be considered a snack in some parts of China, but in this context she certainly wasn’t on the menu. In fact she just had a bad hair day.

The Residence of the Ma Family – 马家大院

A pleasant surprise was a recommendation from our host at the Fly By Knight Hotel. He pulled out a map of the Ancient City and pointed at a sight called the Residence of the Ma Family, the biggest courtyard in Pingyao. The short 15 minute walk there led us through homey hutong alleyways and past private living quarters. A large signs attached to the neighboring building soon announced that we have found the 马家大院. The ‘through ticket’ we had bought the previous day also granted us access here, since it is valid for three consecutive days. Once inside, the English-language tourist descriptions again left room for a lot of speculations, which didn’t deminish the fact that this courtyard still allowed passage to all of its rooms and towers, from the highest of which we had an impressive view over the city below. Since the Ma family accumulated quite a large sum of money over the course of their business activities in Pingyao, the family vault below the property exhibited the equivalent of their wealth in fake gold barrels and was accessible though a whole in the ground and a very steep flight of irregular stairs.

Another quite ironic tourist sight was the Tingyu government building, in which our personal highlight was a wall painting of a naughty fox flirting with an almost nude woman.

Tingyu Government Building.

Wall painting of a dirty fox inTingyu Government Building.

Tingyu Government Building.

The entrance to the Ma Family Residence.

Ma Family Residence.

The main inner courtyard.

Ma Family Residence.

Ma Family Residence.

Buddha figurines guarding the treasures of the Ma Family.

Caligrahpy decorating one of the upper rooms of the Ma Family Residence.

Ma Family Residence.

Th view from the roof top terrance.

The highest tower atop the Ma Family Residence.

The last building on our travel itiniary was the Xietongqing Banking House. Unfortunately, the lighting below in the vaults was too dim to capture it accurately, but in the first room after descending into the cellar there was a tall round stele on which a dragon was snaking up. I didn’t quite catch the exact meaning of this – it sure promised good luck/fortune –  but almost  every visitor walking past it ended up placing their hand on the lowest part of the dragon’s tail and walking clockwise around it tracing their hand all the way up along the dragon’s body to the top. This made for quite an absurd dance a few meters below the bank’s main building in which some 10 people could participate at the same time.

Xietongqing Banking House.

Xietongqing Banking House.

The Gold valt in Xietongqing Banking House.

  A short trip to the Ancient City of Pingyao, Shanxi Saturday, 1st of April - Sunday, 2nd of April Extended weekends are ideal to take short trips within China.

#accounting #ancient city #China #city wall #finance #gold #pingyao #Shanxi #travel #UNESCO #Wanderlust

[maizestove]

Travel Tips for Tulum, Mexico

I am back from Tulum in Mexico after one week of tropical paradise vacation! As promised on Instagram, I have compiled all my travel tips for Tulum, Mexico, here for you. I hope these will be helpful for anyone who is planning a trip to Tulum. Otherwise they might help you to decide to visit this beautiful place in Mexico. Tulum is packed with fantastic places to stay, eat, drink, enjoy. However I will only share here the places I actually visited, tested, and that I can recommend. So let me not prolong it too much. Here we roll!

Hotel: Prana Boutique Hotel: Tulum has many hotels of course. The majority is located on the beachfront, a few ones are in the pueblo itself. Now since I was staying in one hotel I can only recommend that one of course. I was staying at the Prana Boutique Hotel in Tulum village. I opted for this hotel because it sounded very tempting: Prana is an eco-friendly hotel with only seven rooms. Thus it is a quiet, relaxed, and intimate hotel run by two cool guys with friendly staff. The hotel features a lush garden and pool, a lovely small restaurant and pool bar, a boho lounge area including a little souvenir and crystals shop. The rooms are dispersed in various buildings made in the traditional style of the region. There are even two spacious tents for glamping if you prefer that.

The hotel offers free bikes if you want to drive down to the beach. Otherwise there is free parking for your rented car. Cool bars and restaurants as well as the main shopping street of Tulum are just around the corner. There is also a huge supermarket just 5 walking minutes away. I recommend you enjoy a good breakfast in the hotel’s restaurant ‘Nido’ (try the yummy granola with fruits and yoghurt), relax at the pool with a good book or swing in one of the hammocks in the garden. Also for dinner you can opt for the restaurant and try their freshly cooked meals such as an octopus burger or a delicious tropical scallop ceviche. Oh, don’t forget to sip a Bloody Maya cocktail at the pool bar. With good Mezcal of course!

Places to eat & drink:

In the village: Del Cielo Tropical Bar: One of my favorites in the pueblo! This tropical bar could be in LA, San Francisco, Paris, or London. It has a strong hipster vibe and serves us some delicious fresh treats. My go-to for breakfasts! Try the tropical porridge and their smoothies! Oh and the coffee is excellent. I even brought back a bag of local coffee beans. Another important fact: Free wifi! Yay!

Tulum Art Club: This fantastic gallery slash café in the village is another cool option for breakfast. Art is exposed everywhere, you can buy everything, and you can enjoy Tulum’s best Coconut Chia pudding with tropical fruits for breakfast! Do not miss the yummy coco coffee, too! Ok, ok, I am a bit coco-nuts!

Teetotum Hotel & Restaurant: This hotel & restaurant in Tulum village is another must-visit. It has a fun and colourful retro vibe. Expect tiles, 60s style cushions, vibrant colours. The courtyard is lined with potted plants and the restaurant serves a delicious breakfast. Get the huge green smoothie to kick off your day! Wowzers!

Estancia Jujena: This is actually an Argentinian asado in Tulum village but if you go for breakfast it is a charming little courtyard with a shabby-chic attire and hearty egg dishes, fresh fruits, and fine coffee.

On the beachfront/jungle side: Safari: This open-air restaurant is located on the ‘jungle side’ of the beach road and can easily be detected. The bar strikes a tropical wallpaper background and the restaurant features an open fireplace and the kitchen is in a parked trailer. Can it get any cooler? Yes, add light garlands across the palm trees and great food – voilà!

Hartwood: Now Hartwood is somewhat of an institution in Tulum. It is supposedly the hardest table to get in town and trust me: you better reserve a table! There are two options: You either queue at noon to catch a table for dinner or you book well in advance via email. I booked a table one month in advance and enjoyed amazing food: a Yucatán ceviche with tropical fruits as a starter, grilled octopus as a main dish, accompanied by a yellow lentil salad with pickled cactus. Excellent and friendly service is included!

Gitano: Yet another hot spot on the jungle side of the beach road! Gitano is particularly popular on Friday nights with live music and a fantastic boho-glam atmosphere. Excellent cocktails are served up while you wait to be seated (some say they have the best Mezcal cocktails in town). All trees are illuminated with light garlands, lanterns, and dozens of candles are burning everywhere. Magic! Their ceviche is a dream: Served in a young coconut half with fresh fish in lime juice with coconut, sprouts, cilantro, zucchini. Take me back, please! On weekends you must have a reservation!

Posada Margherita: This place is a real gem! I did not know that it was an Italian restaurant (and hotel) when I entered there. I was attracted to it by the armada of potted plants at the entrance and a dream-like pathway leading into a lush courtyard lined by coconut palms. I stepped in and found myself in a dreamy set worth a movie: Potted plants everywhere, little huts, benches, vintage pottery. A cute little candle boutique welcomes you before you enter the open air restaurant with magnificent views of the Caribbean. Homemade pasta, enormous smoothies, and a breeze will make you want to stay forever. After lunch I just went down to their private beach and spent the rest of the afternoon sunbathing and swimming in the Caribbean. There will be a full blog post about this place soon!

Mur Mur: Here another place where I had a good and delicious dinner under a canopy of swaying palm fronds and light garlands. I enjoyed delicious roasted beets with goat cheese and nuts, a tender grilled octopus, and a fried banana with sour cream and cocoa nibs. All accompanied by well chilled Mexican white wine. Thumbs up!

El Tabano! This restaurant is a perfect option for a great plate of Mexican food. It can get busy on weekends, but during the week it is actually fine and rather easy to get a table. I had excellent fish tacos there!

Canopia: This cute little restaurant serves great and healthy breakfast in the morning and Thai food for dinner. I went there for breakfast and had great coffee, an intense green smoothie and a chia bowl. Great to start the breakfast: a green coffee beans tea to activate your metabolism. Oh and an evergreen for breakfasts in Tulum: A plate with tropical fruits!

Beaches & Beach Clubs:

Playa Paraiso Beach Club: This was my favorite beach and beach club! Imagine huge beach beds with swaying linen curtains, a canopy of coconut palms, white powdery sand, and food and drinks served on your sunbed. Yes, this beach deserves the name! Additionally they have good sanitary facilities – not unimportant on a beach! The sunbeds are for rent but the prices are ok – the big sunbeds as descirbed before are 250 pesos (around 12 Euros) for two.

Zamas Beach Club: Here the beach is not perfect (lots of seaweed) but the bar is perfect and directly on the beach. You can watch pelicans dive bombing for fish while you are sipping on a cocktail!

Mivida Beach Club: A relaxed beach club located on a sandy bay with rocks on one side. You can unwind here while being served drinks and food on your sunbed. Plus if you are staying at the Prana hotel  you get a discount here.

Beach at the Tulum Ruins: When you visit the Mayan ruins of Tulum, don’t forget to pack your swimwear and a towel. Because you want to go down to this wonderful beach and swim! This beach is free of sunbeds, bars, restaurants. Just sand and the Caribbean. And a few other tourists haha. But it is worth it! Especially if it is a hot day and you got all sweaty while walking around the ruins.

Great icecream: Origami Ice Cream: I read somewhere that you should not eat ice cream in Mexico. You know germs and stuff. Well, whatever you want, but when I passed at Origami on the beachfront I could not resist! I had a fantastic scoop of luxurious chocolate ice cream. So good and no, I did not get sick afterwards! Go for it!

Artehelado: If you want good ice cream in the village itself, then go to Artehelado. It is off the main road but you will find it easily. The ice bar is located in a colourful cargo container, Acapulco chairs are dotted around it and most of the times there is a tiny little market next to it selling local goods and handcrafts. Nice after beach stop-over before heading to the hotel!

Things to do around Tulum: Tulum Mayan Ruins: This is a must! The Mayan ruins of Tulum are located 3 km away from the village and can be reached by car or bike. As with most sites in Mexico you will be welcomed by various sales people trying to sell you all kinds of daily tours and cruises. My tip is just to go for it by yourself. Before reaching the ruins you have to walk through a tacky touristy shopping are but then after a few hundred meters you will reach the ancient walls of Tulum. The fascinating fact is that the Tulum ruins are the only Maya ruins located directly at the coast. So the sight is pretty majestic. You get the classical snapshot of beach, Caribbean, and Maya ruins. Plus afterwards you get to swim on the beach (see above). Don’t forget to equip yourself with sunlotion, sunglasses, water, a towel and your swimwear.

Grand Cenote: The cenotes are a highlight of the Yucatán peninsula. These are natural sinkholes that expose groundwater. Imagine crystal clear water in submerged pools that are partly below the surface. The Grand Cenote is wonderful. It is very close to Tulum village and offers a great natural pool on two sides. Some say it is pricey compared to other cenotes (entrance fee is 180 pesos per person), but I think it is worth it. They have great sanitary facilities, showers to prepare yourself before going into the cenote (only biodegradable sunscreen is accepted or none at all), and they have lockers and snorkeling equipment to rent. Swimming in the Grand Cenote was a marvellous experience. The water is so clean and fresh. You swim next to little fish and turtles. I was lucky as it was really not busy when I arrived there (I went there around 11 am). Count 1.5 hours or max. 2 hours to stay there and enjoy it. Oh and if you have a smartphone that goes under water – take it with you!!! So much fun!

Chichen Itza: Mexico’s most popular archaelogical site is Chichen Itza. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is worth a visit despite all the shortcomings of mass tourism sites. Don’t be surprised when you arrive to a packed parking lot, lots of tourists everywhere, queuing for entrance tickets, and a multitude of souvenir sellers scattered all around the site. It is the usual shenanigans. Plus bear in mind that – unlike in previous years – you can not climb the pyramids at Chichen Itza anymore. Still it is a fantastic site with breathtaking buildings and pretty unknown culture to us Europeans.

Valladolid: If you visit Chichen Itza, plan a stop-over at the close by town of Valladolid. This quiet little Yucatécan city has not the touristy glitz and glam of coastal resorts but exposes an authentic Mexican lifestyle. Colourful houses line the streets, colonial churches and palaces dot the town, and the people live their normal daily life here. Stroll around the city center around the main church to get a notion of a Mexian provincial town.

For lunch, head to the Hotel El Mesón del Marqués. This colonial building features a green courtyard with a spring and tables all around it. Sit down and have a great lunch. Order the homemade guacamole – it will be prepared right before your eyes by a waiter! As a main try one of the local dishes from Valladolid. I had a Pollo Pibil – it is spiced chicken cooked in a banana leaf with black beans and rice. Delicious!

Other practical tips: A rented car comes in handy in Mexico! It is really safe to drive around Yucatán and you are so much more flexible with your own car. Tulum village is about 3.5 km from the beach so if you are based in the village (like I was) you either have to take a cab or a bike (available at the hotel) to go to the beach. It is nice to do it but in the evenings I would not recommend to take the bike to the fancy clubs and restaurants at the beachfront. The street is poorly illuminated and partly completely dark. Plus with a car you can get around the peninsula easily and visit various cenotes, Mayan temples and other cities.

Make sure you have enough cash with you! Most restaurants and bars in Tulum are cash only. Just a few of those that I visited accepted credit cards. You can withdraw money in Tulum village at the main square (there is a HSBC bank), but there are also many ATMs along the beachfront (however some of them are only for US dollars).

Get some good sunscreen with you (even for a little walk in the pueblo – I got a burnt neck on my first stroll!) and bring a mosquito spray. Most restaurants and bars are outdoors and they burn special woods to keep mosquitoes away. Still bring some – also for a relaxed sleep.

Shopping! Tulum’s main street is packed with little shops selling Mexican souvenirs, handcrafts, all kind of tchotchkes. I saved the last day to do some shopping and bought two Mexican blankets (Saltillo), a little Tree of Life (Arbol de la Vida), Mexican pottery, and a full array of spicy sauces. Oh and local coffee from Del Cielo (see above). For more upscale shopping (including fashion) head to the beachfront – but you’ll spend also more there!

Finally I have no more to say apart from: Tulum is fabulous! I loved every day there, I enjoyed it to the max. It is still very authentic (especially the pueblo) and the beachfront has a special boho-glam vibe. It is far away from noisy mass tourism and drunk youngsters. Go and see it for yourself as long as it is as beautiful! I hope my travel tips for Tulum will help you. Happy (virtual) travels!

Photography/iPhone photography by Igor Josifovic

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