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caymanairways · 7 months

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8 things to know before booking an international flight ticket

Introduction

Booking an international flight can be exciting, opening up a world of possibilities for adventure and exploration. However, it can also be daunting, with numerous factors to consider to ensure a smooth and enjoyable journey. This article will guide you through eight essential things to know before booking an international flight ticket, helping you make informed decisions and avoid common pitfalls.

(1) Know the Best Times to Book

Booking your international flight at the right time can significantly impact your travel budget. Prices for airline tickets tend to fluctuate, so keeping an eye on fare trends is essential. Generally, it's advisable to book your ticket at least two to three months in advance to secure the best deals. Additionally, consider flying on weekdays, as weekends tend to be more expensive.

(2) You'll Definitely Want a Window Seat

Choosing your seat wisely can enhance your overall travel experience. If you enjoy breathtaking views and moments of tranquility during the flight, opt for a window seat. It allows you to gaze at the landscapes below and capture stunning photos of your journey.

(3) Have Your Passport Ready to Go

Suppose you want to travel to any country, let's say “the Cayman Islands”, then before booking your flight to the Cayman Islands, ensure that your passport is up-to-date. Many countries have strict entry requirements, and an expired passport can lead to complications and delays.

(4) Compare Prices

Comparing flight prices is a fundamental step in planning any journey. In today's digital age, travelers have a plethora of tools and resources at their fingertips to help them find the best deals. One of the key advantages of comparing flight prices is the potential for significant cost savings. Airlines often adjust their fares based on demand, time of booking, and other factors, so by exploring different options, travelers can identify the most cost-effective choices for their specific needs. Additionally, comparing prices enables travelers to make informed decisions, considering factors such as layovers, flight duration, and amenities, to ensure a comfortable and enjoyable travel experience.

Furthermore, comparing flight prices is not limited to just the ticket cost; it also involves assessing the value proposition offered by different airlines. Travelers can read reviews, check the reputation of airlines, and evaluate their customer service to ensure a seamless journey.

(5) Try Alternative Routes

Exploring alternative routes can be a game-changer in terms of both price and experience. Sometimes, flying to a nearby airport or using multiple airlines can save you money while adding new dimensions to your trip. Be open to layovers and consider all available options.

(6) Traveling With Children? Here Are a Few Tips

Traveling with children can be a rewarding experience, but it also comes with its unique set of challenges. To ensure a smooth and enjoyable journey for both parents and kids, it's essential to be well-prepared. One crucial tip is to pack a travel bag filled with snacks, toys, and entertainment options. Long flights or layovers can be tiresome for children, so having their favorite snacks and activities on hand can help keep them content and occupied. Additionally, consider bringing headphones and a tablet or portable gaming device to provide entertainment during the flight. Keeping children engaged can make the journey more pleasant for everyone.

Another valuable tip when traveling with children is to plan ahead for their comfort. Check with the airline about any special services or accommodations they offer for families, such as early boarding or child-friendly meal options. If your child has specific dietary requirements or allergies, inform the airline in advance to ensure they can accommodate those needs. Additionally, try to maintain a flexible schedule that accounts for children's sleep patterns and meal times. By thinking ahead and being prepared, parents can make traveling with children a more enjoyable and stress-free experience.

(7) Flight Booking in Advance

Booking your international flight well in advance can be a strategic move that offers several advantages. Firstly, it provides you with the opportunity to secure the best deals and fares. Airlines often employ dynamic pricing, where ticket prices fluctuate based on demand and time of booking. By reserving your flight early, you can lock in lower prices and potentially save a significant amount of money. Additionally, booking in advance allows you to have a wider selection of available flights and seats, increasing the likelihood of getting your preferred travel dates and seating arrangements.

Another compelling reason to consider booking your flight in advance is the peace of mind it offers. Travel plans can be unpredictable, and waiting until the last minute to book your flight can be risky. Popular routes and dates can fill up quickly, leaving you with limited choices or higher prices. By planning ahead and booking your flight well in advance, you reduce the stress of last-minute arrangements and ensure that your travel plans align seamlessly with your schedule and preferences. Overall, flight booking in advance is a prudent approach that combines cost savings and convenience, enhancing your overall travel experience.

(8) Airline Reputation

An airline's reputation is a crucial factor to consider when booking an international flight. A positive reputation signifies a track record of excellent service, reliability, and customer satisfaction. Travelers often rely on word-of-mouth recommendations and online reviews to gauge an airline's reputation. These reviews provide insights into the overall travel experience, including factors like punctuality, in-flight amenities, and customer service. Choosing an airline with a strong reputation can significantly enhance the quality of your journey, ensuring that you arrive at your destination feeling satisfied and well taken care of.

Conversely, a poor airline reputation can lead to a host of travel-related issues. Airlines with a history of delays, cancellations, or subpar service can result in frustration, inconvenience, and stress for passengers. To avoid potential headaches, it's advisable to thoroughly research an airline's reputation before booking your flight. By selecting an airline with a positive track record, you can increase the likelihood of a smooth, enjoyable, and hassle-free travel experience.

Conclusion

Booking an international flight ticket can be a thrilling step toward your next adventure. By following these eight essential tips, you can ensure a smoother and more enjoyable travel experience. Remember to plan ahead, compare prices, and prioritize your comfort and convenience throughout the journey.

#international flight booking #flight booking tips #flight to the cayman islands

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oahu-surfing-experience · 2 years

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TAMATO says : “ After a crazy 28hours of flying, 3 planes ✈️ , layovers & taxi rides 🚕 later, we finally made it to our destination of Nicaragua. We arrived just in time for the second biggest swell of the summer to hammer into the South & Central American Coast. Through the Jungle Wireless, my friend from Nica @mannymal_nicaragua heard I had just arrived & quickly reached out to me to join him for a wave attack out at a mysto outter reef that rarely ever breaks. Before I had left Hawai’i, I had done some basic research about this particular wave & knew that it was a heavy slab of a wave & not for the faint of heart. I was way beyond jet lagged & being that my vacation was just beginning, I was extremely hesitant & tried to use every excuse in the book to chicken out of the session. Manny told me if I didn’t go surf with him that I was pretty much blowing it. So arm twisted & pure pressure running hot, I set my alarm for a 4:30am Dawn Patrol & pretty much obtained only about 4 hours of sleep. Needless to say, but the mission was pretty much a full on success & with the wave presented here in this post being the first wave I ever caught in Nicaragua, a great deal of gratitude goes out to Manny & Matteo @nicatime for getting me out of my comfort zone & making my trip a memorable one. The first photo posted here was shot by Rick 📷 @donde_x & was also featured in a recent article in @surfline & the next couple of water shots presented here were captured by a hard charging water photographer known by his Insta Handle as 📷 @vanlife_productions . Mahalo nui loa to all of you for making such good memories come to life.” - #location #nicaragua #surfer #tamayoperry #travel #adventure #explore #journey #destination #waves are #beautiful #jewels from the #sea #planet #earth . Learn #surfing from the #best @oahusurfingexperience @bushmansurfboards @3rdstonehawaii @waialuasurfshop @futuresfins (at Nicaragua) https://www.instagram.com/p/Ch-Sv16uwwq/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#location #nicaragua #surfer #tamayoperry #travel #adventure #explore #journey #destination #waves #beautiful #jewels #sea #planet #earth #surfing #best

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chaotic-noceur · 3 years

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malaysia truly asia

paring: Nanami Kento x Malaysian!Reader

summary: the story of how Nanami had come to know about Malaysia and his first trip to the country he had longed to visit

warnings + contents: food/eating, beach, multilingual reader (malay is mentioned, the rest is implied), malaysia references (contextual notes are provided!)

a/n: I never thought knowing the Malaysian slogan would come in handy but here I am. Words cannot express how excited my Malaysian heart got when Nanami mentioned Malaysia so I'm hurling this into the tumblr void for anyone interested :)

contextual notes + malay transalation

terima kasih = thank you

ringgit = Malaysian currency

tokyo is an hour ahead of kuantan

sunrise is around 7am in Malaysia, anytime from 4-6am in Tokyo (according to google)

roti canai = 'Indian-influenced flatbread dish' (wikipedia)

roti tisu = similar to roti canai, except thinner and shaped like a cone

pasar malam = night market, usually on closed off sections of road

flag erasers are often collected by school kids who purchase them from the on campus bookshop

"You're not from here." He says it with such assertion that there was no room to deny it, not that you were going to. You quirk an eyebrow up at him instead from your place on your bed. He nods to the english book currently in your hands as if it's a way of answer. Your head tilts to one side and he sighs before continuing. "Your Japanese is good, but you speak it with hints of... uncertainty, like it's not your mother tongue." I would know, he doesn't say. Your gaze falls from his bashfully and he seems to realise the implication of his words. "I apologise, I hadn't meant it as an insult. I was merely hoping to ask about your childhood."

Your mouth forms an o before you reply with a curt "I grew up in Malaysia and then my family moved here." He seems to consider your answer for a moment before nodding and returning his attention to his book. The pair of you fall silent, residual noise from Gojo's graduation party filters in to fill the gap. Before long, you notice his gaze flitting around the room as he shifts in his seat, a sure sign that he was looking for an opportunity to speak more. You chuckling lightly before putting your book away. "What do you want to know?"

"Everything." Your eyes narrow slightly to deduce if he's teasing. But his eyes hold nothing but genuine curiosity. It was rare for Nanami to ever display his true emotions but there was something about his eyes that was always readable to you. So you talk. You tell him about the road trips you used to take up the peninsula, showed him photos of your childhood, pointed out the few bits of home that were scattered around your room. He clings on to every word as you tell him about the near-constant summer, complained about the humidity, and reminisced about the food that you dearly missed.

Truthfully, you are surprised by his interest. Few people had even heard of the small, dual-part country, even fewer have shown any interest in learning more. Maybe this is the moment you fell in love with him. Or at least, it's the moment you accept your feelings for him as something beyond an passing crush but as something worth fighting for.

“I hope we can visit it some day,” he says when you finish.

We, not I, you think. Your heart flutters in your chest at the realisation. He is seemingly unaware at the implication. You reply with a simple “maybe”, refusing to give in to the false hope that he returns your feelings.

Some months later, you find him huddled in a quiet corner of the Jujustu High library engrossed in a book of Malaysian history, a small notepad open beside him. Where he acquired the book was beyond you. With nothing better to do with your rare moment of free time, you shrug your shoulders before heading towards him, making noises as you move so as to not startle him when you settle beside him.

You're flipping through your book in search of the bookmark when he speaks, "would you like me to read to you?" You turn to look at him so fast he's concerned you might have gotten whiplash. His cheeks are flushed slightly and he refuses to meet your eye. You blink at him for several moments and he clears his throat awkwardly. "I just - well, I was hoping to practice my English with you. It's um.." he rubs at the base of his neck, "it's been a while since I've spoken it."

"Oh," you begin for lack of words. For as long as you've known him, he has never once mentioned being multilingual. Then again, he rarely ever talked about himself. Preferring to let Yuu take the lead in conversations or to direct questions away from himself. "Sure, I'd love to help!"

"Te-li-ma kah-sir?"

"Te-ri-ma ka-sih," you correct as you swipe through the selection of in-flight movies. Nanami repeats after you and you nod before smiling at him.

"And what about 'where is the toilet?'"

Your tapping stops momentarily. "Formally, or informally?" He deadpans at you and you chuckle in response. "Di manakah tandas?" His pen glides along his pocket notebook before he repeats after you once more. "Love, you know you'll be fine with just English right?"

He drops his pen and takes a sip of beer from the clear plastic cup before responding. "I know, but it's a sign of respect to make an attempt to learn the official language." A soft smile graces your face before you resume your scrolling. You really are the luckiest human on the planet to be able to call him yours.

It's mid-afternoon when you finally leave Kuatan Airport. Travel fatigue begins to set in on the taxi ride to the beach resort Nanami had booked. You loop your arm with his before settling you head on his shoulder. Instead of telling you that you should've slept on the plane like he would've done if it was anyone else, he simply graces your forehead with a kiss before returning his gaze to the map on his phone.

Checking into the resort is a smooth process. Nanami makes quick work of talking to the receptionist before the pair of you make your way to your room, the resort porter guiding you. Nanami had been inclined to refuse but the porter rejected his offer. The pair of you make light conversation with the resort porter as you walk, Nanami using his arsenal of Malay when he can.

When you arrive at your room, Nanami takes your bags from the porter as you unlock the door. He settles the bags inside as you shake the porter's hand in thanks, passing along a 5 ringgit bill. They thank you with a bow before taking their leave. Nanami shoots you a look of surprise when he notices the action. "I wasn't aware that there was a tipping culture in Malaysia."

"There isn't, not to the extent that westerner do anyway. It's really just porters and housekeeping." You shrug.

He scowls at your slightly. "Regardless, you should have informed me," he grumbles. You chuckle at him before patting his chest lightly, avoiding his sunglasses that hang from the v of his button up.

"Well, you'll have plenty of opportunities to leave a tip for housekeeping." You're staying here for two week after all.

As Nanami does a quick sweep of the room, you set up the wifi for your respective devices before making your way to the snack cabinet. You whoop when you find a packet of your favourite childhood snack. Nanami pokes his head out from the bathroom at the sound, only to raise a curious eyebrow when he finds you crouch on the floor, holding the packet as if it was your child. "What?" you exclaim, "I haven't seen these in years!" His arms shoot up in surrender before he returns to his checks, his lips curling into a smile at your antics.

When Nanami returns to the bedroom, he finds you asleep on the sofa, phone slipping from your grip. He removes it before it falls as he rubs at his eyes as the travel fatigue begins to hit him too. The long flight and layover hadn't done either of you any favours but he supposes that what he gets for choosing a city with a small airport.

He changes you out of your travel clothes before moving you to the bed. Once he stashes your valuables into the safe, he freshens himself up before crawling in beside you. You smell of an airport and the mist the flight attendants had sprayed in the cabin but he doesn't care as he nuzzles his nose into your neck.

This is peace, he thinks. No missions, no curses and no Gojou Satoru. Just the two of you and a (mostly) endless supply of sunshine. He likes the thought of that.

When he wakes from his nap, you’re no longer by his side. He panics for a moment before he turns and finds you sitting out on the wooden deck, admiring the ocean view as the sun begins to set. Raking a hand through his hair, he climbs out of bed and makes his way to you. You smile at him as he sits down before laying your head against his shoulder, his arm looping around your waist.

“Sorry I threw us off schedule,” you say after a while.

You feel his head shake against yours before he says, “as long as you're by my side, there's nothing to apologise for. We’re on holiday. Let’s enjoy the peace while it lasts.”

“Afraid Gojou’s going to appear out of thin air?” you tease. He groans at the mention of his senior's name.

"Don't mention that name again. You'll jinx us." This time, you can't help laugh against him. You peck his cheek in consolidation and he think maybe, just maybe, for once in his life, Gojou will keep his meddling fingers out of things that are none of his concern.

The next two weeks go by in a blur of delicious food, sandy toes and a ridiculous amount of sweat. If there was one thing you didn't miss about Malaysia, it was the humidity. But it never stopped Nanami from intertwining his fingers with yours or ghosting a kiss onto your temple. The pair of you had quickly settled into fragments of a routine since you had first arrived.

Every morning, Kento watches the sunrise from the cushioned seat on the wooden deck. The first time it happened was unintentional. His body had become habituated to waking up early for work. That, combined with the 1 hour time difference and the fact that the sun rose significantly later in Malaysia, meant that he had woken up well before the sky had shown any indication of light. You were still fast asleep, unmoving even as he slowly untangled himself from you. So as to not disturb you, he made himself a cup of tea and read from his Kindle on the wooden deck until the sun had began poking out of the horizon.

Then it just became his own little ritual. On occasions where you wake with him, the pair of you take a walk along the beach. The ocean waves kiss your bare feet to the beat of a song you do not know as you talk about your plans for the day. You stumble across a sea turtle laying her eggs one morning and the pair of you settle onto the sand, far enough away as to not spook her, but close enough to marvel at the rare sight.

Nanami pulls out his phone after a while to record a quick video and sends it to Yuuji. Not long after, Gojou attempts to facetime him and Nanami turns off his phone without hesitation. You chuckle at their antics before you feel your phone vibrating in your pocket. Nanami declines all of Gojou calls for you and he gives up after 7 rejections. In hindsight, Nanami really should have seen that coming but he blames the cloud of holiday bliss that fogs his mind.

The rest of your days are spent enjoying the ocean breeze (or more often, the ocean heat), exploring the local attractions, immersing yourselves in the culture and best of all, devouring authentic Malaysian food. Nanami had made a list of the most recommended dining locations ranging from high end restaurants to road side food stalls and you make it your shared mission to visit every single one before you leave.

At each shop, he informs you of the best rated dishes but trusts your instincts/cravings for the most part. You point out any items that he 'has to try, at least once' and he asks questions about the items that pique his interest. More often than not, the pair of you will order a variety of dishes and share them, not able to settle on just one. Being the bread lover that he is, he takes a liking to roti canai. Although he isn't particularly unadventurous with his choices, always settling for a plain roti canai and opting for experimenting with curries instead. So, you take the plunge for him, knowing he'll likely be intrigued by the pointy hat shaped crepe that sits before you — he later learns that it's a roti tisu, or the stuffed roti that arrives. (He thanks you later.)

On your last night there, the pair of you make your way to the biggest pasar malam in the city. Nanami had a list of local fruits that he was hoping to buy while you had a list of souvenir ideas for the kids and your coworkers. You walk hand in hand, following the flow of footfall as your eyes scan the stalls. Nanami doesn't particularly know what he's looking for as he passes the snack stalls but he's enjoying himself all the same as he watches you converse with the stall keepers in a foreign tongue. He slips out of his daze when he feels a cold packet being pressed against his hand. "What's this?" He slips his wrist through the plastic loop and grips the tied-off section of the bag.

"Sugar cane!" you chirp, radiating an excited aura that rivalled Yuuji. Must be the atmosphere, he thinks. He takes a sip through the straw as you receive your change. Sweetness floods his taste buds but don’t overwhelm them. He savours the refreshing coolness it brings, contrasting the humidity. You look to him expectedly as you tug him further down the street. “Good?” you ask over the noise from the crowd.

“Acceptable.” There's a look of content tugging on his features that contradicts his tone and a soft smile tugs at your lips before you're promptly distracted by another stall.

When you finally arrive at the fruit stalls, you’re armed with a packet of cheap flag erasers for the students and an assortment of sugary snacks for the school staff room. The crowd had dwindled as you moved further towards the back of the market, allowing you a clear view of most of the stalls before you.

Nanami tugs on your intertwined hands before leading you towards a stall with mountains of rambutans and mangosteens. He nods politely at the elderly couple manning the store and accepts the plastic basket they hand him. Out of the corner of your eye, you notice the smile that tugs at his lips when they greet him in English. Undoubted pleased to be able to use his skills.

“I assume I should pick the ones that are not blackened and soft?” he says to you when the couple finish explaining the pricing. You nod in response as you begin carefully placing fruits into the basket. Nanami mimics your actions beside you before his attention is grabbed by the fruits to your right. “Is that what I believe it to be?”

You follow his gaze as he speaks. When they fall on spiky green fruits and packets of yellow, your eyes light up in delight. “Mhmm,” you hum before turning back to face him. There’s a sparkle of wonder in his eyes that makes you laugh before you turn to speak to the woman, “how much for a packet of durian?”

You look wistfully at the whole durians as the lady bags your items. As much as you would love to see Nanami use his 7:3 technique on the fruit (you can almost sense your ancestors rolling over in their graves at the thought), you know you won't be able to finish it off by yourselves. Besides, there is no guarantee that Nanami wouldn't hate it.

Rather uneventfully, Nanami does not hate durian on instinct — "the smell is uninviting, but the fruit itself is decent," he says as he helps himself to another. So, with the remnants of fruit juice clinging to your lips and the lingering smell of durian on your breath (despite your best efforts to get rid of both), the pair of you now walk along the beach's shoreline. Your pinkies are looped as you rejoice in the complete and utter sense of peace. There are no curses to be worrying about, no impromptu visit from a certain colleague. And for the first time in a long long time, Nanami feels like he can let his guard down. He feels like he doesn’t need to keep looking over his shoulder all the time. He doesn't feel the weight of the country's safety settling in his chest.

“We should come back some time,” he says as the waves lap at your feet gently.

You raise an eyebrow at him, “not sick of fending off mosquitoes and melting in the heat yet?” There’s a teasing glint in your eyes and he chuckles along with you.

He smiles at you then — genuinely, without fear of showing his emotions, shakes his head and kisses your temple gently. “Maybe we can visit your family next time. You can show me where you grew up, your favourite places, where you had your first date...” You smack him across his chest for his teasing while he chuckles at the action.

“Maybe one day.” He interlocks your hands then and ghosts a kiss over your knuckles before looping it over your shoulder to pull you into his chest. One day... when you’re both rid of this curse-riddled life.

#nanami x reader #nanami x you #nanami kento x reader #jjk x reader #jujutsu kaisen x reader #asian!Reader #malaysian!Reader #**jujutsu kaisen #kay writes #this will get all of 5 notes but eh #it was self indulgent #food #food mentioned #eating #eating mentioned #beach

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agathasangel · 3 years

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leave everything behind but me- part 4 (diane sherman x reader) (NSFW moment)

warnings: same as before, stalking (like full on irl stalking as well as online), drugging, some talk of emotional/physical abuse in this one, death mention. this whole fic is just kinda dark... sorry. Also brief nsfw moment.

summary: this part is from Diane’s perspective. as she looks for her neurotoxin ingredients in a panic, she reflects on how she came into contact with you in the first place, and all the highs and lows of your relationship up to this point.

where the hell are they? thought Diane, looking for the last, most important ingredient in her neurotoxin.

She couldn’t believe it had come to this again. Just like with Chloe.

Diane wondered where Chloe was, what she was doing. About five years ago, with an excellent defense lawyer, she managed to get out of jail for what she had done. She looked far and wide for her stolen daughter, who seemed to be nowhere to be found. She still worried about what became of Chloe, but knew she was probably doing alright. And one day, Diane found a new obsession by the name of (y/n).

It was nearly two years ago now. Diane was beginning to give up on finding Chloe, after three full years of searching anywhere and everywhere with no luck. But she did find something else.

She was staying at a hotel in California, near the hospital where she gave birth to Chloe, in the vain hope that maybe, just maybe, Chloe would be around.

Diane didn’t find Chloe, but she found something else from her past. Her college reunion was being held in the exact hotel she was staying at. She didn’t plan on attending, but then she came face-to-face with her college rival. This woman was the only person who did better in her classes than Diane. Not only that, but she had multitudes of friends, boyfriends, you name it, while Diane had no one. The woman never let Diane forget how much better she was either. It wasn’t the worst thing Diane had ever been through, not by a long shot, but it was a disappointment for sure. College was supposed to be the place where Diane could finally feel like she belonged, and she always resented this rival of hers.

“Diane! We didn’t think you were coming! Oh here, have a seat!” said the woman.

“I’m so sorry about Roger. It was such a shock to hear about.”, she continued, reminding Diane of her dead husband

“Yeah, I still can’t say I’m over it, all these years later.”

“Yeah when the love of your life just drops dead like that, you never get over it, do you?”, she said, far louder than Diane would have liked.

“Can we please talk about something else?”

“Of course, I’m so sorry, Diane, I know it must be so hard for you!”

“Yeah. Um... what’s your family like?”

“Well we have one daughter. Her name is (y/n), and she’s a senior in High School,” said the woman. She then leaned into Diane and said, “But can I be honest? I never exactly wanted kids. Never liked them. I thought it would change when I had her but it didn’t. She’s so... difficult.”

Diane’s blood absolutely boiled hearing this, but she managed to keep a polite face, “But that’s your child. Don’t you love her?”

“There are some good things about her, I guess. I do love her in my own way, but I can’t help but feel disappointed. She’s just not what I thought she’d be. I’m sorry, I thought you may understand. I never get to vent my frustrations about her.”

“I’m sorry, but I can’t understand. But, do you, um, by any chance have a picture of her?”

“On my phone, somewhere. Let me look.”

After a while, she found a picture of (y/n). It was fairly recent photo of you at a restaurant, at what looked like a dinner with the whole family. You looked sad and lost, but Diane thought you looked sweet.

“She’s beautiful.”

“Thanks,” said the woman, almost stifling a laugh, as if there was no way Diane could have meant that.

“I’m sorry, I need to go to the bathroom.” said Diane, as she was starting to turn red in anger and the woman.

“I’ll join you, I need to freshen up a bit.”

“Fine.”

So Diane walked straight into a stall while the other woman followed. Diane started to cry, so angry at this awful woman. She had a child, a beautiful, sweet, girl who was alive, for God’s sake. Diane would kill for what she has, in fact she had killed for it before. But this woman didn’t care about her child, she didn’t appreciate you one bit.

She didn’t deserve you.

Then she heard the woman get into the stall next to her and she decided to leave. But the woman left her purse on the sink. Diane looked into her purse and found everything. All her information was in her wallet, and she took pictures of her address, phone number, and credit card numbers, as well as a couple of photos of you and your father. Diane quickly threw the last photo back into her purse as she heard her enemy get up, and she ran away, all the way back up to her room.

Diane looked at the photos, and started to look for your social media. You didn’t seem to post very often, or have many friends. Most of your photos were of you by yourself, or pretty things you took pictures of, and even a couple of sad poems you wrote. Poetry written by teenagers was usually laughably bad, but hers made Diane cry. She saw herself in you.

Poor little thing, Diane thought. She needs some love. But I can do that for her.

Diane spent about a month following you and your parents around, without any of you even noticing her presence. One day she snuck into their house and bugged it, so that there were feeds of different rooms streaming to her computer at all times.

Diane noticed you spent most of your time alone. You wrote in a journal a lot, and cried fairly often, hugging a teddy bear you had. You just seemed so burnt out from stress from school, stress from your job, pressure from your parents. You fought with both of her parents often. Well... fight wasn’t the right word. Usually, one parent would yell at you and insult you, and you would choose to either take it or not take it.

There was one particular instance where you snapped at your father, telling him how he abandoned you so many times. He didn’t take this well, screaming all kinds of insults. How Diane wished she could hold you, rock you, comfort you and tell you that aren’t any of the terrible things your father told you, and that she’s sorry that you never felt good enough.

Diane snuck into (y/n)’s graduation, too. She knew she couldn’t contact you yet, but she got so much happiness out of just seeing this milestone of your life. All you did was walk across the stage and take your diploma, but Diane beamed with pride for you as you did it.

After graduation, your parents were constantly threatening to kick you out, and the fights got worse, they crying got worse. Diane wished she was there, comforting you, holding you and giving you all the love that your parents didn’t. Diane looked for a window of opportunity into this girl’s life until she found the perfect one. You had put out an ad on facebook for anyone on the east coast looking for a roommate, and Diane put her plan into action. She made a fake account on facebook pretending to be a college girl named “Anna Johnson” and responded to the ad, starting to talk to and getting friendly with you. “Anna” suggested that you take a bus trip and offered to pay the fare, but you refused because you wanted to earn the money yourself. Diane’s heart warmed at your sweet messages, even though they were to “Anna” and not her. “I’ve never had as good a friend as you before”, “Who needs a mom when I have you giving me such great advice?”, “You’re the best!”, every little message that you sent to Diane made her fall more and more in love. Diane bought a little house on the East Coast with the money she got from selling her old house, and hoped everything will fall into place in her new life with (y/n).

Now during the bus trip, Diane needed to follow you closely in her silver minivan, and make sure not to lose track of you during layovers either. Her detour into the coffee shop scared her at first, but once Diane found you, it was the perfect opportunity to finally, after all these months of dreaming, meet you face-to-face. Her new little baby girl, finally. Diane slipped a powdered sleeping pill into her already tired girl’s coffee to make you even more sleepy and suggestible, getting you to come with her to her hotel room.

Back in the present, Diane found the rest of the powdered sleeping pills as she was searching through her medicine cabinet and closet. She got so distracted thinking about you, and all the horribly wrong things she had done to you.

It’s for her own good, all of it. She needs to be protected, she’s too pure for this world, to good, too sweet...

Diane searched through the drugs she had given you, thinking of all the best times the two of you have had.

The first day Diane had been with you in the little house was heaven on earth. Finally Diane had everything she’s been working for for almost a year now right there, in her arms. Diane wanted to give you everything you didn’t believe you deserved. The only catch was that you belonged to Diane, and Diane alone.

She got a job teaching Chemistry at the local High School fairly easily, as she had extensive knowledge (even more extensive than she may have let on in her interview), of the subject, and the school district was completely desperate for competent science teachers. Diane found faking the background check easy, she used her maiden name and an incorrect date of birth and they didn’t ask her about her arrest at all. And now she had her new life set up. A house that she owned, a job to put food on the table, and you.

The next best day for Diane was the day you finally kissed her. Diane was starting to fall in love with you in a more romantic, even a more sexual way, but didn’t know if you felt the same way about her. Then, during one of your movie nights, you kissed Diane, and she felt overjoyed. She kissed you back and finally led you to the bed and fucked you, like she had been thinking about doing every night at this point but was too scared to actually initiate until now. She was in love with the feeling she got from kissing you, from pleasing you. It had been so long since Diane had been this intimate with anyone, and she was your first. And it was a real awakening for the both of you.

It felt so good, you felt so good. This relationship you had was so incredibly wrong in so many ways, but it just felt so right.

Why did it have to change?

Of course, there were still some hard moments. Even Diane admitted that there were times when she could be irrationally possessive of you, getting angry when someone even looks at you the wrong way. She knew that her possessive, obsessive attitude could scare you, and you would even blame yourself for it, but she didn’t know how to stop. She knew that you were getting scared she would become more difficult to please, like all the other people that have been in your life.

Or the times that you would cry, and it happened so often. You would get sad and Diane would hold you and tell you:

“It’s ok baby, you’re here now, you’re with me. I love you more than life itself. You’re gonna be okay, my little angel.”

One night Diane woke up to you crying into your pillow, and immediately grabbed you.

“What’s wrong, baby? What happened?”

“I- I was afraid that you might- that- one day- you might not want me anymore... what would happen if you d-don’t want me....”

“Listen, I will never not want you. You are all I have, remember? And you’re all I need. Come here, that’s right. You’re my baby, all mine.. shhh....”

Or, there was the time you asked about the scars on Diane’s back. She was mortified, but finally told you about her terrible childhood. The horrible abuse from her mother until her death, the foster home, everything. Her desperation to become the mother she never had. You hugged her tight.

“I’m so sorry, Diane, I had no idea... and to think I complained about-”

“Baby, don’t compare your life to mine. All that matters now is that it’s you and me, and I need to take care of you.”

“Sometimes I think I should be the one taking care of you, Diane.”

“Trust me baby, you do so much more for me than you think.”

Then Diane found it. The rest of the paint thinner. And she was ready to take away all your sadness once and for all, and make you hers forever.

#my fics #sarah paulson x reader #diane sherman x reader #diane sherman #sarah paulson #sarah paulson fics

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woodstockbtswriter · 4 years

Text

Voyagers

Genre: Fluff/Headcanon

Pairing: Yoongi x Reader (Female)

Summary: A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to join BTS on a Bon Voyage adventure leads to once-in-a-lifetime love.

Author’s Note: I feel like this is going to end up having a million parts if I continue with this amount of detail, but I can’t help myself. This is just how my brain works. 😄 Anyway, I’m not sure if I need to say this, but I wrote this from the perspective of an American ARMY. Hope that doesn’t bother anyone. Also, I imagine you to be the same age as Yoongi, so you’re not technically a noona to him, but I don’t like using “Y/N,” so I’ll just use “noona” as his nickname for you for now. Oh, and one last thing: for the purposes of this story, let’s just pretend there’s no language barrier between you and the boys, okay? Okay! Let’s get it!

Part Three

Countdown to Bon Voyage

When you returned home from Korea, a group chat was started so you and the boys could keep each other updated and get hyped for your trip

You heard from at least one member every day during the weeks leading up to your departure

The boys had the month off from all BTS obligations so they had a lot more free time

Most of the boys went home to visit their families

Yoongi was working on his mixtape and occasionally shared lyrics (and you’d tease him for working during their break)

Jin was living his best life just sleeping and gaming

Namjoon reported on the many art museums he visited

Hoseok was working on a song collaboration and would send videos of his dance

Jimin was traveling and checked in every time he arrived somewhere new

Taehyung shared photos he took while traveling with his friends

Jungkook was writing some songs and bounced ideas off of everyone

You worked as a home stager and the boys (especially Yoongi) loved hearing about your job and seeing before-and-after pictures of your work (no one could appreciate a well-chosen lamp quite like Yoongi)

When you weren’t working, you spent all your time preparing for the trip and would occasionally ask the boys what they would recommend for you to pack

By the time departure day arrived, you felt like you had already grown close with all of them and you couldn’t wait to see them again

Departure Day

Logistically, it made the most sense for you to meet the boys in New Zealand instead of flying together

You were a little bummed about it, but you knew you’d have plenty of time together in the coming days

The morning of your flight, a two-man camera crew met you at the airport so they would have footage of you on your way

They also gave you a GoPro camera, which you were a little self-conscious about using

But everyone in the airport was already staring at you because you were being followed by a camera crew, so you decided to just go with it

As you boarded your flight, you were amazed by the first-class seat that had been reserved for you

Your phone chimed with a message as you settled into your spacious and private seat

You fell asleep soon after takeoff, and slept most of the way

When you weren’t sleeping, you rewatched the The Lord of the Rings movies (‘cause, you know, New Zealand)

Reunited in New Zealand

After flying all day with a brief layover in Los Angeles, you finally arrived in Christchurch, NZ

The view out your window as the plane landed was nothing but snow-covered mountains as far as the eye could see, and it was incredible

You texted the boys as soon as you touched down on the runway

You and your cameramen made your way through the airport to meet everyone at baggage claim

You spotted Jungkook first, though you almost didn’t recognize him because his hair was noticeably longer than the last time you saw him

When Jungkook saw you his face lit up with a huge smile and he called out to you

The other boys looked up at Jungkook’s exclamation and several of them rushed you

Almost before you could say “hi,” you were swept up in Jungkook’s arms and he was spinning you around as you laughed

As soon as he placed you back on your feet, Jimin wrapped his arms around you, lifting you a few inches off the ground too

“Yah, let the girl breathe! You’re suffocating her!” Yoongi scolded as he approached

You looked to him as Jimin let go of you and your heart did a thing

It wasn’t like when you first met him last month either

That had been nervousness, anticipation, excitement

Now it was like... relief

Because you’d missed him, and you were so happy to see him again

And also relief that he was real, and you hadn’t been imagining all this

Then he gave you a shy smile, and your heart did an even bigger thing

Because, dang it, he was cute

Even with - no, especially with - a mask under his chin, sunglasses on his face, and his hair held back by a headband

You moved to give him a hug and he met you halfway

His embrace felt even better than you remembered, warm and comfortable

You just fit together

But when you wrapped your arms around him, you noticed he felt thinner

You asked him if he lost weight as you leaned out of the hug

Hoseok answered for him, saying he’d lost 4 kilograms over break

“He wanted to impress you, noona,” He teased

Yoongi swatted at him, but Hoseok evaded his reach

After you’d greeted all the boys (minus Jin, as the boys informed you he’d be arriving separately a little later), you headed out of the airport as a group

As soon as you stepped outside, you were met by a cool, fresh breeze, and you were glad you wore long sleeves and leggings

A shuttle bus with a luggage trailer was waiting for you and the boys started loading up their bags

You rolled your suitcase over, but before you could load it, Yoongi wordlessly took it from you and lifted it into the trailer

You tried to thank him, but he shrugged it off

You then climbed into the bus with Yoongi right behind you, and he sat down next to you on the front bench seat

As you waited for the shuttle to leave, the boys asked about your flight and you asked about theirs

They told you all about laying over in Singapore and the awesome airplane with seats that folded down into beds

You told them about your layover and how this was your first time flying first-class

The boys also taught you the Bon Voyage cheer they had come up with for this season, but you decided to wait to actually do it until Jin was there

Then you were on your way to pick up the camper and the SUV you would be using all week

Ready, Set, Go

As you drove through Christchurch, you discussed the clear skies and beautiful weather and your mutual excitement

At the rental company, you and the boys signed forms to be drivers, then were led to a room with a table and office chairs to watch an instructional video

Yoongi held your chair for you as you sat so it wouldn’t roll out from under you, then took the seat next to you

After the video, you went back outside to get a tour of the camper and saw that Jin had finally arrived

You and the boys greeted Jin with enthusiastic hugs

An employee then gave instructions about the camper and pointed out its features

As he explained how to empty the wastewater tank, the boys joked about coordinating their bathroom schedules and showering two at a time (Yoongi’s suggestion)

But they ultimately agreed that, unless there was an emergency, only you would be allowed to use the onboard bathroom and they would use the campsite bathrooms

They also agreed that you would have one of the onboard beds to yourself and they would share the remaining beds or sleep in the tents

Once instructions were finished, the boys started loading the luggage into the camper and once again, Yoongi took your suitcase for you

And you smiled to yourself as you realized his chivalry was going to be a trend throughout your trip

When you were all loaded up and ready to go, you gathered with all the boys and did your first official “Bon Voyage” chant (and you couldn’t help but giggle at the way they pronounced “voyage”, with a long “e”)

You then divided into vehicles, and you followed Yoongi, Jin, and Namjoon to the SUV

Jin got in the driver’s seat, and Yoongi and Namjoon tried to offer you the passenger’s seat, but you declined and opted for the backseat, so Namjoon sat up front and Yoongi joined you in the back

Then, with one more cheer out the window with the camper team, you set out, finally starting off on the real adventure

Previous - Next

#bts #min yoongi #bts imagines #bts suga #bts fanfic #bts scenarios #bts imagines suga #bts fanfiction #bts fluff #bts bon voyage #bts headcanons #bon voyage 4 #bon voyage season 4 #yoongi x reader

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sibyl-of-space · 4 years

Text

havent angsty long-posted on here in a while lol it’s like i am in 3rd year of college all over again

Well, no thanks to fast and reliable testing, I am at least fairly sure I actually do have Covid. I still haven’t gotten my test results and it’s been a week, but I have a headache typing this because I over exerted myself by performing the highly taxing tasks of... taking a shower, cooking something, and sitting upright instead of lying in bed (as I have been largely doing for the last 2 weeks). So at the very least I’ve been able to communicate with my workplace and am now at an understanding that I should just take this week off too because if sitting upright for extended periods of time makes it hard to breathe, that is perhaps, slightly concerning.

So instead my anxieties now are about the fact that literally contracting Covid was actually in the long run beneficial for my mental health because I’ve been able to just... rest, and play some video games, and rest some more, and sleep, and edit photos, and watch other people play video games. I’ve gotten to just. Relax. I haven’t had the chance to relax since before the pandemic started, because I work at a nonprofit that helps homeless people and that shit doesn’t stop being necessary in a crisis. And it’s compounded by the fact that I work in IT and we had to basically throw together enough band-aid and duct tape solutions to get everyone set up to work remotely, which was hard as fuck to do, and now we are still going in part of the week to help serve meals shifts because we don’t have any volunteers.

(That is like 90% definitely how I contracted it, a few weeks ago I worked a meals shift with someone who was not-so-subtly coughing into his mask next to me and it was not the phlegm-y cough but the ‘ah i am just clearing the old airways’ cough. Why are you working a meals shift to serve the homeless if you have symptoms OH MY GOD. Anyway.)

My workplace is not organized in the best of times, which made it interesting but lively and was largely endearing even if it was somewhat frustrating. But now, it is just driving me up the wall. I have felt at the end of my rope mentally for about 2 straight months with no end in sight. And now the more literature that comes out indicates it could be YEARS before the USA is able to approach anything resembling normal because of this, and I do not think I am mentally capable of handling this kind of environment for that long.

My team is GREAT. I love them. This organization put out the only legitimate IT starting position that did not require 3-5 years of previous experience, paid me MORE than a fair starting wage, and is just all around great at treating me like a person and I’ve learned so much from them. I am so thankful. But the organization as a whole is managed like, well, basically a shit show that makes me honestly miss the well-oiled shitty corporate bureaucracy that was my first job out of college. I’ve been considering applying elsewhere for ages now, but... well first of all I feel like I need to at least have worked a full year here before moving on (it’s been about 7 months presently) for it to count for anything, and also, well it has been very nice actually being treated like a person in a 9-to-5:30 office position and I don’t know how much I’ll be seeing that if I sell out and work for some tech startup or whatever the hell.

Up until now I have had a sort of... promise I’ve kept to myself, where if I am not fulfilled and start to actively dislike and resent my job when I wake up for it in the morning, that I will move on from that job. I have held on to that. My first job out of college was an excellent source of stability for me as a recent college grad, but when it reached a point it was stressing me more than it was supporting me, I moved on. I then worked minimum wage (note: minimum wage was $15/hr at this point so my income was only actually decreasing by $4/hour because administrative assistants do not get paid what they are worth. Now bay area cost of living is fucking stupid, but minimum wage in this circumstance was actually livable for me with the bonus of having my parents’ health insurance.) at a fabric store - I stayed there for 2 years, longer than I’ve ever held a position, and while partly I left because I had more or less finished learning what I had hoped to learn from my coworkers, the store was transforming away from that kind of community DIY vibe it started out as and turned into a kind of etsy wine mom vibe that didn’t click with me as much anymore, and also I was turning 26 and would lose my health insurance through my parents.

So I took the next several months taking my first real break from constant responsibilities/employment since pretty much ever, focused on speedrunning Tales of Symphonia and eventually started studying for a baseline IT certification so I could try and get a job that was more appealing to me than administrative bullshit, which I hated so much. My closest friends I made in my first corporate job out of college were people in QA and IT, so I decided to try and make that a reality. I studied my ass off for a couple solid months, took both tests for the A+ certification, passed, and started applying to jobs. And now here we are.

My frustration stems from the fact that I want to continue working with the people who took a chance on me when I was very green and had no experience, just 2 tests under my belt and a willingness to learn. I really do want to continue learning and growing here. But the environment, through no fault of anyone’s, has been just grating on me. I honestly believe that if I quit they would all completely understand, but I don’t WANT to - I want to stick it out, partly out of pride (this organization has such high turnover, I have already outlasted over half of the new users I’ve onboarded.....), partly to repay the team that has invested in me and treated me like a human being, and partly because I know more experience is necessary if I want to land another job anywhere else.

But boy, am I drained. I was literally hoping I had Covid because it meant I could get 2 weeks off work. And here I am, finally got Covid, am taking 2 weeks off work, and yet I still feel bad about it because a damn test hasn’t come back making me feel validated about it and I’ve still partially convinced myself I’m being a drama queen.

And this break from work is just making me dread the prospect of YEARS of this kind of uncertainty. It’s been so nice just kind of being able to do things at my pace, but it took me actually contracting The Plague to actually get this kind of relief.

Anyway, a few bright sides... first, my tortoise is adorable and doing great, so there is that. (Just looked over and saw her doing something cute. I love her.) Second, I will continue to rest this full week, and next week there is a good chance I will feel more empowered to tackle a workday with the perspective of fresh challenges as opposed to just some monotonous daily grind, after having this time off. Third, if I continue to feel nothing but dread and frustration regarding work, I think I should stick to that promise to myself and give a deadline to when it’s time to start looking elsewhere and move on, because no organization is worth my mental well-being. And lastly, I’ve re-visited OoT for the first time in a really long time (handhelds are about all I can do at the moment), and that was really special.

I’m still fucking pissed that there is pretty much no chance I’ll be able to go to France this Christmas with my roommate and girlfriend. I was so excited to have a paycheck where I could afford to do something not just for myself but for the people closest to me, I routed our flights so we had layovers that would let us connect on the main flight together and paid extra so we could sit together, I was SO excited about this because I spent almost EVERY Christmas in France as a kid because of my family and I miss it SO MUCH, I was so so so excited to share these intimate memories with people I really care about, but the USA is a fucking dumpster fire shit show so who knows when I’ll be able to actually do that now. I haven’t cancelled the flights yet but I’m coming to terms with the fact I’m going to have to do so. Hopefully I can get a refund and we will just have to go next Christmas, but I’m still really fucking upset.

Not even going to comment on how much of a shit show the USA is in general. I feel completely helpless. Another 4 years of Trump is literally a catastrophe we can NOT permit but the current DNC platform looks like it is going to fix about, oh, FUCK ALL, so at this point it feels like there is no hope unless we literally start busting out the guillotines. Every time I see an Elon Musk fanboy on Twitter some of my remaining faith in humanity crumbles. Then I think about how people have been protesting EVERY SINGLE DAY for the right of Black people to LIVE and NOTHING is being done about it. It’s both exhausting and terrifying.

In conclusion, I would like to stop living through a major historical event, please and thank you.

#this is very stream of consciousness #personal

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hotforharrison · 5 years

Text

His Service ch 5: A long 18 weeks

Chapter 4 <-- His Service Masterlist --> Chapter 6

Pairing: Tom Holland/Reader, eventual Harrison Osterfield/Reader

Summary: A series of memories of memories relating to the love of your life, Tom, and his service in the Army.

Word Count: 911

Warnings: Language and smut, my usual go-tos.

A/N: Shorter than the usual chapter, which I feel bad about.

Your spirits were lifted significantly after spending the entire nearly 36 hours you had with Tom in bed together. You shared countless orgasms with him, between sleeping, cuddling, listening to his stories about basic that he hadn’t had the chance to tell you yet in the beautiful accent you’d missed so much, and occasionally ordering delivery when you both got hungry from the exertion.

He was still obviously exhausted. You’d never seen him like this before. He was trying so hard not to show how much he was struggling to stay awake as much as he did, but you hoped he’d get some more rest soon. You weren’t sure what AIT had in store for him. Maybe they’d give him at least an occasional day off to catch up on much needed sleep.

Your 36 hours of bliss wasn’t as much time as either of you would’ve liked, but it was enough to tide you over until the next visit, whenever that ended up being. He wasn’t sure yet, and you also had to make sure it fit into your schedule, as much as you hated that.

You were less teary-eyed for this goodbye than you’d been for the last one, with the promise of a longer reunion as soon as possible. You were grateful that he made sure to be out of uniform when he went to the airport with you so he could hold you and kiss you over and over again without violating the UCMJ, and its limits on public displays of affection while in uniform.

The flight home felt shorter than the flight there had, even with the long layover in Dallas. You were reluctantly ready to return to your life back home, until your next visit with him.

When your flight landed, you immediately texted Tom to let him know you’d arrived safely, not sure when he’d have his phone again. It would hopefully be more often than in basic training, but you were afraid to be too optimistic.

After the three hour car ride back to your apartment, you took a shower and settled down on your sofa to watch something on TV.

Your phone rang in the middle of a random movie Netflix has suggested to you. It was Tom.

You fumbled to answer your phone in your excitement. “Hey!”

“Guess what I get to have now, darling,” he told you, sounding very pleased.

“I don’t know! Is it something good?” you asked.

“My phone! I can’t use it or have it on me all the time, but I should be able to talk to you almost everyday, if not everyday!” he exclaimed.

“Oh my god!” you squealed.

“It’ll be easier from here on out,” he promised. “Basic was the worst part, and now that’s over. It won’t 100% like it was before I enlisted, but this is just for 18 weeks. Then, I’ll be at my permanent duty station in November. I’ll be able to talk to you whenever I want, other than when I’m working.”

“I can’t wait! I take it you don’t get privacy right now?” you guessed.

“Nope, three roommates,” he confirmed, a bit glumly. “Better than a bay with dozens of guys, though. Hopefully, none of these guys snore. Christ, there was a guy at basic who you could hear across the bay. It was ridiculous. I should have my own room in the barracks after AIT, though.”

“And then we can video chat again?” you asked, hopeful.

He chuckled. “Well, technically, we can video chat now, but I know that’s not the kind of video chatting you mean. And in the meantime, we always have messaging for the kind of chatting you mean.”

You grinned. “So you mean you might send me dick pics sometimes?”

“Definitely a possibility.” He lowered his voice. “That is, if you’re a good girl for me.”

“God, Tom,” you whimpered. “I want to be your good girl. Please let me. I promise I’ll be so good for you.”

“I hate to, but I’m going to let you go so I can find some privacy, so I can take care of the little problem you just gave me,” he whispered.

“I’ll miss your voice, but it’s not little.” You giggled.

He chuckled. “Love you, darling, and I’ll talk to you again as soon as I can.”

“Love you, too. I can’t wait to hear from you again. Bye,” you said.

“Bye,” he echoed, and the call disconnected.

Shortly after he hung up, you received two picture messages -- one of his hard cock, hand wrapped around the base, and the second of his hand and the tip of his softening cock covered in cum. A message followed.

Tom: I thought you’d like to see what you do to me, love. ;-)

You: Jesus. It’s been less than a day, and I already miss your amazing dick.

You hurried into your bedroom to change into his favorite lingerie and took a photo set of your own -- the view of your body lying down in bed from your neck down, a peek of your nipple from the lace bra, your hand inside your panties, and finally, a picture of your glistening fingers as you put them in your mouth.

Tom: Christ, babe, that was hot. You’re so sexy. I might need to go back to the bathroom to jerk off again.

You: Sorry, not sorry? ;-)

Tom: Ugh it’s going to be a fucking long 18 weeks having roommates.

Tag list: @spooky-haz @farfromhaz @eeyore101247 @adayasgeorgia @moorehollandplz @thollandss @dasexydevitt13 @imagine-lovebug @robbinholland @strang-ersclub @hollandisapuppy @goldenpeaxh @legendsofwholock @superheroesaremytea @tomblrholland @niiight-dreamerrrr @spidermanffh3000 @devildisguiseasangel @theyy-lovemo @spidergiirl @jinx4karma @tinycertain @angelhaz11 @i-love-scott-mccall

#tom holland #tom holland fanfiction #tom holland fanfic #Tom Holland Fan Fiction #tom holland imagine #tom holland scenarios #tom holland x reader #tom holland x you #tom holland x y/n #tom holland smut #tom holland reader #tom holland reader insert #tom holland you

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withabackpackandcamera · 4 years

Photo

September 14th, 2020

Day 1: To Alaska on Two Surprisingly Long Flights

Our trip started off with two mid-day flights to get to Anchorage from Los Angeles. Luckily we didn’t have to wake up super early this morning to fly out like we usually do. The first leg to Seattle was around 2 hours and the second leg to Anchorage was maybe 3.5 hours. During our layover in Seattle, we were fortunate enough to be able to use our Priority Pass membership to get a free lunch at Trail Head BBQ Bar. For free food, it wasn’t too bad. The way the pass works is that for specified restaurants, you get about $28 per person to use for a meal (sometimes it has to be dine-in, other times it doesn’t) and sometimes, depending on the credit card you have, you get one additional guest pass that gives you a total of $56 to spend on food between two people. Score! Knowing all of that, we spent our allowance on a BBQ brisket sandwich, a hot dog, a breakfast croissant, and some drinks for lunch. So nice to be able to save money for other things. Love having Priority Pass, whether it’s a lounge or a restaurant!

Once we arrived in Anchorage, we picked up a Lyft and made it to our AirBnB for the evening. We stayed put and settled down for a little while before venturing out for food. Given our location and car-lessness, we ended up choosing to walk to Ichiban Japanese Cuisine, a Japanese restaurant not too far from where we were. We enjoyed a nice, fall evening walk to the restaurant as the sun was setting, taking some moments to enjoy and take in the fall colors we saw along the way.

Ichiban was actually quite empty when we got there. I guess that with the high season coming to an end, slow crowds were to be expected. But that was fine with us. We perused the menu and eventually decided on Katsu Don and a Spicy Rainbow Roll. And the portions were pretty large and we were stuffed by the end of it all. During our dinner, we had a nice conversation with our funny Korean waitress Myung (sp?) and Cynthia especially enjoyed it, enough to grab a photo with her on the way out. It’s always so nice to just sit, take our time, and chat with nice locals.

After dinner, we strolled back home and spent the rest of the evening planning out the long road trip we had ahead to Denali National Park. Day 1, officially in the books, though it was only half a day… Long trip ahead tomorrow.

5 Things I Learned/Observed Today:

1. On the flight into Anchorage, if you’re sitting next to the window, you get an opportunity to see an amazing landscape full of mountains and glaciers! So neat to get that first look of Alaska.

2. Based on our conversation with our waitress, there seems to be a sizable amount of Korean and Vietnamese immigrants located in Anchorage. With them came Asian restaurants too. Score!

3. Compared to other airlines we’ve recently flown, Alaska Airlines definitely tries their hardest to keep people comfortable and safe on their flights during this COVID era. They did a great job with socially distancing people on the airplane and keeping middle seats open for the most part for parties of two. And if you’re ever concerned about something, they definitely will hear you out, something other airlines don’t always do. I was impressed.

4. Compared to other states in the lower 48, Alaska seems to be taking COVID pretty seriously, at least from what we could see. Not only did we have to get tested prior to landing in Alaska (though we could’ve tested in Alaska and quarantined), we also had to show those results to the triage health professionals at the airport before getting through to the exit. Additionally, some restaurants did their part by keeping track of visitors from out-of-town and writing down their information for contact tracing. Good job, Alaska.

5. Alaska is one hour behind California. And interestingly enough, Alaska time is usually abbreviated as AKDT. I had never seen that abbreviation before.

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anotherstephencobert · 5 years

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October 15, 2019 - Back from the reunion that almost wasn't

I can look back on it with happiness now. But thanks to the policies of United Airlines, I was very nearly a no-show at the fulfilling of my parents' final wishes.

All of us had been planning this for months. My sister Carol had gotten the permits and reviewed the Park regulations. We had all made travel arrangements and also arranged for our shifts to be covered at our jobs. Everything was set to go as planned. (Or so we thought.)

Friday morning I got to the airport early to get my boarding passes and get to my gate. My flight was delayed by about an hour because of severe weather in Houston (my stopover) but we headed out at 12:20 and arrived at George Bush International Airport around 2:15 that afternoon. As I expected, due to the weather the connecting flight, United Airlines 4211 to Knoxville was delayed, but at 4:15 we were told to proceed to Gate 29 for boarding.

After waiting for half an hour, the passengers (some 30-35 of us) were told to go back to the lobby; apparently the crew had worked more hours than airline regulations allowed them to. (I had to think, "How quaint of them to figure that out AFTER we'd been called to the gate for boarding!") We did so, and then a few minutes later an announcement came on that our flight had been cancelled!

We all went to the United Customer Service desk and were given Standby boarding passes for two later flights. Two lucky passengers from UA4211 got to go, but the rest of us were pretty much told "Tough luck". Our group went back to the UA Customer Service desk, and you can bet we were all damn mad. They told us they had no flights at all to Knoxville until Sunday morning. I got on the phone to United's 800 number and tried to book that way, but they confirmaed nothing was available. By now we were willing to try anything: One passenger got a flight to Knoxville on Delta airlines but no other flight on ANY airline was available. Connecting flights to hubs like Atlanta were available but even their flights to my old hometown were booked solid. Even flights to nearby cities where I could hopefully get a ride were booked. (The best United offered me was Louisville, KY. I passed.) So around 11:00 I called my family to tell them it looked like there was no way I could make it.

To their credit, United provided me with a hotel room and a boarding pass back to Wichita the next morning. (Plus some meal vouchers.) I made it to the Ramada Inn and spent my last few waking minutes wording the nasty letter in my head that I was going to send to United Airlines the next day.

The next morning I was up early and at the Houston airport at 6:30. When I got there I checked the Departure board and couldn't believe my eyes: There was a flight to Knoxville scheduled for 10:00 am! I went to the lobby of the boarding gate, and the agent there (who remembered me from the day before) told me I needed to go back to Customer Service. I got thre, and the service rep (who didn't remember me; maybe that was just as well) told me there were three seats avaialble on that flight! She arranged for me to get on that flight; I called my sister (who had been crying at the thought that we wouldn't all be there) and told her I'd be there after all. My flight left at 10:05, and at 1:15 pm I was met at McGee-Tyson Airport by my brother Bill and his wife Cheryl, who gave me a ride to our (former) home in Knoxville.

The group of us headed out to the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. What with heavy traffic in Pigeon Forge we didn't get to our destination - a scenic overlook on the North Carolina side of the park about a quarter mile from Newfound Gap - until about 5:00pm. Our parents had requested to be cremated, and Mom wanted her ashes mingled with Dad's and scattered at that location, which was very special to them. We gathered carefully on the steep hillside as my older brother David read the Kaddish in Hebrew and in English, and then with the help of his sons Dan and Tim mingled the ashes and scattered them.

After the ceremony we gathered for a group photo. Bill took a carefully angled selfie to get us all in the shot. From l-r: David's wife Rebecca, yours truly, Tim, Carol (who was camera shy that day; look closely and you can just see her!), David, Bill's wife Cheryl, Dan, and Bill.

We braved the Pigeon Forge traffic one more time and were back in Knoxville around 7:45. We all had dinner at Bravo Italian Restaurant and then retired for the night.

The next morning I had breakfast with my family at the LaQuinta Inn, and Bill gave me a ride back to the airport. I landed at Chicago's O'Hara Airport for a two-hour layover. As departure loomed, I heard the agent at the gate make an announcement I hadn't heard in some time: The flight to Wichita was overbooked and they were looking for one volunteer to take a flight the next morning. There were no takers, so he offered it again, this time offering $800 in United flight vouchers. When boarding started, I assumed they'd found ataker, but then the agent asked again, upping the value to $1200! I didn't have to be at the desk until 3:00 Monday afternoon, so I stepped forward and volunteered to take the flight Monday morning.

I actually wound up getting $1300 in value for future United flights, plus a night at the Chicago Hyatt Regency and $30 in meal vouchers. Interestingly, the flight the next day was on American Airlines. I got back to O'Hara in plenty of time (good thing, too: the lines at the security checkpoints were pretty long), headed out a little before 10:00 am and touched down in Wichita right around noon.

The trip will be a source of wonderful memories for years, but it's going to be awhile before I shake the memory of how United Airlines almost ruined it. Carol is convinced that Mom and Dad were watching out for us and made the reunion happen when all hope seemed gone. I am more inclined to believe that our Heavenly Father opened the door to make it work out. But even with that in mind, and even with the generous travel vouchers, they got a none-too-pleasant email from me letting them know that what happened in Houston was no way to run an airline.

#personal

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drtanstravels · 5 years

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We recently stayed in Tel Aviv, Israel for four days so Anna could attend a teaching seminar for the International Retinal Panel. During our stay we would take a tour of Jerusalem, travel along the West Bank while venturing into Palestine, visit the ancient village of Masada, and then float and get all muddy in the Dead Sea. All of the main events happened in the final two days of the trip so this will just be a relatively short post in comparison, covering the initial two days of our journey, both spent in Tel Aviv.

Friday, November 1, 2019 We had left Singapore at 11:30pm the previous night, took an 11.5-hour flight to Turkey, had a 90-minute layover in Istanbul Airport, and then took another two-hour flight to Tel Aviv. When we were in Seoul, South Korea recently we got chatting to some friends of mine who had traveled to Israel in the past and the nightmares they had faced going through immigration once they had reached Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv. One of them even told us about how he got cavity-searched, so we were both prepared for the worst. Once we were off the plane and inside the airport I cringed a bit when the first security guard snapped on a pair of disposable gloves, but it turned out to be just for him to search through our hand luggage. After that the line at the passport counter was taking forever, but it turned out that the reason the queue was taking so long to move was because we just had a really talkative guy checking our passports and when he first saw my Australian document, he looked up, gave me a curious look, and asked, “Do you watch Home and Away?” I smiled and mentioned that my sister used to have it on every night back in the day and that was it. We had to ask for entry border crossing cards, a separate slip of paper to be put into our passports instead of a stamp, because having an Israeli passport stamp can cause quite a bit of trouble when traveling overseas. There are currently eight countries that won’t accept passports containing Israeli visas, the most notable one being Saudi Arabia, a country to which we may need to travel one day. There are also quite a few countries whose passport holders are forbidden entrance to Israel without official confirmation from the Israeli government, Malaysia being on that list, so one of Anna’s colleagues was unable to attend. In fact, if Anna hadn’t taken Singaporean citizenship after we got married, this journey would never have happened.

As has been a pattern over recent trips, we arrived in Tel Aviv early in the morning, well before our hotel room was available so we dumped our bags with the concierge and decided to have a look around town. We were staying at the Crowne Plaza, which had an attached shopping mall so that was our first stop, mainly for a much-needed coffee and a couple of pastries, and then we discovered that there was a park and shopping district nearby called Sarona, a place with an interesting history:

Sarona was a German Templer colony established in Ottoman Palestine in 1871. Sarona is now a neighbourhood of Tel Aviv, Israel. It was one of the earliest modern villages established by Europeans in Ottoman Palestine. In July 1941, the British Mandate authorities deported 188 residents of Sarona, who were considered hard-core Nazi sympathisers. By the 2000s, the area had fallen into disrepair and was a haven for drug addicts. However, since 2003, the area has undergone massive renovation, which involved moving and relocating historical buildings before their restoration. The area is now a popular shopping district, as well as housing museums, cultural artefacts centring on its history, and IDF complexes.

Walking around Sarona was really cool with its mix of shops, bars, and cafes, as well as the Sarona Market. When Anna was purchasing a ring in one of the stores she asked for some recommendations in the area and the first one immediately given was Anita, a boutique ice-cream store. We initially thought this was a one-off, but we ended up finding incredible ice-cream shops all over the city. Anyway, we ordered a cup with two flavours, Pavlova & Mix Berries and Salted Pretzel, before we continued walking around, visiting among other shops a handmade dreidel store called Draydel House, a place with some unique takes on the spinning tops, and then it was on to Sarona Market. The market had some great looking food and there were plenty of free samples, but as you will find out over the course of this post and the next, it wasn’t an accurate representation of kosher food. We walked around sampling different cheeses, pickles, and halva, possibly the driest substance on earth. Seriously, dust is more mouth-watering than halva. Another thing that Israel is known for is pomegranate juice, generally used for detoxing, so we ordered a large one each, a decision we would later deeply regret and one that would also put the pair of us off pomegranates for the foreseeable future, despite how nice it tasted. Once we were done with the market and walking around the gardens in Sarona, we were able to check into our room at the Crowne Plaza at around 2:00pm and take a nap for a bit. Our day up until that point (besides the awesome pickle store in the market that wouldn’t let me take photos):

Anna near the entrance of Sarona

The way Sarona is set up is really cool

Looking down a row of stores

A map of Sarona in Hebrew

Anna’s dreidel

The dreidel Anna would probably get for me

Some of the ice-cream flavours available at Anita

A few more

They also had a custom soft-serve yoghurt bar

Anna about to buy ours

Our sweet and salty combination was definitely a good mix

Halva inside the market

One of the food stall rows

There is a huge variety available in this market

Unfortunately, not all Israeli food is as good as this looks

Anna in the garden

Now in our room

After sleeping for a bit we caught a cab to the waterfront, which is split into two parts; Alma Beach, a modern seaside area, and the Old City area of Jaffa. Most modern beach areas are similar, whereas ancient cities are always fascinating so Jaffa was the obvious choice to spend some time exploring first. It would be nigh on impossible to summarise the history of a 3,800-year-old port city in the Middle East, but here’s the general background:

Jaffa, in Hebrew Yafo and also called Japho or Joppa, the southern and oldest part of Tel Aviv–Yafo, is an ancient port city in Israel. Jaffa is famous for its association with the biblical stories of Jonah, Solomon and Saint Peter as well as the mythological story of Andromeda and Perseus, and later for its oranges. The city as such was established at the latest around 1800 BCE.

Modern Jaffa has a heterogeneous population of Jews, Christians, and Muslims. Jaffa currently has 46,000 residents, of whom 30,000 are Jews and 16,000 are Arabs. The 2010 film Port of Memory explores these themes. Tabeetha School in Jaffa was founded in 1863. It is owned by the Church of Scotland. The school provides education in English to children from Christian, Jewish and Muslim backgrounds.

Our taxi driver was an elderly man who kept explaining to us along the way that Tel Aviv was a party city, that around 69% of people there were aged between 30-40, and that we’d be among the older people out that night. I wasn’t expecting that, but another thing we weren’t expecting was the fact that the sun sets in Tel Aviv before 5:00pm, it’s almost as if the city is in the entirely wrong timezone and is something that would throw our body clocks off for the duration of this trip. When it had been dark there for a few hours, you’d be led to think it was getting kind of late when in reality it was only about eight o’clock in the evening. So, despite the fact that we arrived at Jaffa at 4:30pm, the sun was already setting, but this just made the place that much more beautiful. We spent the evening wandering through the narrow streets and laneways of Jaffa, taking in all of the ancient buildings, towers, and structures, plus the major landmarks in the area such as Jaffa Lighthouse, Clock Square, and the coastal canons, all while the sun set over the ocean.

After all of that walking we were beginning to get hungry and the waterside restaurants at Alma Beach were supposed to be pretty decent so we chose one called Manta Ray for dinner where we sat outdoors with some drinks and feasted on some selections from their great meze platter, as well as a grilled fish. We were to meet the organisers and other attendees of Anna’s course at 9:30pm after everyone had arrived in town, but it was barely 7:30pm by the time we finished dinner so we found a nearby shisha bar for a few more drinks and a pipe. After a while we both began to bloat up, neither of us could stop farting, and I was burping constantly, feeling the need to vomit. It was too soon after dinner to be from the fish or the meze dishes we chose, I had already checked that the water was safe to drink so that wasn’t it, coffee, pastries, and ice-cream don’t have this effect on me, and nothing else we had tried had been a large enough sample to make us sick. Except for the pomegranate juice, that is. We had drunk about a litre (33.8 fl. oz.) each several hours ago and it now seemed like we were paying for it, however, we couldn’t be 100% certain. Whatever it was, we both wanted to go back to the hotel and let it all out, resulting in me violently throwing up for a few minutes once inside, but then we felt reasonably fine as soon as we were both empty.

We met up with Anna’s course-mates in the lobby of our hotel and we walked down to a pub in another nearby part of town where everyone chatted over some beers, while those who hadn’t eaten had dinner. It was a really fun night and Anna decided to ask one of the local organisers, Tamir, if it could’ve been the pomegranate juice that bloated us. He said it’s good for you, most people just take a small glass and share it. When she told him that we’d had a litre each he was gobsmacked. “That’s not detox, that’s just tox!” was the response. Here are a whole bunch of photos from around Jaffa that evening, plus a couple of our dinner and the shisha bar before we bloated up like a couple of non-embalmed corpses:

Hashan Square

Anna and and I on the peninsula

Part of Jaffa from a distance

Looking over the ocean

People washing their hands

One of the coastal canons, imported by the Ottoman government in the 18th century to protect Jaffa from Bedouin raids

Overlooking a mosque

You can even find cool bars in towns dating back to the bronze age

Walking down a wide thoroughfare

The sun setting over the ocean

A museum surrounded by shops

Walking down an avenue

Anna posing in an alley

One of many interesting sculptures in Jaffa

The view of Clock Square from a very narrow stairway

We were both wondering if this was the Jewish equivalent of leaving your tie on the door handle so your roommate knows you have a girl inside

Etzel House

Dinner is served

We chose a few dishes from this platter

Baked blue bream with Jerusalem artichokes

Smoking a shisha while we both rapidly expand

Saturday, November 2, 2019 Anna was going to her course so I was free to do my own thing for the bulk of the day, but there was one small problem — Saturday is the sabbath, also known as Shabbat in Judaism, and this would severely limit what I was able to do due to many actions being classed as melakhah and thus being prohibited on this day of rest or historically punishable by death! Here’s a better description of melakhah:

Jewish law (halakha) prohibits doing any form of melakhah (מְלָאכָה, plural melakhoth) on Shabbat, unless an urgent human or medical need is life-threatening. Though melakhah is commonly translated as “work” in English, a better definition is “deliberate activity” or “skill and craftmanship”. There are 39 categories of prohibited activities (melakhoth) listed in Mishnah Tractate Shabbat 7:2.

Some acts forbidden on Shabbat include:

Threshing/Extraction Definition: Removal of an undesirable outer from a desirable inner.

Dissection Definition: Reducing an earth-borne thing’s size for a productive purpose.

Kneading/Amalgamation Definition: Combining particles into a semi-solid or solid mass via liquid.

Cooking/Baking Definition for solids: Changing the properties of something via heat. Definition for liquids: Bringing a liquid’s temperature to the heat threshold. This threshold is known as yad soledet (lit. “A hand reflexively recoils [due to such heat]”). According to Igrot Moshe this temperature is 43 °C (110 °F).

Extinguishing a Fire Definition: Extinguishing a fire/flame, or diminishing its intensity.

Ignition: Definition: Igniting, fuelling or spreading a fire/flame.

Transferring Between Domains Definition: Transferring something from one domain type to another domain type, or transferring within a public thoroughfare.

Now, some of you reading this are probably thinking, “Why would you care, you’re not Jewish.” This is true, however, despite me seeing fewer Orthodox Jews in Israel than I did on any given day in New York City, prohibition of melakhah on Shabbat is enforced by law, although not to an extreme. Although no shops would be open, these restrictions would severely limit my food purchasing options. Because it had been powered down for Shabbat, I pushed my way through the revolving door to exit the hotel and hit the street. I was quite hungry due to the fact that I had vomited everything I had eaten the previous evening so I figured I might get lucky finding somewhere open to eat at Sarona. I saw a cafe with people all around it so that’s where I went and I ordered the egg white omelette on the menu, which came with some bread and a side salad. I guess the hotplate must’ve been kept burning from the previous day and eggs aren’t really a solid or liquid so changing their properties via heat would be fine. Salad was also okay because the form of the lettuce doesn’t change, only the size, and it was cut quite large so it wasn’t done to make it into a more usable, productive state. The bread had obviously been made the previous day and when it came to dissection of the food in order to eat, that was all on me, not the cafe. Juice wasn’t an option due to threshing/extraction, but it was when I ordered a latte that things got weird. The waiter told me that he could only offer me a “very weak coffee” which was the result of the water and milk only being heated to about 40°C in keeping with the law, a temperature that also isn’t really hot enough for the coffee to properly infuse the water, thus making it not very strong. It actually turned out to be infinitely easier to get a beer anywhere in town that morning than coffee. My order at the cafe was able to be brought from the kitchen to my table, and also to diners who were seated outside, without transferring between domains due to the installation of an eruv, described as:

An urban area enclosed by a wire boundary which symbolically extends the private domain of Jewish households into public areas, permitting activities within it that are normally forbidden in public on the Sabbath.

Although the Jewish community must strictly adhere to laws of prohibition on Shabbat, going to the effort of building eruvs and heating liquids to a slightly cooler temperature than normal seem like ways of pranking an almighty deity who is easily fooled by the loopholes in the rules he wrote. Then I remembered this scene from the documentary Religulous:

youtube

After eating I decided to have a look around the beach area, making my way there via the main shopping district en route, but obviously everything was closed except for bars, restaurants, and cafes and wouldn’t be opening again until late in the evening or within the next few days. I was also having trouble getting cash out of an ATM again and this time I wasn’t sure whether the machines weren’t accepting my card or were just unable to function in general. I arrived at the beach and it was quite nice with a bunch more seaside bars and restaurants, as well as plenty of entertainment, some of which was unintentionally funny. There was Israeli folk dancing that happens at Gordon Beach every Saturday, as well as a big outdoor gym area where meatheads could work out like in Venice Beach, California, all just grunting, flexing, and slapping butts. Instead, I walked out along the pier to a lighthouse, just taking in the sights. It was a nice walk, but I could feel myself getting sunburnt so I went back to a shaded area along the shore to sit down with a bunch of senior citizens for a bit and that’s where I got the biggest laugh of the day. There were three guys working out there, one was absolutely ripped and doing chin-ups and some other impressive feats on horizontal bars directly in front of us, another was doing push ups, all the while giving the third guy tips on capoeira moves. If you are unaware of what capoeira is, it’s a Brazilian martial art that combines acrobatics, dancing, and complex moves involving hand plants, kicks, and flips (that link is a video that will give you a decent idea). The only problem was that the guy trying to do it wasn’t particularly good at capoeira so I found myself sitting there with a bunch of confused older people who were innocently trying to figure out why a muscly dude was doing cartwheels in the sand in front of several other muscly guys. It was a hot day, a dry heat compared to the insane humidity of Singapore, but I had no cash for a drink so I had a sip out of the drinking fountain where people also washed the sand off their feet, and walked for forty minutes back to the hotel, passing a cheese shop that you could smell before you could see, despite it being closed, along the way. Once back I killed two birds with one stone, grabbing a bottle of sparkling water from the minibar and making an instant coffee in the room, which turned into mud when I added water, but it still gave me the caffeine fix I had been lacking. I also managed to get cash out of an ATM next our hotel and Anna was still going to be a while so I planted myself in a bar back in Sarona for a few hours until she was done.

My kosher Shabbat breakfast with very weak coffee

Walking into town

At the beach

Looking down the boardwalk and across the road

Some huts near the ocean

Now walking down the promenade

Was Banksy in town?

More art, this time honouring the older community

Israeli folk-dancing

Beanbags on the beach

One of many cafes along the promenade

Coming over a little cloudy

That’s better

Waves crashing along the pier

A lighthouse at the end

I’m still trying to figure out if this building had caught fire or was just art-deco

The cheese shop on the way home. I wish it was open

The bottom of my instant mud coffee

Anna was soon back from her teaching and we had a dinner that night with everyone else involved in the course. This meant taking a minibus with the International Retinal Panel crew back to a restaurant at the beach, Anna’s first venture into that area of Tel Aviv, so we had a look around the boardwalk and took a few photos first. It was nice to hang out with everyone while we were feeling 100%, they were really cool people and an interesting mix of nationalities, some local, others coming from Columbia, Italy, India, France, Argentina, China, and a multitude of other other countries. The restaurant we went to looked good, but the entire group, myself included, consisted of about 30 people, taking up two massive tables, and the platters we received, two per table, were to be shared. The problem with this system was that Anna, myself, and a few others were tucked away in a corner on the back table and our food and drinks kept failing to appear. Everyone else received a meze platter except us, we waited about 20 minutes and then had to ask for it, as well as remind the staff that we had also ordered drinks. When it finally arrived, the other areas of both tables were receiving a grilled fish that looked delicious, but when we finished our platter the fish never arrived, nor did the second drink I ordered. We asked about the fish and when it finally came ours was just what seemed like fish offcuts including several heads, all of which was deep-fried to the point that it was so crunchy it was pretty much inedible. We didn’t bother eating much of it, that second beer never came, and everyone that was there for the course had homework to do so we got back in the bus, the interior blue light making my Rick and Morty “Pickle Rick” shirt appear as if it were covered in turds, and we went back to the hotel, them to do group work and me to have a couple of drinks at the hotel bar until it closed.

Anna’s first stroll along this area of the beach

The boardwalk at night

All of the people involved in Anna’s course

A merry-go-round

Some of the food has arrived, but it also looks like others are asking for stuff that hasn’t

If our fish were pork, it would’ve been the parts that go into a sausage roll

Definitely looks like faeces

Tel Aviv is such a cool city and nothing like we expected, yet a completely hidden gem when it comes to traveling, but this was just the beginning! Stay tuned for the next instalment when we do all the cool stuff you would expect one to do while in Israel that in no way would fit into this post, like visiting Jerusalem and floating in the Dead Sea.

The first two days of our four-night trip to Israel We recently stayed in Tel Aviv, Israel for four days so Anna could attend a teaching seminar for the International Retinal Panel.

#beach #Jaffa #sabbath #Sarona #Shabbat #Tel Aviv

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thesilverstaganddoe · 5 years

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The Beginning: Psychology and the Law (Killing Eve Fic) Chapter 14

AO3 Link

Chapter [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13]

Chapter 14: Best Case Scenario

On Monday, Eve went to the MI6 offices. It was the first time she had been there since she’d collected her things a week after officially “retiring” and it was a bit strange to be back. She didn’t recognize the woman at the security desk in the front lobby. She peered at Eve’s old MI6 ID.

“Do you work here? I don’t recognize you.”

“I used to. I’m here to see Bill. Bill Pargrave.”

“Do you have an appointment? I don’t see your name on the list.”

“I don’t need one, he’s my old boss, he’ll want to see me.”

“Oh, well, I’m not sure…”

“It’s fine, really.”

The woman faltered for another moment, but something in Eve’s expression seemed to convince her that she didn’t want to keep arguing and she allowed Eve to pass through.

The office looked much the same, except that someone else had clearly taken over Eve’s desk. There were colored sticky notes lining the edges of the computer monitor and sitting beside it was a photo of a smiling couple holding a little girl.

Eve had already been in a pretty foul mood and it didn’t make her feel any better.

It was early and there wasn’t anyone in the outer office, but Eve knew Bill had a habit of getting in early and, as expected, he was in his office, hunched over his computer, picking at a croissant.

“Hi, Bill.”

He looked up. “Eve! What a surprise! A wonderful surprise, of course.”

She nodded. It was good to see him, of course, but she wasn’t exactly feeling cheerful or particularly filled with a desire to catch up on old times. So, she got right to the point.

“I need help with something. A favor.”

“Okay. Straightforward as always. Is everything alright?”

“I need information on someone. An address, at least, and anything else you can get me.”

“Okay. You’ll also owe me a favor, though, Eve.”

“Fine, whatever you want.”

“I’ll hold you to that. What’s the name?”

“Anna. I don’t know her last name, but she was a teacher at the Gorchakov boarding school about fifteen years ago.”

“That’s not a lot to go on.”

“I have faith in you. You’ve done more with less.”

“I’ll see what I can do. Come by tomorrow, I’ll leave a file for you at the front desk.”

“Thank you.” Eve turned to go and then pause by the door and turned back around. “Bill?”

“Yes?”

“Will you let me into the shooting range?”

Bill raised his eyebrows, but didn’t comment. He simply held out his keys.

Normally, Eve’s position at MI6 wouldn’t have warranted her carrying a gun, but after some threats had been made in a particularly difficult case, she received some training and been issued one. After leaving MI6, she’d obtained a civilian license and kept it, but it had always been in a lockbox under her bed that she’d never opened since her departure.

Until that day.

She’d opened it up again that morning, before she left to meet Bill. It made her uncomfortable; it was a reminder of difficult and stressful days. She’d been allowed to keep it with the idea that the threat could potentially remain, even once she’d left MI6 and abandoned the case. But, really, she hadn’t been too concerned; she’d left, she’d done what they wanted. There was no reason to get rid of her anymore.

But she’d kept it, and in that moment she was glad she had.

———-

As promised, a file was waiting for Eve the next morning.

Anna Aanmokoba. The file had a list of basic information, including her ex-husband’s name and her age. She was forty-nine. Which would have made her thirty-five when Oksana was sixteen. Eve’s fingers clenched into fist tight enough that her nails dug hard into her palm.

Fuck her. Fuck her a hundred times over.

It also had her address. She was no longer working at the school, it appeared she was retired, but she was still living close to it.

Eve booked a flight. Somehow, by some grace of a god she didn’t really believe in, there was a flight out of London to St. Petersburg early the very next morning. It had a layover in Vienna, but it wasn’t too bad, less than an hour. The price was exorbitant last minute, but Eve didn’t care.

Oksana texted her in the afternoon, asking her if she wanted to come over for dinner or drinks that night. Eve told her that her friend had had a baby and she was leaving early the next morning to spend the next couple of days with her in Leeds.

Oh, okay.

Eve felt bad. But what else could she say?

———-

When she finally landed in St. Petersburg, she didn’t even bother with the train; she couldn’t focus enough to figure out the Russian schedules. Part of her wished Oksana was with her. She’d make it so simple, converse easily with everyone they came across, charm everyone in their path.

But, no, it was something Eve needed to do alone.

So, she managed to get a rental car from an agency whose people spoke enough English to not make it miserable and by midafteroon was making her way to the address Bill had given her.

It was in Pavlovsk, about an hour’s drive from St. Petersburg. Eve flicked through Russian radio stations as she drove, barely listening to any of them. She paused on one, a host whose voice sounded a little like Oksana’s. Ultimately, though, she slammed her hand down on the power button and drove the rest of the way in silence.

Anna’s house was small, almost cute, if Eve had been in the kind of mood to make such an assessment. She sat in the car outside for a few minutes, considering what she was about to do. She didn’t really have a plan, exactly, she just felt like she needed to do...something.

So she went and knocked on the door.

She didn’t know what she expected, but whatever it was, the woman who answered wasn’t it. She was mousy and she looked old, older than Eve had even expected. Which just made Eve feel even more irritated.

She wasn’t ugly, really, but there wasn’t anything special about her either. Except her hair. She really did have quite nice hair. Eve also found that irritating.

“Hello?” the woman asked.

“Are you Anna?”

“Yes?”

Eve pushed past her into the house.

“We need to talk.”

Anna trailed behind her, not even commenting on the fact that Eve had just walked into her house without invitation.

“Who are you?”

Eve whirled on her and glared. There was no point in hiding her anger.

“A friend of Oksana’s.”

Anna actually smiled.

“Ah. How is she?”

Eve hissed out a breath. “Good. No thanks to you.”

The smile remained, but it hardened a bit. “No thanks to me? I was everything to that girl.”

It took everything Eve had not to slap her.

“Do you seriously think that? You abused her. You forced her into a relationship she was too young for.”

Anna scoffed, the look on her face twisting and growing nasty. “Oh, I didn’t force her into anything. If anything, she pushed it on me. She was a manipulative little snot. And she was obsessed with me.”

Eve really, really wanted to hit her. “That’s crap.”

“I’ll show you.”

Anna disappeared into another room and came back with a large box stuffed with papers. She set it down on the end table in front of Eve.

“These are from her.”

Eve narrowed her eyes at the woman. She didn’t really want to look away from her, but she had to admit, she was curious.

She began to page through them. There were some photos, some of them of Oksana and Anna together, but a number of just Oksana. She looked so young, so innocent, so naive. So easily hurt.

Mostly though, the box was filled with letters, largely written in French, which Eve had actually learned in school. It had been quite a while since she’d spoken it, much less read it, but she was still able to decipher sections of the letters.

My darling, Anna

I miss you.

Do you know the life we could have together?

I need to see you.

You looked beautiful in class today, I couldn’t stop watching you.

Please write to me, I have not heard from you in ages.

My heart longs for you, darling.

Eve felt the rage bubbling up in her chest anew. Anna raised an eyebrow at her.

“See? It was all her.”

“You’re a monster,” Eve hissed.

Anna shook her head. “She’s the monster. She’s a psychopath, did you know that?”

“Fuck you.”

“Oh, dear. You’ve got it bad. She’s got you wrapped around her little finger, doesn’t she? You know that she’s manipulating you, right? You need to know that. It’ll all fall apart soon enough.”

Every last bit of Eve’s patience was gone; it was amazing that it had lasted as long as it did. She grabbed Anna by both her shoulders and shoved her as hard as she could. She looked utterly shocked as she fell backwards onto the coffee table. It had a glass top and Anna crashed through it in an instant, shattered pieces flying across the floor and embedding themselves in Anna's skin.

Eve pulled the gun out of where she’d had it tucked in the back of her waistband and pointed it at Anna.

“I used to work for MI6 and I still have friends in high places and not just in the UK. If you ever contact her again, I will have you thrown in jail - and that’s if you’re lucky.”

Anna gave her a disgusted look. “You’re just like her. You deserve each other.”

“She certainly deserves better than you.”

Eve's finger hovered on the trigger for a long while, but eventually, with a deep breath, she moved it away. She took the box of letters and photos and moved backwards to the door, keeping the gun pointed at Anna. She never made an attempt to get up, though, and Eve slipped out the door without any trouble.

She set the box in the backseat, got into the front, threw the gun in the passenger seat and drove around the block, where she pulled over to the side of the road and parked again. Her heart was racing and she was gasping for breathing.

Suddenly she found herself crying, huge, hysterical sobs, and she buried her face in her hands and leaned against the steering wheel. She was crying because she was scared. Because she was angry. Because her heart hurt for Oksana. Because what she’d just done was the best thing she could think of to help her and it still didn’t seem like enough.

Because she didn’t know what to do with any of those feelings and it was screwing with her head.

———-

She drove to a convenience store and bought a thing of lighter fluid, some matches, and a bottle of whiskey. She drove, vaguely in the direction of the airport. Once she’d left the residential area, the road mostly ran through endless fields. It annoyed Eve. Fuck Russia.

At some point, after some indeterminate amount of time, a few trees started to appear along the roadside and Eve swerved off the side of the road towards them. She got out of the car, grabbed the box from the backseat, and tossed the lighter fluid and matches into it.

She walked into the trees, going deeper and deeper until the darkness settled around her and she could no longer see the road behind her. She grabbed fistfuls of the letters from the box and began throwing them on the ground. She kept the old photos, at least the ones that were only of Oksana. But the letters ended up in a heap on the ground

She poured the lighter fluid on top, stepped back a foot or two, struck a match, and tossed it on top of the pile. Flames sprung forward instantly and Eve watched them for a moment, letting the heat warm her cheeks and the sparks burn at her eyes. Then, she turned and walked away, letting it burn behind her.

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