#since there is no bus or train route that's reasonable)

[therainingkiwi]

Train travel in The Lightning Thief/PJO TV season 1

Oh look, I'm overanalyzing fictional train travel because I'm one of Those neurodivergent people. Let's get into it. Warning for VERY minor book spoilers (just mentioning the names of all the cities our trio travels through).

TL; DR our trio's cross country travel route makes no sense at all.

In the first book/season of the Percy Jackson series, our main trio takes a cross-country trip from Long Island, NY, to Los Angeles, CA. In the beginning, it appears as if they've boarded a cross country bus that will drive them the whole way there (a trip that usually takes ~72 hours). However, they get derailed in rural New Jersey (presumably the northwestern part of the state).

After New Jersey, the action immediately skips ahead, and we next see our trio on an LA-bound train that's about to stop in St. Louis (and in the book, has a later stop in Denver).

So, just off the bat: the train route that the trio are taking doesn't exist IRL (assuming they board a train in Trenton, and that train stops in St. Louis, Denver, and Los Angeles). It's also impossible for a single person to travel that route for $200, much less three people. Chiron needs some up to date information about cross country travel prices.

If they were traveling a reasonable IRL amtrak route, they'd probably take the Cardinal from Trenton to Chicago, and then take the Southwest Chief from Chicago to LA. However, if they can get back to Penn Station from Aunty Em's, they could take the Lake Shore Limited from NYC to Chicago, which would be 7-8 hours shorter than getting to Chicago via the Cardinal.

They could also take a bus from north New Jersey to Chicago.

However, the Southwest Chief (most direct amtrak route to LA) stops at neither St. Louis nor Denver. The most notable cities along the route are Kansas City, Albuquerque, and Flagstaff.

If they wanted to take a route to LA that had them pass thru St. Louis, they could take the Texas Eagle from Chicago to St. Louis to San Antonio, and then take the Sunset Limited from San Antonio to LA. There are 3 trains per week that make this two-leg trip without requiring travelers to transfer at San Antonio, so our trio are probably on one of those. Why they didn't take the (shorter, cheaper, and more frequent) Southwest Chief is a mystery, honestly.

Since Chicago is the USA Amtrak hub, most routes will pass thru that city. The only alternative route is taking the Crescent from Trenton to New Orleans and then taking the Sunset Limited from New Orleans to LA. This would take them nowhere near Denver or St Louis, but probably wouldn't have a significant time/price difference from routing the trip thru Chicago (assuming they travel direct from Chicago to LA rather than taking the Texas Eagle thru San Antonio).

Unfortunately, there are no trains in the USA that travel between St. Louis and Denver (or even between St. Louis and Colorado in general), so that leg of their trip would have been made via bus. Greyhound (the USA's main long-distance bus travel company) has buses directly from St. Louis to Denver that end in California (but in San Francisco rather than LA).

In conclusion, I propose a new Amtrak route called "The Lightning Thief" that travels from New York-Penn Station, down the Northeast corridor thru New Jersey, and then turns west, making major stops in St. Louis, Denver, and Las Vegas, before terminating in LA. It doesn't stop in Amtrak's Chicago hub because all hub-and-spoke transit systems should have rim routes, and because Chicago isn't mentioned in The Lightning Thief.

Also, in conclusion, the USA needs better rail infrastructure and I'm a fucking nerd.

Amtrak map below for reference.

#percy jackson #pjo #percy jackson tv series #pjotv spoilers #long post #amtrak #railroad #the lightning thief #i wanna read an AU where the group takes the Southwest Chief train to LA and has fun adventures in Chicago and Albuquerque and Kansas City

[valtionrautatiet-official]

An introduction to VR multiple units, part 4: Dm12

The Dm12. Lipokas (Slipper) aka Vankka (Stout, Solid) aka Konkka (Bankruptcy), aka Peräkylän Pendolino (Backwater Pendolino... a dear child has many names. These stout boys are currently our only diesel railbuses in use, operating the slow-stopping services on non-electrified routes. They're also our newest multiple units in operation at the time of writing (the Sm6 Allegro trains are newer, but currently not in operation).

A two-carriage Dm12 train in the current livery at Haapamäki, 2020. My photo.

Since I love context, to understand the Dm12 we need to go back over 30 years. Our previous mainstay railbus class, the Dm7, was retired in 1988. Diesel multiple units (DMUs) remained in use on some local services using the Dm9 units (downgraded from the original express services), but these too were withdrawn in 1990. No new diesel multiple units were built to replace either class; instead, services previously operated with DMUs were replaced by locomotive-hauled trains using blue carriages (which were in turn replaced by the new Intercity coaches on many long-distance trains). This resulted in some funny combinations, such as a single carriage being hauled by a single locomotive.

As should have been obvious from the start, not having any DMUs was A Very Bad Idea. Already in 1995 our Pieksämäki workshop rebuilt a second-class blue carriage into a DMU by putting in two bus engines and fitting control cabs at both ends. This single Dm10 unit was used successfully for three years around eastern Finland, but our illustrious leadership decided not to proceed any additional conversions due to the projected relatively short lifespan, instead ordering 16 brand new units from Alstom. The first of these Dm11 units were delivered in 1997... and quickly discovered to be heavier and noisier than specified, and the windshield had an unfortunate habit of freezing so the driver could not see. Already in 1997, we canceled the contract and all units were returned to the builder (reportedly they were eventually sold to Cuba).

Left: The sole Dm10. Photo Nikolas Lintulaakso, Wikimedia Commons. Right: A rake of Dm11's inbound to Helsinki to be returned to the builder. Photo Jarkko Voutilainen, Vaunut.org.

Several new rounds of tenders were held over the subsequent years, none of which resulted in acceptable bids, until finally in 2001 ČKD Vagonka (today a part of Škoda Transportation) in the Czech Republic offered railbuses that fulfilled the specifications of the tender put out on that year. 16 units were ordered, with an option for 20 (which we never took up – a mistake, as we shall see).

A two-carriage Dm12 rake at Seinäjoki, with the first car in the original livery apart from the added green high-visibility tape in the front. My photo.

The Dm12 railbuses finally entered service in 2005-2006. They have a service speed of 120 km/h and a capacity for 62 seated passengers. Funnily enough, they actually weight 8 metric tons more than the Dm11's abandoned due to excess weight. The new railbuses replaced locomotive-hauled trains on the routes Pieksämäki-Joensuu-Nurmes, Iisalmi-Ylivieska, Savonlinna-Parikkala, Jyväskylä to Tampere and Seinäjoki via Haapamäki and Karjaa-Hanko. Due to the better acceleration compared to locomotive-hauled trains, two stations (Oriveden keskusta and Kolho) could be (re-)opened without increasing travel times.

However, it quickly turned out the 16 Dm12's were not enough to cope with the passenger demands on all these services, and most notably Jyväskylä-Seinäjoki reverted to locomotive-hauled trains already in 2007 (but returned to Dm12's in 2011). For reasons unknown to the author, despite the clear need for more railbuses the option for additional units was never taken up, and no additional DMU's of other design have been ordered to date, despite there being more demand than the Dm12 can cope with on many routes.

The middle passenger compartment of a Dm12. Otto Karikoski, Wikimedia Commons.

Perhaps a reason for not building any more Dm12's is their unfortunate habit of catching fire. Between 2007 and 2022, Dm12's have burnt no less than 15 times. The whole class has been out of service due to the fires twice, first in 2012 and again in 2022. One unit was damaged so badly it had to be withdrawn from service entirely. And the fires have not been the only problems with the class, often less than a half of the Dm12's have been in operable condition.

Still, despite the persistent problems, there have been no concreate plans to get new, less combustible railbuses, or even to simply get more railbuses so there would be enough of them to go around. The situation was slightly improved in 2020, when passenger services between Karjaa and Hanko ceased for the duration of electrification works. Passenger services on the route will restart next week, but using Sm4 class electric multiple units.

#finland #railroad #train #vr #multiple unit #railbus

[dangerously-human]

Ireland itinerary (detailed version) (in order) is almost complete! Still have a day or two to round out, but I know what cities I'm staying in and where I'm headed each day. Haven't actually booked anything, because I'm still hoping to have a credit card by then (and the points would be nice), but if that doesn't work out in the next couple days, I'll figure it out anyway. Also need to identify bus routes for the times I won't have a car, but I've got the approximate plan, at least. Tried to alternate days heavier on hiking vs. driving, and saved the more complicated drives for later in the trip. Also working on not overbooking myself, you know, leaving hours to simply wander, since that's a big reason for driving this time around instead of relying on public transportation (that, and a lot of the places I really want to see really aren't easily doable by bus + train + walking, at least not this time of year). Started a little of the house cleaning and packing (finally bought my own carry-on suitcase and it is ridiculously cute, makes the whole process extra fun). Tomorrow I plan to do a bunch of prep for driving abroad, and then the rest of the week is for as much schoolwork as possible so I can really enjoy my spring break. Friday I get to hang with former work bff and then fly out that evening! Soon!!

#personal #ireland sing me across the sea

[yestrday]

shiny-jr asked:

Not a request or anything but I just wanted to say you write interesting content and it's always exciting to see when you post something! The Academy AU for genshin caught my attention the most for some reason. I actually had a thought. Since most of the students there are rich, surely they have their own rides to school, right? But maybe the mc can't relate. Maybe they take a bus, trolley, or train. Can you imagine, all the spoiled guys are like, "Pfft, who doesn't have a car/limo? Imagine taking public transportation. Cringe." But when they hear the mc takes public transportation to school everyday? Suddenly they're there using that public transportation. They don't need it, they just want another chance to see more of the mc. Oh, how the turn tables.

cut the cameras deadass. is that fucking shiny-jr in my inbox? holy shit.. call the c0ps.. call gov3rnment officials... this is a damn national holiday in the making.

FREAKOUT ASIDE... omg you have wrinkly brain... grooves and all. i would smooch it mwah. as expected from the writer of the twst sentient au you have no idea how many times I've reread it!!!

((this is a repost bc tumblr is absolutely unre4sonable with their c3nsoring and my post did not show up at first))

yeah no. the number of times you've had to watch those damn rich kids and their fancy ass limos stop by the gate while you get off at the bus stop. everyone else on the bus is staring at you and your uniform— a member of a prestigious university on a jam-packed bus? rumors start circulating. you must be some sort of charity student.

on your first year, you received many of these curious and haughty stares from your fellow students too. it isn’t easy, being a scholarship student, but you wouldn’t be where you are if you let some snobby rich kids embarrass you. so what if you took the subway and had to chase after buses? none of these would matter as soon as you graduate and get yourself an elite job.

when you (unluckily) win the affection of your harem, many if not all of them start devising plans in order to use your situation to their advantage. man. you just wanna go to school. why the fuck do they keep messing this up for you?

it’s the protag powers. the twins use the same subway line as you and have the pleasure of escorting you to class every day. you were a bit surprised when you saw two new students on the subway and mistakenly thought them in the same boat as you, poor background and all. they’re really not; they just like walking a lot. they’re generally pleasant to be with— aether making friendly conversation and entertaining you while lumine smoothly wraps her hand around yours. they protect you from unsavory strangers groping you in the crowded area... and other competitors hoping to have a sneak in some time with you.

aether, lumine

they’ve figured out your routes. they know the exact times when you get off and on the bus and trains. they expertly use the motions of the crowd to get themselves near you while hiding at the same time. doesn’t do anything much except stare at you for so long that you start feeling the creeps. honestly the other passengers are scared too. if they get close enough they’re lucky to get a smell of your freshly washed body and experience the familiar smell of your soap for themselves. breaking into your house and sneaking around your bathroom is one thing, but actually smelling it on you is a whole thrilling thing.

xiao, childe, gorou, chongyun, heizou, venti

why tf would they waste their time sneaking onto some sardine packed place when they could simply pick you up in their ultra cool, ultra sleek, ultra rich limo? drives up to your dingy driveway and rolls the windows down. get in, they say, looking all rich and shit. you don’t know how they got your address. everyone in the neighborhood is staring at you, your family is gaping, and the suitor is watching you expectantly. you feel pressured by this whole being rich thing, but as soon as you spot the free food— made by five star michelin chefs, btw— every worry is thrown out of the window.

ayato, xingqiu, childe, zhongli, diluc, kaeya

is driving the limo. ayato rolled up the thing separating the driver and the passengers so he can’t see anything. once he escorts you out, he wipes off the crumbs and fixes your uniform and hair before patting you on the head.

thoma

wanted to pick you up at your house too but ei and makoto are annoying and he thinks that it’ll make him look stupid. why should he offer you a free ride? impatiently waits for you as your dutiful seatmate and starts bullying you. you resist another day’s worth of the tempation to slap him.

scaramouche

doesn’t bother with catching you during your transit, but catches you as soon as you reach school. they make morning conversation and escort you to your classroom. you’re both in a crowd of students, but they feel like you’re the only person in the world.

itto, albedo, kaedahara kazuha, razor, heizou, venti, kaeya

meets you “by chance” when you stop by your local convenience store to get some things. they hog up most of your time, taking in your sleepy drawl and hazy eyes. you end up walking together to school and if they’re lucky enough, you doze off and cling to them for support. they let you, nuzzling into the soft of your hair and holding you close just like how lovers do.

heizou, venti, albedo, kaedahara kazuha, kaeya

oh no :((( some common street thugs are bothering you now. you’re about to pull out your ultra secret weapon, but a knight in shining armor comes swooping in! they’re self-satisfied about saving you, fantasizing about how you’ll thank them. you, on the other hand, is disappointed that you couldn’t test out your brand new t4ser.

kaeya, itto, diluc, zhongli, razor

is the street thug

itto

isn’t lucky enough to catch you on transit. the closest they got to was chasing after your bus and then falling through an open manhole.

bennet

#yandere genshin impact #yandere x reader #genshin impact x reader #genshin impact imagines #genshin impact scenarios #yester.writes #yester.au — academy 📓

[karatekels]

I know a request of mine is still on the way but I thought hEY why not already give you the next one? I’m so sorry, the terry brainrot is doing this 😫

could we have more kk3 terry please? honestly when it comes to my requests, you can always make reader the innocent type. so maybe she randomly comes across the dojo and sees daniel train with terry. she‘s fascinated by terry’s skills and strength (and grows a crush on him) but doesn’t have the courage to go in. she‘d just pass by almost every day there to see if she can watch him train again. what she doesn’t realize tho is that terry‘s been aware of her presence since day 1 and is just waiting for the perfect opportunity to lure her in and of course also show her his true colors at some point

I’m super excited to write this one! I hope it doesn’t come across as too OOC for Terry, but I still think his actions fit with his character. Enjoy!

---

Payment Plan

---

They had moved your bus stop two blocks over, and an extra ten minutes away, a minor inconvenience that added up quickly into a more irritating problem when you used it to get to work six days a week.

Grumbling to yourself, you head up the more unfamiliar street, wanting to get to the bus stop a few minutes early just in case you had any trouble finding it. It was strange how you could live in one place for so long, but get so accustomed to your daily routes that anything beyond that felt new and interesting to you. There was a pottery and ceramics shop, what looked to be a bonsai shop opening soon, and…a place selling snakes? Strange, but then, this was L.A., and what else could a place called Cobra Kai possibly be selling?

Slowing your pace a bit – you had the time – you look in through one of the glass windows, wondering at what the store could be selling. To your surprise, there are no reptiles, no cages, just a largely empty room with training mats and mirrors. Taking a closer look at the sign on the door, you see that Cobra Kai is actually a karate dojo.

Sure enough, you see two people walk into the main training area of the dojo: a boy, probably close to finishing high school, in a white gi and nearly bouncing with enthusiasm, and a man that looked to be in his early thirties, in a half-open black gi, watching the boy with a stoic expression.

The man was probably the most handsome man you’d ever seen – he was definitely the most attractive you’d see outside of TV or the movies, and he looked like an action star himself. Tall, incredibly built, with long dark hair and bright blue eyes, you didn’t think that people could be this attractive…

A car horn sounds suddenly in the street behind you, causing you to jump. You turn away from the window, not wanting it to be obvious that you were watching, and check your watch. You had to leave now or you would miss your bus! Reluctantly, you walk down the street, though you sincerely doubt you’ll be able to focus on work today…

---

Hours later, and you’re on the bus ride home, tired and looking forward to getting home. Your boss hadn’t shared your plans of not focusing on work, and you’d been pushed to the limit with a last-minute double-shift. You hop off the bus at the new stop just as dusk is starting to fall. Bracing yourself for your now-slightly-longer walk home, you look down the street, and see that the lights at the Cobra Kai dojo are still on across the street.

…A glimpse of the man you’d seen earlier would be just the thing to brighten your day. And it’s not like you’d be hurting anyone; they’d never even notice. He may not even be there, you reason to yourself as you cross the street, trying not to move too excitedly.

You slow your pace as you approach the dojo window, taking a quick look around you and noticing only a couple of people nearby. Good, you wouldn’t be noticed snooping by anyone out here, at least. Peeking into the dojo, you see the same two men as this morning – had they been at it this whole time?! Karate seemed like a ton of work.

The boy is looking exhausted, sweaty, his hair matted to his forehead, but the man looks as stunning as he had this morning; not even a hair out of place. You suppose that makes sense; he’s clearly the teacher here – sensei, you think it was called – so of course the student would be actually doing the most karate.

The man stalks around the boy, staring him down intensely as they have a conversation. Everything about him seemed so strong, but at the same time so controlled, like he was constantly on edge of unleashing all the power he was capable of. You couldn’t take your eyes off of him – he seemed so passionate when teaching the boy, and his student seemed responsive, wanting to please.

You could relate to him in that regard, you think to yourself as you all but drool at the sight of the man through the window. You wonder what his voice sounds like, you wonder about everything…

The two have moved over to a crude training dummy made of wood and pipes. The boy kicks the dummy’s “legs” a few times, but doesn’t make much progress, even appearing to hurt his foot at one point. The man seems to reassure him over a pep-talk, before moving over the dummy itself and demolishing it – legs, chest and head – in three quick strikes. Your jaw falls open – you’re pretty sure that the boy’s does as well, having never seen anything remotely like it in your life.

Realizing that you’ve been staring too long, you force yourself away from the dojo, heading home. You can’t say that you sleep well this night, but that your dreams are well worth the lack of rest.

---

Over the next week, you find yourself looking through the dojo’s windows twice a day, everyday, trying to commit every glimpse of the handsome man to memory. You’re sure that this isn’t healthy behaviour, but you don’t know how you could go about introducing yourself at this point. “Hi, I’ve been watching you teach karate without you knowing for the past week and have fallen head over heels for you. Would you like to get a drink?” Yeah, right.

You’ve even tried to do things to get his attention, despite knowing that it’s a futile effort – he was always so focused when teaching or practicing himself. You had started dressing in the nicest clothes you could get away with wearing to work without drawing attention, and had gone to the library on your day off to pick up some books about karate, wanting to secretly share this interest with him.

Clutching the book to your chest, you start to walk back home, looking forward to walking past the dojo as always. Looking into the window, pretending that you’re checking your reflection so that no passersby get suspicious, you gaze into the dojo, only to find that it’s empty, leaving you with an overwhelming feeling of disappointment.

“You know, you’ll never really learn karate from a book.”

Spinning around at the sudden voice from behind you, you come face-to-face with the subject of your infatuation, looking down at you with a friendly smile.

You’ve forgotten how to breathe.

“I…um…what?” you stammer, feeling yourself already blushing deeply. He was somehow even more attractive up close. This was the first time you’d seen him wearing something other than his gi, and he looks a bit less imposing in jeans and a grey sweatshirt, his hair in the same ponytail as always.

“I noticed your book,” he repeats calmly, stepping beside you to unlock the door to the dojo. “You can’t learn something like karate from a book; you need hands-on experience.”

“Oh, umm, I’m sure you’re right. This is just a newer interest that I’ve recently developed, so I wasn’t sure where to start…” you ramble, trying to not make a fool of yourself.

“Come inside, and I’ll teach you the basics!” he invites, giving you a smile that has you momentarily dazed. Eventually your mind registers what he’s said, and you rush to excuse yourself from accepting his request.

“Oh, I couldn’t! I’m sure you’ll be teaching today –”

“Nope, only one student at the moment, and he’s taken the day off.”

“Well, then I guess you’ll be practicing yourself, right?” You had watched him, one day last week, practicing punches and kicks, seeming to dance across the training mats in a blur of masculine grace. You’d love to see that again…

“There’s still plenty of time in the day for me to train, but no time like the present to train you!” he insists, his lips quirked as he holds the door open for you. “I won’t take no for an answer! C’mon, first lesson is free!” he jokes, and you can’t help but crack a shy smile – he was something of a drug to you.

You hesitate, and he takes the opportunity to snatch the book from your grip and slips into the dojo, giving you a mischievous look before the door closes.

���Hey!” you cry out, your heart thudding like mad. He’d come so close to touching you, and you steel yourself to go after… your book, you try to convince yourself. Certainly not the man who had taken it. Right.

Taking a deep breath, you open the door to the dojo and step inside, trying not to be too nervous. The man seems to have vanished, and you crane your neck as you look around for him. He was a very big person, there were only so many places for him to hide.

“Hello?” you call out, trying your best to make your voice loud and clear. “Can I have my book back, please?”

“Not yeeeet!” he bursts out in a singsong voice, emerging out of a room in the back, having changed into his gi. So he had been naked in here while you had been in here… your blush deepens.

“C’mon… oh, I’m sorry, I don’t even know your name!”

“It’s Y/N,” you say, shyly extending a hand to him, telling yourself you just wanted to be polite.

“Y/N,” he repeats, and wow do you love the sound of him saying your name. “I’m Terry, Terry Silver,” he says, shaking your hand, and you try not to smile, feeling overwhelmingly giddy at the fact that he’s touching you. “I’ll be your sensei for the day,” he bows down towards you, winking.

“Unfortunately, sensei,” you say, giggling at your use of the title, “I seem to have forgotten my gi, so if I could just get my book back…”

“I have spare gis in the back; I’m sure one is your size. C’mon, I’ll show you!” He wraps a friendly arm around your shoulders without another word, guiding you through the dojo to a spare room full of karate equipment that you know nothing about, and a collection of gis. He grabs a top about your size, holding it out to you.

“Put this on just for now, on top of your clothes, and I’ll show you how to tie it properly.” You swallow thickly, nodding mutely as you put your arms through the sleeves. He tells you how to tie it, the right side first, then the left, securing the top to you with two knots, and emphasizes tying the belt, called an obi, so that it rests on your hip bones, showing you how to tie it by demonstrating with his own.

You spend most of the demonstration remembering to breathe, and trying not to tremble at his proximity, at the fact that he was helping you dress yourself, and then Terry leaves you alone in the room to change. The instant the door closes, you fall back on top of a stack of training mats, needing a moment to collect yourself.

You were alone in a private place with the man you’d been drooling over for days now. You dreamed about this moment, never thinking that you would actually be in this situation, but here you are, and now you needed to handle yourself like the grown woman you were.

He’s just going to teach me some simple karate moves, that’s all, you repeat to yourself in your head, like a mantra, as you get changed, your body on autopilot. Doing some (completely inaccurate) punches and kicks to make sure that your gi stays in place, you force yourself to walk out the door.

Entering the main training area once more, you take off your shoes and socks, having noticed that that seemed to be the rule from your observations over the past few days. Looking around, you see that Terry has done some brief tidying, moving training dummies into the corner and closing the blinds.

“You closed the blinds?” you ask, frowning at him curiously.

“I got the sense that you were a bit nervous, and thought that maybe it would make you feel less self-conscious. I can open them up again, if you’d prefer,” he offers, but you shake your head, oddly touched that he’d recognized your discomfort and done something to alleviate it.

“No, that’s fine, you were right,” you say, smiling, and he nods.

“Yeah, I figured you wouldn’t want some creep staring in at you!”

You freeze, panicking, thinking that he caught you in the act, but he mistakes your fear for something else, trying to calm you down quickly.

“Hey hey, I was just kidding!” he exclaims, giving you a reassuring smile, and you let out a breathless laugh, smiling thinly. Phew…

“Alright, let’s get started!” he says, clapping his hands together once loudly, and you brace yourself, hoping that this goes well.

---

He puts you through the paces for a couple of hours, walking you through several kata and showing you how to correct your movements. You were a bit breathless and sweaty by the end, but you hadn’t actually had to hit anything, and he hadn’t touched you – for which you were both disappointed and extremely grateful – the entire time.

“Not bad, Y/N, not bad at all!” he says, smiling at you in a way that has you feeling funny all over. You smile back at him, feeling somehow more comfortable and more on edge around the man after this short time together. It’s like the more he drew you in with his presence, the harder you had to fight to keep away. “You think you’ll come back for another lesson?”

“Well, I think that would depend on your rates,” you tease, unsure where this part of you came from.

“Ah yes, there is the subject of payment for today…” he says, his voice taking on a different tone and his eyes shining at you with an odd light. You cock your head at him.

“What happened to “the first one’s free,” then?” you quote, confused. Sure, you made decent money at your job; you could pay him, but he had told you that this would be free, and was holding your library book hostage until you agreed to let him teach you!

Terry smiles at you, a dark, predatory grin that makes your heart pound.

“Unfortunately, Y/N, we both know that you used up your free lesson a week ago.”

Your mouth goes dry at the implication.

“W-what?” you stammer, trembling now as he comes to circle around you slowly, intensely, just like you’d seen him do with that boy the first time you’d seen them training.

“Do you think I didn’t see you, watching us through the window? You should be more careful, spying on people like that; people could start to get the wrong idea,” he croons in your ear, and you take in a sharp, stuttering breath.

“You’ve had over a week’s worth of free lessons,” he continues, toying with the end of your ponytail. Your eyes flutter closed. “How should we go about making sure you pay for them?”

There’s no way this was happening.

“I…Terry –”

“That’s Sensei to you,” he purrs, giving your ponytail a tug. You let out a quiet whimper.

“Sensei, I’m sorry, I can go get money and pay you right now, just let me go get change –”

“That’s the dojo’s gi; I guess you owe me for that, too,” he murmurs contemplatively, considering you. “In fact, take it off.”

You feel your heart stop, you feel like swooning.

Terry doesn’t appreciate your failure to obey him immediately.

“Take. It. Off.” he growls, closing the distance between you with every word, “Now.”

“What?!” You’re flabbergasted, you’re horrified, you’re turned on like you’ve never been before. You had to be dreaming right now, right?

He steps into your personal space, and you step back, this dance repeating until he’s got you pressed up against the wall right beside the window you’d first spotted him through, caging you in with his arms.

No, you weren’t dreaming, you think to yourself as you tilt your head up to look at him. You didn’t have nearly this good of an imagination.

“Don’t be coy,” he says, smirking down at you. “You’ve been ogling me for days now. I know you want me, you know you want me, and I want you. What’s stopping you?”

“You want me!?” you squeak, shocked. Did that mean he had been watching you too?

“Very, very much,” he purrs, taking in a deep breath and smelling your hair in a move that makes you shudder.

“But I – I’m not – I haven’t,” you try to get the words out. You weren’t a virgin, having had a couple of awkward, fumbling encounters with a boyfriend in the past years back that had left you unsatisfied and disinterested in sex, until now, until this… surely he would want someone who knew what they were doing!

“Fuck, you’re a virgin?” he asks softly, the expletive making something in your belly clench. He certainly doesn’t seem upset by the notion, you think, as one of his large hands comes down to grip your hip tightly.

“No, but it’s been years and it’s never been good,” you admit, and you think you hear him snort a laugh in response. “I don’t know what to do…”

“Good thing you’re with a great teacher then.”

In an instant, his lips are on yours, kissing you with a passion that has your head spinning, his hands moving to your belt to untie it, while you reach up to clutch his shoulders, desperately trying to keep up. This one kiss already has you more aroused than you’ve ever been with anyone else, and it’s like it has awakened something in you, something primal and erotic and wanting. Moaning into the kiss, you trail your hands down his broad chest to his own belt, trying to take it off.

Naturally, he is successful first, pulling the belt off and tossing it to the side, untying one knot of your top and then the other, leaving the garment hanging open on you and revealing your lacy bra. Yeah, you’d worn it as a sort of dirty secret for yourself, hoping you’d see him today, but you never thought he’d know about it…

He takes in your half-bared torso with a hungry expression, and you swear he licks his lips before reaching down to his own belt, swatting your hands away in a move that has you blushing as he undresses himself, tossing his own top to the ground and leaving his chest bare. Your mouth drops open, and you’re sure your eyes are as wide as saucers as you drink him in with your eyes. Ancient statues weren’t as well-sculpted as this man.

“Are you even real?” you find yourself whispering, and he quirks his lips in a smile, reaching a hand out towards you.

“Come find out for yourself, doll,” he says, tugging you forward the instant you put your hand in his and laying your hand in the middle of his chest.

There’s something so intimate about the contact, and you melt into him, finding yourself kissing his chest, his neck, anywhere you can reach as you run your hands all over his body. He leans down to capture your lips once more, and you’re feeling so hot, so good, that you’re not self-conscious at all when he pushes the gi top off of your shoulders; you’re just grateful.

His hands come around your waist, lifting you up easily, and you wrap your limbs around him tightly, holding on to him desperately. He gives you a growl of approval, pinning you back against the wall just with his hips. He busies himself with taking your hair out of its ponytail, laying hot, open-mouthed kisses up and down your neck as he does so, making you squirm against him.

Finish raking his fingers through your hair, Terry’s hands move down to your chest, teasing you over your bra, his lips staying at your neck all the while. On a wild instinct, to keep yourself from mewling out loud at the sensations he’s making you feel, you bite down on the muscle of his shoulder. He tenses briefly, but then, without missing a beat, returns the gesture, biting you in a way that sends jolts of pleasure to your nipples and clit, making you moan needily.

“You don’t seem like you need much instruction, Y/N,” he teases, whispering in your ear before tracing the outer shell with his tongue. “No, you’re very good at this…”

“Terry, please!” you beg, panting against him. How could you feel so close already when you were both still half-dressed?!

“What’s that, baby?” he asks innocently, lowering you back to the ground. You stay leaning against the wall, not trusting your knees at the moment. “What do you want?” He toys with the waistband of his pants as he says this, fingertips disappearing just beneath the fabric, and you whine with need.

“You, Terry! I want you, please!”

Part of you can hardly believe that you’re doing this, having sex with someone you’d just met, but then, this man wasn’t just any man, was he? He was sex personified in every sense of the word, and he wanted you. Who were you to deny either of you what you wanted?

“What do you want, Y/N?” he coos, his voice mocking in a way that’s hot as hell rather than being condescending. “I wanna hear you say it. Look me in the eye, and say it.”

You do your best to lock your eyes with his, knowing that you’re blushing horribly and must look a mess. “I want you inside me, please!”

He grins wolfishly down at you before tugging you into his arms and carrying you over to a stack of unused training mats, depositing you onto them. Standing beside you, your prone form isn’t quite level with his hips, but you have a clear view of the large bulge in the pants of his gi.

Terry looks down at you, blue eyes glittering as he takes in your flushed appearance, and in one quick motion, tears your pants down your legs, leaving you in just your bra and underwear. Despite your lack of clothing, this move has you feeling hot all over, making you squirm on the training mats before him.

“Soon baby,” he promises you in a sultry voice, still with that mocking edge. “We’ve got to work out way up to that,” he says, leaning over you and laving one of your breasts over your bra with his tongue. Desperately, you arch your back, reaching behind you to unhook your bra and tear it off your arms, your fingers immediately moving to his scalp to keep his head where it is.

He laughs around your breast at your antics, and you feel vibrations course throughout your body before he focuses his attention on your nipple, swirling his tongue around the bud and making you cry out his name. He teases you like this for some time, switching back and forth between your breasts, eventually reaching a hand between your legs and teasing your clit with a finger through your drenched panties, until you think he’s going to drive you over the edge. You’re a moaning, panting mess, banging your head on the mats and responding to his every touch, and Terry looks like he’s having the time of his life tormenting you.

“Terry, please, I can’t take it anymore! What do you want? I’ll do anything!” you wail, fully meaning it in this moment. He grins down at you, obviously pleased that you’ve essentially written him a blank cheque for sexual favours. You truly couldn’t care less at this point; you wanted this man, you needed this man, right here and right now, and you’d make a deal with the Devil at this point if it meant he would take you.

“Say you’ll come back here tomorrow!” he requests, and you’d be more taken aback at this if you weren’t currently completely losing your mind with pleasure and desire.

“Yes, I’ll come back tomorrow! I’ll come back whenever you want, just please!” you beg shamelessly, grinding your hips up against his hand, desperate for friction on your clit, for release, for whatever you can get out of this man. He hooks a finger under the fabric of your underwear, brushing against your soaking wet slit for just a moment before tugging them off you, leaving you naked.

Your breath is coming fast now, knowing that he’s finally going to give you what you need, but your breath stops altogether when he takes his cock out of his pants. God, he was big, and God, you need to have him inside you filled every fibre of your being.

He pumps his cock a few times in his fist, and you whimper at the sight, before he moves to stand between your legs, spreading them to either side of his body. He grips your hips in his large hands, seeming to take a moment to savour the sight you make before him, flushed, breathless, desperate for him.

Finally, after what feels like forever, he lines himself up with your entrance, teasing you with the head of his cock. Right before you open your mouth to scream in frustration, he obliges you, thrusting inside you slowly, gradually, not pumping his hips but surging forward until he is fully sheathed within you.

You are breathless, you’re so full, and it feels absolutely incredible, your eyes rolling into the back of your head as he bottoms out.

“Oh fuck, Y/N, you’re so tight,” he groans, his grip on your hips likely to leave bruises as he stills within you. You try to buck your hips to make him move within you, but you can’t; he’s too big inside you, and he’s got you pinned down.

“Please Terry, stretch me out. I can take it,” you moan wantonly, trying to convey to him with every part of you how badly you need him to move at this moment. His eyes pin you in place with their intensity for a moment as he surveys you.

“God damn, I love the way you talk dirty,” he growls, finally starting to pull out of you before thrusting fully inside you again, setting up a slow but deep pace that has your toes curling. “Keep going.”

“You feel so good inside me, please don’t stop!” You’re not even thinking, obscene thoughts flowing from your lips as you take his cock again and again, never wanting this to end. “Please Terry, fuck me faster!” you plead with him, and he looks down at you again with that teasing look, maintaining his current pace.

“Now now, be careful what you ask for, doll. Too much too fast will leave you sore,” he explains, but you get the sense he’s more in agreement with your desires than he’s letting on.

“I don’t care, I need it! Fuck, I need you, Terry! Please don’t hold back,” you beg, arching against him desperately. This seems to be what he wanted to hear, and already you feel his pace start to quicken.

“I’ve got you, baby girl. I’ll give you what you need,” he promises, pounding into you hard and fast, your legs pressed against his front, your feet on either side of his head. “You need a good hard fucking, don’t you Y/N?”

“YES!” you scream, feeling your orgasm rapidly approaching, nearly faint from the stimulation. “I need it, I need you, please!”

He reaches down to rub your clit in circles, and that, combined with the way he’s pounding you, has you shrieking as you come hard around his cock. He doesn’t slow his pace, and he doesn’t move his thumb away from your clit, working you through the first orgasm until you an incoherent mess.

“Terry!” you cry out, your voice getting high-pitched as the overstimulation drives you wild.

“What do you want, baby? Tell me,” he orders, his own breath coming fast as he approaches his own release.

“Come for me, please!” you wail, barely able to string two words together. “I want you to finish inside me! Fill me up, Terry, please!” The thought had always repulsed you before, but when it came to Terry you wanted every bit of him you could get.

He grips your thighs, holding you still as he slams into you, coming hard with a growl of your name as he fills you with his cum. You’re both spent, and he only has the energy to pull you off the stack of mats and onto the mats on the floor with him, the pile not being large enough for the both of you. You snuggle into his side, feeling immensely satisfied and absolutely filthy with what you’d just done. His arms tighten around you, and you think you could happily die in this moment. Nothing could possibly be better than this…

Tilting your head to look up at his face, you decide to as a question likely inappropriate for your current position.

“Hey Terry?”

“Yes, doll?”

“Can I have my book back?”

“You’ll get it back tomorrow.”

---

#thomas ian griffith #terry silver #terry silver x reader #kk3 #karate kid #smut #the karate kid 3 #teacher x student

[tenjiiku]

rapture / autumn

it's been ten years since you left. he still falls for you the same way he did when he was 17.

manjiro sano x fem reader

2.8k words

masterlist | next

You first receive news of Emma Sano’s passing in early August. She was 30 and living in Sendai with her husband. You, 29, living alone in New York City paying $1200 in rent for an apartment located directly beside the building’s compactor shaft. Coincidentally it was also the month your fiancé had broken off your engagement — ostensibly due to maternal coercion — but it had given you a reason to return to Tokyo.

It was quite hysterical given that the catalyst of your leaving was your mother’s death. One word of someone expiring from your life, and you would take it upon yourself to run before they could catch their train.

You laugh about it now after three drinks. 

However, you were getting too old and growing much too hungry for that. So you had talked to your landlord, lugged all of your furniture and nonsensical appliances to a local thrift store, and booked a flight for Osaka, Japan for the end of September. The change in location had shocked you just as much as it did a month prior. 

For how you came to know of what had become of your childhood confidante was through her brother — your first tormentor and kiss — Manjiro Sano.

.

.

.

The year was 2006.

Mikey Sano — government name, Manjiro — had always been, simply, there, for the better part of your adolescence. You hadn’t harped in his life and he hadn’t given much care to your existence. You never quite found the need to, his friends were very intimidating and you were much too small and shy back then. He would poke fun at you whenever you came over — latched to Emma’s hip as a typical junior would be — and you would wobble your lip pretending it did not bother you. That arrangement you’d developed had been sustained into the better half of junior high school.

Until, apparently, you had gotten prettier. And, in your judgement, he had begun looking quite handsome himself.

Puberty was a weapon if left disregarded. He started calling you ‘Ume’ a week ago. You do not think you have eaten a single plum in your life.

Avoiding him only grew more of an intricate task as you grew older. Whilst cooties were the perfect scapegoat in elementary school — you could have sworn the moment he suddenly became taller than you, they vanished into thin air. You took the long route home with Emma to steer clear of running into him and his friends on the bus (though she always tried to get you to mingle with them, bless her). Sometimes you stay at school longer — as you are on this particular day. Mr. Nakamoto was a kind man and offered you his classroom until 5:00pm when the girl’s volleyball team, Emma included, were finished with practice. 

You found a quiet sanctuary in the barren rooms and halls of your high-school. Free of any distractions. You were a fool to think Manjiro would not intrude on that sooner or later. 

The door swings open by the kick of someone’s foot. You bite the inside of your cheek, refusing to look up.

"Ume."

You do not flinch when a hand comes barreling down on your desk, palm first, making a resounding ‘thump’ sound as it comes into contact with the wood. Your book jumps a little at the tremor but you continue solving your vector maths problem. 

His voice is nasally and purposefully high-pitched when he asks, "Where's Emma?"

You lift your head up, unable to think of a solution given his overwhelmingly insistent presence. His lips twitch into a smirk -- you are sure it is because your face is most definitely painted in disdain and annoyance. 

You look back down and flip to a new page.

"Volleyball club practice."

"What're you doin'?"

"Homework." 

He clicks his tongue, which wants to make you roll your eyes. You do not. Though, you do sweat.

"You're a bit of a loser ain'tcha? Have no other friends than my sister?” He asks, tone sardonic and mocking. You feel embarrassed, and an uncomfortable feeling brews in your upper ribcage. You try not to choke.

"I do," you explain rather seriously, “But Emma-san and I are going to walk home.”

"Relax, just joking."

You furrow your brows and your lips fall into a thin line. Asshole. You try not to make it noticeable but he is infuriating and notices anyways.  

He pulls out the chair of the desk in front of you and sits on it backwards, arms perched on the back, “Come on, you're seriously upset?" 

You do not answer. 

"Ume, come on,” Manjiro whines irritatingly, "Emma'll give me an earful if she finds out I pissed you off."

You do not answer. He grumbles. He takes the extra pen sitting on your table and clicks it again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again -- 

"Why're you even here?"

and it stops.

"Hm." He sets it back down on your desk. You wait a few moments before snatching it and placing it in your pencil case. You decide to put it in your backpack and pack your other materials save for your textbook. You will read for the remaining 30 minutes, you resolve. 

It is within those 30 minutes you realise Manjiro Sano is much more unnerving when he is quiet and docile. Because you understand that much like an undomesticated animal the absence of noise only means one thing; you are the victim. He sits there and stares at you, letting out the occasional yawn. Whenever you think he is not looking at you and let your eyes wander, they meet his and return to reading about Euclidean spaces. You wish to teleport to one. 

At 5:01pm you stand up, arousing him from his sedated state. He grunts a little. An inquiry appears in your head and you simply remain standing, staring down at the wood of your desk. Manjiro, sensing your reluctance, sighs.

“What?”

You open and close your mouth. Sweat runs down your back and your uniform sticks to your skin dismally. Fucking whatever. 

"Is Keisuke-san home today?"

His brows furrow. Oh no.

“Why're you askin'?"

"Well, 'cause I know his mom's gone to Yokohama for a weekend business trip," You ramble at an attempt of salvaging a reasonable explanation, "Mama's gonna make me send dinner, so--"

"Why're ya askin' me? I'm not his watchdog."

"Oh," you knit your hands together, "okay."

You think that ends your conversation. When you peer at him through your peripheral vision he is not staring back -- the first time since the hour he had been here. You hastily zip up your backpack after placing your textbook inside and position it onto your shoulders. You squint a little at the feeling of your sweaty back only being compressed by the heavy weight but do not make a sound. 

Your phone rings. You jump at the tone and Manjiro finally looks at you again. Your chest tightens -- you wish he would leave. 

You walk towards the window, taking your flip phone out from your pocket. You want to answer it but you sense a presence nearing behind you. And when you turn, your eyes widen at how close Manjiro suddenly is. You place your hands on the ledge, phone blaring a default ring. Your heart is pummelling. He is pretty.

"Y/n," his voice is the softest you have ever heard it. 

He touches you gently, as if he was afraid he’d break you. Which was a valid point of dread given his age — his very being — being a contingent part of difference between you both. And despite it, his hand is so soft against your plump cheek. There is a hint of possessiveness to it that makes your heart wrench against your ribcage. You feel scared, and yet you want him to continue. A part of you feels as though an elaborate scheme is being played right in front of your eyes — why is he looking at you so softly, so gently, so lovingly? — you need to run. You need to hide.

But it was 2006 in the Springtime, and you were 15, and he was 17.

“Y/n…” he murmurs your name again like a secret, as if sensing your trepidation. It is not entirely hard to do so, but his perception still sets your chest aflame.

“Yes?” you whisper in response.

He leans in closer, his nose brushing against yours. Your phone ringing ceases, going to a voicemail. You begin to back against the windowsill, the curtain behind you fluttering open as if to shield you both. It hides you both from the open classroom door and he hides you, himself.

All you see is him.

Your love affair had not even been given a label then. And it is now simply buried in the catacombs of your brain, labelled, ‘Had my first kiss in Mr. Nakamoto’s Linear Algebra Class. Mother is going to kill me. His tongue tasted of chocolate and I was a bit scared. It was nice, despite.’

.

.

.

But you were no longer children.

The air in Osaka is frigid and unwelcoming. It snips at your skin like an uncomfortable denim. You are wearing your light blue coat, naively believing it would suffice. You should have prepared your black Winter jacket.

Your phone rings. You answer it already knowing who would be on the line. I am at Passenger Pickup Area C, it says. You reply, alright, I will be there in 3 minutes. He hangs up without a goodbye.

You trudge your way from B to C, hand-carry and checked luggage unsophisticatedly being dragged behind you. You do not exactly know how the first car your eyes land on, coincidentally, belongs to him. Moreover, you do not understand how the second you do, he is already watching you, and getting out of his car. He is taller than he was at 21, and has grown into his features. The second thing you notice is that his hair is no longer blond -- it is a dark noir. It is, however, still quite long. 

You make rigid conversation as he takes your luggage and loads it into his van. 

“How are you?” he starts.

“Good, good. You?”

“Okay.”

“Did you have a hard time finding your luggage?”

“No, a man helped me pull it from the carousel.”

“Hm, hm.”

He does not continue to converse after that. An enigma, considering he had gone through quite an aforementioned trouble to receive your contact information. You stare out the window, an odd barrier drawn between you both. You hadn’t an idea how to get over it and your mind was fogged from the jet lag, so you were not about to begin. 

His voice sounded much more baritone over the telephone, you ponder.

“Hello, who is this?”

“L/n Y/n?”

“Who is this?”

“Sano Manjiro.”

“Emma. She’s—”

That was over a month ago. 

Your eyelids begin to feel heavy. You force yourself to open your eyes, it is dark out. Gazing down at your wrist-watch you grimace when you realise it is 2am. 

He speaks again at 2:13. 

“I’m not sure if you’d wanna visit Aoyama tomorrow or the day after. They’re closed on Sundays, so any time after s’fine. Just tell me, and I’ll be ready.”

You rub your eyes. thinking for a few seconds, before answering, “Tomorrow is fine, if it is alright with you.”

“Hm.”

He falls silent. You wonder if you have told him your hotel address. You think you did over the many back and forth messages and phone calls and various other online arrangements. But, you discreetly let him remember. 

“I’ll meet you at your home from the hotel,” You mindlessly mumble.

“Huh?”

You become fully awake at the sound of his bewilderment. 

“I’m staying at—.”

“You don’t wanna stay at mine’s?”

He asks that with such childish gullibility it surprises you. Even in your youth he has never displayed such unrestraint. It makes you grasp the fact that you really do not know him anymore. You did not know his sister, at least at a fundamental level as you used to. Aside from the occasional birthday, holiday or Instagram story-related text messages you would send each other once a month -- you did not know who Emma had become. You did not stay behind until 5:00 anymore. 

“I— I don’t wanna impose—” you begin, bashful, which is your first mistake.

“Ume,” he grumbles, rubbing a hand over his face to keep himself awake,  “Shuddap.”

You frown a little. Ten years and he still hasn’t let go of the damned nickname.

But you listen, and do not squabble any further.

.

.

.

The first time you visit her grave, it is cold. The orchids she'd wished to plant near her cemetery have long since wilted and died.

Manjiro prepares your futon at night, and in the morning you return it to him, folded and kept. He never offered you his bed, which to anyone else would be considered quite impertinent, but because it is Manjiro you do not bat an eye. You prepare breakfast, lunch and dinner because the first time he attempted he burnt your toast and scrambled your omelette. The arrangement you have is stiff and by no means regular, at least not how it was — how it used to be — many moons ago.

You rarely — if ever — share any words. Most of what you want to say has been forgotten with her.

.

.

.

The second time you make the trip is more familiar. Unfastened and expected. You believe that is why both of you finally manage to share words other than the occasional hi and hello, followed by heated gazes. You also highly believe this newfound familiarity blossomed due to the many cans of beers ingested by each party at a bar near the train station to Takatsuki. Violent rain falls outside, daring to break the windows but it never quite does. You chuckle into the glass you had poured your beer and soju in and dismiss Manjiro’s look of utter dubiety. Some sports game plays on the television set that both of you treat as white noise. The golden-yellow coloured lighting of the pub makes you feel more intoxicated than you are.

It is only when your beer can is half empty, the heat in your head becomes too much, and some Kashima Antlers fans become too rowdy in the corner of the bar — is when you bite.

“I’m not really sure why,” you pause, “Emma and I drifted apart.”

Manjiro finishes pouring his drink, but does not make another move other than to set his can down.

“I think a part of me was too— I’m not sure. Embarrassed? Thinking of telling her how lonely I really was.”

You stare down into your cup, “I -- I don’t know.” Your throat burns, “I was scared of how hard it was.”

Messaging was not your strong suit. You could never get your point across. The distance added with this facet only furthered the gap between you two. Friendships were not hard to find, but nurturing them required strength and hard-work — neither of which you possessed at 23, at 26 nor at 29.

“Was it supposed to always be this hard?” You rhetorically ask, not expecting an answer. He gives you an answer regardless.

“No,” Manjiro states. He sips his drink and hiccups, before adding “Women are weird.”

You laugh, “You have a way with words. Has anyone ever told you that?”

Manjiro tilts his head towards where you slouch.

“You overthink about everything.” He says it so matter-of-factly it makes you roll your eyes. And, you actually do. This time, you are on an even playing field.

“Not all women. Only me.”

“Then,” he takes your can of beer from your hands before you pour yourself another drink and you do not stop him, “you’re weird.” 

You huff and frown, but ultimately mumble, “I’ve realised that.”

Both of you turn to the window to watch the rain for a few minutes. You do not look at him when you admit,

“Sometimes, I wished I didn’t have this… fear inside of me. I could have gone far without it.” 

“Yeah maybe,” Manjiro murmurs agreeably so, aimlessly staring out the window. You scoff and finish your glass.

When you finish, however, his gaze is set on you. It has been a very long time since then, yet the familiar heat in your cheeks flows to your head. His own are tinted a light crimson, dark-coloured locks falling down across his cheekbones.

“But, it’s nice here, isn’t it?” He asks. You look out the window and catch a train pass. You huff, lips twitching into a smile. It is 9:20pm in Osaka when it begins to snow.

“Yes, it is.”

#fem reader #manjiro x reader #manjiro sano x reader #mikey x reader #mikey sano x reader #writing #rapture

[trainsgenderfoxgirl2816]

you seem like you are from north america, so i'd be interested to hear: do you have regional public transit? what is it like? i seem to have never heard anyone discuss it. here (czech republic, central europe) the standard is that towns of around 100 people are connected to the national system by a reasonable number of buses (at least few a day) and towns of 1000 people are basically as a rule connected by hourly or bihourly service. (considering that my country is aproximatly big as one state, is there at least something similiar in one american or canadian state?)

thanks in advance

So for one the US and Canada are too large for national buses most of it is done at the state/province or Metropolitan level I'm in Seattle we have two transit operators King County Metro (the county bus operator) and Sound Transit (they run light rail, commuter rail, intercity buses, and the Tacoma Streetcar) but oftentimes a state DOT will run some regional train service (usually as a partnership with Amtrak or VIA rail or in the case of Metrolinx just run their own thing)

The Amtrak Midwest and Amtrak California services are a good examples of this but they only serve a few areas and only run a few times per day and usually there is absolutely nothing in rural areas anyway the only Electrified service in country is along the Northeast corridor and one route out of Chicago into Indiana oh and also the Keystone corridor and the commuter railroads in Denver and San Francisco

Also the largest US city without any intercity train service is Phoenix Arizona which is the 5th largest city in the entire country behind Houston which only has a single tri-weekly train The Sunset Limited that runs from New Orleans to Los Angeles (although I think they are trying to reroute it through Phoenix)

The only US state with comparable service to Europe is New Jersey since the fastest section of Northeast Corridor runs straight through it and most towns their received electrified train service in 1920s new Jersey has a statewide Transit operator called NJ Transit

Although the Toronto area has a pretty transit system and it's being massively expanded right now GO transit (run by Metrolinx) is planning to electrify several lines over the next few years and the TTC is building several new Light Rail lines and the New Ontario Line Subway

#trainposting #amtrak #go transit #metrolinx #sound transit #king county metro #public transportation #public transit #passenger trains

[mikimeiko]

Day 3 - Across Austria

Never ever again I'll book a train at 7:15 am. Unless I'm staying at less than 10 minute walking distance from the station. Maybe not even in that case XD

Also, it's raining. And it's supposed to be raining in Salzburg when I get there, but I'm crossing my fingers really hard that it will not be the case.

I'm a little sad that this is my last stretch in the Alps (until the very last day of travel) and I can't really see them because of clouds and fog.

The train route from Innsbruck to Wien via Salzburg has a long stretch through Germany? I wonder if it's a situation like that of the Cuneo-Ventimiglia (an Italian railway going through France for a bit... except those were Italian territories when it was built) or there's a different reason.

More cows! And with calves! <3

There's an actual - though small - restaurant car! I haven't seen one of those in... I don't even know!

I get to Salzburg and it's not just raining it's POURING.

After a long coffee break, when the rain gets a little better, I take a bus to the old town. There's a market in one of the squares and I get a delicious slice of poppyseed cake (another thing I would have liked to try in Innsbruck but couldn't find, it was a stroke of luck!).

I walk around for a bit, but the rain gets worse again and it's getting harder without much joy. So I take another bus just to rest for a bit and see where it goes, than change bus to get back via a different route but I TAKE IT IN THE WRONG DIRECTION and end up almost at the airport XD I go back to the city but I didn't realize how widely around the center this bus went and I end up at the train station definitely too early for my train but also too late to risk going to the old town again and coming back on time. I guess I will just... wait here. (Salzburg looked nice, especially the castle on the hill, but I cannot even tell if I would like it enough in a better weather or if it's just not really my style of city.)

Actually there's a shopping mall near the station, so I decide to do some window shopping - and actually remember to buy something that I had forgotten to buy yesterday XD

More cows! And chickens! And DEER!

Just got off the train and I can already tell Vienna is going to be on another level. It's been a while since I visited a big European capital, and I kinda forgot how awe inspiring and intimidating it can be when you just arrived and still have to get your bearings.

I'm staying in a capsule hotel and it is both very cute and very weird XD

There's a film festival in front of the Rathaus, only it's really a food and music festival from what I've seen? No... films? I'm sure I'm missing something here XD

It's kind of lightly raining but I decide to go anyway. I try the wiener schnitzel and it is literally THE SAME as the cotoletta alla milanese, I don't know what I was expecting but it was really identical XD I also had a watermelon radler and 1)radler in general is the drink of the summer is so much better than the Italian version (panascé) 2) watermelon radler is the best and if I could import it to Milan I would.

#i don't know if it's the lack of sleep or the lack of sun but today was kinda challenging #fingers crossed for tomorrow #it's not technically interrail 2023 #mag travels from time to time #i just want a tag for the things i personally put out into the world

[ashxketchum]

Can be read on fanfiction.net as well!

Summary: Tyson and Hilary go off the trail while trekking but it helps them sort things out in a way no one expected.

Notes: This was originally written for a prompt in 2021 and posted only on tumblr. The prompt was placing one’s hand on the other’s mouth. I edited this slightly, added a little more context and now tada! It's helping spread the announcement for TyHil Love Countdown Survey on AO3 and FFN.

“This is a disaster.”

Of course it was, Tyson rolled his eyes, he wanted to turn around and tell her that she shouldn’t have expected anything better from him, but it was late and he was tired of walking around in circles and they were very much lost. So he decided to save his energy and continue onward without paying any attention to Hilary and her timely outbursts. If he could just bring himself to concentrate on his surroundings to recall anything which would serve as a hint for discovering the correct route, he would be able to lead them back to their camp, and hopefully some warm food.

“I can’t believe I trusted you to read a map correctly.” Hilary spoke up again, her tone getting antsier by the minute, almost starting to feel like a drill digging against his skull, “I also can’t believe that you left your phone back at the cabin-”

“Hey, you left your phone back at the cabin too.” Tyson spun on his feet, fixing her with an intense glare, to which she replied by folding her arms across her chest and shrugging nonchalantly, as if her actions were more justifiable than his, “And might I remind you,” he added through gritted teeth, “That the only reason we’re lost is because you said you heard the sound of water and led us off the trail so we could look for a non-existent stream.”

This time she squirmed under his glare, shifting her gaze downwards as her ears turned red in embarrassment over his statement. Satisfied with the effect, Tyson turned around and began to lead the way once again. They couldn’t have gotten very far from the main trail, Akebono Forest Reserve wasn’t even that large or dense, so Tyson was sure that if they stuck around the path that he remembered to be closest to the trail they were supposed to be following, they’d run into the people looking for them.

At least he assumed that people were looking for them, since it must be close to midnight and the dark clouds in the sky indicated that there was a high possibility of rain. His brother and his friends, albeit annoyed by the long (and extremely loud) argument Tyson and Hilary had had as soon as they arrived at the camping site, were not cruel enough to leave the two stranded in a forest during heavy rain.

He hadn’t meant to start the day on a bad note either, in fact, he was looking forward to this training camp away from home very much. But when the bus arrived and everyone eagerly shuffled in, Hilary chose to sit next to Daichi even when the seat next to Tyson was empty. He’d already instructed all the boys to leave him alone for the ride so he could get Hilary all to himself beforehand, but she said something about wanting to make sure that Daichi would have access to meds in case he started to experience motion sickness. The little red-headed monster then decided to act as if he was feeling under the weather, which made Hilary stick to him for the entire ride.

Naturally, that soured Tyson’s mood immensely, but she was still sitting behind him so he tried to make small talk with her as the bus waddled on. Hilary however, avoided his gaze and kept reprimanding him for not sitting correctly which made all the other guys and his brother laugh, and in turn ensured that Tyson wouldn’t be feeling happy with her anytime soon.

Still, he allowed her one last chance to be nice to him and give him the attention that she knew he was begging for. When they arrived at the campsite and Hiro decided to send them trekking in teams of two, he was taken aback by how his brother was genuinely trying to do something nice for him when his and Hilary’s name ended up together, but the way she stuck up her nose at the thought of spending time alone with him made his temper spill over the glass. That’s how they ended up arguing about the route they should take, whose instincts they should follow or who should hold the map and pretty much everything else as they ventured deeper into the forest.

Now they were lost and frustrated, two things that never made for a good combination.

Suddenly, Tyson felt the back of his jacket being pulled sharply and came to a forced halt, his train of thought breaking as he tilted his head back to see Hilary grasping tightly onto his jacket, bent over as she attempted to control her panting by taking deep breaths.

“You’re...walking too...fast.” She managed to speak after a few minutes, looking up at him with a pleading expression on her face and Tyson felt slightly guilty for being too lost in his thoughts to pay her any attention.

“Sorry, I’ll slow down,” Tyson replied, smiling sheepishly at her, as she sent him an exasperated look.

But as they started their aimless walking again, Tyson felt that his jacket was still being held onto. So after taking a few steps he paused, and tilted his head yet again to find that Hilary was still clutching onto it, even more tightly than earlier, and he ended up raising a questioning eyebrow at her.

“I don’t want to lose you,” she murmured. Her voice was soft and devoid of the demanding tone it had held all evening, which surprised Tyson and he felt heat rush into his cheeks as the double meaning behind her words registered in his brain. Watching his reaction, Hilary too understood the weight behind her words and turned a similar shade of red as she defended herself hastily, “I meant to lose sight of you again, don’t be such an idiot Tyson.”

Tyson shook his head in response, and they started their charade of finding the correct path once again, but this time there was a slightly giddy feeling in his chest every time he felt Hilary’s grip on his jacket. Whatever the meaning behind her words or the situation they were in, he liked hearing these things from her. He made a mental note to thank Max and Hiro later since it was quite obvious that the two had rigged the drawing lots to make sure Tyson would end up with Hilary as his trekking partner and the two would patch things up before the training camp started. Even if it had led to the two of them walking towards their potential deaths, at least Tyson got to see Hilary flustered over saying something cheesy to him.

It was only a few minutes later that they arrived at a sort of clearing, that Tyson recognized from earlier in the day, and it took him quite the effort to not jump up and down with excitement over the thought of being close to making it back to where the rest of the team were. His natural instinct reminded him that they were in a forest and loud noises could attract trouble during the night, so he calmly turned around to inform Hilary that they weren’t too far from the main trail now, but it seemed that she’d made the connection too, as her ruby eyes shined taking in their surroundings. However, Hilary’s instincts must’ve told her something else, because she’d let go of Tyson’s jacket and clasped her hands together excitedly.

“I remember this place!” she cried out, “I remember this from-”

Tyson’s hands moved on their own and before he knew it he’d put one hand against her mouth, muffling any sound that may escape from it, and the other on her shoulder, gripping it tightly to hold her steady. He sent her a warning look, gesturing to their surroundings with his head in hopes of silently explaining the situation to her, but when their eyes locked, he saw that there was no comprehension in hers, only shock.

And a moment later, Tyson hoped that the moonlight wasn’t playing any tricks on him, that what he had seen flicker through her dark garnet eyes was in fact, anticipation. It was also in that moment, that he became very aware of the fact that his hand was pressed against her lips, and how their softness left a tingling sensation on his palms, that travelled through his fingers to the rest of his body, or that every time she exhaled, he’d feel her warm breath tickle against his fingers, sparking a fire in his stomach that he didn’t know he was capable of igniting.

Tyson knew he should let go of her now, that at the least she’d understood she wasn’t supposed to make any noise, or that the absolute silence surrounding them indicated they were safe here for now and nothing would jump out of the bushes to attack them. But still, his whole body remained frozen in place, he was unable to move away from her, unable to look away from her eyes.

It was as if feeling Hilary's skin against his own had cast a spell on his mind, one that he didn’t mind being under. Had her eyes always been so alluring, so easy to get lost in, he wondered to himself, his own breathing turning a little ragged as his hand that was gripping her shoulder moved slightly and came in contact with her bare collarbone.

He felt her gasp against his palm and Tyson took that as the final sign, she wasn’t shocked or upset by his actions, she wanted more.

Well if she had led them to their deaths by going off the trail, the least Hilary could do was pay him back with a kiss.

Tyson slowly slipped his hand away from her mouth and let it slide under her chin, tilting it up towards himself. Just as he had hoped, instead of jumping back or shouting at him, Hilary responded by licking her lips and letting him know exactly what she wanted. She’d spent the entire day escaping his grasp and maintaining a painful distance from him, but now even she knew that it was meaningless to resist. He smirked at her, before leaning down towards her, moving his other hand away from her shoulder and wrapping it around her waist to pull her closer to him, her eyes fluttering shut as their noses brushed against one another, their lips only just an inch away from colliding.

He could almost taste the strawberry-flavoured soda she’d had earlier this afternoon, he’d made gagging noises at her when she opened the can in front of him, but now all he wanted was to feel that sweetness on his tongue. Just a little bit further and then he’d finally have his craving satiated, just a little bit further-

Suddenly there was a blinding burst of light which made both Tyson and Hilary jump as they pulled themselves apart and raised their hands to shield their eyes from the white light that covered them. When the two finally lowered their arms in an attempt to get a look at the interruption, Tyson felt his throat dry up as Hilary let out a small shriek and hid behind him, pressing her forehead and balled-up fists against his back. As if facing the person who’d found them in such a compromising position wasn’t bad enough, Tyson had to work extra hard to keep a straight face as Hilary’s heated presence behind him only made him lose his mind in a way he couldn’t explain to anyone.

“Well, if I knew you guys would’ve been making up in that sense, I wouldn’t have bothered to come looking.”

Standing a few paces away from them, at the opposite side of the clearing was Max, holding a large flashlight in one hand and his phone in the other. He eyed the two of them with an expectant yet amused look in his baby blue eyes as if expecting them to perform something solely for his entertainment, an embarrassed outburst or a dramatic brushing away of the scene as a misunderstanding.

But Hilary continued to hide behind Tyson, which made him responsible for putting up a confident and brave front for both of them. He squared his shoulder and was ready to inform his friend in a stable voice that the two of them had just been looking for the way back to camp, nothing more and nothing less when a cheeky grin spread all across Max’s face and he beat Tyson to the punch as he waved his phone's camera in their direction.

“Oh don’t stop on my behalf, I’ll treat you guys to something nice with the money I’ll get from Rei and Hiro once we get back.”

~ Fin.

#tyhil #beyblade #bakuten shoot beyblade #tyson granger #hilary tachibana #takao kinomiya #hiromi tachibana #beyblade fanfiction #writealot #tyhil tag will never not be empty as long as i am around besties

[thedreadvampy]

I am. For some reason. Being haunted by guilt for this one fucking thing that happened when I was 17. It keeps floating up whenever I try to sleep the last couple of days, I think it's cause Sam's been ill. so I'm putting it here in an attempt to exorcise it. please tell me if this is a situation it makes sense to feel guilty about 13 years later.

Ok so I'm 17, right? I have this boyfriend. He's 18? 19? Not 100% sure on timings on this. and we've been together for about 9 months.

I'm still at school. He's not - he dropped out of sixth form twice, doesn't have a job and is on and off benefits. He's living in his mum's house but I think by this point she's up and moved to Ghana without much notice, leaving him alone with 4 cats and a dog (I'm not actually 100% sure she'd moved out yet at the time but I'm the interests of steelmanning the guilt let's assume she had. I think she had).

We live in different towns - he lives in the nearest Proper Town, the one with like a train station and shopping centre and cinema and clubs. I live 2 buses away - there's a 45 minute bus that takes me from his to the town I go to school in, which goes every 20 minutes 6am-11pm, and then the 20/40 min bus (it takes alternating routes) that I have to take from that town to my village, which goes every 80 minutes 7am-5pm.

My habit at the time is leaving school on Friday, getting the bus to his, spending every weekend there, then going to school from his on Monday and going home after school to spend the week at home. So we sort of half live together - I do a lot of the shopping and cleaning for his house while I'm there cause I work and get a £20/wk allowance from my parents and have no bills to pay, whereas he doesn't have any stable income and since his mum left he's gotta pay for the bills on this 2 person house as well as food and stuff for himself and the animals.

So that's the context this is happening in. He's feeling very abandoned and not really coping, and I've been trying to fill that gap but also I Am Seventeen.

Anyway it's Christmas time, and I've agreed that I'll spend the run-up to Christmas at his and then get the last bus home on Christmas Eve to spend actual Christmas with my family.

I wake up on Christmas Eve about 3am because it is BOILING. I reach over and touch his skin and it literally hurts to touch cause he's running such a high fever. When he wakes up I ask him if he's ok, if he needs me to call the doctor etc, he won't let me do that. I get him water and paracetamol and honey and lemon and a bucket in case he needs to throw up but by about 3pm I'm like I truly have to go bc this is the absolute latest I can leave to catch the last bus home before December 27th (no buses on Christmas or Boxing Day).

and he is crying and begging me not to leave him and calling me selfish and saying I don't love him. and I do everything I can to make sure he's going to be ok and has plenty of food and water in reach and then I go.

(I was very right about the urgency of leaving if I wanted to get home, btw, bc it was below zero and snowing heavily and I JUST got onto the last bus at a dead run. and then that broke down in the snow 2 miles away from home, it was like an hour of just me and the bus driver sitting in an unheated bus while the snow piled up and he called the depot trying to get someone to come out 30+ miles to pick him and the bus up last thing before Christmas. Poor guy. Eventually my mum managed to drive out and pick me up and bring the driver a thermos of tea and some heat packs to tide him over until the cavalry came. so yeah there wasn't a lot of wiggle room in that travel plan.)

anyway my memories of that Christmas Eve have always largely focused on the bus thing. but like. the last few days I'm really thinking about how scary and lonely that genuinely must have been for my ex. like. if I'm right in thinking this was after his mum left, this was probably his first Christmas alone and he spent it racked with flu, running a fever in his room and his girlfriend just went away and left him to it. and like. That must have felt awful

and I keep just thinking should I have done something different? tried to get him to my parents' for Christmas? stuck around until the 27th? maybe talked to my mum and seen whether she could come pick me up on Christmas Day?

or like. even if i didn't do anything wrong. does it make me a bad person that I was so desperate to get out of his house and so relieved once I was away? like I just did not want to deal with that?

like it's obviously all moot, it was half my life ago and anyway it's a snapshot of a much more substantive and complicated relationship. but like. It's just sitting on me at the moment. while I flop around feeling sorry for myself bc I'm running a fever.

#red said

[lagycart]

tokyo tohoku trip - day 5.

woke up early morning after a good night sleep for another great day out, my sleeping schedule was so good during this trip for some reason, haha... XD i went to the morning market nearby the hotel to have a look but they mostly sell fresh food and stuff for cooking, so i decided to get some breakfast from convenient store which i really want to eat.

after enjoying my breakfast at my hotel room, i decided to just pack and check out first, and leave my luggage with the hotel receptionist so that i don’t have to come back until i am ready to leave sendai tonight.

my first place to visit is the sendai castle ruins/aoba castle ruins 仙台城跡, which is up a hill. i went to the nearest train station and started to walk, it didn’t occur to me that i would need to hike up the hill until i reach there and saw the walking path. also, the shorter route was closed off because some trees fall on the road, so i had to hike up a longer route, it was totally unexpected and quite tiring. it’s a good thing that the weather is chilly and i just walk up slowly and take rests in between, and since there’s no car or not crowded at all, i had the whole path to myself.

the city view at the top of the hill is beautiful, as it is a sunny day, you can really see very far away and there’s also a group of people filming some dance video there, which is interesting to watch. while this place used to be the castle, you don’t get to see any castle as it was destroyed and was never rebuilt. there’s VR service available for tourist who is interested to see what it used to be like though.

i walked around a bit and found a shrine, which is always nice to visit. miyagiken gokoku shrine 宮城縣護國神社 is not huge, but a decent size and it also look quite nice, i bought some souvenirs for my friend and myself too. after exploring around for a while, i found out that there’s a bus service to take me back to town, so of course i took that and went back to sendai station for lunch.

as beef tongue is a specialty in sendai, i found that there’s a whole row of restaurants dedicated to gyutan at the station, i chose a restaurant that has good review and queued up for it as all restaurants there are packed and super crowded during lunch time. zenjirou たんや善治郎 has quite a simple menu with different cuts and quantity for their set meal, you also get white rice, yam and beef soup with the meal which is very nice. i ordered 4 pieces of thick cut gyutan and it was really really good, i like the simple flavor, the charcoaled taste and the chewy texture of the beef tongue, it goes very well with rice and the soup is quite li8ght and refreshing to complete the meal.

after a satisfying meal, i stop by the zunda saryo ずんだ茶寮 to get the edamame shake. this is also a popular item from sendai, it is very refreshing, sort of like fruit smoothie, but the bean taste is light and refreshing, i really do enjoyed this very much. they also sell some snacks and souvenir which you can buy and bring home.

for the afternoon, i took the local train to matsushima for a boat ride to check out the beautiful islands around matsushima bay 松島湾. apparently, this view is one of the most beautiful and highly recommended. i booked the boat ride ahead so there’s a discount, however, you can also buy tickets on the spot as well.

the boat has huge windows so you can sit inside and look out to enjoy the view while listening to the narration (in japanese), which is a very relaxing thing to do. there’s also a special cabin on the upper floor which require extra fees, so i didn’t go there. the other option is to go outside and enjoy the sea breeze which is fun and great for photos. the view is already very nice, and adding sunset to it make it even better as the water color just changes over time. it is definitely worth checking this out as it was beautiful and such a relaxing activity.

once we are back from the boat ride, i decided to visit a cafe before leaving, as i do still have time until my dinner appointment. shokado cafe 松華堂菓子店 is just by the seaside and they sell various kind of rice crackers, snacks and dessert as souvenir. i ordered hojicha with  a kinako sandwich (soybean flour puff) きなこサンド to enjoy while looking at the sea and sunset. the cafe is not busy hence it is the perfect place to just chill and have a good time.

for dinner, shiogama is a nearby town where it is known to have the most sushi restaurants in whole of japan. and the fish here is super fresh and not being frozen because it is so close by to the sea. my friend helped me make a reservation at sushi shirahata 鮨 しらはた, and i reached there slightly earlier and the staff are super nice and friendly.

with my limited japanese, i managed to ask the chef for some recommendations and what is fresh and good for the day and picked out the food i want to eat. i ordered hotate and shirako (fish semen) for appetizer, sashimi and a sushi platter. the appetizer is actually amazing, there’s a difference in texture for the hotate (scallops) between the ones i enjoyed in aomori and this one. both of them is very good and there’s no fishy taste at all, in fact this is very refreshing with the sauce. shirako is a weird dish, but i quite like it as the texture is so smooth and soft.

sashimi is made of out three type of fish that the chef recommended, all of them have different texture and taste, which is very enjoyable, some lighter taste and some heavier, it’s just so so satisfying to have good sashimi that just give you a different sensation every bite.

sushi platter has 10 piece of sushi with a slice of tamagoyaki. each piece is made so beautifully the whole plate is like an art itself. there’s different type of tuna, local fish, hotate, uni, anago and more. during the whole meal, i had a good time chatting with the chef while he is preparing my food, i’m glad that i get to use my japanese, while it is no where near perfect, at least he did understand what i said.

the service here is really awesome, the restaurant was quiet and the ambiance was really comfortable. the meal also included a bowl of hot shrimp soup and pear sorbet at the end to complete the meal. the whole experience is amazing and definitely highly recommended as i do feel the quality of fresh fish is better  here than in tokyo, and i do believe it is less pricey as well. i would love to be back again if there’s chance in the future.

heading back to sendai, i picked up my luggage from the hotel and also bought some souvenir from zunda saryo before boarding the shinkansen back to tokyo, which also marks the end of my tohoku exploration using my 5 days jr east pass. this pass is so worth it as i got to visit so many amazing places, i do love all the smaller towns and the scenery is just amazing. being able to see snow and play with snow is wonderful as well. there’s definitely so much more to explore as tohoku area is huge, so i would definitely like to visit again in the future.

for next day onwards, it’s gonna be tokyo and places around tokyo, to be continued...

#lagycart travels #lagycart in japan #sendai #morning market #convenient store #sendai castle ruins #aoba castle ruins #仙台城跡 #hiking #autumn leaves #city view #myagiken gokoku shrine #宮城縣護國神社 #souvenir #peaceful #good weather #gyutan #zenjirou #たんや善治郎 #set meal #beef toungue #yummy #specialty #enjoyable #satisfying #zunda saryo #ずんだ茶寮 #edamame #zunda shake #refreshing

[kiviniik]

@1863-project​  for the followup of my last train/subway info dump

They did keep some of the MR-63! They actually fully repaired and cleaned it, especially the very first model that had been in use; the 81-502! And others of course! I actually hope to see it soon! I managed to rope in my dad and sister to go to the Exporail (Canadian Railway Museum, we just call it Exporail as locals) so I’ll be going over there pretty soon! I can’t wait since I’ve mostly been interested more in the subway system than the whole Canadian Railway system, and I’m very new to any steam locomotives or anything like that

BUT! The real reason I’m stimming in my seat writing/sharing this is that, while in my car to go meet my family, I crossed where the new Montreal REM will be! See, the REM (the actual name is in french, which would translate to Metropolitan Express Line) is still under construction and while on the highway, we can get really close glimpses of the workers and what they’re doing. When I passed (in my car, so sadly I couldn’t stop for pictures since yknow, a highway) I could see the crew hanging the electricity cables to go on top of the tram. According to my dad, they’re working 3 shifts of 8 hours, so there’s always someone working there! Right in the middle! (but that’s an older picture, now the tracks are all there)

(In the image below, the Lime Green and Light Blue are the new REM tracks, most if not all are outside. The Orange, Green, Blue and Yellow are the normal Metro lines, so fully underground. Pink are the Train lines, which connect to the suburbs. And not shown? I love that buses are available everywhere! Missed the métro and there’s a problem? grab the bus to the next station! or even to your house! Many drivers will gladly stop their bus at any corner in their route if it makes it easier for you, just need to ask nicely! A godsent by my cane-using, autistic person that’s scared of the dark)

Which yknow, makes sense since they want the REM fully ready by September and it covers 26 stations over 67 kilometers. Some of the stations from the outside are so pretty! And on the bridge it passes right through the arch, which is so cool! (A slightly older picture below during the winter. Now all the tracks are installed and they’re rigging the electrical wires)

And the most interesting part of my findings? I saw the smallest and CUTEST little speeder train on top of one of the rails! It was linked back to some other cars, the main one being what I can only describe as a locomotive cut short? Like the main conductor area was there, but the rest wasn’t, and had other cars attached (mostly with building materials and such). But it was as big as a normal locomotive, only shorter! I couldn’t find where on the internet to find info about them. I have never seen those outside of building crews, so that might be why I’m short on info. Maybe I can try to find train enthusiasts that might now!

#kivtalks #montreal métro #montreal rem #montreal bus #montreal stm #i like trains

[merulast]

Planing #2 - To Bukarest

(source: @paluten - Probably worst Bus Driver on youtube)

I actually wanted to travel as much as possible by bus, not by train. Right now im not even really sure why. Somehow I had the feeling that Railroads always try to avoid urban scenery. But in fact .. dont Highways do the same? Weird.

Anyway. I wanted to take the @flixbus-official bus from passau up to the black Sea. The original plan was to travel over Serbia, Sofia and then maybe Varna or Istanbul - more about that later.

For me the most important rule was to never travel more than 8h a day in order to stay alive. In the end this journey is not a sprint. Even thought I plan to tavel half the world faster then others parts of a single country.

The original Route

(original plan)

You can order Flixbus Tickets about 6 months in advance. Sometimes ne new shedules are not out on that time you would like to book. This hint should taken seriously because in my case it was an early sign, that they change something. So I still 'could' travel over Serbia. But all busses arrive at 1am and depart on 1am. Always. In other words: If you dont 'love' to sleep on a bus that is departing another station every hour (lights on, noises etc etc) then you should-not-travel-this-way.

Two nights in a row in an Flixbus? Hah! I reather shoot myself! And to be honest: Its not greyhound. They dont kick you out in the middle of nowhere and let you alone for 'reasons'. But still. This was too much.

The new Route

(made with graphhopper - a cool site for this kind of stuff. But no support for railways :/ )

So. The new Plan is to take the Flixbus from Passau to Budapest. At night. This saves 4 hours of traffic jam time and the ticket is extra cheap if you book early. I paid 30€ for mine. You arrive in the early Morning and have plenty of time for some sightseeing! After that, we hopp into the IRN79 sleeper train from Vienna to Bucharest. We will share an room with 4 other people for 55€ in total and arrive on Bucharest next Morning. That's less than a hotel room! It's even close to an hostel night in Budapest. Since there was not much sleep in the night before, im pretty sure it will be that night.

Tickets had been booked at MAV - the homepage only accepts 3 months advance booking and credit card. But you 'could' also buy the ticket on Budapest main Station.

(you can find plenty of yt videos about that night train!)

So yeah. We made huge steps crossing east Europe. We still will have about 6 hours in each city to look around and paid 85€ for tickets. This is the same price as Legos cute 75375 Millenium Falcon!

#traveling #travel blog #passau #budapest #bucarest #flixbus #bucharest #Youtube

[mprimn]

It has been 3 days since I arrived in Japan.

They wouldn't allow students to enter the dorm until a specific date, so I flew on the day before as I didn't want to spend money on hotels. It was a late-night flight so it was mostly peaceful, except that one toddler in the far front who cried from time to time.

A girl in front of me decided to watch 2005 version of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory so I just watched from her screen the whole flight. There were so many details and scenes that I have forgotten because I saw the movie when I was very young.

The flight attendants kept mistaking me and the Japanese lady's nationality during service which I found quite funny. They thought the Japanese lady was from my country, but when they realized she wasn't they somehow assumed I was also Japanese. I replied to them in Japanese anyway because why not. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

When the plane landed it started raining, making the temperature a lot cooler than I expected. The immigration process took so long that once I got out of the airport I only have a few hours left to travel to the appointed destination. I went down to the train, but the ticket booth was super crowded that I'd have to wait for another train for almost an hour. The bus had only 1 trip per day to my destination won't be coming soon, so I bit the bullet and got on a taxi.

There is a reason why Japanese people avoid taxis.

The service was top notch, but it came with a price.

A ridiculously expensive one.

(And that I also told the driver to take the fastest route, so it costed even higher)

Dear my parents, if you're reading this, I'm so sorry I spent 50k yen on 2 and a half hour ride from Narita to Mito. I will make sure to find a part time job once I know of my study schedule.

After reaching the destination, I paid the driver with my credit card so I signed the receipt with my signature in my language.

Apparently, that's when the driver realized I'm a foreigner.

He seemed shocked and amazed because after apologizing (I asked him to repeat something, but he didn't make it sound easier to understand so I just nodded), he complimented my accent saying how natural it was.

It may have something to do with my appearance too since I'm Asian. Even the local students at the dorm said I look like a Japanese. It was kind of fun at first, but I'm starting to feel like it's more of a debuff because instead of yasashii nihongo, I will be hit with normal level speech that can be very hard to listen.

In the evening of the first day, me and other 2 students from my country went to 3 different supermarkets to find items for our dorm. They even rode bicycles to a Donki far deep in the city to buy pillows (only mattress is provided in the dorm), utensils, and so much more. There were only 2 bicycles available so I just waited for them at the lounge, praying for their safety because one said they almost crashed into a car.

The two bought lots of ingredients to cook food on their own while I mostly bought instant meals. I don't feel like cooking because I'll have to wash the dishes, so I bought different food and put them together.

Personally, I think it turned out great.

The students from my country came from the same university and one is a classmate of mine. They are a cheerful person and a socializer. They probably befriended most of the exchange students already at this point. Thanks to them introducing me to others, I was able to talk and make friends with more people. Everyone was really kind. Some students' Japanese or English skills might not be very strong, but nothing can stop any of them from having fun together.

Tomorrow after sending in our documents at the City Hall, the exchange students are planning to have a barbeque party. I also heard another party will be held after too. It hasn't been a week, yet everyone seemed to close to each other. From a view of someone who's socially awkward, I find that fascinating.

I hope to get to know more of everyone soon.

#mepple wants to write #finally a photo with miyuneso #no one knows argonavis here sadge #they noticed my hypmic hoodie tho #i missed kousuke's live stream today huuu

[suomeen]

Chapter 2: Luck Awaits

It was the road that scared me the most. Since no planes fly out of Ukraine and we had little money, we had to take a bus to Poland at any rate. About 16-hour ride. We might have to then transfer to another bus then, to cross another 3 countries to Helsinki. Another 20+ hour ride. Then take a train there.

I get sick on buses. I thought I might die. With transfers, 2 full days on the road. Thankfully, I discovered that Finair |bless!| still offered a 95% discount to Ukrainians flying to Helsinki. Well, plus the airport fees so about 85%, but still a great deal. So that made the trip a little bit easier and faster, though the transfers would be even more nerve-wrecking.

I stalled and planned for a long time. It was pretty much impossible to comprehend all the contingencies of this decision. It was scary as fuck and the biggest decision I ever had to make in my whole damned life. I knew there would be no turning back. But somehow, I was ready for it.

At that point, I was barely leaving the house, going out only to buy groceries and medicine and basic appointments. I had no proper job and no money and all my friends left to find a better life long before the war. My physical and mental health were always fragile and considerably undermined by 2 years of living in a fucking war. There was little hope of things working out for me. It felt like if I don’t do something drastic, I will likely just wither away, grow old and die in sickness and poverty.

I knew if won’t be easy. I knew that if I took this step, I would be the one doing basically everything. From planning, to securing the tickets, to speaking to all officials, making sure we make it there. And, basically, every official and unofficial business inside Finland, since my mum can’t speak English.

I’ve had bad anxiety all my life. As a kid, I couldn’t even buy stuff without nervously counting my money for approximately 30 minutes. In my 20’s I was terrified of making calls and dealing with unfamiliar situations. But now, after spending most of my life trying to fix myself, I learned to get over it and do stuff. Still, it doesn’t come easy. Asking strangers for help is hard enough, harder when you don’t know their language and they may not know any other, harder still when you’re the stranger in their land.

Of course, we can always go back. We’re allowed to take 2 weeks to leave the country before we lose our dwelling. But it won’t be easy. The road would be very hard and expensive and we can’t fly, since Finair only offers discounts on flights to Finland. That’s a 2-day trip just to get there. And you’re have to plan the route back in advance too, which is hard and uncertain with things going down at the border. You have to have a very good reason for going. And, in the end, I don’t want to.

I don’t miss home. Not really. My heart bleeds for Ukraine. I’ll miss feeling like I’m among my own people. Speaking and being understood. But not my dirty poor destitute neighborhood. I know it by heart by now. In fact, it feels like a part of me is still there. It’s like that bad old movie with Gwyneth Paltrow where she missed the train and her life gets split into two threads.

It’s hard to pack when you only have one medium bag to take with you and you don’t know when you’ll be coming back.

I was very attached to my room but I also knew that, in a way, it has become my prison cell. I’m not young anymore and yet I feel like I lived so little. I needed a change. I needed to try. I had to take this leap of faith.

I didn’t take much with me. We were preparing for cold winter so it was only a bunch of winter clothes, nothing remotely pretty. I also grabbed a few practical and sentimental items, some music and videos. I could have taken more, really. But I suppose that was a conscious choice. I wanted to leave it behind and get a clean slate.

I miss my furniture, my dolls and my books the most. I can’t imagine when I’ll see them again, if ever. But it’s a small price to pay for safety.

The town we were heading for is called Tuuri, which means “luck” in Finnish. When I was ordering the tickers to our final destination, my automatic translation startled me because after I booked the tickets, on the screen it said “Luck Awaits”. I took it as a good sign.

Once I finally booked all the tickets and the trip was locked in, I got calmer. I knew no matter how much I prepared for it, I wouldn’t be ready for what’s to come and somehow, it was liberating.

It’s just for a few months, we told ourselves. Just to pass the winter. We almost believed it.