#i stayed at an airbnb that was too luxurious and big
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Had to take advantage of this slutty lighting in Belgium
#me#mine#my face#gpoy#gay#gay bear#i stayed at an airbnb that was too luxurious and big#the heater was up way too high#but I looked hot ✨️
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hey, you're like, my go to source for like, swift-economics and nyc so I'm wondering, did taylor really rent the apartment on Cornelia Street? and how normal is it for someone of her caliber to rent in new york? because to me the idea of The Taylor Swift having a landlord is kinda funny. you know, I'd assume she's the one owning rental properties, not the one renting them. but this may be very naïve of me 😅
hahahahah omg idk if i'm worthy of that, but i'm honored and i'll do my best! putting it under a break so people don't get blocks of text about real estate on their dash at 10 am lmao.
as far as i know she absolutely did rent the place on Cornelia St (not buy it, which i see some people say quite often), and it was a townhouse i believe. at the time, it was reported that it rented for $40k-$50k a month, it came fully furnished, and i think it was reported that she was staying there cuz her tribeca place was undergoing renovations for several months. in my experience, it's very normal for wealthy people to pay that much in rent, especially temporarily. the reason why is that they want the luxury accommodations that they're used to, but staying in a hotel for months is very disorienting and uncomfortable and lacks privacy. so they pay a premium price to rent a place that comes fully furnished and is private where they can settle in for a longer period of time comfortably without having to go through the headache of filling it with stuff. it's just for a few months, as opposed to the years typical nyc tenants stay, so even if it looks like a lot per month comparatively to standard rent, it ends up being not that much to them if you compare it to a hotel or buying something. think of it more like an airbnb, which celebs commonly use when staying somewhere they don't own a home, like taylor did in mexico. another common example is very high profile actors who do a stint on broadway or who are shooting a movie/tv show in the city for a few months will do something like that. they're only living in the city temporarily, but long enough they want to settle in, so it's the best fit for them. i will say 50k is perhaps the ceiling, and the most a wealthy person pays in rent and that person is typically VERY wealthy, as taylor was and is even more so today. I've known many rich people who pay 10k in rent or 20k for just apartments, and that's part of why there is a housing crisis in the city right now which is super fun for all of us normal people! i mean it's not her fault, those kinds of rental properties always exist, we're just experiencing a post-pandemic boom of rich kids or influencers with 3k-5k to burn every month moving into the city and i hope all their ceilings collapse on them, but that's another post entirely.
as far as her having a landlord, it is funny to think about haha. but i'll say she probably paid upfront for the total months she wanted to stay there or something like that. keep contact with the owner minimal. if there was a broken faucet or something, i'm sure her assistant contacted the landlord not her, and things just got taken care of as they would if she owned the place. also, it was likely not a "landlord" in the typical new york piece of shit sense. corporate landlord companies typically don't bother operating townhouses like that. the turnover isn't frequent enough and the clientele is too rich and difficult to deal with, and they can't get rich off of them with the proportion to property taxes if it's a big townhouse. they are likely a wealthy private owner who previously owned the townhouse, and maybe owns several single dwelling properties in the city, and rents it out. the fact that this person is also trying to sell it shows me they're just a private individual, as for profit landlords wouldn't be selling a property they're also renting out. in that case, it was more cordial and she most likely sent one payment for her entire stay and it was a more personal landlord experience. i currently am renting from a private person who just owns my apartment and only rents it out cuz he and his wife moved into a larger one to start a family. i just text him if i need anything and it's really great actually, very easy and simple to deal with, so i imagine her experience was something like that.
i don't think she'd ever own rental properties, as that's a lot of headaches and oversight and she doesn't need the money. with the amount of money she can throw around, she'd make MORE money by buying a very expensive private property so the money she spends on it doesn't get taxed, as property taxes are way cheaper than taxes on income for the very wealthy. it's a common practice for wealthy people and often why they own a large number of properties and don't ever live in them. we have countless high rises in the city currently with apartments owned by wealthy domestic and foreign bankers and whatnot and they sit empty and untouched as just an asset they converted their money into to ostensibly "hide" it from being reported as income and lower their tax bracket. shitty but that's the way it goes currently, but nyc politics are an entirely different topic that is nothing but a huge bummer lolololol.
#i will note that renting from a private individual is VERY RARE though in the city#increasingly so so it's not normal for someone like me#but it is normal for her tax bracket i'd say
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In the fight to regulate short-term rentals, New Orleans had a novel idea—it would hold a lottery. The plan was simple: Carve up the city into blocks and use a hand-cranked lottery machine to draw numbers, allowing one rental property per residential block. For the winners, the prize was a license to keep listing their property on sites like Airbnb and Vrbo. For the losers, despair.
But the controversial rules, enacted in March 2023, led to just one lottery before being temporarily halted by a federal judge in August. As the city awaits a final decision, short-term rentals in New Orleans have been left in limbo. The city has said it is no longer accepting applications for the short-term rental licenses it requires hosts to have, nor is it renewing existing ones. And, until the court makes a final ruling, the lottery balls have stopped spinning and the city has halted enforcement of its latest licensing rules.
The limbo stems from an ongoing lawsuit against the city from a short-term rental services company and a group of hosts who were unable to even enter the lottery due to narrow licensing rules.
Like many popular tourist cities across the world, New Orleans has a lot of short-term rental listings. On Airbnb alone, there were nearly 7,000 listings in early September—the majority of which were whole-home or short-term rentals, according to Inside Airbnb, a housing advocacy group that tracks Airbnb data. That’s about one listing for every 54 residents. By comparison, New York City had one Airbnb listing for every 220 residents before it enacted a sweeping law that caused the number of listings to plummet.
The average rent for an apartment in New Orleans is around $1,350 per month, but the average price per night of an Airbnb in the city is $198 per night, according to Inside Airbnb. That’s nearly $6,000 per month if booked each night. Officials say there are nearly 9,000 short-term rental listings in New Orleans, though the city did not answer questions from WIRED about how it tracks that number. More than 200 of those have been added in the past month.
Dawn Wheelahan, an attorney representing those suing New Orleans over the lottery law, disputes the idea that the city has too many Airbnbs. In a court document that uses city data, Wheelahan mapped which blocks would have multiple short-term rental applicants, and found most only had one applicant, while more than 50 blocks had three or four applicants and only one block had five applicants. “I just don’t see that there’s any proliferation” of short-term rentals, Wheelahan claims.
Whole-home rentals—the sort of bland and luxury stays that have become popular for travelers— are the ones perceived to eat away at housing stock, and can be owned by big-time landlords. New Orleans has tried and failed to stamp those out. Last summer, a federal court blocked another New Orleans law intending to ban whole-home, short-term rentals, ruling that it interfered with interstate commerce by barring people from out of state from owning and operating rentals in the city. Under the new, halted rule, people can own out of state, but there must be a host living on the property.
New Orleans wants to see the lawsuit resolved so it can “provide certainty and stability in this area of law for all citizens of New Orleans,” says Ashley Becnel, the chief zoning official with the city’s Department of Safety and Permits. The city maintains that the laws enacted this year “are constitutional” and “[it] is hopeful that the injunction will be lifted in the near future.”
In New Orleans, housing advocates say short-term rentals are hurting local residents—many of whom work in the tourism industry—and pushing them farther from the French Quarter, the city’s hub of bars, restaurants, and clubs. But residents fighting against the proliferation of short-term rentals face a Sisyphean task.
“It’s an industry that requires a lot of work to regulate, because [the short-term rental companies] don’t want to be regulated,” claims Allen Johnson, president of the Faubourg Marigny Improvement Association, a neighborhood group in the district next to New Orleans’ French Quarter. “It’s not really an industry that you can come to some sort of settlement with,” he argues. When one attempt at regulation fails and another is introduced, Johnson adds, there are new plaintiffs ready to challenge them. “It’s starting to feel like a game of whack-a-mole for legislatures.”
And for short-term rental hosts, the confusion and erratic shifts in regulation bring frustration and financial loss. Elisa Cool Murphy, a real estate agent, was operating a small Airbnb attached to her home in New Orleans. She says she entered the lottery for a license this summer before the court put a pause to the law. Like some other hopeful hosts, Cool Murphy was pitted against her own neighbors to compete for a lucrative short-term rental license.
Cool Murphy has a small suite on the property where she lives. She put the place—just a kitchenette, bed, and bathroom—on Airbnb. It’s not the kind of property a full-time tenant would likely lease, she argues. She says she took it off Airbnb temporarily due to the changing licensing requirements. The chaos around the lottery and the subsequent court delays have “needlessly caused a lot of anxiety and stress to people,” she says. Cool Murphy put the little suite back online in October after learning that the latest licensing rules weren’t being enforced.
Smaller short-term rental hosts like Cool Murphy say the New Orleans rules unfairly shut down dependable side hustles. Before the new rules were enacted, Airbnb hosts in New Orleans made a combined $114 million in 2021, with an average host earning over $16,500, according to the company. Airbnb also positions itself as a source of income and tax revenue for hosts and cities; in 2022, the company said it collected and remitted around $23 million in tourism taxes in New Orleans alone.
Airbnb isn’t involved with the current lawsuit, but the ruling would have implications for the company’s hosts. “The majority of hosts in New Orleans share just one home, and one-third say the income from home-sharing has helped them avoid foreclosure or eviction,” Nia Brown, an Airbnb regional policy manager, tells WIRED. “We believe there is a path forward to craft a sensible alternative to the current rules and hope lawmakers will bring all stakeholders, including our host community, to the table to find common ground.”
The saga in New Orleans is the latest example of a city trying to wrest back housing and calm rising rent and property prices. It’s been a problem around the globe ever since companies like Airbnb made short-term rentals a lucrative alternative for landlords.
In Florence, Italy, lawmakers recently voted to ban new short-term rentals in the city center. New York City began enforcing a strict law on short-term rentals earlier this month. The change immediately led some 15,000 short-term rentals on Airbnb to either disappear or convert to long-term listings. The move is seen as a test: If America’s biggest city can stamp out illegal short-term rentals, it sends a loud message for other cities looking to do the same. But the latest languishing court case in New Orleans shows just how difficult it can be for cities to wrap regulations around the unwieldy short-term rental industry. As it sits in limbo, the bookings continue.
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Current Status
It's been a while since I posted an update.
So 2023 has been off to a good start so far. Crazy that it's already the 2nd week of March. The year is going much better than how things went down at the beginning of last year. As a reminder, a part of our ceiling broke due to water damage in mid-January after a big snowstorm came through, and then a few days later I flooded our apartment which had us living in our bedroom since we didn't have flooring until the first week of April. Glad that's all behind us, though we were $10,000 richer, I would NOT want to go through that again.
This year we plan on taking our first trip since COVID and of course, we are planning on going back to Seoul since we haven't stopped thinking about going back since we last went in Nov. 2019. Since we're both making more money than we did in 2019, we're planning on splurging for the trip so we've started saving from the get-go. When we last went we spent like $5k on flights, accommodations, food, day trips, and activities. This time we're probably looking at $10k-$11k for the 14 days we'll be there.
The plan is to go back in November again, we're thinking Nov. 4th - 19th. We are monitoring plane ticket pricing but we've already made a reservation at this amazing-looking 5-star hotel in Dongdaemun, which is pretty much at the centre of Seoul. We didn't really explore this area the last time we were there. Last time we stayed in a private room at a hostel in Myeongdong for the first 5 days to save us money, and then for the rest of the trip we stayed in an Airbnb in Hongdae which was super fun since the nightlife and shopping there was 10/10.
We mainly stayed in Seoul for our first trip and we are leaning towards staying there again for most of the trip but maybe doing 3 days in Busan before we head home. We'll see where we end up going as we're in the early planning stages. I feel like there is still so much to explore in Seoul but I do feel like we should try and see other parts of Korea too.
On this trip, we will mainly be exploring cafes, eating good food, and checking out luxury shopping. We did a lot of the tourist attractions when we last went so we're being picky about what we plan on doing this time around. We're also going a week earlier compared to our last trip so we're hoping to catch more of the fall foliage when we go. We want to visit Nami Island again, but maybe this time hiring a private car to take us. Definitely want to have a photographer come with us too to take photos. I'm also interested in going to Mt. Seorak and exploring that area for a day. Closer to Incheon Airport we also want to go to Paradise City where they filmed Singles Inferno.
In Seoul, we'll also spend a lot more time exploring Gangnam, Apujeong, and Seongsu. We didn't even go to Starfield COEX Mall last time and we even skipped out on Lotte World. We did buy tickets to go but it was on the last day of our trip and we were exhausted by then. So yea definitely planning on a more jam-packed itinerary and caffeinating myself so we take fewer naps this time around. We will have 2-3 days that will be more relaxed and not filled with activities so we can also enjoy our hotel and have a few days where we can see where the wind takes us. The last time we were there it rained a few times so if we have some buffer days we can potentially move days around if the weather isn't very good.
Either way, I'm really excited to travel again and to go back to Seoul. In the 4 years since our trip, I've definitely tried more Korean food and have upped my spice tolerance. I've also fallen in love with coffee/espresso drinks which is why I'm so excited to cafe hop! Of course, I'll be vlogging and taking lots of luxury content for the gram.
Will do another update on planning when we've bought our tickets. One of our bigger concerns at this time is figuring out where Corgsworth is going to be staying while we're out. I'm thinking with my parents but they are also planning on going on a trip at the end of October and it looks like they're gonna fly back on the 5th of November. My sister might not be joining them so she might be able to watch him but we'll see since my parents told her that they'd pay for half her costs if she wanted to come.
Thats it for now!
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Field notes from the trip, as written on the return flight:
A night at 4-star Citadines aparthotel at Les Halles cost very nearly the same as the one in cheapo Adagio Access near Bastille. The apartment at Citadines was easily twice as big, bigger than most Airbnbs I’ve rented, and well equipped (bath – a smallish one, but still; a balcony overlooking Fontaine des Innocents + another window with a view of the roofs of the Forum, dishwasher, kettle, toaster, microwave/grill and induction stovetop, would have been easy to cook full meals there), and if I had the budget for it/got someone else to pay for it, I’d stay there again. That being said, the floor was deathly cold; getting the shivers just thinking about it. And it didn’t have a dining table as such, but a generous desk and another fold-out chair in the hallway wardrobe (one of the two). No washer, but I’m thinking they probably have an in-house laundrette? The big room was a bit too dark at night, just wall sconces and a small table lamp on the desk, definitely not ideal for reading an actual book in bed. The bathroom vanity looked cheap to begin with and pretty tired, too, not luxurious.
The other 2 hotels were fine too, the room in Adagio Access had had a kitchen upgrade; the B&B Hotel thing had a tiny room, sparsely, if not stingily equipped (no soap by the sink; just a wall-mounted shower gel in the shower? No hand towels, just a bath towel per person?), but it was fresh-looking, clean and functional, and I slept like a log.
I had some terrible food (starving late one night and out of options, we ate at a Buffalo Grill, even the fries were bad) and some good too; found a restaurant called Le Lieu Dit that I would be happy to visit again. Ate on the go a lot, and I’m fed up with sandwichs and pastries for a while, I think. Mostly, I’m glad that my knees held up, and I didn’t get a cold. Can’t say the same for the boyf, and I might yet get what he’s got, but oh well.
Travelling part was uneventful, managed to not get caught up in strikes and thanks to the hotel staff, got a taxi to the train station during a high-demand morning station rush on Sunday. However, Google Maps is not great for directions in Paris. It routinely underestimated travel times, suggested getting off the bus in the wrong place, and we would have missed our TGV if it wasn’t for helpful bystanders.
Visited the Paris embassy on business (have been to London, Berlin, Brussels and Paris now, and also have had dinner in a New York sushi restaurant with the consul stationed there; this was never a goal in itself, it has just happened).
Didn’t shop much, a bit of skincare repurchases (Furterer shampoo, Biotherm SOS spray, Cattier hand cream, etc.), and a Uniqlo ULD collarless jacket, because it looked right on my most basic of asses. Ofc it is soft pink, too, because that too tends to look right on me. The plan is to wear it to the office under looser and thinner wool coats, and it’ll help putting up with the office temperature that’s been lowered as a cost-saving measure. Got an impressive amount of tea, too, Chinese and Taiwanese imports from Tang Frères and Twinings teabags in varieties probably intended for the French market, as I haven’t seen them anywhere else. Tuiles d’amandes seem to be having a moment, stocked up on those and some Bonne Maman madeleines and whatnot too.
As for souvenirs, got some cute af Ghibli chopsticks. Haven’t bought sushi in a while for reasons of being broke though. Have to pay the bills and see where I’m at. Anyway, the plan for tomorrow is to stay at home, maybe a quick run for groceries, and pet the cat. He has coped ok without us, but appears to be waiting for someone (he’s very alert to door-opening sounds, but we share a hallway door with the neighbours, so there’s a lot of disappointment).
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I’m a little disturbed by the way that people consider living in a big city a privilege, as in something that is unnecessary, not a privilege the way not be disproportionately targeted with violence is classed as a “privilege.”
Often times the resources of a large city are necessary, even those that aren’t employment related. I can’t live too far from a major city because it would severely impact my access to medical care, there are not many pharmacies able to provide the medication I need. Currently, I go to the major specialist pharmacy by the hospital once a month to get my prescription filled. This cost alone if I lived much further would increase to needing an overnight hotel room once a month to access that, an overnight hotel room that is going to be on the more expensive end of nightly accommodations because things like Airbnbs and hostels are rarely accessible, whereas major hotel chains generally have accessible rooms available.
Then there is access to delivery options, taxis, cleaners, childcare etc. etc. etc. and these can feel like luxuries but depending on your health, and work, they often are not. Even for a healthy person, a shift with overtime might make it difficult or even unsafe for them to cook when they get home, nearly anyone who wants kids will need childcare at some point. Also an estimated 22% of Canadians are disabled, using that country since it’s where I live, WHO estimates 16% of the world population. My disability means I need a cleaner, or my bed sheets stay dirty, I physically can no longer change my own sheets, living in a city means that it is relatively easy to hire a cleaner. It means I’m near to an ER if an emergency arises. It means I can easily order food for delivery that fits within my dietary needs should the need arises, something that happens to me when I have a particularly bad flare and I am unable to cook.
Now sure some of these are accessible in smaller cheaper cities, but one, that assumes there is a smaller cheaper city, and two not all of them will be, depending on your specific needs, it’s likely I wouldn’t be able to access adequate specialists anywhere that isn’t Vancouver, Toronto or Montreal, and Montreals transit does not have the kind of accessibility I would need to be independent.
There are also other types of services, social workers, support groups, day programmes etc. Oftentimes these do not exist in cheaper rural areas.
Living in a city should not be treated as a luxury that you should not have if you cannot afford it because it’s often a necessity, not to mention people are born in large cities, I’m one of them, and when you combine a lack of public services with the lack of help from family and friends because you’re no longer near them you can see how leaving can become impossible.
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World Cup fans acclimatize to desert accommodation – in tents and portacabins
Doha, QatarCNN —
As fans trickle intoQatar, they’re understandably in holiday mode as they look forward to the prospect of a desert World Cup.
But where best to stay in a country that is geographically on a peninsula smaller than Connecticut and is the smallest World Cup host in history?
'Our dreams never came true.' These men helped build Qatar's World Cup, now they are struggling to survive.
The scramble for accommodation is likely to hot up given Qatar is set to welcome an estimated 1.5 million fans over the month-long tournament, which begins on November 20.
Jimmy and Kennis Leung were among the very first fans to arrive at the Fan Village Cabins Free Zone, one of the largest sites available to supporters, checking in on Thursday.
“They’ve built this in a desert,” Jimmy told CNN Sport, as he scanned his accommodation space, which he was impressed by.
“It is too expensive to stay in a hotel or AirBnB in Doha so this was a great option.”
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The Free Zone fan village is around 20 minutes by metro from downtown Doha but at the moment it’s a bit like entering a dystopian world.
There is precious little else around the village – one or two building sites and a main road – so staff quickly direct you to the reception, which is a 10-minute walk across a vast car park.
There is an endless lines of portacabins, organized into different colors and mapped in alphabetical order, stretching into the distance, with large gazebos containing hundreds of empty tables and chairs.
Basketball courts, outdoor gyms and a huge television screen are dotted around the complex where fans can play and relax.
When CNN visited on Friday, only a handful of fans were milling around, though many more are expected over the course of the tournament.
Container living in the desert ... World Cup style.Ken Satomi/AP
"Hup Holland Hup" ("Go Holland Go") ... the Leungs are from Hong Kong and have come to watch Holland at the World Cup.Ben Church/CNN
Navigation is also proving a bit problematic – the Leungs admit to getting lost in the seemingly endless makeshift roads that connect the village. There are, though, electric scooters to get around and staff will even drive you to your door in a golf buggy.
The Leungs work in the media and have traveled from Hong Kong to watch their favorite team, the Netherlands, at Qatar 2022.
“It’s very quiet at the moment but there are food options and the rooms are nice, but a bit small,” Kennis adds.
As fans like the Leungs grapple with finding their feet in Qatar on Friday, they were greeted by the news that soccer’s world governing body FIFA had performed a U-turn and that no alcohol will be sold at the eight stadiums which will host the tournament’s 64 matches.
‘Eco farm’
For those supporters on a budget and are unable to afford what’s on offer from hotels, eight fan villages provide “casual camping and cabin-style” options.
Some World Cup visitors, however, were less impressed with what was on offer.
“There are so many cabins and containers and there’s a big screen that we can all watch the games together but the accommodation, well … What can I say?” Fei Peng from China, who is here to watch over 30 World Cup games, told CNN Sport.
“This is the best option that we can afford. It’s so expensive in Doha so we cant expect more.”
One night in the Free Zone fan village cabin starts at $207 a night, according to the Qatar World Cup’s Official Accommodation Agency, but cheaper options can be found at Caravan City, at $114 a night.
And if your heart is set on camping under the stars, a tent in the Al Khor village is available for $423 a night.
If you’re not on a budget, a self-described “eco farm” hut will provide a more luxurious option at $1,023 a night, while a stay on a cruise ship will set you back at least $179.
The cabin container comes with beds and air conditioning.Ben Church/CNN
Many fans are expected stay in neighboring countries to Qatar, flying in and out of the Gulf state for matches.
Qatar Airways announced in May that it had partnered with regional carriers to launch 160 extra daily return flights at “competitive prices” that will shuttle fans from Dubai, Jeddah, Kuwait, Muscat and Riyadh.
There will be no baggage check-in facilities to speed up the transfers and dedicated transportation services will be made available to get fans from the airport to stadiums.
It will also be possible to drive from cities like Riyadh, Dubai and Abu Dhabi, all of which are under seven hours away.
INTERACTIVE: For Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, a final shot at World Cup glory
Warm winter
Those coming to Doha will have to contend with the heat.
The tournament was moved to the winter months because of scorching summer temperatures – the average high in Doha in the second half of November is around 28 degrees Celsius (82 degrees Fahrenheit), which is much better than in July, when the World Cup would normally conclude, when the average high temperature is about 42 degrees Celsius (106 degrees Fahrenheit).
FIFA confirms no alcohol to be sold at Qatar World Cup stadiums
Even in winter the heat is energy sapping, if you come from a colder clime. Walk too far, too quickly and you’ll soon find yourself drenched in sweat and in need of hydration.
Shade is king and tournament staff, dotted around Doha, are very quick to advise you to stay out of direct sunlight.
The heat tends to die down a little, though not much, in the evenings and the nights are humid and sticky.
Fortunately, Doha is fully equipped with air conditioning inside stadiums and the white wall architecture will also help deflect some of the heat’s intensity.
With just two days to go until the first match, the nation is putting the final touches to its preparations as it braces itself for a World Cup like no other.
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and there was only one bed! - Sukuna
Wow who would have guessed my first curse!Sukuna fic would be this? Not me lol so sorry if it sucks! Femme reader, everyone is aged up 18+
TW: dubcon, somnophilia, overstimulation, one (1) use of the word daddy, squirting
You and Yuji were great friends. Ever since he came to the school you were joined at the hip. Bugging Fushiguro, getting into crazy schemes with Inumaki and Panda - there was always something the two of you could get into together. Being so close throughout the years, it was only natural that the two of you would go on missions together as well as you got older. Spending a few days away from the school was all fun and games, and the added luxury of having your own private hotel rooms didn’t hurt either.
And the fun didn’t stop after you graduated, with Gojo still being in charge of booking your accommodations even though you’d been out of school for a while.
“Oh, so there’s only one bed this time…” Yuji mumbled as the two of you walked into the Airbnb that Gojo had booked for you. The house was nice enough, a quaint one bedroom on the edge of the city you were to be working in in the morning.
Through the open bedroom door you could see that there was indeed only one bed.
“I’ll sleep on the couch.” Yuji announced with a slight sigh under his breath.
“We’re here for three days, no way will that be comfortable.”
“Well I won’t let you sleep on the couch.”
“We can just share the bed then.” Taking his suitcase from him, you dragged it and your own towards the bedroom.
“No, I don’t want you to be uncomfortable.” Getting a hand on his luggage before you got too far, Yuji stared at you with narrowed eyes.
“Yuji, we’re best friends, it’ll be fine.” Swatting his hand away, you shuffled a little bit closer to the door. “We can put the couch pillows between us, plus look!” Getting into the room, you gestured towards the massive mattress. “This thing is huge anyway, we’ll have plenty of space to spread out!”
“Well…” Worrying his lip, Yuji looked between you and the bed. “Alright, but you have to tell me if you get uncomfortable.”
“Please, it’ll be fine.” You waved off his concern. There really was no reason to be nervous about anything; Yuji was a respectable guy and you knew he slept deeply anyway. The only real concern you had was if he would violently toss and turn like Fushiguro said he did.
Hours later and the sun was down, you and Yuji had both showered and were now climbing into bed. There was a good wall of pillows from the couch between you two, and Yuji had insisted over and over that you tell him if you weren’t comfortable.
“Goodnight bestie.” You giggled childishly, turning your back to him and closing your eyes.
“Night.” Yuji giggled as well and the two of you got quiet, taking slow and even breaths until you fell into a rhythm and went to sleep.
A few hours later, the feeling of hot breath on the back of your neck and something molding to your body from behind had just slightly roused you from sleep. Something was poking the spot right below your ear, forcibly quiet breathing just barely audible at the edge of your mind.
The sweat collecting on your skin from the heat of what you presumed to be Yuji’s body attempting to smother you in his sleep was beginning to drown you, and you threw the blanket off your chest to gain some reprieve.
Settling down again, you didn’t feel the hand creeping up your sleeping shirt and grabbing a handful of your breast. Deft fingers rolled your nipple as another hand slid across your hips and pulled you flush against another body.
Pushing past the band of your bottoms, the hand pushed your thighs apart slightly and dipped between your folds, slowly rubbing your clit. The pleasure was beginning to reach you and your unconscious body reacted in kind, rolling your hips against the friction and eager to get more.
What woke you up, however, wasn’t the slick gathering between your legs, it was the body beginning to crush you from behind.
“Yuji...roll over…” You slurred sleepily, attempting to push away the heavy arm that lay across your body. A deep, shuddering breath sounds in your ear, but the arm didn’t move. “Yuji, you’re crushin’ me.”
“Sorry baby.” A voice much deeper than Yuji’s replied, and a kiss was placed on the back of your neck as the pressure was released.
“S’okay.” Yawning softly, you were about to let sleep overtake you once again, and then the squeezing fingers on your breast got a little tighter, and laughter resonated behind you.
“Such an easy little thing, aren’t you?”
“Huh?” Rolled onto your back, you opened your eyes in time to be face to face with Sukuna. Your mouth opened to scream, but instead of a piercing cry, you began to choke; Sukuna had shoved two fingers into your mouth.
“Quiet now, don’t want to wake the neighbors.” Even in the low light of the bedroom, you could tell it was him. The voice, sharp nails attached to the fingers in your mouth and the overwhelming amount of cursed energy were enough.
Your clothes were ripped off in an instant, leaving you completely bare before him. Withdrawing his now wet fingers, Sukuna brought them down to your cunt, using the added lubrication from your saliva to push into you.
The stretch made you hiss between your teeth, the slight burning sensation that came with nearly completely edging out the pleasure you’d just been feeling a few moments ago. Sukuna sunk his fingers in halfway before withdrawing and beginning a languid stroke.
“I was beginning to think you wouldn’t wake up.” He chuckled, using his other hand to go back to your breast.
“Stop!” Grabbing his wrist, you tried to pull it off but it was no use.
“Aw c’mon baby, don’t act that way! You were enjoying it a minute ago!” To punctuate his statement, Sukuna brought his thumb up to your clit and smirked when you jumped, your walls clenching around his fingers. “See, this pretty pussy seems to be enjoying it.”
“Sukuna let me go!” Your feeble cry was music to his ears and Sukuna nearly moaned at the sound. He could see the frantic desperation on your face mixing with the arousal that had seeped into your mind.
“But if I do then you won’t get to cum! And that wouldn’t be very nice, would it?” Letting go of your chest, he smacked his hand onto the pillow beneath your head and leaned over you. He kissed you before you could answer, his hand coming to wrap around the back of your head.
Shoving his tongue into your mouth, Sukuna overrode any thought you had in your brain. He was domineering, forcing your lips to stay locked with his as his tongue explored every inch of your mouth.
His other hand refused to lay idly and all it took was a few flicks of his wrist and a firm thumb pressed on your clit to get you to start whimpering into his mouth. Your knees knocked together at Sukuna’s sides, hands gripping his shoulders as he finger fucked you.
Sucking your tongue into his mouth, Sukuna pulled away slowly, thin strings of saliva connecting you two together before breaking off and dropping onto your chest. Sukuna kept his face close to yours, close enough that the breaths from your exasperated moans warmed his face.
“S-Sukuna stop-” You whined as you came, moaning pitifully as your cunt spasmed around his fingers.
“After that, I don’t think I can stop now.” Pulling his fingers out, Sukuna used two to rub your clit in tight circles, hurtling you into overstimulation and making tears prick at your lashes. Your knees pressed even harder into him as your thighs tried to squeeze together to get him to stop.
“It- it hurts- Sukuna!” Tossing your head back, another orgasm was forcibly brought forward. This one was edged with pain, and embarrassment slowly trickled in as your cunt clenched around nothing and you found yourself wishing his fingers were inside you again.
Smoothing his hands on your inner thighs, Sukuna smirked down at your spent form. Just watching your chest heave as you calmed down had his ego boosted. Reaching a hand down to fist his cock, he let out a shaky breath as a bead of precum dripped out and onto your skin.
“I’ve been waitin’ for this.” He mumbled, pushing your legs further apart so he could get closer.
“Wait, it won’t fit!” You didn’t know the size of Yuji’s cock, but you could tell it had been made much bigger by Sukuna’s appearance. Pushing your hands onto his chest, you couldn’t keep Sukuna at bay for very long.
“Don’t worry baby, daddy will make it fit.” The tip of Sukunas cock pushed into you as he spoke, the bulbous head already much thicker than his fingers. Your nails dug into his chest the further he went, nearly drawing blood as he slowly bottomed out.
“There, that wasn’t so bad, was it?” Sukuna smirked, holding himself still to not only allow you to get used to the stretch but to bask in the moment as well. Forcing air through your lungs, it was a struggle to try and get used to the feeling of almost being split in half.
Sukuna clamped his hands on your hips as he slowly dragged his cock halfway out. Snapping forward, the light slap of skin against skin began to build in the room, muffled only by the light gasps leaving your mouth.
“S’too much!” You whined, screwing your eyes closed and shaking your head a little. “Too big, Sukuna- please-” Laughing under his breath, Sukuna pressed his fingers on your clit again, circling in time with his thrusts.
“You’re so whiny, baby, I bet you’ve never taken a cock this big before.” With every swipe of his thumb, he could feel you tighten up around him and the drag of his cock against your walls got easier.
Letting go of your hip, Sukuna slid his hand down your leg, hooking it under your knee and pushing it up toward your chest. The added angle allowed him to get deeper, practically hitting your cervix every time he pushed in.
You let out a loud, girlish squeal at the change and your hands scrambled to push against his lower stomach. The new position felt too good, immediately assaulting your senses with a toe curling pleasure.
“Sukuna, no!” The tips of your fingers pushed at him, stopping him a little short of completing a full thrust. Scoffing and rolling his eyes, Sukuna grabbed both your wrists in his hand, forcing your arms straight and keeping your hands away from him.
“Quit your whining, you can take it.” Pushing your knee down even further, Sukuna dug his knees into the mattress and slapped his hips against yours, ignoring any further squeals or whimpers.
Giving your wrists a bruising squeeze, he let go to grab your other leg and hike it up as well. He wouldn’t be stopped by the hands pushing against him, begging him to slow down or to change positions again.
“I’m gonna- Sukuna-” Your orgasm was building quickly, getting rid of any rational thought as pleasure shot up your spine and had nearly all the muscles in your body tightening up. You were so close to cumming, but there was another feeling behind it as well. “Sukuna stop, I’m gonna- pee!”
“Ha, you nasty girl. Go right ahead then.” Putting all his focus into his hips, Sukuna pounded into you, making sure you felt every inch of his cock. He nearly had you bent in half, his upper body leaning dangerously close to yours.
Whatever cries you had left were reduced to mindless babbles, overwhelmed tears threatening to fall as you came again. There was the rush of an orgasm coursing through you, making your cunt spasm and milk Sukuna for all he was worth.
But there was another feeling, one much more wet than you anticipated. With every forward thrust of Sukuna’s hips, a gush of liquid was forced out, coating everything within reach.
“Dirty girl, squirtin’ all over me like this.” Letting your knees fall back down to your sides, Sukuna pulled his cock out and stared down at his body, dripping with your release. “Even made a mess of the bed.” Sitting up on your elbow, you could see the dark stain forming on the bedsheets and feel the moisture begin to seep into your skin.
“M’not...not dirty.” Your tongue feels heavy in your mouth, about as heavy as your head and you fall back down onto the bed, vaguely aware of some stray tears that have fallen onto your face.
“Yes you are.” Sukuna immediately counters, a sick smile on his face as he pushes his cock back inside you, a low whine emanating from the back of your throat at the stretch to your sensitive walls. “You’re my dirty girl, and we’re gonna have a fun three days together.”
#tw: dubcon#tw: somnophilia#jujutsu kaisen#jujutsu kaisen smut#ryomen sukuna#sukuna x reader#jujutsu kaisen fanfic#jujutsu kaisen imagines#jujutsu kaisen scenarios
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My Knight, My Savior, My Herald
Alright, so @waiting4inspiration NEEDED this. Some sweet Herald Finehair to the rescue. Is it incredibly indulgant? Yes. Is it romantic? Yes. I wanted this to be nice and sweet and most of all, COMFORTING but not intrusive. If she wants a part two, I can include sexy times if she wants them. But this first part is just soft and sweet yet casually intimate. I tried to leave this vague as far as the food and presents go (which is incredibly hard for me) and tried to leave things as ‘your favorite’ so you can impose what you like into it. The only thing I specified was a fruit tart and chocolate covered strawberries. Sorry it took so long, I spent an equal amount of time writing it as I did scouring pintrist for THE PERFECT PICTURES. Only the best for you Dearest.
You walked out, to be met by the sight of Harald waiting by his car with flowers and a smile on his handsome face.
“What are you doing here?” You asked.
“Here as your knight in shining armor on my valiant steed here to take you to my tower of solace.” He answered in an over dramatic way that had you snickering a laugh as he handed you the flowers before hugging you tight and his hug felt like coming to a warm and loving home. There was warmth, comfort, love, care and happiness here. Where you felt welcome and at peace and he let you hold him for as long as you needed.
“Are you going to be alright y/n?” He asked, his words muffled by your clothes and hair since his face was buried into the crux of your shoulder.
“Now I am.” You answered, confident that now you were together again, you would be.
“Come on, I got a surprise for you.” He revealed when you pulled apart.
He opened the passenger door for you as you slid into the leather interiors. The car was clean and fresh but you smelled food, like groceries- kind of food before you turned around to see paper bags full of groceries in the back seat as Harald went around the car and got in himself.
“So is the surprise dinner?” You asked as you gestured to the back seat as he started the car.
“Part of it.” He grinned as he looked back over to you. There was a mischievousness to the curve of that smirk. Normally it would give you just a touch of fear. But over time you’ve learned to trust it because there was never any maliciousness or any harm, intended or unintended with that. He was a hopeless romantic and he believed in big romantic gestures and being spontaneous. And now was one of those times.
He reached down and took your hand before he kissed the back of it sweetly before he focused on driving.
He drove for what felt like at least an hour, maybe an hour and a half. He let you listen to whatever your heart desired music wise as the city turned into suburbs then to the country side, the roads getting narrower and narrower until it was just a back country road and the houses became fewer and fewer as lush fields turned into heavy forests.
The scents of late summer and early autumn were rich and heavy into the air as the air got cooler and cooler before he leaned forward, looking for something in particular.
“10105, 10110, 10115, 10120, ha, here we are- 10125.” He beamed as he pulled into the driveway, it was a long, winding gravel one through the trees where you saw squirrels and a bunny or two go for cover as you drove through and then a clearing….
Low and behold, the proverbial and exemplar cabin in the woods. But with a twist. There were solar panels on the roof, interrupted by skylights for the place, there was a lovely wrap around porch and a little garden on the side. It was so beautiful you wanted to cry.
“Do you like it?” Harald asked hopefully.
“I love it.” You professed.
“Good, I’m happy you love it. New home away from home for a while.” He revealed as he drove all the way up to the house and under the car park where you could see the back of the house where there was a hot tub on the back porch. Oooh, you were going to have fun in that later.
You got out of the car and tried to help bring in groceries at least.
“Oh no you don’t, I got this, the code for the door is your birthday, go check it out, I got this.” He urged you.
Before you turned and went to the code thing for the door and punched in your birthday, thinking it was really cool that he would set it to that before the door opened and revealed an exquisite interior. A gorgeous new kitchen and cozy if not slightly lavish and luxurious interiors but not so much so that you felt uncomfortable or that you couldn’t breathe for fear of messing it up as you simply let your heart lead you. You found the most cozy and inviting reading nook. Oh the stories you could read. Hell, the stories you could write from there. But this was about you filling your own cup before you could pour and give to anyone else.
Your hand felt along the plush throw blankets over the back of the couch as you walked past, the fireplace was begging for a fire and the large tv was also inviting you to watch it but, not now, maybe later. You followed your eyes up the sturdy stairs to the upstairs, a lavish upper bathroom with a tub of dreams, oh the baths you could enjoy. It was big enough for at least two people. Bathbomb needed.
And the bed. Oh God. Heaven help you. A king size bed, with a down comforter and super soft sateen sheets with all these pillows and you just rather unceremoniously flopped onto the bed face first.
It had some memory foam in some of the layers because you bounced a little before you just sunk in as your body laxed before you rolled over to your back. The bed smelled amazing, fresh and clean and looking up, oh, the biggest sky light ever right above the bed. Combined with the giant windows, you didn’t lack any natural light. You felt...at peace, free and comfortable. Like the rest of the world and all your problems were a million miles away and they could stay that way.
It wasn’t until you heard Harald doing something in the kitchen, a clank of pots and pans which brought your attention away from the bedroom of dreams to get back downstairs to see Harald surrounded by his ingredients and a few already on a cutting board, having already been sliced and chopped to the perfect sizes.
“Hey, so? How do you like the place?” He asked hopefully as he swirled some oil in the pan around.
“I love it, how did you find it?” You asked.
“Airbnb is amazing. It was close yet far enough for you to feel like you’re getting away without actually going too far away. And we still have all the comforts of home plus some. Did you see your present?” He asked.
“Wha...what present?” You frowned. “I thought this was the present.” You looked around.
“Well I mean yeah, but hang on, let me get this in the pan.” He urged you as he threw the diced items into the pan to hear them sizzle as the scents became enhanced from the heat before he turned the heat down so it wouldn’t burn and put a lid on it before he brought you back to the livingroom where a giant present was sitting on the couch with your name on it and you were so focused on the soft throw, you totally missed the present as you gasped in surprise and smiled so brightly.
“Yay! There’s a real smile.” He cheered before he kissed you sweetly.
“Open it,” he urged you before you sat next to it on the couch.
You ripped that wrapping paper to shreds trying to get inside and you squealed with joy. It was a pampering gift! Oh you had a couple of face masks, you had a body scrub, you had a trio of bath bombs, you had fancy lotions and little bottles of shampoo and conditioner and body wash and even a little thing of bath oil and a little moisturizer and face cleanser. And if that wasn’t enough, oh no, you had a new pair of super soft pajamas, with a new comfy robe and slippers too! The man knew you and knew exactly how to make you feel like a princess, if not a queen.
You were beyond happy.
“Thank you so much!” You thanked him as you threw your arms around him and hugged him tight.
“You’re welcome, y/n.” He chuckled as he hugged you tight.
“I gotta go finish cooking.” He said as he let go to return to the kitchen to finish preparing your dinner before he put what he needed to into a deep cooking dish and slipped it into the oven to bake for a while.
“So, we have a little time before dinner is ready, what did you want to do? You could start enjoying your gifts or there’s a trail in the back, we could walk it and see where it takes us.” He hinted as he nodded over his shoulder were you could see a trail as plain as day.
“I’m feeling a little adventurous.” You admitted before you took his hand and he led you to the back yard as you took the trail together since it was wide enough for that. You were so enchanted by the forest, it was rich and dense yet not so dense you could peer deeply into it. You could hear the birds sing their delightful songs and the breeze rustling the branches before they caressed your skin, keeping you cool and comfortable since the humidity was way down today. You just felt so at peace, just walking side by side with Harald before the trail brought you to another house, this one bigger with a barn with horses in the yard.
“Ok, time to turn back.” You urged him as you tugged him back towards the cabin.
“No it’s ok, these are the owners of the cabin, they have horses and the option to ride them was part of the deal. We’ve come this far, want to go a little farther? They have horse trails all over the woods, all you have to do is get on. The horses are very tame and sweet.” He invited.
“Really?” You asked as you stopped tugging before the horses seemed to notice you and neigh at you.
“Hey guys!” A woman greeted as she waived at you from her chicken’s yard since she was feeding them her trimmings from dinner before she came out and walked on over.
“I’m Ashley, the owner and operator of this ranch and the cabins, I take it you’re Harald Finehair, we talked on the phone, and you’re y/n.” She assumed judging by the trail that dumped out as you noticed others lead out from the farm. She must have had other cabins at the ends of those trails.
“Thinking about going for a ride?” She asked hopefully as Harald looked to you for that answer.
“Well we don’t want to trouble you.” You tried to dissuade them.
“Oh no trouble at all, these cheeky beggars need an excuse to get out.” She reassured you as the horses came closer to investigate. They did look really nice.
“Ok,” you caved before Harald and the owner walked towards the barn.
“How much experience do you have with riding horses? Harald already told me he has quite a bit of experience.” She inquired.
“Uh, some.” You answered before you told her of your experience.
“Well then I’ll put you on Casper, he sounds like he would be a good fit with you. Harald, I’m putting you on Duke.” She said before she walked you into the barn before she grabbed two haltars and two lead ropes and walked out into the main paddock where other horses were there, eating hay and drinking from the trough before she approached two particular horses and put the bridals on them and then the lead ropes before she led them back over to the gate and with Harald manning the gate, she got out and tied them to a post outside of two of the stalls.
“Y/n, meet Casper, Harald, meet Duke.” She introduced before she went through the few kinds of saddles she had and what you preferred before Harald took a brush from a bucket and handed you one brush while he took the other as you brushed them down, the horses quite liking this part as Casper rubbed his face into your front.
“Oof, I like you too.” You chuckled as you brushed him down and just as you got done, Harald took your brush and handed you a hoof pick so you could clean out your horses hooves which you did. Casper was super good and picked up his feet for you as Harald did the same with Duke who was sniffing at Harald’s back pockets to see if he had any carrots or treats or anything in them.
“Hey, cheeky beggar, they don’t have treats.” Ashley got after Duke when she came back with Harald’s saddle and set it on the bar that rotated out from the wall next to the stall before she left again to get your saddle.
Harald was a natural around horses as he placed the saddle pad right where it needed to be just as Ashely came back and put your saddle and saddle pad on the rotating arm next to the stall and Harald had saddled his horse in no time before he came over to walk you through it again and no sooner had he cinched it that Taylor came back with the bridals.
This part you could do yourself so Harald could do his own before you led the horses out of the barn to a small stool to make mounting them easier.
“So how long do you want to ride for?” She asked.
“Uh, dinner should be done in about an hour so like half an hour or so?,” Harald answered.
“Well then you should take the Lake trail, and when you get to the fork, turn left, if you turn right, it’ll take you about two hours to get back and that’s too long.” She urged you.
“So at the fork turn left.” Harald repeated.
“Yup, you can’t miss it.” She insisted before she pointed you in the right direction.
Once on the trail, Harald took the lead and just let you walk, following him through the forest as your body adjusted to the rhythm of the horse walking at a comfortable pace. Grateful you weren’t getting chowed by mosquitoes or really any other kind of bug. You were just having a wonderful, romantic, charming ride in the woods. With Harald. The one person who knew you, knew all of you and loved you unconditionally, and not in spite of your flaws, but because of them. Who accepted you wholeheartedly, who would never betray you or your trust or confidence. You didn’t have to be strong or tough unless you wanted to be. You could be vulnerable and when you felt like you were about to collapse, he was there to fall into and carry you when you felt like you couldn’t go on much longer and you didn’t have to turn yourself into something you thought he would love, nope, as long as you were all of yourself, that’s all he wanted. You. And you had learned that if you just let him and give him the chance to try, he would take care of you in every way. And you needed this now more than ever and you appreciated having him in your life.
Sure enough you found a fork in the trail and turned left before the forest opened up to reveal a gorgeous private lake where there was already another couple in a row boat having a romantic afternoon themselves while two more horses were tied to the horse equivalent of a runner line for dogs, but for horses as the horses themselves were happily munching on the grass.
“Tomorrow?” Harald asked as he turned around and looked at you hopefully.
“Tomorrow.” You mirrored. A day on the lake sounded lovely actually.
The trail continued to wind and twist through the forest before it came back to an open field.
“Wanna run?” Herald asked.
Your answer was to click your teeth and gently tap your heels to Casper’s side and Casper got the hint that you wanted to go faster which he was all too happy to oblige you as you hung on and galaoped through the field with Harald, both of you laughing as Duke was not about to be surpassed and gave Casper a run for his money.
“And it’s a tie.” Harald laughed once you reached the end of the long field before you found another trail that would lead you back to the farm before you rode the horses back over to the barn and got off and led them back into the barn where they got their tack taken off before you brushed them again and cleaned their hooves before they were let back into the corral with the others before Harald took your hand and led you back to your private cabin.
The timing had been perfect, dinner was done, cooked perfectly and Harald opened up your drink of choice and poured it into the appropriate glass before serving you dinner. All the flavors were perfect, rich and divine and your portion was generous, filling you comfortably full but not overstuffed.
“There’s going to be a storm later tonight.” He mentioned as he ate his own dinner and checked the weather on his phone.
You slept really well through thunderstorms. That would be awesome.
After dinner and an array of desserts, from a your favorite cake, to a fruit tarte and chocolate covered strawberries, you coaxed him into the bathtub with you as you put in your most promising bath bomb as he settled in behind you in the hot waters and held you as you watched it melt and fizz, the heavenly aroma filling the bathroom as Haralds hands lovingly stroked your body, not in a sexual way perse but definitely in a comfortable intimacy way. LIke you were a priceless pearl or gem he was enjoying running his fingers over every facet and appreciating each one and how it made the jem itself shine and you couldn’t help but smile. So many little things that were his way of saying ‘I love you’ without saying a word.
You stayed in the tub till the water got luke warm and your fingers were pruney, you heard the first splatter of rain on the roof and by the time you had drained the tub and gotten dressed in your new pajamas, the storm had settled in. A few cracks of thunder and lightning and the down pour was splattering on the roof and relaxing you further as Harald dressed in a matching pajama set and a robe and slippers that were the masculine compliment to yours before you went back downstairs to start that fire in the living room as you sat on the couch and finally got that soft throw blanket to go over you and him as the fire roared to life, the sounds of the rain hitting the roof, the rumble of thunder that you could almost feel in your chest, the occasional flash of lighting, the heavy rains pounding the roof and the soft loving comfort of Harald’s arms as you cuddled together, watching the fire.
Soon enough you were practically falling asleep.
“Come on, you’ve had a big day, into bed with you.” He gently urged you as you sluggishly got off the couch and happily took his hand as he led you upstairs, helped you shed off your robe and slip into bed, the cool sheets were welcoming and looking up through the skylight, you could almost see the splattering of rain when the lightning crashed before Harald had you snuggle into his side.
And in no time, you drifted off the sleep, in your savior’s arms. Warm and perfectly comfortable.
#Modern Vikings au#harald finehair x reader#harald finehair imagine#something relatively short#but super sweet#comfort#no more hurt#just comfort damn it#Vikings#History Vikings#@waiting4inspiration#this is all for you Darling#because I love you#I got you#And this is as close to a hug as I can give you#So let your imagination do the hugging.#You're gonna be ok. You don't have to thrive#just survive#that's all you gotta do.
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New York Unmasked
by Harry Siegel
Imagining our city, for worse and for better, after the coronavirus pandemic
The city that never sleeps is taking a nap now, and it’s going to be a very different place when it finally wakes up.
Not long after the World Trade Center was destroyed on Sept. 11, 2001, and again after Lehman Brothers collapsed on Sept. 15, 2008, there was a lot of talk about how New York wouldn’t be the same. Both times, reports of our collective demise proved to be greatly exaggerated as the city quickly recovered, economically speaking, and resumed the upward path — ever more prosperous, populated and pricey — it’s remained on for at least the last quarter-century.
This time is different.
Any remaining vision of the city somehow picking up more or less where things had been left off went away with the decision to start shutting down the trains for four hours each night. That’s a huge though supposedly temporary shift for a system that’s run 24 hours a day for over a century with only the briefest of interruptions — until now the only one in the country that doesn’t turn off, as I’ve been shocked to re-learn every time I make the mistake of visiting another city.
As with many of the decisions New York and the nation have made in this plague year, it will be much more difficult to turn things back on than it was to turn them off.
Already, the devastation is staggering. In less than eight weeks, the 13,168 (as of Friday night) confirmed coronavirus deaths here have exceeded the total number of murder victims, 12,509, over the past two decades — and that’s counting the 2,977 victims of 9/11.
New York managed to keep the death count down to 13,168 at the cost of putting the city and its economy in the equivalent of a medically induced coma, and with no assurances at all that a second wave of infections won’t be coming despite that.
While putting New York under helped keep the first wave from completely overwhelming the medical system here, as happened in Italy, “the point where we can really start at reopening…obviously is a few months away at minimum,” Mayor de Blasio said Friday.
Even at that point, whenever we finally get there, it’s hard to see everyone just getting back on the train for a crushed morning commute to the office, or servers returning to packed restaurants and bars and theaters and nightspots. Forget about tourists flying in to burn dollars; it’s an open question how many of the generally better-off New Yorkers who’ve left in the course of this will return here, or how many families will borrow or pay now so students can have the city as their campus — or if there will be a campus at all this fall.
This is all surreal. While some people talk about how the virus ravaging New York compares to 9/11, Donald Trump — who claims he lost hundreds of friends on 9/11, though he’s never named a single one of them — dispatches fighter planes to fly low over the city as a tribute to first responders.
While we still don’t know why New York was hit so hard by the virus, it’s clear that density — in places from the Meatpacking District here to the meatpacking plants in the Midwest — plays a big role in spreading it. And this is a place built on density, by far the densest big city in America as well as the biggest.
So this witchy hour we’re in is looking less like a PAUSE than a painful and fundamental shift in how the city functions and what it means to be a New Yorker.
To get through it, many people need to keep looking ahead and, I hope, looking at what New Yorkers can do in their own lives and demand from their politicians to see the city finally emerge as a fairer and more resilient one .
I was born in New York City just ahead of the blackout babies, in November of 1977 — the month that Ed Koch was elected mayor and started to set the city on the path it’s mostly remained on until the virus — and I’ve remained here pretty much since. My dad grew up here, and his dad , and me and my brother are both raising our daughters here now, walking distance from each other and Rosie and Zadie.
I’m committed to the city for a lot of reasons, in addition to my family here: I own a house (or at least the bank lets me live in it), and one that’s bizarrely worth much more than I bought it for, at least if I was to sell it. My kids have a couple hundred square feet of their own outside as we shelter in place. And I know a bit and write a lot about New York, which really isn’t a skill set that travels.
But the truth is that the city of the past two decades has felt less and less like home, and more and more like the parts of Manhattan I try to avoid. I’ve spent too much of my adult life railing against the hipsters, gentrifiers, trustafarians and yuppies who didn’t have the good taste to spend their money here and then leave but instead “discovered” neighborhoods and remade them in their images, often to be priced out in time by new “discoverers.” I saved a bit of spleen for the people who rail against those people, rather than do something more productive with their time.
New York has become a city of increasingly sterile retail, one where internet listings have made real estate a more transparent and internationally accessible marketplace for foreign capital to reshape neighborhoods that preserve less and less of their old characters — for better and for worse.
It’s a corporate town, full of semi-interesting hustlers and characters along with its steady share of the depraved, the doomed, the damned and the dull. I’ve seen enough and read enough to know that none of that is new. But it’s metastasized over decades of financialized and increasingly monopolized and VC-fueled growth to swallow other values and ways of life. It’s hard to swim against a tide of money, and it takes a certain mania to even try.
Some of this is selfish, for sure. I preferred the waterfront of my youth, when the piers were barren and all but off-limits but for the bold and the desperate. No one with means would walk there, let alone live there, since it still had the taint of not so long ago shipping and industry and the rougher trades that lived by the waterfront, when the High Line was just a long-abandoned elevated track west of the projects that you could break into and walk on.
That all became part of the steel-and-glass luxury city that Mike Bloomberg described, one here for companies that can afford the best and priciest, and the people who draw incomes from those companies, directly or by providing services for their FIRE (that’s finance, insurance and real estate) workers who live in The City while firefighters commute in from Westchester and Long Island, or by constructing the buildings these people live in, or from the bloated government that services the “other” people who need help to stay here at all. A city that’s priced hospital beds out of big swathes of Manhattan and Brooklyn to clear space for luxury housing.
For years, I’ve been anticipating a reset as office space declines in importance with the rise of remote work, and that in turn brings down commercial and residential prices; hoping for a different, sturdier and livelier New York that exists for and better reflects the people who live here rather than serving as a clearinghouse for the world’s money.
Over my adult life I’ve read endless warnings — including in this paper — about the return of the “bad old days” that are long gone for most New Yorkers, if they were here for those days at all. Now, we’re about to get a real taste of what a sharp downturn, along with a hostile federal government, feels like: “Drop Dead.”
Now they’re looming as trading floors are vacant along with everything else that isn’t actually essential, and much of what’s abruptly left won’t soon return or the money that they brought in and splashed around.
This will be painful, but New York has always found ways to make new uses of what’s here. The same way that small and sturdy Brooklyn rowhouses built for the burgeoning middle class woke up one day as $2 million “townhouses,” and Single Residence Occupancies that single men depended on to maintain lives here, such as those were, become mansions with enough money and time, office spaces can become creative spaces like warehouses became artist’s lofts.
Finally, housing prices, and everything else, should relate to the incomes of the bulk of the people working here. Right now, they relate to the vagaries of the global markets.
I’ll repeat that: The size of our economy, and real estate prices, should relate to the value of the goods and services people here actually produce. That will hurt a lot of New Yorkers who’ve invested in the city, including me, as property values and rents flatten or even go down, but some of that pain is needed. A city that’s too expensive for gas stations or grocery stores — looking at you, Manhattan — is too expensive for most people.
I hope we’re becoming a city that gives a proper Bronx cheer to Airbnb and Seamless and Uber and WeWork and all the venture capital-funded wannabe monopoly “tech” companies looking to “disrupt” fundamental aspects of our life by losing money for long enough to drive their competitors out of business altogether. That resists the convenience of Amazon and its ilk to support our local grocery and book and hardware stores, so that those are still there when we really need them.
A city that knows better than to cut off its nose to spite its face, now that we know better than to touch our faces. If New York has to sleep now to survive, it’s the perfect time to dream.
***
This essay appeared in the New York Daily News, May 3, 2020.
Photo via ShutterStock
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Meghan sure knows how to holiday
SHE’S travelled the world, and got the Instagram posts to prove it. And everywhere Meghan Markle goes, the world watches.
The Meghan Markle effect has thrust her favourite destinations — of which there are many — into the spotlight.
“My mom was a travel agent, so off-the-beaten-path travel has always been a big part of my life,” Prince Harry’s fiancee told Allure back in 2014.
Between travel for filming, press trips, and secret getaways with Prince Harry, the soon-to-be-royal has clocked up a whole lot of air miles, with recent itineraries checking off many of the world’s hottest destinations.
Here are 10 of the top destinations that should be on your radar if you’re a fan of the royals, or Suits, or of incredible travel experiences.
NORWAY
After publicly announcing they were dating, Prince Harry whisked Markle off to Norway in January 2017. The loved-up couple stayed at Tromvik Lodge, known as a spectacular Northern Lights and whale watching destination, near Tromso. It’s available to rent on Airbnb from about $500 per night.
BOTSWANA
Forget the palace. Meghan and Harry are as at home in a tent as a castle. “I managed to persuade her to come and join me in Botswana, and we camped out with each other under the stars,” the prince revealed during their engagement interview. The royal-in-waiting celebrated her 36th birthday with the prince at a bush camp — albeit a pretty luxurious one (we’re talking $760 per person per night during peak season). The Meno A Kwena camp is perched above Botswana’s Boteti River, near the Makgadikgadi Pans salt plains.
ICELAND
The “it” destination of the moment, Iceland has celebs — and plebs — raving and Markle is no exception. “You’re so pretty, and really nice too. Just my type,” Markle wrote of Iceland on Instagram during a new year visit at the start of 2016. She visited Hafnarfjordur, south of Reykjavik, known as “the town of elves”. The town is said to be home to one of the country’s largest settlements of “hidden folk”, with many Icelanders believing the traditional folklore.
JAMAICA
Markle has been a frequent visitor to the Caribbean island nation from a young age. “I must have been about ten years old when we visited the slums of Jamaica,” she wrote on her now defunct lifestyle and travel blog, The Tig, of an early, eye-opening experience with her mother. Her first wedding, to Hollywood producer Trevor Engelson, also took place on a Jamaican beach. And she accompanied Prince Harry to the wedding of his friend Tom Inskip at Montego Bay, in March, with the royal couple reportedly checking into one of the luxury villas (starting from about $2000 a night) at the exclusive Round Hill Hotel & Villas.
MEXICO
Another country where Markle has experienced both the luxury life as well as the reality of travel in developing world is Mexico. Her father now calls northern Mexico home, and Markle has spent time relaxing in the resort town of Tulum. And as a youngster, she remembers “taking trips to Oaxaca, Mexico where I saw children play in the dirt roads, peddling chiclets for a few extra pesos to bring home,” she wrote on The Tig. “My mother raised me to be a global citizen, with eyes open to sometimes harsh realities.”
CANADA
Although Markle was born and raised in LA, Canada has become her second home, with Suits filmed there and Prince Harry having spent time with her there. Although she was based in Toronto, she’s also spent time on the west coast, with Vancouver a favourite haunt. “Dear Vancouver, I really really love you,” she posted on Instagram. “So many good memories in this city,” she added. Squamish, north of Vancouver, also found its way into her heart during filming there, as a place “so pretty it hurts”.
MALTA
Ibiza? Check. Positano? Check. Greece, Croatia, Capri — check, check and check. Markle loves the sun, sea and islands of the Mediterranean (let’s face it, who doesn’t?). She spent a month in Italy and Spain in 2016, inspired by the book Eat Pray Love. But perhaps Markle’s favourite Mediterranean destination is Malta, where her great-great grandmother was born. Markle spent time there in 2015 and told Maltese site LittleRock: “I’ve been fortunate to travel all over the world and I love a different cultural experience wherever you go, but to come somewhere where you so quickly settle in to feeling welcomed is really special; it’s this Maltese hospitality that is really special to the place.”
AFGHANISTAN
Markle’s travel interests are more diverse than just beaches and posh hotels. She even named her most memorable travel experience as a trip to Afghanistan to support the troops in 2014. “The experience of being in a war zone was both sobering and illuminating. It made me feel endlessly grateful for how fortunate we are to have such blessed lives here,” she told Canadian Living.
RWANDA
Humanitarian work is one of the driving forces behind Markle’s travels, and she’s visited Rwanda twice. “Missing my time in #rwanda and eager to go back soon,” she posted on Instagram after a visit with World Vision in 2016. Writing for Elle UK after the trip, she admitted that “when I share my photos with my friends, they note that I never look happier than I do when I am on field missions. It’s a different smile than the one for the paparazzi — it doesn’t require any retouching.”
AUSTRALIA
OK, so this trip hasn’t happened yet — but it doesn’t mean Markle mania hasn’t already begun. The royal couple are set to head to Australia in 2018 with the Invictus Games scheduled for October, and Australian Tourism Minister Steven Ciobo has already offered the couple the services of Tourism Australia to assist in planning any pre- or post-wedding travel. And the hot tips for where they might stay? Ciobo suggests, in his official invitation to the couple, “for a romantic honeymoon one cannot go wrong with Australia’s luxury lodges, including Tasmania’s Saffire Freycinet Lodge, Longitude 131 in the Northern Territory where the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have previously stayed, Southern Ocean Lodge on Kangaroo Island, just off the coast of South Australia and Queensland’s Lizard Island, uniquely located on the Great Barrier Reef.”
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Source: https://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-ideas/best-of-travel/meghan-markle-effect-10-destinations-in-the-spotlight/news-story/6ec101280f0b4fe8832bb685f62945bd
Yachting her way around the world....
Thank you!😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
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you can leave the light on
12:13 am in Prague in the most beautiful apartment I may have ever been inside. This apartment has a real reputation in our company for being the best of the best and turns out, they ain’t lying. My first thoughts upon walking in were “OPULENT AS FUCK” though I didn’t say it that way, cause you know, #worktrip. A real theme of the trip is how constantly I have to censor myself around new people who don’t get me. Which in fact, does remind me of being in Luxembourg, except without the toxic resentment. Just more of a lowkey “I wish I was experiencing this with my pals, not my colleagues.”
To be fair, it’s not that taxing. We mostly eat meals together and go over expectations and upcoming member stays for the summer calendar of stays. It just feels like a lot of work when most of that work is more emotional in nature as I’m forever aware that this is for work and eggshells must be walked on all the time. I never really think I’m that weird until I’m around new people who don’t get it. Like, can’t I just have Kitty who anticipates my every need and makes sure I have snacks at all times and I’m properly rested?? I’m sick of people who think the fact that I worked at a circus school before this job makes me a “carnie” because oddly, they actually aren’t the first to make the joke! But there’s no good way to say to someone, “you’re the weird one here” without sounding like a defensive bitch, so. That said, I’m excited for Wednesday (it’s late Monday now) when I’m on my own and will have the whole day in Prague ~quite at leisure. I booked an Airbnb on the same block and am planning on spending the whole day walking the city, as I’m told it’s quite walkable!! Podcasts and music and intermittent food/drink alone sound perfect right now. Thursday I’ll go to Paris where I have no plans except trekking up to Montmarte alone and pining for Rachel and pretending it’s 2012.
Last I left off, we went to lunch in Vienna and then did a city tour with a positively lovely woman named Ilse. She was 48 but looked 38 and I found her quite enchanting. She had a great mix of pace, historical facts, fun facts, humor, etc. I was WOW’ed by the greenery in Vienna - I had no idea it was such a park-filled city. She told me that over 50% of Vienna is covered in greenery (!!!) and it’s a huge priority for them. Imagine pristine gardens but just...everywhere. My colleagues were lightly making fun of me for being so “double rainbow” at the whole thing, but it’s hard to not be positively awestruck on a gorgeous ~65 degree day with blue skies, sun, and incredible parks in a brand new city to me. These two I’m traveling with have been literally all over the world, so it’s a little hard to impress them. I asked Gina (boss boss) if there was anything left on her bucket list. She said, “hmm... probably just Big Sky, Montana.” QUOI? We live in Denver and she has been to every corner of the earth and pines for Big Sky, where I went a few months ago with some friends. I said “Gina, that’s attainable!! It’s a 1 hour flight!!!” She also said tonight at dinner when discussing London: “you know, oddly, in all my travels, I’ve only been to London like three or four times, and just for a quick stopover so I never really got to see the city. Oh, well, I guess there was that time I worked there for six weeks after college.” She literally just forgot about six weeks in a city. Goodness. All things considered, it’s amazing to see a new city on a perfect weather day, as we all know how that colors the experience (see: Paris in the bitter cold in January 2011 in which my bleeding heels prevented me from enjoying a lick of the trip, sorry Amy.) I also loved the luxury of having a private guide for a 3-hour walking tour, which I found was the ideal amount of time and also helps see the city in such a local context, rather than just walking around and finding places to drink like I usually do. Thesis: having money is nice. You’re welcome for that pearl of wisdom.
We went out for dinner afterwards and I was too tired to see straight for most of it. Which inevitably meant I came home to a completely sleepless night, re: weed detox. Now that I know it exists, from the two times I went cold turkey in my later adult life (Thailand, and after the Caps won the Cup... the latter just because I figured my life was already too high, why use marijuana?) I was a little more zen about the whole thing. The waking lucid dreams/nightmares kept me up until nearly 6 am but I kept telling myself, “this isn’t real, this is just the withdrawal, you can sleep in the car tomorrow, none of these dreams are real, despite how real they feel right now...” Yes, I can feel through the computer how alarmed you all are. Just be glad it’s only weed!! I don’t know how people withdraw from all the real drugs, sheesh! Especially after watching Timothee Chalamet have to go through it in Beautiful Boy!
At 9:30 am this morning, a private driver took us to Prague, which was about a 4 hour car ride. I promptly slept nearly the entire time, thanks to my Dramamine and completely sleepless night. Silly body. We had a welcome snack prepared for us by the new local hosts who will be working this summer for our members, one of whom is my friend/colleague Mckenzie’s close friend from home who happens to live in Prague right now!! Allegedly we will hang out Wednesday night after the work is complete, after my alone day. Would be nice to have a friend....she says forlornly. Jk I know how incredible it is that I get to be here. I just like a good opportunity to find the negative in anything, while in Europe, as I’ve been known to do. Will update tomorrow after our city tour and countless meals where I pick out the least foreign looking thing and then justify my picky eating by overcompensating in the explanation!! xoxox
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My Birthday
Since i moved to Columbus 10 yrs ago, I’ve spent my birthday celebrating for multiple weeks in multiple cities and usually going to see friends bands or some years to Metal Festivals. Almost every year I’ve spent at least one night in Cincinnati for Bockfest... the Bock Beer Festival that used to be on my birthday but then wasnt anymore so I just extended my birthday further. Sometimes I get Fat Tuesday in there too... but whatever i do i basically party until Spring and do as much as I can with as many people as I can.
This year Im kinda not into it. I mean I’m still partying and such and still for weeks but im not trying as hard and I’m doing more one on one stuff w people i actually like as opposed to going to any big events and inviting anyone who wants to show up.
A quiet birthday for me is only 2 or so weeks and only 2 cities. But I’m in the birthday spirit (even though im sick today and hoping it passes by tomorrow night when I mean to start partying). I’m just tryin to declutter my friends like I declutter the tank tops in my drawer every so often. This one’s itchy, this one has a stain, this one doesnt match anything...
Whats weird is that the bulk of my birthday this year is going to be in the city I left on purpose 10 yrs ago. Because there’s a really great beer festival and because there’s some of my oldest friends there to visit.
I lost friends over this beer festival last year, but the truth is that the cracks in the friendship were already there, because who loses friends over going to a beer festival? Long story short, I got the bill for the 8 person airbnb while they acted *very upset* that I was mad they planned the whole trip without me (even though it was MY birthday trip to MY hometown to go to the beer festival *I* go to every year since before I knew any of them) and i just said no to the whole thing, shut it down and went without them. I re-invited the ones i liked to come WITH me but only one did. We had a good time but it came at a high cost. Literally and figuratively.
This year I’m spending about the same amount of money to go but im going on my own for all 3 days, staying in a luxury hotel room, and ive got food and drink and tours included and some old friends who live in the area on deck to meet me for various parts of the weekend.
Quality vs Quantity.
It’s always been hard for me w friends. I’m a social butterfly. I tend to accumulate people everywhere I go. Its always been mostly a great thing for me that I’m able to make friends anywhere but I do find every few years I need to reevaluate a lot of ‘friendships’ with people. I’m great at meeting new people and staying at surface level but I have a much much harder time cultivating meaningful relationships with people I actually care about for lengths of time.
I want to work on that but its hard with all these other surface-level friendship distractions in the way.
So this year I’m trying harder to make my ‘birthday parties’ more one on one and to expressly invite and even schedule time with people i can look back on who were always there who I’ve always been able to count on.
I don’t have a lot of those people but there are some.
I’m turning 51. For me 50 was all about figuring out how to be old people now. I don’t think I did that honestly. Not yet. I’ll keep trying. But so much of what I did this year was jettison the relationships that aren’t worth the amount of maintenance.
I’m trying to cultivate more age-appropriate friendships for myself right now. Because I’ve found that really *is* important, but it can’t be one-sided and it can’t be with people who don’t enjoy anything i like to do or any of the people who are good friends to me.
So I’m 51 now. It doesnt look or feel much different. I got called “the hot girl” at a show the other day but the band was from the 90s so dude was probably around my age. I’ll take it. I worry that I’m gonna be “”that weird old lady” any second and I won’t be “the hot girl” anymore but i guess i dont have to worry about that today yet.
Looks like i’m starting perimenopause, which ive been doing a lot of reading and from everything ive gathered I realistically probably have at least 10 more years of waking up sweaty in the wee hours and trying different things that don’t really help. Everything you’re meant to do to keep all the menopause symptoms in check i’m already doing, so basically this means setting my smart thermostat to lower itself around 4am. For 10 or so yrs. Probably thermostats will get even smarter before I stop having periods.
and I guess THEN i’ll be “that weird old lady”.
Maybe ill have made peace with it by then.
For now, im just gonna drink some beers with the kind of friends who want to celebrate my birthday with me.
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Vinales, Cuba
I’m an avid user of Airbnb. I’ve stayed in Airbnbs big and small all over the world (or at least in North America and Scotland…) and I’ve found that they provide so many luxuries that you can’t find at a hotel or hostel! It bums me out that so many people are too nervous to try out Airbnb because I feel like you’re missing out on so many cool opportunities! That being said, I totally understand being apprehensive about it. I started out renting an Airbnb (entire apartment) with a friend, then alone, then staying in a single rented room with a friend… and I’m still apprehensive about staying in a single rented room alone! But these are the reasons I would 110% consider trying it out, if you haven’t already:
Firstly, the basics: Airbnbs come in all shapes and sizes. You can rent entire apartments, separate rooms, or a shared room, and you can refine your search for the style you’re looking for on the app/website. You can search by location (on a map) and you can also refine your search by price per night, and by the dates you’re looking for. When you’re browsing around you can see pictures of the place, reviews, an approximate location, a list of amenities, and an estimate for how much it would cost on your preferred dates. The app and website are both very user friendly.
Vinales, Cuba
Photo by @TravelBugSteph
You Get Connected with Locals — If you stay in a fancy hotel, usually there’s a concierge that can help you with any questions you might have, how to get a taxi or a bus, how much it would cost, what the best hidden gems are, etc. However, if you’re on a budget and staying in a lower-tier hotel (me), usually you’re left to find the answers to these questions on your own, through the magic of the internet. Sometimes it works out anyways, but I always think it’s best to have at least one person you can turn to for simple questions just to take the stress off. If you’re going to a smaller, more rural area, Airbnb hosts are often connected with the tourism industry in the area so they’ll be able to give you a hand in finding things to do, or in getting from place A to B. Usually if this is the case, it’ll be in the reviews.
Old Havana
Old Havana
You Get One-Of-A-Kind Places To Stay — This is my FAVOURITE part of Airbnb. While I do actually love the comfort of a standard hotel room, most people don’t love the cookie-cutter nature of it. When you stay in an Airbnb, it’s easy to find somewhere with a lot of character. When we stayed in Viñales we had a roof we could lounge on with the most beautiful view AND turtles hanging around, in Havana we had the most beautifully decorated apartment right in the heart of Old Havana, and in Toronto I stayed in a an eclectic and artsy apartment in a character home overlooking Trinity Bellwood’s park. Finding somewhere that FEELS like a home, but also has a ton of character is like staying in a sight to see. It’s awesome.
Cheaper Options — We all knew this was coming. This was the only reason I first stayed in an Airbnb. My friend and I were going to Toronto for a week and all of the hotels were $300+/night for that week, meanwhile an Airbnb (a one bedroom condo on the shore by the Quay) was $150. In Sofia, my Airbnb is $36/night and it’s stunning, in the city centre, with a parking space. You just don’t get the same value for money at a hotel (usually). If you’re going to certain cities (read: Dublin) Airbnb isn’t always cheaper than a hotel, so in that case it would only be the better option if you’re looking for a the Airbnb style, or usually if you’re looking to rent a single room rather than an entire apartment. The only time I ever stay in hostels are if they’re significantly cheaper than Airbnbs, or if the only Airbnbs that are left are too far off the beaten path for someone without a car.
Havana Balconies
Havana Balconies Take TWO
It’s Like Renting A Suite — The only reason I would pick Airbnb over a hotel (if they’re the same price) is because you get certain amenities like a kitchen, sometimes a balcony, things that you don’t get in a standard hotel room.
Location — OK I take it back. This is another reason I would consider renting an Airbnb over a hotel. With Airbnb you can search for places on a map, so you can make sure you’re staying in a neighbourhood you love, or close to an event you’re going to. I’ve done this a number of times. For example, I got to stay in the nicest Airbnb in Trinity Bellwoods in Toronto, a neighbourhood I love, right by the Drake Hotel where I was going to see Nina Nesbitt play that evening! In Havana I got to stay in an Airbnb that overlooked the Havana Cathedral, which was a total coincidence and I had no idea before I went, but it was such a nice surprise. In Edinburgh when we were looking for a second place to stay, we just looked on the map and picked somewhere we knew would be a better fit.
Old Havana, outside Havana Cathedral
Honest Reviews — I’ve never been too shocked by the state of an Airbnb because of the reviews. Hotels on the other hand often have issues of cleanliness (ahem, bed bugs) that aren’t addressed, and you might not know about them ahead of time. I like that I can read reviews when looking for an Airbnb and get a feel for the place, where it’s situated in the city, and some of the pros and cons about the place.
Old Havana
If you’ve never tried Airbnb but you’re curious to try it out, leave me a comment with your email and I can forward you an email that gets you $43 CAD off your first stay, (and then I get $25 off my next one!). Also feel free to email me or comment with ANY questions you may have, or if you’re looking for recommendations in a place I’ve been. Happy travelling!
Where was the nicest Airbnb you’ve ever stayed in? My favourite was probably in Vinales, or the second one we stayed in here in Edinburgh!
Why You Should Try Out Airbnb I'm an avid user of Airbnb. I've stayed in Airbnbs big and small all over the world (or at least in North America and Scotland...) and I've found that they provide so many luxuries that you can't find at a hotel or hostel!
#airbnb#airbnb cuba#airbnb reviews#edinburgh#havana#how to use airbnb#is airbnb safe#scotland#the best airbnbs#toronto#Travel#travel advice#travel inspiration#why you should try out airbnb
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Our Bicycle Ride Through Amsterdam
To begin, I must confess that the title of this post is a bit misleading. Our bicycle ride through Amsterdam makes up only a very small portion of the photographs you will see below. With 1.3 bicycles per person in Amsterdam, it just seemed easier for Rebecca and I to do most of our exploring on foot. Not only is Amsterdam the capital, it is the most populated city in the Netherlands. Its name derives from Amstelredamme, indicative of the city’s origin around a dam in the river Amstel. Just like Venice, Italy and Bruges, Belgium, Amsterdam is a city of beautiful canals and extraordinary history. I know you’ll experience a desire to visit this city yourself once you view some of our pictures.
Our rental car, a Fiat Panda, fits neatly inside a mini-parking space alongside the canal.
Although driving in Amsterdam was nowhere near as perilous as driving in Rome, I was more than eager to park my rental car and leave it there for the duration of my stay. When driving to our Airbnb, I experienced a very close call when I nearly ran over a bicyclist with my Fiat Panda. I didn’t feel too bad for long though; it wasn’t more than an hour later when a bicyclist nearly ran me over on foot.
The view outside the window of our Airbnb in Amsterdam.
Our little studio apartment was centrally located in the Jordaan neighborhood and was in easy-walking distance to Amsterdam’s most popular sites and attractions.
It appears the owner of our Airbnb rental was a fan of Marilyn Monroe.
Big John walks his bicycle through Amsterdam’s Dam Square towards the Royal Palace.
One of the things many Americans do not know about the Netherlands is that they are a constitutional monarchy, as well as a parliamentary democracy. Resting in the middle of Dam Square sits the Royal Palace, Amsterdam. This beautiful structure is the official reception palace of King Willem-Alexander. The Palace also hosts other royal receptions, such as the annual New Year’s reception, dinners and prize ceremonies. Visitors are allowed to tour the palace during the majority of the year.
Rebecca stops for a break just outside the Voyagers Coffeeshop and Hotel.
In Amsterdam, coffeeshops are alcohol-free (and usually coffee-free) establishments that sell marijuana, hashish, and cannabis for recreational use. Amsterdam has a very liberal soft-drug policy and the city is widely known as the cannabis capital of the world. The are over 170 legally-operated coffeehouses in Amsterdam.
The Basilica of Saint Nicolas in the Old Centre district of Amsterdam
Amsterdam has numerous churches and cathedral for visitors to admire and worship in. The Basilica of Saint Nicholas is located in the Old Centre district of Amsterdam. It is very close to Amsterdam’s main railway station and is the city’s primary Roman Catholic church. The architecture was a spectacular sight to behold.
I told Rebecca that she should safely stay within eyeshot of my bald spot when cycling through the streets of Amsterdam. She informed me that under those guidelines, she could straggle at least two neighborhoods behind me and not lose sight of it.
No matter where you turn in Amsterdam, you’re likely to find more bicycles than people.
Chocolate is just one more reason to love Amsterdam.
Rebecca is hoisting up anchors outside the Teun Hotel Restaurant.
There are some words, regardless of language, that just sound funny. Rebecca was pretty amused with all the signs that read “Boomwortels”. Judging by the picture on the signs, I was pretty clueless that “Boomwortels” was the Dutch word for tree roots. I honestly thought the signs were alerting me to a set of carefully concealed double-speedbumps.
They say a picture adds twenty pounds to your frame. I’ll just blame the other twenty pounds on good ole’ Dutch beer!
The Van Speyk, pictured in the background, is a classic Amsterdam style brasserie that serves traditional French and Dutch cuisine. The building dates back to 1659 and is located in the the old warehouse district, between the Dam square and the Grand Central Station.
They say that the prettiest girls in all of Amsterdam can be found on Prinsengracht Centrum!
I love how she knows to wait for the “walk” light before stepping out into the street. I could learn a lot from this woman!
The Atlas scuplture affixed to the top of the Royal Palace signifies Amsterdam’s place in the world.
The Amsterdam Circle Line offers luxury canal tours at affordable prices.
Tourists stand outside the Anne Frank Home on the Prinsengracht canal.
Anne Frank hid inside a secret upstairs annex of this structure for a period of two years before finally being discovered by Nazis and shipped off to a concentration camp. During her time in the attic, the young girl kept a diary detailing her daily life as she and her family relied on faith, love and hope to keep them alive. Tragically, Anne Frank’s diary would be the only part of her that survived the holocaust. The Nazis were believed to have exterminated approximately 6,000,000 Jews during the duration of World War II.
In memory of Anne Frank (1929-1945)
Rebecca standing outside the door of the Anne Frank House.
Once the swelling went down in her feet, she realized he had bought them a just few sizes too big. She never listens to me!
This is another view of the canal just below our lofty studio apartment.
You can’t be Dutch if you don’t like cheese!
If you’re a bacon-lover like me, make sure you visit the Grillroom Twins in Amsterdam for the best sandwich that money can buy!
My heart flutters like a Dutch windmill every time she comes near (That may not be a good thing. I probably should get that checked out).
The setting sun painted a stunning picture of this Amsterdam canal.
Nightfall on the streets of Amsterdam.
She knows all too well how to work her voodoo magic on me!
Selfies are only good when you have nobody else around to snap the picture… or when you have a pretty girl to male them look a whole lot better!
While exploring the Spuistraat, Centrum district, Big John poses in front of a house built in 1627.
Rebecca needs to quit eyeballing my food and just eat her salad. This small snack has to last me until dinner!
Don’t hate! It’s hard being an international man of mystery without owning a good pair of shades!
Whomever rented this bike before me must’ve been over five feet tall! I had to stop and lower the seat.
I wonder if she knows how madly in love I am with her. Maybe one day I will get the courage to tell her just how I really feel.
She’s into the tough guys, what can I say?
Big John and the empty suit hang out in Marnix Park.
I suddenly just realized that I have the same stance in every picture. Come to think of it, I don’t believe I’ve ever really fully extended my left leg…. interesting.
Believe it or not, the waters of Amsterdam are home to an amazing variety of fish. There are perch, bream, pike, carp, eel, rudd, mullet, and their highly-prized zander. I highly doubt that you would need a boat though if you planned on casting into this canal!
I wish my job involved making waffles every day!
The best tulips in Holland can be found throughout the city of Amsterdam.
Rebecca poses in front of the Cafe Hoppe, a charming Dutch pub dating all the way back to 1670.
These are actually popup urinals that come up out of the street. I saw these in use in both the Netherlands and Belgium. Talk about culture shock!
“Excuse me Ma’am, do you know where the weight room is?”
Rebecca outside the Hard Rock Cafe, Amsterdam.
Big John poses in from of the iconic I AM AMSTERDAM sign.
The Rijksmuseum is a Dutch national museum dedicated to extraordinary art and history of Amsterdam.
That is one very large game of chess!
Sitting alone on that bench, feeling like the Netherlands’ version of Forrest Gump.
Amsterdam had several fascinating murals in and around the city, like the one I captured here on the wall of this bank.
She looked so prim and proper riding her bicycle. She’s such a sweetheart!
This is the section of our tour where picture-taking was just a bit too risque! You’ll just have to trust me when I say there’s a lot in the Red Light District that wouldn’t go over well on a family-friendly blog such as this one.
I can’t believe I flew all the way to Amsterdam to buy some assless leather chaps and they were completely sold out… Joking, they had plenty in stock!
My cutie-pie posing in front of Café de Zeevaart, a traditional Dutch Bar situated in the heart of the Red Light District.
The National Monument on Dam Square was erected in 1956 to commemorate the casualties of World War II and other armed conflicts.
You can barely make out Rebecca as she tries to hide from me behind that pole.
Just the sign alone at Coco’s Outback was enough to entice me to enter inside.
Thorbeckeplein square is located right right in the center of Amsterdam and is well known for their diverse eateries and lively nightclubs.
Rebecca pedals her bicycle through a crowded portion of Chinatown, Amsterdam.
I just couldn’t go home home without first getting a picture in front of the Heineken brewing factory.
For me, the greatest thing about travel adventures is experiencing them with the one you love.
Did I mention that I really love a good Dutch cheese?
The Dutch Delicacy takes the grilled-cheese sandwich to a whole new level!
I would travel to the ends of the earth with this girl…. actually, I think I already have!
After spending three fun-filled days in Amsterdam, this beautiful lady and I hit the road and headed out towards the Rhine. We were off to Germany and then to Belgium where more adventure was sure to await us. Life is great when you have the perfect travel companion by your side!
A lone Dutch windmill on the outskirts of Amsterdam
I hope you enjoyed my post and thank you for taking the time to visit bigjohnsadventuresintravel.com. Please feel free to explore the rest of my blog site and leave a comment or two so I know you were here.
Happy travels,
Big John
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High Handstand PT 1
This story takes place after Rooms You’re Tall In. The masterlist is here. There will be a few more parts to this as it has huge drama for Miles in it and a plot twist for March. I just really wanted to get something up. I’m really excited. Thanks for waiting.
"What if we lived in Burbank?" Waiting in line the board the airline, Miles continued to ask his twin brother fake questions, annoying their dad and amusing their mother in front of them.
"Nah." March answered just like he had the question before. He tossed his shoulders upward to adjust his carry on backpack over his back.
"What if we moved in with Uncle Ben?" This question provoked a sigh from Luke's nostrils that burned. He didn't know how his two sons could be this dedicated to driving him crazy this early in the morning. He was taking them to Paris for Christmas and this was how they showed their gratitude.
"No, Miles. Accept it. Dad will never love us like he does, Penny. You could move into the basement, he isn't even gonna carry Mum down." March said plainly, only smirking because he could see his mom trying to hold in a soft laugh.
"This is why you two aren't sitting in first class with us." Luke whipped around and raised his brows high and tight at both of them. It was the reaction they wanted and both twins smiled proudly to show that. Luke denied it with passion, but the truth was that the twins were right. The only reason he was uprooting everyone to France for Christmas break was to be with his oldest. He missed Penelope fiercely. He watched her GPS sometimes when he was up in the middle of the night to get a glass of water. He just liked to feel close to her even if it was just watching a small red dot inch across an animated map on his phone screen. Luke felt a new empathy for his own mother knowing that she went through major separation anxiety when he left home for the first time and he was even younger than Penny was.
Cagney slipped her hand into her husband's, reminding him of the moment and that they were about to literally be on their way to Penelope. He took his attention off his teen boys and let out a comforting exhale.
"Don't you guys think you should have mentioned to Penny that we are all coming?" As they moved up in the priority boarding line, March asked. Miles was pulling out his handheld Nintendo and putting his earbuds in.
"She's probably going to be working and stuff." March didn't really understand why his parents wanted to surprise her. It sounded like a horrible idea to March. He really didn't know how his sister would take their arrival, but a low voice in his gut was adamantly against it.
"It'll be fine. It's fun." As Luke handed over everyone's passport, Cagney answered, looking back at her boys. She knew her own parents were disappointed they weren't going through Minnesota this year for the holiday season, but she was looking forward to a year where it was just their little family of five. It felt like something she had been wanting since the twins were just bald potatoes.
Luke settled into his seat with ease. He preferred flying private, but when it wasn't for work, it was too expensive. Besides, he had priority boarding and Skye still arranged everything for the flight as if it was in regards to touring. There was some things Luke couldn't adjust to.
Once in his seat, he folded his hands together over his stomach and shut his eyes while pressing his back into it. Luke had high hopes for this vacation. He and Cagney were in a good place, March was in better spirits, and he was going to get to see Penelope in person for the first time in five months. It was going to be about Christmas and spending time together as a family, but Luke also had plans for private time with his wife. It was a big part of why they were able to claw their way back to being a connected couple. Luke taught himself how to be her partner in a way that had nothing to do with work. He had to stop being the Luke Hemmings and figure out who he was as a teammate and husband. It turned out he could be pretty damn romantic without cameras around. Since they had three kids and Cagney liked being domestic, Luke learned how to throw together low key day nights around the house. They were going to Paris though and he was looking forward to running around under the lights and making out in alleyways like they did when they first started dating.
---
He felt trapped. His mother, via text, told him he was being dramatic to call himself stuck in a locked box with no way out, but that was how Luke felt whenever he was in Minnesota and with Cagney's family. This time, he flat out refused to stay on their property. Cagney's mother spread her guilt trip onto him tirelessly like a thick layer of fresh butter, but Luke kept his foot down. He could not be moved by her waxing about how she never got to spend real time with her new granddaughter. Since Cagney was tired of hotel rooms and didn't want to wake up in one on Christmas morning, they compromised. Skye, somehow, found them a luxury AirBnB to rent that was in Bloomington, a short drive from Edina.
Since Cagney was going to the mall with her sister to pick up last minute Christmas gifts, Luke happily hung back at the place they were renting. Penny's grandma tried to wrestle the eleven month old out of her car seat after their lunch visit, but Luke made up an excuse that he left Penelope's baby bag back at the house even though it was in the trunk. He liked his alone time and he was hungry for it, but this was Penny's very first Christmas and he wanted to be present for it. Luke remembered feeling genuinely jealous of Ashton after Molly was born. Luke had been in the room when his friend was holding his newborn, rocking her against his shoulder and a spit up cloth while singing 'The Little Drummer Boy' as a lullaby. It was when Luke first knew that he wanted to be a parent. Cagney felt so sure about motherhood since she had come from a large, busy family with a very assertive mother, but Luke was less sure about family life until he watched Ashton become a dad. Once Michael had Emmeline, Luke knew he could do it too. If Michael could, he could.
It was the afternoon of Christmas Eve and he laid on the floor with his head propped up in one hand, watching as Penelope ran back and forth from him to the couch. She would bring him a toy and then walk away to find him another. She was completely occupied while Luke engaged her with wide eyes and animated 'thank yous'. He wondered to himself how he could turn this into a Chrismtas tradition while his playlist raged on free of any and all holiday carols.
The song changed from one he didn't remember putting on his playlist to 'Hole in My Life' by The Police and he watched as right away, as Penny bent down on her wobbly knees to pick up a beanie baby that had once been her mother's, she began to bop her head from side to side. Her pigtails bounced with her as she danced back to him, grinning once he began to sing along low with Sting. This time, Luke didn't let Penelope run away. He kept her hand in his once she offered him the stuffed bear and swung her arm to and 'fro, encouraging her to dance.
“Or maybe, it's just something in my stars...” He sang to her, sticking out his neck a little as he pushed out his words.
To Penelope, her dad wasn't a rock star. He didn't have to worry about he sounded. She giggled and released her hand from his, throwing both arms up and jumping as best as she could on her feet. Penny spun around a few times, earning applause from her singing dad, before taking his hand back and pulling on it. She could not verbalize to him that she wanted him to get up and dance with her, so she just pulled on him until he did.
At first, he just flailed around with her and repeated the words of the song, trying to match Sting's impressive range, but then Luke swooped her up from under her arms and danced from side to side with her up against his chest. She giggled and kept throwing her head from side to side, Luke's hand instinctively on the back of it as he kept serenading to her.
Next month, she would be one years old. Luke really couldn't wrap his head around where the year had gone, but the calendar wasn't lying. He knew he wouldn't always be able to pick her up like this, but he felt like, maybe, this was a more possible tradition. They could always dance together in the sunlight on Christmas Eve. He just hoped that next year it would be in his one of his own homes.
-
“Maybe, we should let Penny know we're here now.” Cagney mentioned as Luke loaded up the trunk of the rental car with their bags, Miles helping with his headphones in. “Just in case she is out with friends or something.” She was very proud that her daughter had found a group of people that she liked spending time with since moving to France. Of course, neither Cagney or Luke worried about that. Penelope never wanted for company. People were drawn to her like bugs to bright light. They were lucky, too, because they knew she didn't just pick anyone to spend her time with. Penelope only surrounded herself with people that she trusted and she didn't trust just anyone.
“I talked to her last night.” They had texted before she went to bed. “She said she would be home tonight. By the time we check in and get settled, it'll be fine.” Luke was excited to surprise his daughter. He anticipated a huge grin to take over her face before she ran and wrapped her arms around both parents. He wanted evidence that she had been missing him as much as he had been missing her. They had come this far. “Thanks, Miles.” After his son tossed in the last bag, Luke gently smacked his shoulder and then slammed the trunk shut. He saw through the back car window that March was already sitting in the backseat and texting as furiously as he had been since they landed in Paris all of twenty two minutes ago. Luke exchanged unimpressed looks with his wife and then walked around to the driver's seat. He was the only one between the four of them with experience driving in Europe, making him the trip's designated chauffeur.
Luke could not wait any longer to see Penelope. As soon as they were checked in, he was bouncing on his knees and trying to convince Cagney that she didn't need to shower first despite how 'sticky' she felt from the plane. He told Miles that they could unpack later, his son having a penchant for getting settled before enjoying himself. After threatening to leave and go to their daughter by himself, Cagney caved.
After using the buzzer at the front of Penelope's building, Luke fiddled his hand into the pocket of his winter coat and began to fish out his key fob.
“I told you, you should have given her a heads up.” Miles chimed in, shivering next to March who had taken his hands out of his gloves to keep playing with his phone despite how frigif his fingers felt. Whenever he was in places where they had snow at Christmas time, March longed for his Australian Decembers.
“Good thing, I have a key.” Letting his family in, Luke held the door open with one foot. He chuckled at how blank Cagney's eyes were as she looked him over. She could not believe that he had made himself a copy of Penelope's apartment keys for himself. He always did have a hard time letting go.
Luke led the way with Miles right by his side, taking in the peeling paint cracks on the wall and dim lighting. He could just imagine his sister feeling so proud of herself for living in such a run down building. Behind them, Cagney walked with March and tried to encourage him to put his phone away just while they visited with Penny.
Beating his dad to it, Miles knocked on the door loudly with a melodic tap. They waited in frustrated silence for a moment before Luke knocked even louder on the same spot on the door. Luke glanced behind himself, noting his wife's patient face, and made sure that he had the right suite. It was all over his face that he was starting to worry.
“March, since you have your phone out, can you text your sister?” Cagney instructed while Luke bent down slightly and wiggled his key into her lock.
Luke pushed the door open with a grin the size of the pizza he was craving and lunged into the small studio apartment. He had high hopes that his beautiful daughter would be on the other side, her headphones in or asleep on her futon. Instead, Miles jaw dropped along with Cagney's as Luke growled out of reflex.
“Who the fuck are you?” He shouted at the young man standing right in front of him, flaccid penis dangling uncircumcised between his knee and his metal leg attached to the other. Luke didn't know where to look: his unashamed junk and tidy pubic hair or at his metal leg. Instead, his glare furious, Luke kept his attention on the glass of water in his hand.
Since he had been occupied with waiting for a response in his text conversation, March slowly looked up and caught up with everyone, “Oh hey, you must be Jules.” Finally, March stuffed his phone into a pocket of his coat and stepped between his dad and his twin to shake the guy he heard about through Skyping with his sister and from her online pictures. March smiled proudly, remembering just how many times Miles told his parents to text Penelope ahead of time, and laughed loudly, “I'm March.”
“Who is Jules?” Luke just mouthed, feeling like he fell asleep in the middle of a movie and woke up at the end credits.
Jules was too embarrassed to attempt to speak English. He side-stepped behind the corner of the kitchen counter and reached to shake March's hand in return.
“Penelope,” Just the way she liked it, he said her name as it was pronounced in French. “She's not here.”
“Where is she?” Biting on the inside of his cheek, Luke asked the space on the floor between the toes of his boots. “And why are you here?”
“She wanted me to wait for a package to come. She was scared...scared she would miss it while out.” Jules struggled his way through their language, trying his best, but feeling nervous with four strangers looking at him all at once in his birthday suit. “Her school offered a...a day trip to St Maure..,” She was visiting a small goat cheese factory there and Penelope really wanted to go as she felt like she needed to suck up to the teachers who considered her an awful chef simply because she was partially American. “She should be back soon?” Jules was trying to explain as his skin grew warmer and warmer. Cagney already had her phone out, dialing their daughter's number. “It's very nice to meet you...” Again, he reached forward to shake hands, this time directed at Luke. Miles took it instead, feeling how uncomfortable his father was. Sometimes, the twins couldn't believe their dad was once a kick-ass rockstar who found himself in a billion weird situations. He was so strict when it came to them and especially when it came to Penelope.
“Why are you naked?” Luke was not expecting to find a boy in his daughter's apartment. He kid himself a lot by pretending that Penelope had no interest in relationships at all. He really had led himself to believe that she came out here for school and food, nothing else. Luke was spoiled. He didn't have the same problems that Michael encountered with a teenage daughter. Penny turned down everyone's advances. This hit him like a ton of bricks. He had been so thankful that she turned down Connor when he came in to Paris for a visit. Now, she had some naked French guy with tousled hair, one leg, and strong hands in her apartment.
“I was going to have a shower.”
“You can't shower at your own place?” Luke argued with him, but Cagney tapped his shoulder frantically. He turned to look at her and she nodded toward the door.
“Hey baby....” Cagney began to talk as soon as Penelope picked up, Luke following her out into the hallway as they left their very amused sons alone in the apartment with Jules.
“You don't have to put clothes on. We don't care.” Shrugging, March told Jules sincerely as he pulled out his phone and headed to his sister's futon that was pulled out into a bed and a mess of blankets and pillows.
“Yeah, I kind of like it.” Miles joked back, making his brother laugh.
Jules excused himself to Penelope's washroom where he left his hotel work uniform. He preferred to be naked whenever given the opportunity, but he truly was going to use the opportunity of being alone to bathe. He had been looking forward to it actually as he wanted to feel fresh when Penelope came back, so they could hang out without him worrying that he smelled funny.
“Who is Jules?” Luke took the phone from his wife as soon as she explained to Penelope that they had arrived at her apartment to surprise her. He interrupted her excited ramble about being excited to show her little brothers around, taking them to music venues, and introducing them to her French friends.
“He's just a friend. Kind of....” From the back of the bus she was riding with her classmates, Penelope brought one shoulder to her ear that her phone was pressed against as she poked her finger into the other to hear her parents clearer over the sound of wheels on the road. She didn't know how to explain to her dad that she and Jules hadn't put a label on anything yet. Truthfully, his guess was as good as hers.
“A friend?” While it should have been music to Luke's ears, it only infuriated him more. If Jules was a friend, why was he naked in her apartment?
“I like him. We’re having fun. I don’t know!” Penelope really didn’t want to explain the situation to her dad. She still found having a crush to be the most embarrassing thing she had ever done and there was a month in her life where she wore scratch ‘n’ sniff stickers all over her arms and face.
“Luke, she said she would be here in about a half hour. They're dropping them off at the school.” Her voice calm, Cagney looked up to Luke and whispered. She instinctively reached up to play with the back of his neck and the hair that ended there. Her head massages were renowned among their closest friends and they had talked Luke down in countless situations. It had been the first thing he missed when they would spend long periods of time away from each other and what he yearned for when she was cross with him. “The boys are probably really hungry.” Cagney explained. She also was dying to eat. She had not the slightest clue that inside the apartment Jules had offered to show the family to one of Penny's favorite spots to eat in the city.
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