“Waffles, Warnings, and Weaponized Bureaucracy”
Block Time: 0.9 hours, 5 airspace handoffs, and 1 waffle-related hostage situation (nonviolent)
Cargo Manifest:
- 25 crates of “Pan-European Friendship Flags” (slightly out-of-date, includes Yugoslavia)
- 12 bronze busts of European Union architects, some mislabeled
- Wattles McFreedom, now inexplicably bilingual
- A single, glowing crate marked “EU Tech Compliance Kit – Do Not Scan”
Diplomatic Purpose:
To deliver symbolic unity cargo and check “EU headquarters” off the list before someone realizes the crew has no accreditation. Also: test the patience of Belgian air traffic control, an institution known for its thinly veiled disdain.
Crew Notes
- Adelyn:
Treated the short hop like a NATO operation. Requested clearance in all three official Belgian languages just to be safe. ATC responded in Dutch-accented English with the verbal equivalent of a shrug. Filed a complaint with no recipient. - Eleanor:
Wrote and performed a musical number titled “Bienvenue, Brussels!” using only tray tables, spoons, and spite. Declared the plane’s tail section “theater-in-the-round.” Adelyn requested a temporary revocation of Eleanor’s oxygen privileges. - Noah:
Spent the flight deep in diplomatic Wikipedia holes. Now knows every EU commissioner since 1993. Tried to greet ground crew with “Vive la Belgique!” They swooned. Again. He’s considering going into diplomacy by accident.
Passenger Vibe Check
- Dr. Moretti:
Gave an impromptu lecture on transnational health policy in the cargo bay. Only attendee: Wattles McFreedom. They had a moment. - Raj:
Debuted his new venture: “WaffleCoin – Decentralizing Breakfast.” Was promptly kicked out of the galley by Yuki wielding a spatula and fury. - Colonel Hawke:
Stared ominously at the Atomium from the jet stairs and muttered, “This land has seen too much structure.” No one questioned it. - Yuki:
Gifted Belgian customs a sculpture titled “Layered Governance.” It’s now being used as a temporary doorstop at the European Parliament. She’s thrilled. - Camila:
Whisper-narrated the entire landing roll with the line, “As rubber kisses tarmac, democracy wonders if it left the oven on.” ATC filed a noise complaint.
Flight Highlights
- Eleanor suggested a “mid-flight EU trivia game” over intercom. She answered all questions herself before anyone else could.
- Adelyn was so precise with the approach she nearly clipped the smugness off a Lufthansa A320 on final.
- Noah was briefly appointed Honorary Vice-Counsel to Waffle Distribution, a title revoked once officials realized it wasn’t real.
Mission Summary
- Success Metrics:
- Landed without delay—a modern miracle.
- Cargo accepted after minor philosophical argument about whether flags are “real.”
- Wattles McFreedom wandered into the EU Visitors’ Center and returned with a lanyard and small badge.
- Diplomatic Outcome:
- Belgium stamped the crew’s passports, then issued them a formal “suggestion to consider alternative hobbies.”
- Raj is banned from using the term “synergistic syrup economy” within 500 meters of a UNESCO site.
- Crew Rating:
- Adelyn: 6/10 – exhausted, but impressed by her own capacity for gritted smiles
- Eleanor: 15/10 – now wearing a sash that reads “EuroVision: Cargo Division”
- Noah: 9/10 – unintentionally responsible for 3 mild crushes and 1 formal invitation to a Brussels rooftop poetry slam
Debrief
Camila’s latest documentary segment features close-ups of EU license plates set to cello music. Yuki sold a sculpture to a bureaucrat who “felt emotionally seen.” Eleanor has begun composing a symphony based on runway taxiway signs. Wattles McFreedom was last seen riding a baggage tug “for the vibes.” Adelyn now ends every sentence with, “Are we done yet?”
Next Stop: LFPB – Paris-Le Bourget, France
Objective: Avoid arrest for unsolicited art, prevent Eleanor from recreating Les Misérables, and somehow land without being judged for not wearing a scarf.
Ready to invade Paris with paperwork, poultry, and panache?
Around the World in MSFS 
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