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caniinstallavpnonmyxfinityrouter · 7 months ago

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es sierto que el vpn kaspersky afecta windows

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es sierto que el vpn kaspersky afecta windows

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Potential conflicts between Kaspersky VPN and Windows settings

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sly-merlin · 4 years ago

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Killing Me - 4 | n.y

pairing : law student!reader + yuta

genre : angst , mafia au/ arranged marriage au , smut

warnings : curse words, mention of murder, guns, knives, smut!

words : 5.4k

summary : “life’s never fair y/n. realise it as soon as you can . it is the only secret for living a regretless life.”

“ curiousity got the cat hitched”

taglist :: (not tagging the old ones because they have read it already bt if u want , lemme know! ) @yiyi4657 @sorrywonwoo @sillywinnergladiator @suhweo @exfolitae @minejungwoo

K.M masterlist

k.m 3 k.m 5

Previous morning in Taeyong’s office

“What was that for!” taeyong questioned jaehyun, clearly annoyed by his previous hostile mannerisms towards you. Jaehyun was on the receiving end of taeyong’s infuriation immediately after you departed from his office with doyoung.

“What!?” jaehyun tried to act oblivious at taeyong’s accusations.

“Why were you trying to scare her? Escort ring! For fucks sake Jae, I expected better from you.”

“But it wasn’t a dead loss. And even you went along in the same wagon, so don’t put everything on me alone.” jaehyun justified himself shrugging his shoulders lightly. “And admit it! She was giving you a hard time. That bitch was not buying anything!

Taeyong knew jaehyun was right. Your unsatisfied replies and never ending enquiries were exasperating him, but he would rather preserve his precious ego than admitting that to jaehyun.

He ruffled his well-made hair before replying to jaehyun, who was expecting some gratitude with a smug face.

“I-- just be careful and refrain from doing and saying anything that might put a dent in my plan. It’s a chance neo would never get again. So be patient and don’t go around opening your mouth about this to anyone.” jaehyun reluctantly nodded,not hearing what he wanted but his affirmation calmed taeyong’s nerves. He couldn’t trust jaehyun entirely but his options were limited.

All the pieces were in right place, for now. Nothing could go south right!

But jaehyun couldn’t completely understand the rationale behind Taeyong’s design.

and nor could the figure standing outside, completely hidden from the insiders.

The dread of the forthcoming finals substantiated the shortage of vacant seats in the kwanjeong library. You tried your best to arrive as expeditiously as possible for a person who partied, got abducted, arranged her own marriage, and again partied in grief, all in spam of about 34 hours. Finding no available seat, you decided to settle down on the floor. You gulped your cup of Americano in one go and began with the donut. As per a wise saying, Caffeine and sugar were the best combination as a breakfast for someone trying to get through their day with only 4 hours of sleep, the intellect being none other than your own self!

Yesterday was pretty long day. Though you were worn out from the adventures with wonwoo last night, your brain wasn’t exhausted enough to shut down properly when you tried to close your eyes.The flashes of the events had shrouded you with mixture of regrets and worries. What was the guarantee that you won’t end up dead tomorrow! What if taeyong was lying! But the fact regarding moon industries was absolutely legible. Maybe you should get a restraining order or something! But the existence of a person is necessary for that and yuta was a fucking corporate in the public eye and you were sure taeyong held some powerful position in the rich hierarchy as well, otherwise, covering the shits without revealing their true identities was not the job of some measly gang leader. There was more to taeyong than what someone could perceive just by looking. Will you be considered one of them now! After the little stunt that landed you straight into yuta’s life, you weren’t sure that he’d not strangle you in sleep. And What were you going to say to them? Chelin, yeom, guk, yeong.

and your thoughts spiralled from taeyong,yuta towards chelin and your friends and didn’t rest anytime before 4a.m. Waking up at 8 sharp , you took a shower and made your way towards the library.

And now you were here. 2 students passed your figure indicating that there were 2 vacant seats. Finally, after 15 minutes. They might have been the overnight students, you thought and walked inside before anyone else could claim the treasure. You had to find a new topic of thesis and do some research for international paper your professor was writing, and you being his designated so-called subordinate had to help him, involuntarily of course. But in this world, the student who could refuse their professor’s demands was yet to be born! Marking the place by placing your bag, you started the search for last month’ law journals and digests. One and a half hour passed, but you couldn’t find anything on international court of justice i.e. what your professor hadn’t already included. The urge to go out was profusely weighed down by your own sentiment of avoiding your friends. So you decided in favour of swallowing the bitter pill.

5 hours passed. The vibration of the timer in your phone prompted you to run off and get some food. It was already 2:30 and the lack of real food was making the tasks harder than they already were. Stepping outside into fresh air, instant regret of not bringing an umbrella washed over you. The sun was too bright unlike your mood and walking all the way to your favourite canteen would end up in you getting another headache. But you silently wished that every being from yesterday’s party was suffering from the same treatment of the over-the-top optimistic planet. why to suffer alone!

“Shortie” you lifted your head, spotting the combo of buy 1 get 1 free, heading your way.

“Where were you whole day? And if you aren’t going to pick calls then please do that poor thing a favour and sell it!” yugyeom barked while running his hand through his hair.

You shrugged jungkook’s elbow from your shoulder and replied “I was busy with prof. Joong’s work. And I have to be somewhere after 4 so I was a bit-

“Joong should adopt you already man!” Jungkook interrupted, nudging your sides with his fingers.

“ but I thought he wanted to be her sugar daddy!” at that gyeom gave a serious and stern look to kook, pretending to ponder over his statement for a second and then suddenly they both starting laughing, hands hitting you everywhere to support their doubling figures.

“Get away from me, idiots!” you shouted, trying to get away from them. Once they were done with showing their exaggerated emotions, you all giggled together in unison. they were wearing their fundraiser t-shirts, you noticed.

“When is the fundraiser?”

“At 5. But you won’t be there to support us cause you are busy with your daddy!” kook exclaimed while bumping your shoulder with his arm.

“I didn’t say I’m going for Joong’s work and no, he’s not my sugar daddy, doofus. I’m busy with tutoring. I missed someone’s Saturday class so—

“Okay, chill tiger. You need to breathe. It’s a boring event anyway.” gyeom said in a comforting tone, interjecting your rapid fire speech.

“I’m gonna have lunch, are you two going?” you suggested.

“Yeah, it’s our break and yeong and minjun have eaten already, so that left you!” kook pouted when gyeom mentioned his boyfriend’s name.

“Let’s go! I want my sugar” your dramatic pout made yugyeom pet your hair lovingly and the three of you started walking on stone pathway on the way to the canteen.

“Where’s your umbrella?” jungkook asked you. He knew how much you hated walking under sun after the drinking escapades.

“I forgot but let’s not talk about it. it’s making me grumpy.”

“Okay! but why don’t you cover your head with that scarf instead.” he said pointing towards the silky material around your neck.

“Naahh, it ruins my fashion” they gave each other a puzzled look, shrugging their shoulders for they both couldn’t gather the reason of your weird behaviour.

At lunch, you talked to them about the fundraiser and gave your own contribution for the noble cause. The conversation with them progressed too easily and for about an hour you forgot about the turmoil in your life, which was still unknown to them.

After parting away, you went straight to your professor to show him your progress. He took note of the materials you found on recent cases and dismissed you without showing any gratitude. Not even a word of appreciation.

A ping!

Jaemin: noona, doyoung hyung is picking you up at 4 but he won’t enter the campus. Be out at 4!

You let out a frustrated groan at his text. You had only met him once, when he conferred upon you the honour of connecting your phone to his server but that was not the only favour you received! He also saved his contact number with various hearts that you obviously removed after reaching home. you could only pray to heavens that he won’t be there today as well!

You made your way to the library again, this time to work on your thesis. The time passed quickly than you thought. The alarm you placed earlier vibrated, indicating it was 4 already! You hastily made your bag and ran out of the library. It took 10 minutes to reach the gates of the campus. When you passed your dorms building, the idea of ditching doyoung and going to bed sounded tempting but as usual, nothing was going your way these days. You felt like the old catch 22 was in action.

You passed through the gates and looked around the road to find doyoung’s car but he was nowhere to be seen. While you were scanning the whole area, a low voice called your attention.

“What are you finding, I’m right here under your nose” a voice said through gritted teeth.

Yes, he was indeed sitting in the car right in front of you and the only one you missed apparently. You walked around the car to sit on the passenger seat, the tinted windows hiding you from the outside funfair.

“What took you so long? Its 4:15 already.”

“I don’t have a car like you so I walked myself here and it’s not like I did it purposely anyway.” You contended, the annoyance in your voice matching his own.

“Whatever, we are already late so turn around. Taeyong would be mad.”

“No I’m not turning around. First that cloth bag, then the handkerchief you tied on my eyes yesterday, its painful man. I’ll lose my eyesight this way. And I can navigate whole city from this place, you can’t hide your dungeon from me now” you reasoned. He didn’t tie your hands yesterday but your eyes were still covered.

“Then give me your scarf. I’ll cover your eyes with your own choice of article. It’s not painful or else you won’t be wearing it right! he said mockingly, pointing towards your neck.

“Umm, this scarf is act-

“Give me that already. I have some other things to handle as well.” assessing your options, you hesitantly removed the scarf, turning around to face the window immediately. Doyoung tied it across your eyes, checking the knot twice and tapped your shoulder. As you turned around, doyoung’s doe eyes widened, if that was even possible. Your collarbone and neck, which was visible through your v neck top, was covered with pretty purplish bruises. You fidgeted with your hands, flustered, feeling his eyes on you. But he remained quiet, focusing on the task at hand.

The whole drive was quiet and though your hands were not tied, you kept them on your backpack, hesitant to start any conversation. The car stopped finally, the mixed feelings coming back. The same process followed. He guided you inside but this time you passed only one door and the walk was quite shorter as well.

As doyoung was about to remove your scarf, a hand stopped him, or that was what you understood from the movements at that time.

“Silky scarf, blindfold and hickies hmm! Being kinky doyoungie. She’s your sister-in-law. Show some respect boy!” a voice remarked, the air around your face suddenly filled with chocolate and coffee. You hiccupped all of a sudden, earning a chuckle from the unknown presence.

You tried to reach for the blindfold, but your hands were caught mid-air, the said hands removing it. You blinked your eyes a few times to make out the figure’s face. He was standing, mostly bending to match your stature, face smiling to show all of his teeth.

Yuta.

You, surprised, took a step back but instead bumped into the one behind you.

“I’ll take over from here, doyoung.” but fortunately, he didn’t budge, fortunately. Your hold on backpack tightened, your eyes lowered to avoid his gaze. The only thing in your view were his baggy pants and white sports shoes.

But yuta could see only you and nothing else. Taeyong wasn’t the only one awaiting your arrival. Yuta was equally anticipating you. His night was just as sleepless and anxious as you. He was afterall at the other end of the rope.

He raised your head, fingertips lightly grazing your chin. His hooded eyes roamed around your face like he was expecting you show some contempt , hatred,nervousness! He straightened up abruptly and started tying the silk around your neck. You flinched at his touch but he remained void of any reaction. His half denim jacket and white t-shirt hid you from the surroundings, his arms almost engulfing you. He repositioned himself to match you height again, arms crossing against his chest.

“Looks like someone had a fun night.” and in a second, his honey smile changed into a smirk, letting go of any trace of earlier softer expressions. And the look on his face was enough to scare the shit out of anyone.

“Stop yuta” a taller man you recognised from yesterday as Johnny, pushed yuta aside from your view. It was then you saw that everyone was there. Including the one you were yet to encounter.

Your eyes wandered from one side to other of the room. Johnny let you inspect.

“Doyoung, what was the need to cover her eyes?” Johnny whispered to doyoung, breaking your trance.

“Why is everyone nagging me so much” he whined in a screeching voice.

“Karma bitch” Johnny pointed his forefinger towards him before giving his attention to you.

“Hey, how are you y/n.” he asked, his cheerful voice totally in contrast with the weather of the room.

“I’m- ummm.” you cleared your throat before continuing. “I’m fine Johnny. As fine I can be.” you mumbled the last part but he surely heard you.

“You remembered my name!” he clapped, his eyes turning into crescents. You gave him a tight lipped smile in return, waiting for some instructions. As if on cue, taeyong’s loud voice graced your ears.

“Come y/n. make yourself comfortable” he indicated towards the couches that were almost already occupied. Johnny gestured you to proceed, walking with you. You passed yuta who was still smirking and sat on the single seat available next to taeyong. You placed your backpack on the large table in the middle of the room. It looked like a normal living room for guests, just with too many couches to accommodate the gang. You felt like an uninvited because apparently everybody was watching you like a hawk. Their stares changed sight only when yuta came to take a seat on one of the couch, exactly opposite to yours. You met his eyes briefly before turning your face towards your bag again.

Who knew the rusty zips of your bag were so interesting!

“So y/n I thought you should meet everyone. You are going to be part of this family soon. Better get acquainted with all.” taeyong addressed you while he sat on his couch majestically like a king. You heard a dry laugh and if you had to guess it had to be from jaehyun or yuta.

You didn’t understand why he wanted that. You were just a risk till yesterday and now means to discipline yuta.

And why all the formalities if you were gonna leave anyway.

“I’m going to leave anyway, taeyong. So I don’t see a need to do it!”

You were too consumed to notice how your sentence turned all the heads around you. Some started giving side eyes to each other. There was something they were all missing.

“I said you could leave. But not without my permission. So, you’d be stuck for now, maybe till months or years.”

You gulped at his words. Taeyong turned your only hope into a distant dream. Maybe you were too foolish to gauge the situation.

“You want something to eat or drink before we continue” he asked in a sincere voice. Shaking your head, you rubbed your eyes with the palms of your hands to stop them from moistening. There was nothing more embarrassing than to cry in front of a bunch of strangers who didn’t give a shit about you.

“No, please continue.” you emphasised again to not draw any more attention to yourself than already was. And you internally thanked to taeyong who continued as if you weren’t just gonna cry!

“You will move in with yuta on Saturday,” it was Monday. “The wedding ceremony would be held in the morning. So you have few days to prepare, everything from your dress to every other thing you need shall be arranged. Just name it and you’ll have it!”

Wedding ceremony! That was not on the plate!

“I don’t want a cerem-

“Leave the bullshit ta-

You and yuta both cut off each other simultaneously. You glanced at his side, finding him already piercing his gaze into yours.

“There’s no need for it. The paper signing is enough. It’s not like we are in-

You knew taeyong understood what you were trying to say, so you didn’t continue. But you were already having a feeling of superiority over yuta for being the first to offer your opinion. It felt like a payback for flustering you earlier. You refrained from facing him again, your body turned towards taeyong only, but you felt satisfied with the thought of him being riled up.

“Oh, but I want a ceremony taeyong and mark is going to be the best man. He’s so excited. You can’t do that to him!” yuta emphasised through the variation in his voice. You knew he changed his argument purposely , but you maintained your cool, opting to ignore him . bear and forbear.

Taeyong raised his eyebrow at you but you shook your head again.

“I don’t think it’d be a good idea. It’s not a normal one anyway so why pretend!” you held your ground.

“You aren’t getting married to a mannequin.” yuta retracted. “I’m getting married as well and don’t anyone dare say that I made a mistake and blah blah. At last I’ll be hitching so I want a ceremony and Japanese at that!”

Oh yeah, he was Japanese. You has missed that as well.

All the other men in the room, 9 to be exact, were nodding at everything that was being said. They were unable to decide whose argument was worth taking side for. Finally Johnny spoke-

“I think y/n is right” looking at nowhere particular, he continued. “What’s with pomp and show when it’s nothing more than an agreement”

“But if yuta hyung wants it, then why not. They are going to live together, he should have his say as well.” it was mark who took yuta’s side. He didn’t know why but watching yuta losing ground urged him to support his brother.

You looked briefly at the boy who just argued with Johnny.

“He’s mark y/n.” taeyong said the answer you were looking for. “And he’s Jungwoo, jeno, doyoung, you have already met him, then jaehyun, johnny, renjunie, hendery. Others are busy so you’ll meet them some other day probably.”

A few waved towards you, including mark, who shyly withdrew his hand quickly. They all probably hated you as there was no other reaction towards a person who almost put your life in danger!

“Can we get to a middle ground now? I’m already getting tired of this” jaehyun grumbled, leaning into the couch.

“Ok so, he wants a celebration of a lie! What about me then. You are all here but I have no one. I’m alone and probably will be. Because taeyong, you haven’t told me how am I going to reveal this to my friends? I may not have a family, but still there are people close to me. they are my best friends, roommate, and many others who need to know! How am I going to explain them that their friend who didn’t even have a boyfriend, is getting married suddenly? I don’t even have parents to cover it with an arranged marriage. How to convince them? give me a way and I’ll agree” you pointed out the very important detail that they were missing. But they needed to know that there was other side of the paper as well and your reasons were not just a cry in the wilderness.

Nobody made a sound. Everything went quite like a dark night until-

“I hope this is not the calm before a storm!” you looked over to see the person who broke the silence. It was another young man coming with a food trolley, probably from the kitchen.

“I thought we have a guest so I prepared some coffee and donuts. I hope you like sweets y/n” the man was smiling ear to ear, seeming too happy with your visit.

“I-

“I’m kun.” he introduced himself and you shook his hand. He seemed too polite for a criminal. “Have this and tell me how it is” he forcibly handed you a dessert plate with a chocolate glanced donut. You took it out of politeness but felt a bit weird to be the only one eating it. You watched him with quizzical eyes as he took one for himself and sat on the arm of your couch. Everyone was now staring at your movements.

“Eat it, eat it. These are for you and me only.” he cajoled.

You decided to take a bite and then place it back just to stop the awkwardness.

As you bit it from one side, your brain short circuited. “Holy shit, bro. what is this sorcery.” your genuine and innocent reaction made Kun laugh loudly, some of the others joined in as well.

“Thank god, you like it! I’m so glad you aren’t one of weight conscious ones, otherwise it’d have been weird.” he starting munching on his own piece.

“I’m a sugar bear. I can’t live without sugar. I just had a donut in the morning but it was bleh comparing to this. You are a master chef bro.” and for a minute you forgot the previous tense environment. Everyone was glad that Kun came to save the situation and except to you, it was known that obviously he heard everything from the kitchen.

“You ate one in the morning! Then it’s the last one you’re getting. Everyone help yourself. She’s not having anymore!” as if they were waiting, everyone except mark and yuta picked them up.

“Mark” Kun motioned towards the tray and he grabbed one as well.

“What if I was allergic to chocolate, kun” you asked him while finishing your treat.

“Oh please! Even ten eats it.” he laughed to himself at his reference, which went over your head.

“Now coming to the point.” Everyone looked at taeyong who was already done with eating. “Y/n doesn’t want anything special so it’ll happen like that. No!yuta, lemma speak. And you y/n, it’s upon you to make your friends believe. Make up a story or do whatever you want. You don’t want to tell them about the wedding. Fine with me but do let them know at least that you have a boyfriend that you are moving in with! It’s on you both to make this arrangement believable.

“okay , sho now I shuggenly hab a voyfiend” you started speaking without even finishing the bite in your mouth. you continued once you chewed it.

“wont they be suspicious. They know exactly what I do and what I don’t. It’s almost impossible to put a façade in front of them.”

“Oh please, don’t tell me they even know from where you got those hickies” jaehyun’s curt statement was a hit below the belt. Kun was about to scold him when you elaborated his statement further to prove that he was doing nothing but burning his own fingers.

“Yes, actually they happen to know. When, where and from whom I got these. Anything else you want to ask?.” he rolled his eyes on your reply, busing himself with the delicacy instead.

“They don’t know yuta. So if you want you can introduce him to your people. He won’t be posing any problem, take my word for it.”

“I’ll go with you if you also accompany me,that I guess would be a problem for you. You don’t want to be seen with a criminal, or do you!” yuta jabbered. He was trying to push your buttons to measure your limit. But little did he know that you were far from being that easy.

“I just said I don’t want a wedding. I’ll agree to anything that is reasonable and is not degrading to me.”

“Ok then, nobody would force you to do what you don’t want.” taeyong decided to took matter in his own hands now. “And we’ll organise a small, very intimate gathering at taeil’s office to celebrate as yuta wants. And you’ll be introduced as Mrs. Nakamoto to our corporate world.” taeyong finished gauging both of your reactions. The surname was foreign and cringing to you. But it was going to be yours, so there was nothing you could do, for now.

“What do you mean ‘our’ corporate world.” you got puzzled at his choice of words.

“You’ll find out soon and its nothing scary, don’t worry.” Kun responded on behalf of taeyong this time, handing you your cup of coffee. “Tell me if it’s cold, I’ll-

“No it’s totally fine.” you assured him, without even taking a sip. He was being nice enough already.

“If my opinion has no value, then what am I even doing here!” yuta shouted, getting up from the seat.

“yut-

Before Kun could say anything, he stormed off. Mark tried to follow but taeyong stopped him from doing that.

“Don’t mind him. He’s a hot head.” Johnny laughed in between his bites.

You only nodded, sipping your coffee. You were glad he was gone. Sugar has always done wonders for you and it was having same effects now as well. You were able to think more rationally now.

“One more thing” you furrowed your brows at taeyong. What was left now! “Do you want any specifications in the house? It’s my responsibility. A wedding gift you can say. If you need anything like extra closet, a more spacious kitchen-

“Kitchen?” you let out a brief chuckle at that. Everyone’s eyes were on you now. “It’ll be totally fine if I don’t even get a kitchen. I can’t cook anything besides ramyeon and salads. So I won’t even need that.”

“You are a student. Don’t you know anything basic.” it was Jungwoo who spoke in the voice sweeter than even Kun’s.

“No. I grew up in an orphanage and they provided us everything. I left when I started law. So all in all, I never had anyone to teach me. That’s why if you want to know best food trucks and restaurants in the city, I’m your best option.but, if that yuta knows how to cook, ask him about the kitchen.” you spoke non chalantly .But you didn’t realise how uncomfortable the air had become. a heavy silence took over the light atmosphere.

“I’m sorry noona” Jungwoo apologised sheepishly.

“It’s fine. After all there are some things that your hacker can’t find out. only I can tell you those.” saying that, you faced taeyong again. “But if you insist, I can always use a study room.” you tried to enlighten the mood again.

“Ok. I’ll find something suitable for you both.” you hummed, not knowing what to say anymore.

“Can I go back now?”

“Yes, doyoung will drop you.”

“No, I’ll go with her.” Johnny said, grabbing your attention. He didn’t look sulky like doyoung so, it’d be fine, you guess.

They said you goodbyes. Mark seemed hesitant to even look at you, but you couldn’t care less. He was just a stranger after all.

Yuta couldn’t realise why everyone was trying to be so nice to you. Till yesterday, he was allowed to put a gun on her head but now every being was against him. He didn’t know why he was so furious at taeyong, to forcing him to marry you or from dragging mark into this mess. Taeyong knew how to play dirty, but yuta never thought he’d use his own brother. There was no option for him as well, as taeyong has said. He showed interest in a fucking celebration to contradict you, but you were not backing down and that felt like a punch to his gut.

He drove towards his stress reliever. The infamous Japanese club. Only place where he could drown his sorrows.

The club was packed despite it being Monday. That was one thing he liked about it, you’ll never be disappointed in this place.

“ゆた!” The hostess chimed seeing yuta. “久しぶり” [ long time, no see!]

He signed her to give him 2 shots. She did as told but her gaze was following yuta’s, which rested on her cleavage. He came here only for 2 things after all.

He gulped the drink in a second without blinking an eye.

“バックルーム” [ back room]

She wasn’t someone to be told twice. She handed her hand towel to her co-worker and followed the path. Who was she to reject him after all?

As she opened the door, yuta pressed her against the door, shutting it with a thud, His tongue directly fighting with hers. Sinful sounds escaped her throat as yuta’s hand started working on the skimpy fabric she wore to cover herself. She moaned loudly as yuta pinched her nipples hard, his groans matching her loud ones. His eagerness always started a fire in her body, with intensity too much to handle. Her hands undid his pants, dropping them on the floor. They have done it so many times that the whole process imprinted in their minds by now.

without breaking the kiss,she changed their positions making yuta’s back hitting the door . With a loud smooch, his lips parted hers, to let her function pn her own.

She got to her knees while he got rid of his shoes to remove the boxers. She gave a few pumps before giving kitten licks to the tip while her gaze was fixed on his face.

“Hisoka, I’m in a hurry” he warned her. Smirking, she took him in her mouth, going up and down as head bobbed with the motion. Yuta fisted her hair, roughly stroking himself inside of her. She whimpered on the action and hit his balls with her other hand, earning a chuckle from him. Yuta knew how much she hated when he took charge. Yuta’s head hit the door as she sped up, the grip on her hair tightening and with a few deep throats, he was done. Yuta looked at her fucked up eyes, chin dripping with his seed. He picked her up with her elbow, his mouth latching towards her breast as soon as her back hit the same spot again. she moaned in pleasure as her shorts were removed hastily by him. Yuta merely smirked at her lack of panties.

“You knew I was coming hmm!” he growled sensually in her ear. Her body almost crumbled on the floor at his voice. “Let’s do it then!” he exclaimed, slipping himself into her. Her one leg that was wrapped around his waist provided him a perfect angle to stroke while his hand perfectly trapped her against the door. his mindless thrusts made her breasts to bounce with the same pace. “Faster” her moans were muffled from the outside world due to the high bass music that was playing in the club , providing them the coverage from any

“もっと”[ more!] Yuta asked her while giving a final hit to her insides, her body losing all the strength as she released her love juices. She slumped towards his chest as yuta let himself undone. As they rode their highs, yuta kissed her neck from behind, leaving her body in shivers for the next few minutes.

He drove back silently again. The relieve he felt was all dissipated now. Instead his mind was already wandering towards you. Your headstrong attitude was troubling him more than he anticipated! his plans were all down and out. He hated you , from the moment he laid his eyes on you. You acted like you were invincible but he knew it was just a mask to protect yourself.

He had noticed how you had rubbed your eyes to hide your disappointment for you didn’t want to appear weak. All he had to do now was to find a vulnerable part of you, to hit you where it’d hurt the most. It’d be last time he lost to you. from now on, you won’t be able to keep up with him.

Afterall, beginning is always easy, it is continuing that’s hard!

#tags still do't work #why me!!#only ct tags are acting up!#nct #nct scenarios #nct imagines #nct fluff #nct mafia #nct arrange marriage #yuta fluff #nct angst #yuta angst #killing me yuta #yuta scenarios #yuta imagines #yuta smut #nct smut #yuta arrange marriage #yuta mafia au

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irwinkitten · 4 years ago

Text

teej and frankie’s guide to twitch etiquette

aka a guide for dumbasses who stan michael clifford /j

so i have already made a post about people doing the ‘unofficial raid’ but after talking with @calmlftv we realised that there needs to be a twitch etiquette for those who are going to start using the platform because michael is streaming again.

(this is not going under a read more because there are some people that NEED TO READ IT)

1. don’t spam. it’s simple enough to understand, it is both annoying, and also clogs up chat and frustrates mods. (spam can include, emotes, caps lock and copypastas. do not do it.)

2. check the streamers rules if they have them. there are rules in place not only for the comfort of the viewer, but they are also there as part of the streamers boundaries. (if you need help finding the ‘!rules’ command or any command in general, just ask the chat. there will be mods watching, and other viewers will help too.)

3. if you’re timed out from chat for any reason, do not argue with the mods about it. it’s most likely one of the bots that has timed you out. more often than not, bot time outs are up to a minute, so just cool your heels and don’t get angry in chat when you can talk again.

4. when stream ends, do not go to another streamer going ‘UNOFFICIAL ______ RAID’. it is not only rude, but also annoying and for the streamer, it can be disheartening. if you do not want to watch the person they choose to raid, don’t. go to your favourite streamer and just join in. they’d appreciate that more, instead of the unofficial raid.

5. DO NOT SELF PROMOTE IN CHAT. if you are new to streaming/twitch in general, do not do it. it’s rude, and more often than not will get you banned. this also includes going ‘oh i’m going now, i’m starting stream’ etc. the streamer won’t want to know, and they will be annoyed by it. it’s basic respect between streamers.

6. let’s talk about discord. some streamers have a discord server, if they have it linked or posted somewhere and you join it, always take a look through the welcome channels. most will have it set, so that you can only read a set amount of channels before agreeing to the rules. FOLLOW THE RULES OF THE DISCORD SERVER. DO NOT USE THE SERVER TO ADD THE STREAMER. DO NOT PING THE STREAMER. If you need something or have any questions or concerns, there are mods in place! Go to them! USE THIS PLATFORM TO MAKE FRIENDS WITHIN THE COMMUNITY!

7. don’t ask to be gifted a sub. it’s rude. it has big ‘pick me pick me’ energy, and more often than not, will get you timed out. there is an algorithm to twitch gifted subs, and it’s a bit shit. but it just means that you gotta be patient and wait your turn. (if you can’t afford to sub to a twitch streamer, don’t feel like you have to. also use twitch prime if they’re partnered, it’s free if you have amazon prime.)

8. DONT TRAUMA DUMP ON THE STREAMER. THEY ARE NOT YOUR THERAPIST. They are humans and have their own boundaries. it does not matter how much they have helped you through a shitty time, they ultimately do this for their enjoyment and for others to watch and share with. trauma dumping takes that away from not only the streamer, but the viewers as well because there will be people who get triggered and ultimately ruins their viewing experience. go to therapy instead if you need to trauma dump.

be kind, have fun and use common sense when in chat. think to yourself, do i want to really see this in a chat? if the answer is no, don’t do it.

this isn’t a strict list of rules, this is just a guide. it will ultimately make your twitch viewing more enjoyable in the future, especially if you decide to stick around and watch other streamers that aren’t michael clifford. this is a general catch all list for those that are new to twitch because they wanted to watch michael. this is to help your own viewing experience and not ruin it for others. be respectful and enjoy your streams!

#i am sorry if this take up your dash #but people need to learn some twitch etiquette and some manners #this is a general catch all so people have basic understanding and learn boundaries #twitch is not twitter do not treat it like it is #also for those that don't know '/j' means joke #thank you frankie for helping me with this and spending time on ft #i got to see bun and i am happy with serotonin now #michael clifford #5sos #5 seconds of summer #tiger talks

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kieraambers · 4 years ago

Text

Malfunction - Chapter Five

(tw: death)

Zimelu and Haym are stressed out about their three other brothers. Deciding that they have to do something, they go through Purl-hew and Elonis memories. They find the culprit and find out their motives, and with that, Zimelu and Haym set up a plan.

It was empty in the room, full of servers and computers. Silence. Then the door clicks and opens, Zimelu taking his first steps inside. He looks around out of instinct, seeing no one in there and then leads Haym inside. He looks out to see if anyone was coming and then closes the door.

“Alright. Looks like nothing was touched.” Haym said as he looked around the room.

“They must have been more focused on...you know, then not getting caught.” Zimelu responded. He heads to the computer and boots it up before grabbing a cord.

“Why did Dad make us able to just rip data off computers?” Haym asked curiously.

“Hell if I know, but it’s coming in handy now.” He plugs the cord into the back of his neck before plugging it into the computer. His eyes change to loading symbols and he waits.

“So, we’ll have to watch their memories, right?” Haym asked, obviously just trying to clarify the situation.

“Yeah, our programmed recognition software isn’t going to fully get what’s happening. We’ll have to watch it ourselves.” Zimelu said, barely moving as he stares at the screen. “As much as I hate infringing on my brother's privacy, it's the only way we can prevent another one of us from falling.”

“You know...you’re actually really smart and considerate.” Haym mentions with a smile.

“Lot of people don’t think so.” Zimelu quickly responds.

“You’re just reckless and impulsive, that's your problem.” Haym shoots back.

“Shut up.” There’s a quick and soft “beep” and Zimelu takes the cord out from himself and the computer. “Alright, got copies of the files. Let’s head upstairs to the briefing room.”

“Theatre.” Haym corrected.

“Dad calls it the briefing room.” Zimelu simply answers as they head upstairs. They enter a large room with a few chairs here and there and film reels on shelves. The thing Zimelu’s eyes darted to was the projector in the middle of the room. Haym sits down in one of the chair and sighs.

“It feels weird.” Haym mumbled.

“What does?” Zimelu asked as he began to hook himself up to the projector. Haym jumps, not having realized Zimelu had heard him.

“It’s just-uh-this place is one we used for fun and memories...It feels so disconcerting to use it for something as morbid as this.” Haym thought aloud. The only response he got was a solemn nod from Zimelu before he was hooked to the projector. His eyes go black.

“Alright. Let’s see what happened here.” Zimelu said as he looked up from the hooked piece. “Playing Purl-hew’s memory in 3...2...1…” The projector springs to life.

...

Purl-hew entered his own room. It was a pleasant and orderly one, charging station neatly in the corner, shelves of records and music CDs lined alphabetically, gifts from fans neatly stacked in an open closet and a neat pile of letters on more shelves. Purl-hew went to his closet and grabbed one of the pairs of glasses on a shelf on top. He grumbled, seeing the dust along the glass. He headed over to another shelf and grabbed a cleaning kit, taking a cloth and spray out of it. He sprayed his shades before taking the cloth to clean them. He tapped his foot as he did the menially task, nothing blipping on his radar. Which made the sudden strike given to his back all the more surprising. He collapsed to the ground, finding his systems unable to work. He twitched, unable to move, unable to see his attacker before his systems shut down.

...

Zimelu and Haym paused when the memory was done playing. It was uncomfortable to witness, seeing their brother blissfully unaware of his impending doom. Admittedly, the two might have jumped at the sudden strike, as nothing indicated when the attack would happen. Zimelu sighs.

“I don’t think we can gather anything from that...this person’s smart.” He says, tapping his foot.

“Well, nothing blipped on Purl-hew’s radar.” Haym observed. “Maybe they have something on them blocking out radar detection?”

“That’s fair. In that case we’ll have to find some other way to track them.” Zimelu said, before waving a hand through the air like he was dissipating a thought bubble. “We’re getting ahead of ourselves though. Alright. Playing Eloni’s memory in 3...2...1…”

...

Eloni could feel himself shaking uncontrollably as he approached where he saw the person standing on the camera. He bit his tongue and began to slowly count.

“1...2...3...4...5…” Eloni counted, feeling himself calming down. “6...7...8...9...10…It’s nothing to worry about. I can defend myself. All I need to do is ask them some questions.” He wandered through the darkened halls of Barraca Mansion before finally reaching the room he saw the attacker. He looked around, frightened, before calling out. “Hello?”

“...You really want to make yourself obvious?” A voice calls out, making Eloni flinch. He knew for a fact it wasn’t one of his brothers, it sounded far too different, too young to be the voice he and his brothers were given to by Neon J. The figure walks out of hiding, Eloni’s nightvision being able to only make out the cloak they were wearing. Strange. Didn’t they have an axe?

“You’re the one that harmed Purl-hew, aren’t you?” Eloni said, putting on a brave face. The figure pauses before breaking into chuckles.

“...Yes. I am.” The lack of remorse in their voice made Eloni’s circuits go cold.

“Why?” Eloni couldn’t stop himself from asking. The figure chuckles before darting at Eloni and knocking him down, placing a foot on to his chest to keep him from moving. All things considered, he probably could have moved them without trouble, if his systems would just function instead of going dead due to fear.

“I suppose since you’re my next target I could tell you. It’s not like you’ll be able to tell anyone.” Eloni gulped, his systems freezing more. “You know. I am impressed. You and your brothers are probably built with some of the most advanced technology anyone has seen. All built by one man, Neon J. But here’s the thing. None of you deserve to be his. I do. And once I show him just how fragile and pathetic you really are, I’ll enter his life and I’ll get what I want! And after you and Rin are gone, the other two can do my job for me. Heheheh!” Eloni, panicking, grabs their foot to try and push them off. Something crushes in his hand and he hears the ping of his radar. Suddenly there’s a smash and he shuts down.

…

Zimelu and Haym stare at the screen when the memory finishes. Zimelu taps his foot on the ground as he processes what he saw.

“...Rin will be next.” Haym said, causing Zimelu to look over at him. “They said it themselves.”

“Yeah...I cannot believe someone would go so far for some mans affection.” Zimelu comment, seeming genuinely angered by their motivation.

“Come on, let’s go prepare. We need to keep Rin safe tonight.” Haym said as he stood up. Zimelu nodded.

“Let’s go get revenge.”

#malfunction story #nsr #no straight roads #1010 #1010 rin #1010 white #1010 zimelu #1010 red #1010 yellow #1010 haym #1010 purl-hew #1010 blue #1010 green #1010 eloni #tw: death

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border-spam · 4 years ago

Text

Leech Lord short: Smile

Late COV:

Troy would rather be anywhere than here right now he figured, rolling exhausted eyes as Mouthpiece's crackling drone blanketed the hall of worship.

He could be working. He could be doing something useful like maybe having a wank in his quarters, or playing Truxican Roulette. Blowing his brains out sounded like a treat honestly, anything other than sitting here like a propped up figurehead next to his sister's empty seat, stuffed into this packed banquet hall and surrounded by what he could only politely describe as "rancid assholes".

Bar JK and Eli, of course.

They were the only real reason he was attending honestly, he could have come up with the same kind of excuse Tyreen had and bailed. It was easy enough to bullshit up some "Deity business" and skip one of these mind numbing ceremonies, but this was in honor of the media department's latest branding push success and as much as Troy knew he was anything but what could be considered a good friend... leaving two of his last remaining confidants to face the night alone was too much of a dick move even for him.

He fidgeted against the throne behind him as the speech continued, trying to shift a particularly stubborn underwire from where it poked into the small of his back. It wasn’t fair, Ty should be here too if he had to be, jammed into uncomfortable ceremonial wear just like what he was currently dealing with. As if he wasn’t in a foul enough mood already without needing to puff the feathers that crowned his collar out of the side of his eyes every few minutes, and the accessories? Man.

Her makeup and costume team needed to tone this shit down. He understood their goal was to make the twins “look the part” for these kinds of events, but he was pretty sure at least 2 ropes of gold chain were mashed somewhere under his breastplate already and peeling them out of indents in his clammy skin later was just another little joy to look forward to once this bullshit was over.

Father Troy was fairly certain that wasn’t something actual God’s had to deal with.

He could just about make out Eli's beaming grin through the incense smoke if he squinted across the room, stood proud if slightly crooked next to Mouthpiece with the rest of the broadcast team at the end of the massive banquet table as his Saint praised their excellent performance this quarter. Good. He deserved it. He worked harder than most people Troy had come across in that department and with almost irrepressible drive, despite the limitations of his health. It was something that had twinged in his guts about Eli almost from the day he'd first come face to face with the man penned 50 times throughout Ven's contract, something he understood better than he'd ever feel comfortable enough to really admit. He got it, and that's why he was here right now, even if Eli may not even notice Troy had shown up.

He huffed a sigh, pressing his cheek harder into the cybernetic's palm as he braced it on the edge of the tablet in front of him, slumping forward to take some weight off his twitching back. Jk was unmoving to his left, sitting stoic as always, a gentle reassurance mirrored in their crossed arms and stiff body language that they were hating this about as much as he was - or at least he hoped that's what they were hating. They had been silent since before the ceremony started, taking their seat behind the heavy golden alter table the twin thrones and Saint's decorated chairs surrounded.

Jak-Knife had snapped at him yesterday, again.

It had been his fault, a clumsily growled insult towards the Vanguard that had dripped from his mouth before he'd caught it. That was happening a lot recently, and Troy had noticed even if others might think he was ignorant of the decline. Saying things he didn't mean, feeling the words coat themselves in venom soon as they slipped across his traitorous tongue, hurting people when he didn't want to...

He glanced around the heaving room, braziers filling the stone hall with dancing warm light glinting off the frescos and stained glass. The lower tables were crammed with worshippers and clergy, none of which were listening to the speech that should have ended an hour ago either. Mouthpiece's sermon was nearly entirely drowned out by the chuckles of laughter and animated discussions the gathered masses filled the halls with as they ate. It was almost welcoming, like a real family in its warmth and not the waiting steel trapjaws of the "belonging” the COV promised, but Troy saw the empty spaces.

There were too many empty seats around his throne he'd rather be filled right now.

God.. he was so tired.

Deciding JK did in fact hate him and attempting to prompt a conversation would only make things worse, he reached into his coat pocket with his left hand and slid his E-Dev across his lap, glancing down to check in on updates from the relative privacy of the table edge's shadow.

460 new message since this morning.

Fuck.

Troy screwed his eyes closed and held his breath, wincing subtly at the burn in his chest. He didn't have the energy for this, mental or physical. The ceremony had hours before it ended and Tyreen had promised him she'd handle the backend of the management tasks while he was here. She'd promised when he’d agreed to fill in for her and attend this despite only just being back from the Eridium Tier meet’n’greet on Demophon. She’d begged and pleaded with him, and when he’d accepted reassured over and over that it wouldn’t be an issue, she’d take care of everything and he could zone out till it was over... and he’d believed her. Fucking idiot he thought to himself, exhausted eyes merging the numbers together as he scrolled downwards to the priority tab.

8 messages - All from *Ven*

He sighed out raggedly, feeling JK shift next to him in response. Aware, but polite enough to not draw attention to his discomfort, a subtle gesture of support even if they weren't in the mood to waste words on him.

Flicking his eyes around the hall again and noting no one was paying attention to the quiet King, he swiped his thumb across the notification alert and began to shift through Ven's messages.

He wanted to burst into laughter about half as much as he wanted to sob, and he closed his eyes, slipping the index finger of his prosthetic over the bridge of his nose to press in and pinch. The E-Dev hummed a quick vibration against his lap as it registered the command to delete the messages, and he let out a shaky breath, the pulse of his heartbeat in his ears drowning out the collected chatter of the hall.

He wanted to go home.

He wanted to just.. pick up Eli, toss JK over his shoulder, ping Ven, and drag Tyreen into a pile in Sanctum, then blast off Pandora and go find Seifa. Go back to before all this shit. Go back to not feeling a friend's fury on his left and his sister's empty seat on his right. Go back to Ven's laughter being easy and Eli not looking at him with some mix of pity and fear. Go back to Sei liking him and having a twin who cared if he was alive.

No Gods, no 3 hour long wankpile speech being given by a masked asshole he couldn't stand but had to attend, go home... take them all to Nekrotafeyo and be happy.

Troy jumped out of his reverie at the touch to his leg, snapping sideways to come face to face with Jak-Knife's mask leaning towards him in concern.

He gambled a slight smile in response and felt a wave of relief at their subtle nod, then returned to stare forwards at the plated food cooling in front of him as they did the same, though neither had so much as touched their meals. Everyone else was enjoying the banquet it seemed, bar JK and himself. Them clearly not in the mood to eat, and he not sure his body would stomach it right now. His shoulders drooped as he leaned harder on the table.

At least the slums wouldn't go hungry tonight.

JK turned in his peripheral vision, twisting towards the tinkling sound of a drinks tray being offered by an acolyte, and he watched quietly from the corner of his eye as they reached for a goblet filled with a rich merlot next to a purp-

"Jak-Knife!!"

His voice cracked and they paused, hand on the glass as they turned to meet his eyes with their lenses. He flinched, clearing his throat in an attempt to redeem some of his damaged ego as the woman serving them's eyes lit with stifled mirth.

"The uh.. the purple one. Take that instead. It's better."

JK's hand moved without them looking back, still staring directly at him as their fingers closed around the other drink. They nodded gently to the server as they brought the glass forward and onto the table in front of them, eying it suspiciously.

"What is it...?" they grumbled through the respirator, quiet enough to be just for his ears.

Troy felt his confidence deflate again, slumping down a little in his seat despite still being a head taller than them.

"I don't know. V-Ven said it was good, I think. I can't eat right now b-but Ven said, V-Ven said.."

JK waved him off with a subtle hand movement, lifting their mask to tip the glass between their lips and sipping far more delicately than could be expected from a mouth so rough.

They paused, and for just a second dread spiked into his stomach. A sudden, gut gripping fear that he'd made a horrific mistake and something had just gone terribly wrong, till he noticed the excited bounce of their knees under the edge of the table, and the telltale flexing of their hand that he'd learned over the years meant JK was about to burst.

"Cactusberry!" they hissed, turning rapidly to him and nearly spilling the drink clutched like a treasure to their chest.

"That's cactusberry Troy! Wine? Wine I think?" the crackle of the mask's filter made it sound like they'd hiccuped in excitement mid-word, and he couldn't help the smile that bloomed across his face, all teeth and crookedness.

They moved closer, shoulder pressing against his arm as they gestured for him to lean down and lower his ear closer to their mask.

"Did I ever tell you about the time me an' my friend found a whole patch o' cactusberry in fruit out in the salt flats? With the Skags? And the missing eye??"

Troy shook his head with a husky laugh, eagerly leaning closer as the words they stumbled over in hurried enthusiasm drowned out Mouthpiece's bullshit and the mind-numbingly empty conversations of the heaving masses around them.

He didn't care that their grip on his leg was getting painful, the night was finally looking up.

Ven/Eli belongs to @hieroglyphix and JK belongs to @godkingsanointed . Weird note, I wrote this days before the Krieg DLC, so that whole Skag / Eye story was fuckin weird when I got to it.

#borderlands #borderlands 3 #bl3 #troy calypso #tyreen calypso #calypso twins #seifa #jak-knife #ven #leech lord #my hcs #my writing #lldrabbles

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the-archlich · 4 years ago

Text

. . .

I haven't posted much about Overwatch League in a while because no one cares. This isn't about esports, though. This is about an extraordinary personal narrative that anyone who loves a good story should be able to enjoy. One with so much dramatic tension it makes my bones tingle. The protagonist: Eui-Seok "Fearless" Lee.

Our story begins in 2017, before the Overwatch League is a thing. Tournaments are relatively small outside of Korea, with teams cobbled together from whoever can be found. In this environment, one team emerged as exceptionally strong, with Fearless at the head.

We move to 2018, halfway through the inaugural Overwatch League season. The Shanghai Dragons are 0-20, having lost Every. Single. Match. The org scrambles to right the ship while there’s still time. They look desperately for someone who can save them. They turn to Fearless. He gets signed, but due to visa issues he can’t make it to the US until 75% of the season is over. By the time he gets there, it’s too late to change the team’s culture of defeat. They finish the season with an astonishing 0-40. This makes them arguably the worst professional sports team (esports or otherwise) in the world.

Fearless stays on.

For the 2019 season, the team makes huge moves. He’s one of only 3 players out of 12 who remains with the team. They sign a roster consisting mostly of teams who were just the runners-up in the Korean minor league championship. Some of the brightest rising stars in the business. Everything looks set for a redemption arc. And then, mere days before the start of the season, Fearless becomes extremely ill. He has to return to Korea for medical care. The season starts without him. He’s replaced. That year Shanghai breaks their winless curse and goes on to have a relatively successful season, even winning one of the inter-season championships by knocking out the top 3 teams in a row. It’s an exceptional story; one that Fearless didn’t get to be a part of.

That did not stop him.

Once he was well enough, he was transferred to Shanghai’s minor league team, playing in China. This was a team almost as unsuccessful as their parent organization. Through a monumental effort, Fearless carries them to the regional playoffs almost singlehanded. Victory just barely slips through their grasp and the end the season in 2nd place, after losing the regional final in an unfortunate 1-4.

But Fearless proved himself and in 2020 he was signed back onto the main Shanghai roster. He had to split time with another player in the same position. But again and again, Fearless proved himself superior. As the tip of the spear, he led Shanghai to an extraordinary season. COVID doesn’t make him miss a step. Shanghai ends the regular season as the #1 team in the world, with a staggering 27-2 record. During the playoffs, they end up falling at the end, finishing in 3rd place. This would be enough for almost anyone else, but Fearless’s story wasn’t done yet.

The Dallas Fuel has struggled almost as much as the Shanghai Dragons. Despite signing some of the biggest pre-OWL stars in the 1st season they ended it in the bottom 4, barely above Shanghai. The end the season in 10th place (out of 12). Season 2 isn’t much better, ending in 15th (out of 20); Season 3 sees them in 13th (of 20). Major changes are needed. So major changes are made.

Remember the team Fearless played with before all of this began? Over the next couple years the other members were signed on to different Overwatch League teams. They were scattered all over the globe, having different experiences, learning different playstyles, and learning a lot of English swearing. Dallas, with the kind of deep pockets you only have if you’re funded by Big Oil, pays through the nose to reassemble the old squad, under their original coach. After 4 years of ups and downs, Fearless is reunited with his old friends. For once, Dallas really looks poised to make an impact.

And then once again, days before the start of the season, a player has to resign due to health problems. Not Fearless this time, but a specialist on the team. No one else plays the characters he does. There’s really no way to fill that hole. And no time to hire someone new, Dallas has to go on with it anyway. They lose their first game narrowly in a 3-2 against local rival the Houston Outlaws. It’s as bitter as defeats can get. They win their 2nd match but get creamed the 3rd. They win the 4th handedly but it’s against arguably the weakest team in the region. Mixed results. These 4 games are qualifiers for a tournament and they barely slid through thanks to some math in their favor after several other teams went 2-2.

But Dallas is in the tournament. The way ahead is terrifying. First they have to overcome the San Fransisco Shock, the championship team from 2019 and 2020. And if they somehow survive that, Dallas has to head to a rematch against their bitter rivals, the 4-0 Houston Outlaws. If by some miracle they win both, they make it to the tournament finals, playing against 3 other teams for the prize.

Everyone thinks that the Dallas match is just a formality before the Shock fight he Outlaws. Fearless has had enough of that. Leading the way as always, he absolutely demolishes the Shock, despite his counterpart on that team being regarded by many as the best in the world at their mutual position. The rematch against Houston begins. Once again, Fearless destroys everything in his path; despite his opposite number being an early candidate contender for rookie-of-the-year. Now, Gina and I are Outlaws fans (after Philly, obviously) so we were pretty bitter at that point, but the strength of this narrative won me over.

From the 12 teams in the western region, Dallas and Florida advance (after Florida wins a frustrating victory over the otherwise undefeated Philadelphia Fusion). In the Eastern region, the top 2 of 8 also advance. One is the Chengdu Hunters, a team that was previously sort of the beloved clown of the Overwatch League. They’re serious this year, emerging as the only undefeated team in Asia.

The other is the Shanghai Dragons.

COVID means that competition between east and west is hard. But there’s a solution: the University of Hawaii. A fiberoptic cable along the floor of the Pacific Ocean connects the University of Hawaii to servers in Tokyo. Dallas and Florida fly to Hawiai to play from the university. Chengdu and Shanghai connect to the servers in Tokyo. A brand new “minimum latency” tool is used to increase ping for the eastern teams so that it’s equal with the western ones in Hawaii, about 50 ms. Now lag isn’t an issue. The playing field is even and the two regions can battle it out in this tournament to see who wins.

With a first-to-3 victory condition, Shanghai narrowly beats Florida in an incredible 6 map series. I saw the whole thing and the two were within a hair of each other the whole time. Truly extraordinary. Dallas has to go up against the undefeated Chengdu Hunters. Dallas does what they did to other undefeated teams and beats them handedly in a 3-1 series. Now both Florida and Chengdu are in the redemption bracket, with a chance to rise from the grave and still claim victory.

This means that the fight everyone wanted to see comes to pass. Fearless and Dallas face off against his old team, the powerful Shanghai Dragons. What followed was somehow just as good as the Florida matchup. It’s first to 3. Dallas wins the 1st map. Shanghai grinds them to a draw in the 2nd. Then Shanghai takes the 3rd. Dallas narrowly scrapes out a win in the 4th. Shanghai crushes them in the 5th. So once again, it comes down to the 6th map in a first-to-3 series. Not only that, this is the 6rd time in a row Shanghai played 6 maps in a first-to-3. They won the last two.

Not this time.

Putting in an extraordinary effort, Dallas pulls it off. And I cannot stress enough, 70% of their success was due to Fearless being absolutely relentless. He looked like the most dominating individual in his position the game has ever seen. Already an MVP candidate only 25% of the way through the season. Any other time that would be the climax. But this story isn’t over. This story is too good to end there.

Florida beats Chengdu, weathering the weird magic the team has always possessed that occasionally lets them slay giants. They have their rematch against Shanghai, with the stakes incredibly high. Loser goes home. The winner goes on to face Dallas for the crown. Hungrier for victory than they’ve been since 2018, Shanghai obliterates Florida in a quick 3-0.

In a little less than 3 hours, Shanghai will play the rematch with Dallas. Fearless will once again face his old team, including his replacement, a highly respected player who goes by the extremely fitting name of Fate. Can Fearless do it again, leading his old friends to victory over his old team? Giving Dallas the redemption they never achieved, the same redemption he gave Shanghai last year? Or will he fall once again, after all of this?

There are 3 more tournaments like this in the season (not including the finals). Maybe this story will somehow become even more dramatic over the course of those. Impossible to say. But tonight, this year’s protagonist goes up against his final boss.

This is truly as good and dramatic a story as you could hope for. Whether this is an incredible personal triumph for Fearless or a heart-rending tragedy, it’s going to be one of those things that you never forget.

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loz-steelforgedpath · 4 years ago

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Server Rules

1 > You are to receive 3 character slots and 12 NPC slots, for use with those characters, upon joining the server. Every week of active roleplay earns you another character slot, until the maximum number of slots, 6, is reached. You can turn up to 3 characters into NPCs, characters outside of your control, theoretically allowing you to create 9 characters - at this point, you've reached the maximum amount of characters possible. The character template is pinned in #character-submissions. If your submission reaches beyond Discord's character limit, please use Google Docs or Google Slides to share the file with us in #character-submissions.

2 > Under no circumstances are any real-world slurs or derogatory profanity permitted within the context of conversation or character dialogue. Any and all slurs will result in an instant ban; this applies to gore, threats, and NSFW content; take it elsewhere.

3 > Sending/Linking any harmful material such as viruses, IP grabbers or harmware results in an immediate and permanent ban.

4 > Feel free to question any executive decision that Staff makes in order to promote a more conducive environment for both the moderators and players.

5 > The minimum age you must be in order to participate in this server is 15. If you are below that age, you shouldn't be on Discord, anyway. No exceptions!

6 > The exploitation of loopholes in the server's magic and technology systems will be rewarded if found and reported. The user will gain an additional maximum character slot, and be rewarded the role System Master. This is the only way to supersede the limit of five characters. Should they choose to, they may also assist in patching the system in question, and create a new subset of the system to verify their loophole's status as canon. Creativity and ingenuity within the systems provided is to be nurtured.

7 > Memes are preferred to be posted in #shitposting. It doesn't matter too much, but please and thank you, in #shitposting.

8 > If your character premise supersedes an RP rule, contact an admin and see if you may qualify for an exception. Examples:

-Your first character will be able to receive magic if they are entirely focused upon its practice, study, and use - in other words, a mage. There must also be a backstory reason as to why they are proficient with casting.

-Your character will be able to use a firearm (flintlock/musket) right away, if they align themselves wholly to its upkeep and safety. There must also be a backstory reason as to why they own the firearm.

-You will be able to use the premium races (as denoted by the livery edging of the race in question in #races) before the initial one week period, so long as the paperwork is filled out and the character lies as a meaningful contribution to the narrative itself.

All in all, if you wish for exclusive permissions in crafting a character, notify a member of staff, and we'll be sure to discuss it with you. Admins will, at all moments, have the final say in the matter, so long as their verdict is not overruled by a staff vote, should it come to that.

9 > There will be no connections made to canon characters within your character's backstory, save for certain figures being an inspiration to the character itself, or some other justification as abstract as that. As always, talk to staff - we will be sure to sort things out quickly and efficiently.

10 > Respect is an expectation for everyone in the server. Respect staff, staff respects you. That being said, any form of:

- racism,

- ableism,

- transphobia,

- sexism, or

- any other form of targeted harrassment

will be met with a rational discussion on the effects of their actions, and how such a lack of respect will negatively impact those around them. Refusal to change such behavior in the future after such a discussion will be met with a ban.

11 > Communicate.

This server was built on the desire to have and give clear communication. If you have any questions or concerns, do not be afraid to ping staff! We have enough of us that one of us will be there to assist you! Want to write a fake backstory to add a bit of an elusive edge to your character? Ask us! Want to be a powerful wizard from the get-go, with good reason? Ask us! As long as you ask, we'll be there to assist you.

12 > For every channel you look through, immediately look at the pinned messages. If you're looking for information, it's likely in the pinned messages.

13 > Posting art that is not yours, tracing without credit, or any other form of sharing that disenfranchises an original artist is met with severe penalties, up to and including ban. Original art goes in #art - art from another source and artist requires credit, and goes in #media.

Note: Most of the understanding of this new world is kept in the Worldbuilding category right below the Welcome category. It is heavily recommended to read everything in that category, as to lift most confusions about the world.

#rules #important #mod cass

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ashiiewappa · 4 years ago

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Rio 2016 Table Tennis Men’s Singles

Sport:

Indoor Table Tennis

Court Dimensions:

For a full-size table tennis table, the upper surface is called the playing surface. It requests a certain elasticity and good bounce of a ping pong ball. The dimensions of a full table tennis table size are 2.74 meters long, 1.525 meters width, and 76 centimeters height measure from the ground. There are white sidelines along the length of both sides of the table. The width of the sideline is 2cm. There is also a white end line along the width of both sides of the table. The width of the sideline is 2cm. There is also a white center line across the table. The width of the centerline is 3mm. It is used to divide the table into equal halves when playing double games.

Equipment:

Table

Nets and Posts

Paddle Cases

Penhold Paddles

Rubber Covers

Pingpong ball

Table Tennis Paddle

Table Tennis Shirt

Table Tennis Short

Table Tennis Shoes

Basic Skills:

Forehand drive technique

Backhand topspin close to the table

Forehand push

Backhand push

Forehand flick

Backhand flick

Backhand loop the underpin ball

Forehand attack the semi-long ball

Forehand fast serve

Forehand pendulum serve

Backhand side-spin serve

Technical & Tactical Skills:

Ma Long:

Ma has a great type of serve however in first minutes it shows that his defense in quite down, thus he fell for the same trick Zhang used twice. Zhang also using a unique type of serve, however this didn’t stop Ma from setting up his defense and playing using his own tactic earning him a point. Ma getting hyped and trying to score through a strike, failed however Zhang kind of step on his trap making him swing with more force than needed thus over throwing the ball and earning Ma a point. Ma using the same tactic again but failed to score because of too much force as he got too excited. Ma earned a point when Zhang committed similar mistakes he did. Ma earned a point after Zhang was not able to make the ball cross the net. Another point for Ma after Zhang over threw the ball. Ma got consecutive points after Zhang committed yet again the same mistakes. Ma won the first set with a two point gap from Zhang just proving how determined both players are to win, however Ma just must have been more determined as he won the first set. Ma got the first point for the second set, however Zhang scored right after. Ma took the lead in terms of score having five points while Zhang has 2. Ma once again won the second set with a much higher gap than the first set. Ma lead the third set once again but Zhang also kept up his pace and stay to catch up with the score. Ma however just plays with a great offense that was able to win the third set. The fourth set was spiced up that both players were playing their best play, but Ma once again proved that he is a greater player by winning the four sets.

Zhang Jike:

A good start for Zhang despite a difficult to predict type of serve by Ma he was able to return it and got a point. Zhang used the same technique twice and scoring two times in a row because Ma can’t help but fall for the same trick twice. Zhang got a little bit too excited and he overthrows the ball earning Ma a point. Just as when Zhang seems to take a lead he also makes the same mistake twice by overthrowing the ball and earning Ma a point. Zhang Earning a point after Ma got too excited and also over throws the ball. Seems that both are just committing similar mistakes and alternately earn points, this time Ma got the point while Zhang was the one who committed the mistake. Zhang got short on force having the ball not cross the net. Seems that Zhang can’t help but repeat his mistakes overthrowing the ball, earning Ma a point. Zhang seem determine to catch up he was able to tie the score at eight points when he takes his offense up. Zhang and Ma were neck on neck at twelve points after both up their games. Zhang changed tactics for the second set and played with great offense against Ma. Zhang struggles to keep up with Ma leaving a four point gap in terms of score. Seems that Zhang’s new tactic didn’t work against Ma after he lost again during the second set. It was a clear neck on neck during the first minutes of set three as Zhang tries to catch up. Zhang keeps repeating hist mistakes, seems that he was not learning from it that lost him the third set too. Zhang was swept by Ma after he lost the fourth set with a huge gap with their points.

Rules of the Game:

1. GAMES ARE PLAYED TO 11 POINTS

A Game is played to 11 points. A Game must be won by two points. A Match is generally the best three of five Games.

2. ALTERNATE SERVES EVERY TWO POINTS

Each side of the table alternates serving two points at a time. EXCEPTION: After tied 10-10 (“deuce”), service alternates at every point. Can you lose on a serve in ping pong? Yes! There is no separate rule for serving on Game Point.

3. TOSS THE BALL STRAIGHT UP WHEN SERVING

How do you serve the ball in ping pong? Hold the ball in your open palm, behind your end of the table. Toss at least 6” straight up, and strike it on the way down. It must hit your side of the table and then the other side. NOTE: Once the ball leaves the server’s hand it is in play, and so counts as the receiver’s point if the ball is missed or mis-hit.

4. THE SERVE CAN LAND ANYWHERE IN SINGLES

There is no restriction on where the ball lands on your side or your opponent’s side of the table. It can bounce two or more times on your opponent’s side (if so, that’s your point), bounce over the side, or even hit the edge.

5. DOUBLES SERVES MUST GO RIGHT COURT TO RIGHT COURT

The serve must bounce in the server’s right court, and receiver’s right court (NOTE: landing on center line is fair). Doubles partners switch places after their team serves twice.

6. A SERVE THAT TOUCHES THE NET ON THE WAY OVER IS A “LET”

Can the ball hit the net in ping pong? Yes, during a RALLY, if it touches the top of the net and then otherwise lands as a legitimate hit. BUT not when serving. If a served ball hits the net on the way over and otherwise legally bounces in play, it’s a “let” serve and is done over. There is no limit on how many times this can happen.

7. ALTERNATE HITTING IN A DOUBLES RALLY

Doubles partners must alternate hitting balls in a rally, no matter where the ball lands on the table.

8. VOLLEYS ARE NOT ALLOWED

Can you hit the ball before it bounces in ping pong? No. In regular tennis you may “volley” the ball (hitting the ball before it bounces on your side of the net). But in table tennis, this results in a point for your opponent. NOTE: When your opponent hits a ball that sails over your end of the table without touching it and then hits you or your paddle, that is still your point.

9. IF YOUR HIT BOUNCES BACK OVER THE NET BY ITSELF IT IS YOUR POINT

If you hit the ball in a rally or on a serve and it bounces back over the net after hitting your opponent’s side of the table (due to extreme spin), without your opponent touching it, that is your point.

10. TOUCHING THE BALL WITH YOUR PADDLE HAND IS ALLOWED

What happens if the ball hits your finger or hand during a ping pong rally? If the ball touches your PADDLE hand and otherwise results in a legal hit, there is no rule violation and play shall continue as normal. Your paddle hand includes all fingers and hand area below the wrist. But what if the ball touches a player’s body anywhere else during a ping pong rally? You may not touch the table with your non-paddle hand for any reason. It will result in a point for your opponent. BUT if your opponent’s hit sails over your side of the table without touching it, and hits any part of you or your paddle, that is still your point.

11. YOU MAY NOT TOUCH THE TABLE WITH YOUR NON-PADDLE HAND

You may touch the ball or the table with your paddle hand (after reaching in to return a short serve, for example), or other parts of your body. NOTE: If the table moves at all from your touching it during a rally, that is your opponent’s point.

12. AN “EDGE” BALL BOUNCING OFF THE HORIZONTAL TABLE TOP SURFACE IS GOOD

An otherwise legal serve or hit may contact the top edge of the horizontal table top surface and be counted as valid, even if it bounces sidewise. The vertical sides of the table are NOT part of the legal playing surface.

13. HONOR SYSTEM APPLIES TO DISAGREEMENTS

If no referee is present during a match and the players disagree on a certain call, the “honor system” applies and the players should find a way to agree, or play the point over. Ping pong carries a tradition of fierce but fair play. Help us keep it that way!

How to Officiate the Sport:

Umpire - is required to exercise judgment in applying the table tennis laws and regulations during the match, such as deciding whether a rally should be a let or whether the players behaviour is acceptable. When the umpire is officiating alone, his decision is final on all questions raised during a match, including decisions on edge balls and service. The umpire is also responsible for the timing the duration of play. The local umpires are required to pass the umpire test and volunteer at a local level before proceeding to international tournaments.

Analysis:

A good start for Zhang despite a difficult to predict type of serve by Ma he was able to return it and got a point. Zhang used the same technique twice and scoring two times in a row because Ma can’t help but fall for the same trick twice. Ma has a great type of serve however in first minutes it shows that his defense in quite down, thus he fell for the same trick Zhang used twice. Zhang also using a unique type of serve, however this didn’t stop Ma from setting up his defense and playing using his own tactic earning him a point. Zhang got a little bit too excited and he overthrows the ball earning Ma a point. Just as when Zhang seems to take a lead he also makes the same mistake twice by overthrowing the ball and earning Ma a point. Zhang also using a unique type of serve, however this didn’t stop Ma from setting up his defense and playing using his own tactic earning him a point. Ma getting hyped and trying to score through a strike, failed however Zhang kind of step on his trap making him swing with more force than needed thus over throwing the ball and earning Ma a point. Just as when Zhang seems to take a lead he also makes the same mistake twice by overthrowing the ball and earning Ma a point. Zhang Earning a point after Ma got too excited and also over throws the ball. Ma using the same tactic again but failed to score because of too much force as he got too excited. Ma earned a point when Zhang committed similar mistakes he did. Ma earned a point after Zhang was not able to make the ball cross the net. Another point for Ma after Zhang over threw the ball. Ma got consecutive points after Zhang committed yet again the same mistakes. Zhang Earning a point after Ma got too excited and also over throws the ball. Seems that both are just committing similar mistakes and alternately earn points, this time Ma got the point while Zhang was the one who committed the mistake. Ma won the first set with a two point gap from Zhang just proving how determined both players are to win, however Ma just must have been more determined as he won the first set. Ma got the first point for the second set, however Zhang scored right after. Ma took the lead in terms of score having five points while Zhang has 2. Ma once again won the second set with a much higher gap than the first set. Ma lead the third set once again but Zhang also kept up his pace and stay to catch up with the score. Ma however just plays with a great offense that was able to win the third set. The fourth set was spiced up that both players were playing their best play, but Ma once again proved that he is a greater player by winning the four sets. Zhang got short on force having the ball not cross the net. Seems that Zhang can’t help but repeat his mistakes overthrowing the ball, earning Ma a point. Zhang seem determine to catch up he was able to tie the score at eight points when he takes his offense up. Zhang and Ma were neck on neck at twelve points after both up their games. Zhang changed tactics for the second set and played with great offense against Ma. Zhang struggles to keep up with Ma leaving a four point gap in terms of score. Seems that Zhang’s new tactic didn’t work against Ma after he lost again during the second set. It was a clear neck on neck during the first minutes of set three as Zhang tries to catch up. Zhang keeps repeating hist mistakes, seems that he was not learning from it that lost him the third set too. Zhang was swept by Ma after he lost the fourth set with a huge gap with their points.

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girlsguidetopowertools · 5 years ago

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30 days - 30 ideas

i have so many ideas of little things to include in animal crossing games (new horizons and the future), so i wrote one a day on twitter counting down to new horizons’ release, and i thought i’d compile them all here for easy reading now that the list is complete and new horizons is only hours away. (note that some of these were posted before the direct/other information was released, so they may be a little outdated, but what can you do.) let’s go!

day 30: observatory. (i said little but this is the biggest one.) i want the observatory back. but more: imagine if we could learn about real world stars, planets, and constellations like we do bugs, fish, etc. in the museum. & visiting opposite hemisphere towns would teach more!

day 29: combining villager personalities & essences/natures (pocket camp) to create more varied villagers and dialogue. also species' traits. a peppy, natural bunny (dotty) would be very different from a peppy, cute squirrel (peanut).

day 28: be able to combine certain fish or bugs into one container in your house, so you can have a personal mini aquarium or habitat. also, please let us change the type of container (and give fish more space in theirs so it's not so depressing).

day 27: let us refurbish (almost) all items. i'm willing to give a pass on event/gracie items because they're supposed to be special, but otherwise. i hate having a piece that fits the theme but doesn't match and you can't refurbish. (this includes rugs, flooring, wallpaper.)

day 26: different wrapping papers for presents. the wrapping paper in pocket camp is so cute, much cuter than the yellow sacks we get to buy in new leaf. i'd send so many wrapped presents to my neighbors!

day 25: let us build big pwps/amenities that we and the villagers can interact with. bonus if they're seasonal: an ice skating rink in winter, swimming pool in summer, ferris wheel in the spring... riding a ferris wheel with cherry blossoms blowing? sign me up.

day 24: (another big one) a way to change gender, and a nonbinary gender option. in new leaf, i had a lot of friends stop playing entirely because their avatar no longer matched them after coming out as trans, but they didn't want to delete their whole town, so they felt stuck.

day 23: let villagers catch fish and bugs instead of just perpetually trying with no reward. while it's cute to watch them stalk bugs in the bug off, never seeing them catch any makes me feel sad for them!

day 22: choose held items in dream towns (dream towns better still be a thing). a small detail, but most of my characters carry wands or balloons but can't in dream towns. and when your dream is set on a rainy day, you always default to a red umbrella no matter what.

day 21: sound configuration options. (apparently you can change the volume of kk slider songs playing but i wrote this before that, okay?) not just those, but being able to turn up/down/off hourly music, ambient noises, effects, etc. i'd love to turn up the sound of the ocean!

day 20: SUNFLOWERS. well, new flowers in general, but specifically sunflowers! they're my favorite, and we need tall flowers in the game. plus everyone went wild over the sunflower event in pocket camp.

day 19: more things to do with villagers together. not just going to each other's houses, but inviting to the roost, bug hunting, apple picking, etc. would be SO cute! and that *we* can invite *them*, not just wait for a random ping.

day 18: combine “traditional” events and holidays with wild world events for a fuller calendar. i LOVE the unique wild world events, but taking out toy day, halloween, etc. was also a mistake. the wild world events would fill in those months where major holidays don't happen.

day 17: multiplayer islands to live on with friends. now, nintendo is FAR behind the times with multiplayer, so i don't expect this if ever, but i want it. i want to make a town with my online friends, like a minecraft server. please.

day 16: side jobs. no obligation to do them at a given time or at all, but something extra and fun. working at the roost is a great example, and i'd love to see more: villager home designer, shopkeeper, restaurant chef... these would especially be great later in the game.

day 15: diagonal furniture. please. i like putting things kitty corner and some items, like the basket chair, just don't look right without that.

day 14: let villagers write random posts on the bulletin board again! it was one of my favorite things about wild world.

day 13: more interactive items, for both players and villagers. we've seen villagers reading books and eating ice cream, which is great, but it bothered me that they couldn't play on the jungle gym pwp and stuff!

day 12: let us layer small, tabletop items. PLEASE. clutter looks so much better and realistic when layering is an option, like in the sims.

day 11: remove restrictions on where we can plant palm trees and cedar trees. it never even made sense that cedar trees could only be planted on the top half of the town, but nothing we've seen so far hints at this changing.

day 10: customizable community buildings. one of my favorite parts of happy home designer was designing our own shops, hotel, concert hall, etc. they really made my main street feel unique, especially compared to new leaf's main street where everything's the same (minus unlocks).

day 9: let villagers swim! i want to have cute beach days with my villagers but not if they're stuck on the land.

day 8: ceiling items. please don't take away our ceiling items. we saw a pinata that could potentially be, but that's it (even the hanging plant was converted to a wall item). and, while they were a great addition in HHD, there were very few ceiling items. i'd love a LOT more!

day 7: minigames! at the very least, bring desert island escape back, but i'd love to see much more. a mix of amiibo festival minigames and the one in nintendoland would be great, as well as some new ones. especially if they're multiplayer to play with friends!

day 6: create-a-villager! i don't expect them to be villagers actually in the game, but it could be neat as a little side thing. when hacking new leaf was big, there were a ton of cute and creative fan-made villagers just made with retextures, and i'd love to see more.

day 5: nocturnal villagers and activities. i LOVE nighttime, it's so relaxing, but you also run out of things to do (or, pocket space, if you like nighttime fishing like me). at least residential services will let you sell your fish 24 hours a day, but i'd like a bit more to do.

day 4: something to replace streetpass/the HHA showcase. i loved seeing people's houses, and being able to order from them in new leaf was a nice bonus. i'd love something similar with our friends list, a mix between that and what we had in city folk.

day 3: deeper lore on special NPCs. we have a lot on the able sisters and the nooks, even some on brewster and blathers, but i want to know more about the others! what's pascal's story? we know nothing about him, he just... pops up randomly.

day 2: more weather events/phenomena. red moons, eclipses, blizzards, hail, MOONBOWS... there are so many neat weather things in the world!

day 1 (WE MADE IT!): biome DLC. i've been asking for different terrains/biomes since before happy home designer, where we got to choose those. even though new horizons is set on an island, it's still a standard biome with four equal seasons. i'd LOVE dlc that allows us to make a snowy mountainside home, or a home like the PNW where it mostly rains and snow is uncommon. or a tropical town with sunshine and palm trees abound. bonus if the DLC means we can have more than one town per console. please, i need it.

#animal crossing #new horizons #animal crossing new horizons #idea list #ideas

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wildflowerhigh · 5 years ago

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Second Time Around (c.h.) | Part 4

Summary: Sure, Harper is just a friend to Calum, right?

Word Count: 1.7K

A/N: Sorry I posted late! I finished writing this ages ago, I just forgot that yesterday was Friday and forgot to post. I’m just extremely stupid lol hope y’all like this one!

---

“Do any of you wanna come with me to the café?” Ashton asked, looking around the room. Calum’s hand shot up from his position on the couch, and he pulled himself up, after setting his acoustic guitar down. He had been stuck in the studio the whole night finishing up a song, and he really needed to get out.

Ashton and him walked into the café, just like they had five months ago when they had run into Harper; Calum mused about how much had happened since then. He certainly wasn’t expecting to see Harper once again, sitting at the exact same table, in an almost deja-vu like moment. She waved at them with a smile on her face, her phone in her other hand.

Calum stopped dead in his tracks, while Ashton waved back at her. “What is she doing here?”

“Oh, we meet here almost everyday. She’s normally here at the same time to eat breakfast,” Ashton replied.

Calum stood there, taken aback. Michael’s berating had left him with a lot to think about, but as of now she was just a friend. He finally waved at her, after way too long a pause, and walked over to join her.

“Good morning!” she said cheerfully, and Calum greeted her as well, taking the seat opposite her. Ashton was placing the coffee order at the counter. “How’s the album coming along?”

“Pretty good actually,” he said, voice rough from lack of sleep. She seemed to notice, and frowned slightly, but before she could ask, Ashton joined them, steering the conversation in a different direction.

The three friends sat there for quite a while, chatting away about their previous day, Calum occasionally leaning over to eat out of Harper’s breakfast, before she informed them that she had to get to work, and left. He and Ashton went back to the studio, a smile stretched across his face.

The next day, Calum jumped to his feet as soon as Ashton entered the studio. “Are you going to the café?”

“Yeah, I am.” Ashton set down his phone and started to remove his jacket. He waved at the producer sitting at the controls. “Just as soon as I finish recording a bit.” Calum looked down anxiously at his watch- it was close to the same time as yesterday, when they had gone to the café.

“Let’s go now,” he said, moving to stop Ashton as he walked to the recording booth. Ashton looked at him, puzzled.

“Why are you so desperate to go? You normally never come.”

Calum paused, his mind running a mile a minute. “I just… really want some coffee right now.”

Ashton’s eyes narrowed suspiciously at his friend, but agreed. They told the producer, who had watched the whole interaction with amusement, that they would be back in some time, and left for the café.

The minute they entered the small roadside café, Calum’s eyes scanned for Harper, and spotted her at the same table, digging into a plate of pancakes in front of her.

“Get me a vanilla latte, will you?” he muttered to Ashton, tapping him lightly on the shoulder. Harper looked up from her breakfast and waved at the two boys, and Calum grinned and went to join her, leaving Ashton to place the order.

“Could have at least paid for it,” Ashton grumbled, noticing how the two old friends talked, mesmerized with each other.

And just like that, going to the café became a daily routine. Calum said that he needed his ‘daily dose of coffee’, but most of the days never bought anything, unless Ashton got something for him.

On one of those days, when they were walking towards the café, both their phones pinged simultaneously- Harper had messaged them, informing them she couldn’t make it that day because of a meeting. Calum just stood there, scratching his head, confused about what to do next.

“We could still go get coffee, I mean, that’s what you came for everyday, right?” Ashton mocked.

Calum noticed his tone, and pushed past him, rolling his eyes. “Asshole,” he muttered, making Ashton laugh. They walked the rest of the distance to the café, and ordered their respective drinks. Calum looked back wistfully at the table where Harper might have been sitting if she had come that day.

He definitely wasn’t gonna admit to Ashton (or to himself) that the real reason he came to the café everyday was for Harper. But the intense disappointment that came over him told him that he couldn’t live in denial for much longer.

---

Calum fixed his blonde hair and pulled on his leather jacket, just as he heard the doorbell ring. He opened the door to a grinning Harper, Ashton and Kaykay.

“We’re going bowling!” Harper declared, and Ashton hooted. She sang the same phrase repeatedly, with continuous whoops from the redhead, and the two danced around each other.

“They’ve been doing this the whole time,” Kaykay said, and Calum chuckled. He grabbed his phone and keys, and stepped out and locked the door. Harper and Ashton’s little singsong and dance finally came to an end.

“Where are the others?” Calum asked.

“They’re coming there directly,” Ashton replied. They all walked down to Ashton’s car, and made their way to the mall.

The bowling plan had been made after Sierra had randomly mentioned to Luke that she had never actually been bowling before, and everyone came to the same conclusion that she had to be introduced to the game once and for all. They also figured that it would be nice to all go out together after so long, and so planned an outing to the mall.

“How good is your bowling?” Calum asked Harper, as they stood next to each other, putting on their bowling shoes.

“Best of the best, baby,” she said, smirking, and Calum’s heart beat a little faster.

“There’s no way you’re better than me,” he challenged, and her smirk grew bigger.

“You’re on, Hood.”

The group occupied two alleys due to their size, and Harper and Calum dominated their respective alleys, having the highest scores.

“This is so much fun, guys, I’m so glad we came today,” Sierra commented, and the group murmured in agreement. But Calum was only focused on Harper- well, on beating Harper. Sports always brought out his competitive side, a characteristic leftover from his footballing days.

“Let’s up the stakes, Calum,” Harper said, apparently also not responding to Sierra’s statement.

“Ooohhh,” Luke said. “Wait, what’s happening?”

“I think they’re having a face-off,” Michael stated.

“Damn right we are!” Calum exclaimed, slamming the bench dramatically and coming to his feet. When he was at the peak of his game, he fed off the attention. “What do you suggest?”

“Ten frames each. Highest score wins. Loser buys everyone ice cream.”

“That’s not exactly high stakes, is it?” Ashton remarked.

“I’m not bringing money into this, Ash,” Harper replied, glaring at him.

“Well, technically-”

“ICE CREAM!” She shook her hand threateningly at Ashton, and he raised his hand in surrender, stifling a laugh. She turned her attention back to Calum, who was tapping his fingers against the bowling ball he had picked up. Why he had an adrenaline rush from a simple game like bowling, he couldn’t understand. Could it be because he was playing against Harper? “Take it or leave it, Calum,” she continued.

“Taking it. Let’s do this.” He smirked, and grabbed a bowling ball.

The next half hour was intense. The others saw by and watched as the two competitors played, both of them getting strikes in a row. “Not bad, Romano,” he commented, when she was gearing up to play her ninth frame, and she flipped him off, making everyone laugh. Seeing the look of concentration on her face, with her eyes squinting at the pins, biting subtly into her lip, Calum could barely resist the smile that threatened to break onto his face; she looked adorable.

She expertly bowled another strike, turning around and bowing as the pins clattered behind her. Everyone cheered, and Calum stood up for his turn. Passing her as he moved to take her position, she wiggled her eyebrows at him, and smiled the smile that made his insides get all jumbled up. He felt like he was floating on air when he stepped up to bowl- and consequently, knocked down only three pins.

His friends gasped at his play, including Harper, who looked at him in shock. Still fazed by his mistake, Calum played again, still managing to knock down only four pins. He sat down, still confused by what had happened. He never got distracted like this. Harper glanced at him warily, but scored another strike, getting her the highest possible score.

By the time his last turn came around, Calum had cleared his head, and bowled a strike; but it was too late, because he was already behind on points. Harper had won.

---

Calum paid for the ice cream, and thanked the server, before grabbing his cup off the counter. Surprisingly but thankfully, they hadn’t run into any fans at the bowling alley or the ice cream shop, so the whole group ate their ice cream, loud and content. Harper slid up behind him and tapped on his shoulder, and he turned around to face her.

“Good game, that was,” she said, and he nodded. He opened his mouth to speak, but she continued speaking. “I know you let me win.”

“What?”

“You were playing so well, then you fuck up in the last round and lose? No way. Don’t know what weird male ego thing this is, but-” She pulled out a 20 dollar bill and handed it to him. “Here. For the ice cream.”

“Well, first of all, have a little more faith in your skills,” he said, taking a lick of his pistachio ice cream. “Second of all, I got distracted, that’s why I lost.” He pushed away her hand holding the bill. “You won fair and square.”

She scanned his face dubiously, before pocketing the money. “What did you get distracted by?” she questioned.

“Just… something.” He shook his head, and spooned out a little of her chocolate ice cream. “Yours tastes so much better, ugh.”

She laughed, her eyes shining bright at him, and Calum got the same feeling at the pit of his stomach as he had at the alley. Nothing to get distracted from this time, though.

---

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