#8 hours and 37 minutes remain

[deadm0ss]

8 hours remain..

last day to be cis and straight, people…. 24 hours until party time….

[mortallydeepestobservation]

The holiday pretense- Chapter 1

Summary: Namjoon has never been a fan of the holidays. In fact, he could list more things that sucked about ‘The most wonderful time of the year’, than things that brought him joy. Yet, beneath his cynicism, a flicker of hope appeared this year, as the faint scent of homesickness hung in the air.

Unfortunately, there’s one tiny little thing that keeps him from calling home- his lack of a girlfriend.

But fear not; this holiday season, Namjoon’s smart mouth gets him in a situation where he has no choice but to approach you- his longtime friend and roommate- with an unexpected request.

Pairing: Namjoon x f.reader Genre: fake-dating, friends to lovers/roommates to lovers au; crack, smut, fluff. Rating: explicit. Minors do not interact. Warnings: every single trope in the book; but with a twist. Dialogue heavy. OC is really bad at lying, anddd… I didn’t write in literal years so yeah, this is gonna be fun. And I know I am literally that meme rn, the: summer is over-skips straight to Christmas. But do you have any idea just how slow I write? Yes. It is a warning. Smut warnings: to be added~ Word count: Chapter 1-9k Credits: this was literally one of those ‘if no one is going to write this, I will’ because there are not enough friends-to-lovers Namjoon fics out there. And none (that I know of) where the main character feels bad for lying to his family when pretending to date him. This work would not have been possible without the very kind and patient @callmenoona25, who not only helped me beta-read but also served as a guiding light during those moments when I wanted to rage-delete everything. Thank you for all your help! (and please keep helping me coz idk what I’d do without your constant encouragement) Author's note: again, I didn't write in 8-ish years, so this is very very scary. Add in a dash of 'English is not my first language' and you get whatever this is. enjoy. Merry Christmas.

Ah winter, the most wonderful time of the year.

The season when the air is crisp, and the city gets blanketed in thick, white snowfall. When the satisfying sound of crunching snow accompanies every step and every word transforms into nothing more than a puff of steam dancing through the chilly air.

When Mariah Carey’s voice echoes in literally every store for an obnoxious 24/7, as if she has some kind of personal vendetta against silence…

When the heating bill increases by 37%, and it takes an extra 15 minutes for the heater to kick in and for the hot water to grace the showerhead. Ergo, Namjoon now has to wake up half an hour early if he wants to take a shower and not freeze half to death during the day, because the landlord was adamant that there was nothing to be done about the situation.

But it wasn’t all bad.

Sure, Namjoon was never one to possess the so-called Christmas spirit. In fact, he was known to be a bit of a grinch among his friends.

Jin, in particular, enjoyed telling anyone who would listen about their first Christmas at college, when Namjoon adamantly refused to help him decorate the tree after begrudgingly lugging it to their shared apartment.

And most years Namjoon’s lack of enthusiasm for the season was palpable. While his friends reveled in the cheerful atmosphere, he somehow managed to remain detached and aloof, his grinch-like demeanor becoming a defining characteristic, much to the amusement of his companions.

However, there were still aspects of the holiday that Namjoon couldn’t help but secretly enjoy. The food, for instance, was undeniably good. Although the movies were mediocre and the music overplayed, he still found himself humming along to Winter Wonderland whenever it played. And the energetic buzz that seized his friends was no doubt contagious;

This year, before he could even process it, he was dubbed designated fairy-light fixer, the judge of the ugly sweater contest (solely because he had the audacity to show up wearing a black hoodie) and somehow promised Jungkook to help him pick up gifts for his mom, his cousin, and girlfriend.

And now, with the holidays looming just around the corner, and the entire city buzzing with chatter about family feasts, romantic rendezvous, and the art of gift-giving, Namjoon couldn't help but feel a little pang of longing. It had been a solid two years since he last set foot in his hometown, and the melancholic urge to return home seemed like the only logical response to it all.

Or maybe he just needed a vacation…

But there was just one thing that kept Namjoon, a logical being, from making that phone call home.

He knew that part of the reason behind his mother’s question was for organizational purposes, yet he couldn’t help but notice the mischievous twinkle in her voice each time she sweetly asked:

“And are you coming alone?”

Few things managed to irk him as much that specific question in that specific context. And even with countless nights analyzing the emotions it stirred within him, Namjoon found himself very stupidly replying with:

“Uhm, no actually-” despite being painfully single, and fully aware of it.

Following that, the hope of regaining any sensible thought was gone as a chorus of ecstatic comments erupted form his mother’s end of the phone. With a hurried, “Can’t wait to see you, yeah, love you too,” he was left in the suffocating silence of his bedroom, with a new predicament he needed to solve.

Now, let’s not forget, Namjoon is no ordinary man. He possesses a brain that could rival Einstein’s, and he knows all too well that he could simply call back and clarify that his plus one is as real as Santa Claus.

But Namjoon doesn’t half-ass anything. He full-asses it.

That and showing up alone would undoubtedly result in his mom’s attempts to play matchmaker. And if he were to show up alone, after lying about it, well, he might as well prepare for an arranged marriage.

Namjoon sighed as he looked at his phone. He couldn’t understand why his mother had this new found obsession with his relationship status. Especially after she witnessed just how bad his last one ended. Now sure, he may have taken the whole ‘healing-era’ to a bit of an extreme, seeing as he had no relationship, no situationship and no inclination to entertain any romantic thoughts whatsoever. But this was getting ridiculous. Lying to his own mother?

Perhaps he could ask his assistant to pretend to be his girlfriend for the week? No, that wouldn’t work. She mentioned she was hosting the Christmas dinner this year. And it would involve more explanations to HR than it’s worth…

And he couldn’t overlook the fact that her fiancé would most certainly not be amused by that idea.

Just as he was about give up and plunge into another rabbit hole of despair, the solution to his problem came accompanied by the familiar sound of glass smashing in the kitchen.

You.

You would be perfect.

Most people already assumed you two were dating, seeing how seamlessly you fit yourself into his life after moving in.

And last he checked you couldn’t make it home because of some pesky law-jargon issues that required your presence at the office. And changing your flight to a few days later cost you an arm and a leg, while changing it to January was completely free.

And last he checked; you were just as chronically single as he was. (He knew because your last date was so disastrous that he had to abandon his gaming night and rescue you from the restaurant).  

Another crash in the kitchen summoned him back into action. Swiftly snatching his hoodie from the designated clothes chair and making his way to you, detouring only to retrieve the medical kit from the bathroom.

He was quick to spot you, still clad in your work attire, crouched besides the counter, diligently sweeping the stray glass shards of what used to be an ugly mug. His eyes involuntarily wondering towards your ass, once again marveling at how flawlessly you wore that office skirt before snapping himself out of it.

“And I believe that evens out the score, seeing as I only broke a plate, and you killed two mugs this season” he declares, ensuring you weren’t bleeding before abandoning the first aid kit on the counter to fetch the trusty vacuum cleaner.

It was standard procedure by now.

“You also managed to break the microwave, so the title remains yours,” you grumble as you rose to your feet, a smile unconsciously tugging at your lips when you caught sight of his charming dimpled face. “Hey there.”

“Hello,” he replied, giving you a swift once-over in case he missed any hidden hemorrhages “what happened?”

“It just jumped out of the cupboard when I opened it,” you gestured towards the dust pan, as if to prove the cup suddenly acquired acrobatic skills before its untimely demise, causing him to break into a grin “I’ll get you a new one.”

“No worries, it was a gift form an ex, and it was hideous anyway.”

As he vacuumed the area, you disposed of the glass, making sure it wouldn’t slice through the trash bag like last time.

Once the kitchen was safe again, you returned to your previous task, grabbing a new cup and casually turning your back to him.

" Do you want to try an unreasonably expensive hot chocolate with me?" you playfully suggested, catching his eye as he noticed the purple tin on the counter, adorned with a big red bow, alongside a very generic Christmas card.

"Secret Santa?" he inquired back, picking up the card, already aware of the answer to your question.

Unconsciously, he began mentally listing reasons why you would make a good fake girlfriend. Topping the list was your uncanny ability to understand him without lengthy explanations. And it was all quite digestible, wasn't it? Two long-time friends and roommates, thrown together by chance, suddenly discovering hidden feelings for each other?

All his friends seemed to have unanimously agreed that the two of you would make a splendid pair, back when you met, when his roommate, Jin, started dating your roommate, Myeong.

 On their inaugural date, Myeong, in a fit of paranoia, asked you to tag along, in case her potential lover turned out to be a serial killer. And Jin, ever the considerate soul, felt compelled to invite Namjoon, not only to spare you the agony of being the third wheel, but also in the hope of pulling Namjoon out of his dating slump. Not that you would ever notice, as you were knee-deep in exam session, sleep deprived and buried in a mountain of law books.

Poor Namjoon somehow ended up carrying the weight of being third and fourth wheel simultaneously.

But you eventually made up for it, once your exams were over and had a proper 18 hours of sleep.

In no time you wiggled your way into his heart, transforming those awkward double dates into enjoyable hangouts. You’d spend countless hours discussing everything from books to the latest plot twists in popular dramas, to sharing dreams, fears and hopes.

As Myeong and Jin’s relationship blossomed, they gradually faded into the background of your outings, until they were eventually excluded all together. And neither of you seemed to mind, as you found it easier to focus on your conversations without their constant chatter.

That and they couldn’t be quiet in movie theatres like decent human beings.

It was during one of these outings that Namjoon realized just how alluring he found you. The way your eyes lit up when you laughed at one of his jokes made his heart race. Your sharp mind and wit were a match made in heaven for him. And your ability to render him speechless was both infuriating and exhilarating.

But Namjoon also knew that you were deeply committed to your studies, and he didn't want to do anything to distract you from your goals. So, he held back, admiring you from a distance and hoping that someday things might be different.

And as time passed, and he graduated, he came to terms with the fact that you two would never be more than casual friends.

Little did he know that the universe had its own wicked sense of humor. When fate decided to play its sly hand and leave you virtually homeless, because your respective roommates decided to take the next step in their relationship and move in together.

It was only logical, then, for the two of you to shack up as well. After all, you were friends, both neat freaks, and most of all, desperately in need of a roommate.

“The roommate switch”, as Jimin so eloquently put it.

And thus began the most wonderful living arrangement Namjoon ever experienced. Not that he would never tell Jin that.

Suddenly, his bathroom cabinet resembled a Bath and Body works store, and your pink pots and pans had taken over his kitchen. But he wouldn’t mind, seeing that the cooking interdiction was extended, once Jin started recounting all the times Namjoon almost turned their previous apartment into a bonfire during your housewarming bash.

However, you never scolded him for his butterfingers because, truth be told, you had your own healthy dose of clumsiness, (the cup chilling in the trash an indisputable witness to it).

It was quite refreshing to find someone who shared his knack for dropping things.

And he made up for all the free meals by taking care of the dishes. He even went above and beyond by meticulously following the odd care instructions for your fancy pots.

And the rest of your household chores fell into perfect harmony.

 He willingly handled all the ironing, including your own, simply because you couldn’t be bothered. In return, you would dutifully clean the lint tray in the dryer, even when it was his turn to do the laundry, because he found it absolutely disgusting, and you couldn’t resist the opportunity to gross him out.

It suddenly dawned on him why all his friends were convinced that you two were together. He was smitten with you, after all.

But again, time has worked its magic! His infatuation had been long departed, so he could proceed with his plan and not let it affect your friendship in any way, shape or form!

“You know, I never quite understood the purpose of Secret Santa,” you confessed, pulling him out of his thoughts. “I mean, sure, it makes sense in a small group where you can actually get to know the person and buy them something nice. But in a corporate setting, where you’re thrown together with people from different departments, it makes absolutely no sense!” you spoke with passion, even stirring the milk a little harder, causing an impish smile to dance across his face.

“Because you end up with situations like this, where creepy Greg from the watercooler suddenly feels the need to win my graces and splurge on stupidly expensive hot chocolate.”

Namjoon was familiar with your HR endeavors involving Greg, especially after he hit on one of your colleagues.

“Do you want to know how much this monstrosity costs?” you asked, trying to contain your amusement at the sheer absurdity of it all. Pouring the cocoa into the milk and placing the mugs in front of him, you couldn’t help but grin.

“Surprise me,” Namjoon took a sip, which he regretted because he choked once you answered,

“Sixty dollars!”

“That’s absolutely ridiculous” he coughed, once he regained control of his lungs.

The hot chocolate was nice, but nowhere close to justifying the hefty price tag. For all he knew, it could have been dollar store cocoa. But your contagious laugh made it all worthwhile, and he couldn’t help but think that maybe Greg deserved to lose his Christmas bonus on overpriced cocoa that you both would mock.

“Tastes like cardboard” you concluded after a mouthful, “maybe it was meant for that hideous mug your ex gave you,” you teased, earning a puzzled look. “This has horrible taste,” you tack on, noticing his raised eyebrow “just like your exes.”

“I’m not sure if I should be offended by that,” he replied, feigning offense.

“Well, they did break up with you, so clearly their taste is questionable,” You ruffled his hair as you walked past him, your cocoa abandoned on the table.

This wasn’t uncommon in your friendship. Afterall, you were his biggest supporter, as he was yours. But now, with the odd favor he was about to ask you; he couldn’t help but ponder your words for longer than usual. Until he heard the door to your room close and he realized he was left alone in the kitchen.

“Any updates on that flight of yours?” he asked, shooting a glance towards your door. Perhaps the universe would take pity on him and spare him the embarrassment he was dreading.

“Still in January!” you hollered back, your voice muffled by the commotion in your room.

“Ah, cool, cool…” he muttered under his breath, more to psych himself up and gather the courage needed to go over and make a complete fool of himself.  

“Are you still planning on heading home?” your voice was barely audible amidst the movement, so he walked over and propped himself against your door to keep the conversation going.

“Yeah, that’s the plan.” He replied absentmindedly massaging the back of his neck.

Not unless he can find a girlfriend for the week.  “Hey,” he continued, his voice devoid of any moisture, “can I ask you a favor?”

The door swung open, almost causing him to stumble, to reveal you, wearing pajama bottoms and a black tank top, clutching one of his sweaters.

“Depends.” You answered flatly. “Mind if I borrow this?” you gestured towards the sweater, awaiting his nod of approval before slipping it on and sauntering past him to claim your usual spot on the couch. With your feet cozily tucked under the cushion, you scrolled through your phone, probably looking up another horrible movie you’d force him to watch. Oblivious to the fact that you ticked off another item on his mental checklist: looking damn good in his clothes.

“Okay” he took a deep breath and settled down beside you, his posture impeccable and his gaze fixed on the blank tv screen. You glanced over intrigued by his sudden shift in behavior.

“This is going to be weird, and you can tell me to fuck off any moment this makes you uncomfortable. And I promise I’ll never bring it up again, and we can pretend this never happened,” he stumbled over his words, a stark contrast to his usually calmed and composed demeanor.

Your mind raced, conjuring up the worst-case scenarios as you slowly set aside your phone, captivated by every word leaving his mouth.   

Was he about to kick you out?

That only seemed to aggravate whatever Namjoon was on, as he continued to mumble, insisting that you didn’t have to agree to it if you didn’t want to. Which didn’t make any sense, because if he was going to kick you out, he should at least have the balls to tell you straight forward.

You gently collected his hands, causing him to halt abruptly. His wide eyes finally locked with yours as you softly uttered “Just tell me.” You peered up at him, bracing yourself for the worst, and completely unprepared for what was to follow.

“Will you please do me a solid and pretend to be my girlfriend for a week?” he stammered, unable to maintain eye contact, his voice fading into a whisper towards the end.

“What?”

“I might have told my mom I’m in a relationship, and now I desperately need a stand-in girlfriend for the next few days” he confessed sheepishly, quickly adding, “But seriously, if you’re uncomfortable with this, just say the word and we can erase this whole conversation from existence.”

“Oh my goodness, Namjoon,” you breathed out in relief, a laugh escaping your lips as you rested your head on his lap, leaving him even more perplexed. “I thought you were kicking me out.”

“What?” he chuckled, watching you raise a few seconds later, rubbing your eyes before fixing your gaze on him, contemplating his request.

“How can you be so brilliant and so dumb at the same time? Just call your mom back…”

“No, you don’t get it. I can’t do that. If I do, she’ll set me up with the neighbor’s daughter again” Namjoon explained, clearly not in the right mindset to entertain that idea again.

“You want me to lie to your mother?” you asked incredulously.

“Please don’t phrase it like that.” he covered his face, deflating completely besides you.

“This is essentially what you are asking me to do... I don’t know how that makes me feel. Your mom, by the way, is an absolute sweetheart…” you trailed off, observing him intently as he brushed away the hair in his eyes.

You didn’t get to know her too well, but the last time she visited she made sure to stock up your whole fridge with homecooked meals. And to top it off, she even baked cookies especially for you once Namjoon mentioned he had a new roommate.

The discussion, however, took a bit of an unexpected turn when she realized the roommate was you. A girl and not another frat guy. But she quickly developed a fondness for you. Or at least, that’s what you believed when she gave you the tightest hug goodbye.

“I know. It’s a stupid idea.” He muttered, rubbing his face a bit harder than necessary. Then he locked eyes with you and continued. “I am well aware of how dumb this is. And that is exactly why I need you there with me.” His statement left you dumbfounded, completely unable to find any words. “I just want to go home and relish in the fact that I am there without constantly worrying about being single.” he took a shaky breath before continuing,

 “I can’t comprehend why my mom is so fixated on this matter.” He paused for a moment, gathering his thoughts. “I just need someone to navigate this absurdity with me for the holidays, and then we never mention it again.” 

His little speech left you stunned, and before you knew it, you were actually considering his proposal.

 Your Christmas plan was already ruined, and agreeing would mean that you would not be confined to your couch, enduring cheesy Hallmark movies and crying alone on Christmas eve.

Moreover, you were convinced that you had moved on from the little crush you had on him back when you met. Refusing still to admit that you’ve always had a soft spot for the gentle giant that slowly became a staple in your life, and that spending the holidays with him would be the best scenario that could ever happen.

But could you make it through this without getting your heart trampled and your friendship going up in smoke? As these thoughts started to swirl in your mind, your eyes began to wander aimlessly. From his eyes to his chiseled cheekbones and strong jawline, down to his neck and collarbone, and finally to his impressively muscular chest that seemed to only have grown since he started attending the gym religiously with Jungkook. And not to mention those arms that give the most incredible bear hugs. It was strange to allow yourself to notice his physicality in such detail, as if you had been willfully blind to his newfound buffness until now.

“Forget it, I’m sorry I asked,” he said, sensing your hesitation and preparing to end his suffering. But you stopped him in his tracks.

“If we are going to do this, we need a plan.” His eyes light up, color returning to his cheeks, before he squeezed you in a tight embrace “and just so you know, you owe me,” you laughed once he released you.

“Yes, yes, of course, whatever you want.”

“You take out the trash for a month,” he was too quick to nod “and I want you to take me to that bakery you and Jin always rave about.”

“Ajumeoni’s bakery?” he smiled at your request. That was the bakery Namjoon visited with his sister every Friday as a child, and every other day with Jin, on their way to school, because the milk bread was to die for. “Of course. It’s already part of the commute, so consider it done.”

“Good. We have a deal then,” you extended your hand as if sealing a business agreement, instead of setting yourselves up for a disaster. He reciprocated with a firm shake, and you swiftly retrieved your notepad from the coffee table. “So, what’s the plan?”

“Well, let’s establish a few key details about us. We need to become well-acquainted with each other’s personal preferences, so it doesn’t come across like we are just… pretending” he looked over at you as you scribbled.

“I mean, it’s a digestible story already. Two oblivious roommates, suddenly realizing they have feelings for one another after living together for years.” You mused, only to be met with his response.

“And once this is all over, we can simply tell everyone that we figured out we were better off as friends than lovers,” he pondered aloud.

“Right,” you replied, looking up from your notebook “How long have we been dating?”

“Anywhere from three to six months” he promptly answered and you jot it down before firing off your next question.

“And why haven’t we told any of our friends and family?”

“To avoid the inevitable ‘I knew it!’ and because we like the trill of keeping a secret.”

“Fair enough,” you chuckled “So, how did we get together?”

“You finally realized how charming I am and just couldn’t contain yourself?” he flashed a cheeky smile and you playfully deflect by giving his chest a gentle push.

“How about your birthday party?” you offered “We were both buzzed enough to share a kiss and then you confessed?”

“Why do I confess?” he whined, peering over at your notebook page where you already wrote down your version of events.

“Because I’m shy about that kind of stuff” you mumble, burying your face in the cozy confines of his sweater, avoiding any potential eye contact.

 “That’s adorable,”

“Shut up.” You chuckle “Alright, is there anything I should know about you?”

“I’m not a big fan of PDA, especially when we’re out and about, so don’t expect me to be all over you.” He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “But since we’re going home and pretending to be a couple, what level of affection are you comfortable with?”

“Well, I’m comfortable with you,” you cleared your throat, that bit of information being more truthful than intended “we can hold hands, and do normal couple stuff.”

“How do you feel about kissing?”

“Well, yeah, sure,” you responded nonchalantly, eyes fixating on the notepad in your hands.

A mischievous grin played on his lips as he teased, “Good, because I happen to be quite fond of leaving hickeys.” That broke you out of your little spiral, rolling your eyes at his poor attempt.

As if you weren’t already aware of this tidbit from his past conquests during your college days, before you two became roommates.

“You do know this is all pretend, right?” you retorted, refusing to take the bait.

“Oh, but baby, we’ve got to make it feel real,” he insisted, his tone dripping with charm. However, it did nothing to sway your logical approach to it.

“Right, ‘baby’” -you said it as if it was a legal term, “any preferences for pet names?”

Your serious charade did little to detour him. “Just promise me that our interactions won’t be like Jin and Myeong’s.”  He smiles, eyes twinkling with mischief.  “And surprise me, I’ll be putty in your hands.”

“So, you are not set on honorifics. I can call you Oppa if you want,” little did you know, your innocent suggestion struck a hidden chord within him. A new kink that needed further assessment later on, preferably after this week was over.

“That won’t be necessary,” he said, clearing his throat and reclining against the couch. “Anything I should know about you?”

You pondered his question for a few seconds, allowing a sly smile to play your lips. “I don’t like feet.”

“No duh!” he laughed, shaking his head in disbelief, before regaining his composure. With a meticulous air, he went over all the details once more. “Ah, you need a new background on your phone.”

 Swiftly, he snatched your phone form the coffee table, catching you off guard, and planted a quick kiss on your cheek before snapping a selfie. “Perfect,” he declared, a proud smile spreading across his face as he set the picture as your home screen and background, leaving you to gather your frenzied thoughts.

“But wait, you also need a new photo,” You retorted, only to find him already one step ahead, pulling out his phone from his pajama bottoms and scrolling through his camera roll.

“Done.” He announced, turning his phone towards you to reveal the horrendous picture he had chosen as his own home screen. 

 A candid shot he took during your last year at college, on one of those late-night noodles runs to the local shop next to the library. You were draped in an oversized hoodie, greedily slurping a mouthful of noodles. With eyes blissfully shut, you savored every bite, as it was your first meal of that day, completely oblivious to his hidden photography skills.

It wasn’t until you accidentally stumbled upon your caller ID that you saw it and naturally, grabbed the nearest pillow and hurled it at him, demanding an immediate change. But he stood his ground, claiming it was his favorite photo of you.

Claim proven yet again as now it was Namjoon’s home screen.

“I hate that photo.”

“I know.” He gave a smile, before safely tucking his phone back in his pocket, and rose to his feet, stretching leisurely. “I think we are good to go, girlfriend,” he said it in such a way that sent a swarm of butterflies fluttering in your stomach. “I’ll go book our train tickets, and you better start packing soon,” he playfully pointed at you, before gracefully disappearing into his room to retrieve his laptop.

“Oh, wait, I need to get a present for your mom!”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Before the train even arrived in the station, the sky was threatening to unleash upon you. The air filled with delicate snowflakes, determined to bury you, Namjoon, and your luggage.  But it was yesterday’s conversation that still lingered in the atmosphere, weighing heavy on both your minds.

The darkness of the night had given you both time to process what was about to unfold. Your only anchor on reality being Namjoon’s surprisingly warm hand clasping your freezing one, and tucking it away in his warm coat pocket.

And the fact that he looked like he just strolled out of the latest winter Vogue edition for men didn’t help. While you attempted to make a lasting impression, donning a cream knitted dress, black stockings and boots, topped off with a cream coat, that was far too flimsy for the weather, Namjoon effortlessly sported a navy-blue hoodie, snug jeans and a stylish black trench coat, and even a matching beanie that made his hair look absolutely flawless.

But beyond his impeccable fashion sense, he also proved to be quite the gentleman. Not that you ever doubted it, but now he seemed determined to showcase his chivalry. He wouldn’t even let you lock the door to your own apartment. It was a miracle he allowed you to carry the bottle of Chardonnay you insisted on getting his family, despite his protests that it wasn't necessary. You slightly regretted it now, seeing as your other hand was enduring the elements, instead of being intertwined with his.

“You have snow in your hair,” you pointed out, stating the obvious with the brilliance of a water-is-wet revelation.

“As do you.” he looked up from his phone, where he was engrossed in checking the train’s schedule for any potential delays. “And your lips are blue.” with a swift motion, he untangled his scarf and gently draped it around your freezing form. Something he had done many a time before, anytime he saw you slightly cold, but never before had you considered this gesture to be more than your friend looking out for you.

But today, things were different. Today you were pretending to be his girlfriend.

The sudden surge of warmth that enveloped you left you wondering if it was due to all your blood rushing to your cheeks or his scarf possessing some sort of magical heating abilities.

“It says here that the snow storm shouldn’t intervene with the scheduling, so the train will be here in a few minutes.” He looked up again, a cheerful grin appearing across his features as he caught sight of your pink face. “Aw you’re blushing again,”

“Shut up.” you retorted with the quick-wittedness of a third-grader.

“If I would have known it was this easy to make you flush, I would have made my fictional moves much sooner.” His voice did that thing again, where it went slightly deeper and, only the look in his eyes ticking you off to his teasing.

Your only response was to nervously nibble on your lip. Again, the realization that you are about to deceive not only his mother, but his entire family nestle in your chest, squeezing at your heart like a snake wrapped around it.

“Namjoon, I’m not sure about this.” you confessed, pulling the scarf closer to your face. It was a bit late to be getting cold feet, but this was your last opportunity to speak your mind before embarking on this little ordeal. “I don’t think I can pull this off.”

“Come on now, aren’t you an intern at a law firm?” he raised a playful eyebrow, attempting to ease the tension, but you only glared at him.

“I can’t lie.” You stated firmly “I’m the absolute worse at it. That is why I always find alternative ways of convey the truth. That’s what lawyers do. We don’t resort to lies.”

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that," he quickly apologized, before falling silent for a few seconds to ponder a solution. "Okay, listen. You don’t have to say anything."

"What do you mean?" you looked up at him, a hint of skepticism in your voice.

"I can take care of all the relationship talk, and I won’t say anything unless prompted.” he replied, trying to inject a touch of wit into his response. “Afterall, you are just my friend that just happens to be a girl.” He playfully wiggled his eyebrows at you “And I want you to spend Christmas with me and my family instead of being alone at home.” Namjoon gave you a sincere smile, and you couldn’t help but smile back, feeling the grip on your heart slightly loosen.

“Okay,” you gave a small nod “Thank you Joon.”

The nickname slipped by unnoticed, but you noticed the way Namjoon reacted, rekindling your burning cheeks.

“So, no Oppa?”

When your train arrived, Namjoon swiftly took charge, effortlessly carrying all the bags to your seats, settling in comfortably for the four-hour journey ahead.

He had come prepared, armed with at least three books to keep himself entertained, while you had grand plans of getting a head start on your work, perhaps even sneaking in a personal lecture and a quick power nap. However, much to your surprise, the allure of a nap quickly surpassed all other ambitions, your head found a cozy resting place on Namjoon’s shoulder, and you drifted off into a blissful slumber for the remainder of the journey. A sleepless night imagining what it would be like pretending to date your roommate could do that to you.

Only stirring awake when you were less than a few minutes away, because Namjoon was constantly shifting in his seat, half of his body numb from your weight on him.

“Oh hey,” he whispered, swiftly stretching his legs as soon as you moved off him. “I just spoke to Minhi, she said she’d come pick us up from the train station,”

“Oh, that’s nice.” you yawned, rubbing away any remnants of sleep from your eyes “You could have told me to move, you know.”

“Yes, but you looked so peaceful. It felt almost wrong to disturb you.” He grinned, fully aware that he also indulged in a little nap, using your head as a pillow just half an hour ago.

“Shut up,” you whispered, poking his thigh and retrieving your makeup bag to quickly fix your face before the train pulled up in the station.

The frigid air pierced through your very bones, sending an instant shiver cascading down your spine as you stepped into the snow filled air. You pull your coat tighter around yourself, trying to ward off the cold as you looked around for Minhi, seeing as Namjoon was on luggage duty again.

However, before you could spot her, Minhi’s voice sliced through the chilly air,

“Kim Namjoon, you have got to be kidding me.”

Namjoon’s little sister, all bundled up in a thick winter coat had fixed you two with a piercing stare, her hands on her hips in a classic display of sibling disapproval. 

Namjoon’s wonky smile did nothing to deter her piercing gaze, or calm any of your fraying nerves. “It’s good to see you too?”

You feel your heart drop as Minhi's gaze shifts from her brother to you, her expression a mix of confusion and suspicion. Your worst fears are confirmed - she's figured you out and you haven’t even been off the train for 5 minutes. Now Namjoon will be married off to some rich middle-aged woman and you'll never be able to look him in the eye again.

 You can feel the heat rising to your cheeks, and you look away, silently praying that the snow beneath your boots doesn’t melt into a puddle while she stares.

But then, unexpectedly, Minhi starts to laugh. At first, it's a quiet chuckle, but soon it grows into a full-blown laugh. She laughs so hard that she has to hold her stomach, and at the end she wiped an imaginary tear from the corner of her eye.

“You two are perfect for each other,” she says still chuckling “Fine, I’ll play along. How did you two end up together?”

“Got drunk one night.” Namjoon casually replied, rubbing the back of his neck before wrapping his arm around you, “Turns out all I had to do was say something, because she was all over me the next second.” 

Minhi raised her eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. “Right,” She hugged Namjoon tightly, and then turned to you, surprising you with a warm embrace. She muttered something about Namjoon never confessing his feelings in your coat, but you were too busy drowning in a whirlwind of confusion and relief to register it.

“We'll talk more later about how inappropriate this is." She added cheerfully, beckoning you to follow her towards her little yellow jeep, bright against the snowy backdrop.

You look back at Namjoon just in time to catch him winking in your direction and giving you a thumbs-up that sent your heart whirling in your chest.

 The car ride was over faster than you would have wanted. Minhi navigated the snow-laden road while she and Namjoon chatted away about mundane topics—work, rent, the best coffee in town. You sank deeper into the backseat, overwhelmed and lost in your thoughts. Because What the hell was that and If this was how you were kicking things off you might as well turn around now. Was it just fear of ruining the friendship or was an old crush budding again? The way he ‘claimed’ you in front of Minhi clearly ignited something in your chest that was not appropriate for friends or roommates or roommate-friends pretending to be dating.

As if sensing your turmoil from the front, Namjoon caught your eyes, giving you a gentle, reassuring smile before the car came to a halt. He gallantly opened the door for you, his hand grasping yours and squeezing it tightly.  

 “I got you, baby,” he says, teasingly, but the poorly-timed joke earns him an immediate glare and an elbow to the ribs.  

“Oh, come on. They are lovely people.” Minhi interrupts before Namjoon can retaliate, “You should’ve seen the way mom was dancing around the kitchen once she heard Namjoon was bringing someone over.”

You just blink at her, your breath misting in the air as you unconsciously step closer to Namjoon, giving him a small nod of support. His presence radiates warmth, his fingers tightening around yours as you walked towards the small house that looms in front of you. Minhi ambles ahead, dropping her bag near the entrance, while you could practically feel Namjoon vibrating with excitement.

“Someone’s in trouble” She whispers dramatically, letting you both into the warmth of the household, where laughter and the mouthwatering scent of home-cooked food intertwine. You follow her into the kitchen and you see the older couple husting about, half-focused on a pot bubbling over the stove and half on each other.

“Mom! Dad! Look who I’ve brought!” she announces, and the couple turned, smiles blooming as they spotted you and Namjoon.

For a fleeting moment, you felt exposed. Like an exhibit at a museum, thrust into the spotlight. Your breath hitched as Namjoon gently nudged you forward, a gesture both comforting and terrifying, but steeling yourself, you bravely stepped ahead, bowing as a sign of respect.

“I knew it!” The affectionate glow sweeping across Mrs. Kim face relaxed your nerves considerably, “I’m so glad you could make it!” her eyes sparkled with genuine delight, and you suddenly realized that Namjoon inherited his dimples from her. But the thought was quickly squeezed out of you as she enveloped you in that bone-crushing hug.

Namjoon’s father, a tall elderly man with kind eyes, patted him on the back. His approval apparent, before he turned his attention to you, “Welcome to our home,” he said warmly.

“I’m honored to be here.” You managed to respond, your voice quacking slightly but laced with sincerity. You heard Minhi groaning in the background but did your best to ignore her exaggerations and focus only on Namjoon’s parents, as you exchanged the required pleasantries.

“Dinner is almost ready,” Mrs. Kim said, bustling around the kitchen with effortless grace. The contrast between her elegant movements and Namjoon’s clumsy demeanour in the kitchen made you smile inwardly “I hope you’re hungry.”

“Yes, we didn’t get a chance to eat today,” Namjoon added quickly, casually leaning against the counter and stealing a taste from the simmering pot.

“I’ll call you over once it’s done. Go show our guest to your room until then,” Mrs. Kim commanded, expertly shooing him away from the stove and passing plates to Minhi.

“My room?” Namjoon echoed, his eyes widening as if the concept had floored him.

“Yes, dear. I know we are old-fashioned, but we are not under any illusions that you two don’t already share a room.” Mrs. Kim replied, stirring the bubbling pot without sparing him a glance.

Minhi shot you a look that was equal parts amusement and something you couldn’t quite place—sympathy, perhaps? Or pity?

“Yes- No. I just thought that it would be more appropriate to let her have the guest room,” Namjoon articulated, his voice half-hearted in its conviction.

Mrs. Kim merely cooed, waved away his protests with a flick of the wrist. “Minhi and Jackson are staying in the guest room. You can have your room.”

“Come on, Namjoon. You always make everything so complicated,” Minhi chimed in, her voice laced with mischief. “Just accept it. You guys will have an entire night to sort things out, right?”

“Right.” he grumbled, shooting her a glare that softened as he turned his gaze back to you “Let’s get you settled in,” he gestured for you to follow him.

The moment you step into Namjoon's room, a charged silence enveloped you- like the kind that proceeds a brewing storm. The room was exactly as you imagined, a blend of cooler minimalist décor and hints of his personal touch, a few pieces of art and pictures hung up on the wall, all whispering tales of youth, friendship and moments you yearned to know more about.

But all those sweet memories fade into the background as the reality settled in: there was only one bed.

“So, let me get this straight,” you began, the awkwardness hanging heavily in the air “You thought about everything, including phone wallpapers, but forgot you only have one bed in your room?”

“No, of course not.” He lied, that endearing grin spreading across his face. “I just thought it would be polite to let you have the bed… since you’re my guest.” He seemed genuinely proud of the excuse, but that pride melted when you teased,

“Before or after you plan for the guest room fell through?”

“After.” He admitted at last, glancing away, as if the walls held all the explanations he could not muster.

“Don’t tell me you planned on sleeping on the floor too,” for a brief moment the ridiculous image of him curled up on the hardwood floor, blankets draped haphazardly around him pops into your mind, and you couldn’t help but giggle.

“No.” He smiles, “I knew you’d take pity on my lower back,” his dimples deepened and you playfully rolled your eyes at him.

“Very strategic Mr. Kim,” you laugh, walking further into the room and taking a seat on the edge of the bed. The playful banter creating a familiar atmosphere, dissolving any lingering tension. A part of you almost couldn't believe you were in Namjoon’s personal space, taking your sweet time admiring the various little parts of him decorating the room, while another part was acutely aware of his gaze on you, observing you as if he were trying to read your thoughts.

He stepped closer, his expression sincere, drawing you in gently as he took your hands in his. “Are you sure?” The tentative nature of his voice hinted at a deeper question—he was about to add an ‘I was only joking’—but you quickly shushed him.

“Yes, of course.”

There were a few past occurrences where the two of you ended up falling asleep together on the couch, limbs tangled under the fuzzy throw blanket, with a movie playing in the background. Without fail, one of you would wake up in the morning to find the other wrapped around them, as the night was chilly and body heat was a rare luxury. Most of the time it was Namjoon that dozed off first, his head lolling in an awkward position until you gently nudged him into a more comfortable posture, knowing he’d whine about neck and/or shoulder pain come morning time if you didn’t. But his lug of a body was always warm, so you didn’t mind snuggling closer to him when it mattered.

This was more of the same. Just in a bed.

You swallow drily, eyes flickering away for a quick second, “I told you, I’m comfortable with you.”

“Come on, lovebirds!” Minhi’s voice rang through the door, breaking the spell. “Dinner’s ready!”

You shared a hurried glance, perspectives shifting as the familiar nervousness rushed back to you.

“Ready?” he asked, his smile spreading across his face, deepening the dimples in his cheeks as he tugged you up to your feet. You nodded, suddenly buoyed by a sense of belonging.

To your surprise, dinner goes by without a hitch. You may have gone a little overboard on the kimchi, but it wasn’t anything you wouldn’t recover from. However, the warmth of Namjoon’s hand resting softly on your thigh might etch itself into your memory for all time.

Halfway through the meal, Jackson showed up, and you got to observe with amusement as Minhi transformed in his presence, her demeanor shifting from the laid-back hostess to a giddy schoolgirl. The way she playfully nudged Jackson, her eyes sparkling each time she teased him, be it about his late arrival or some inside joke, was a refreshing sight. And you couldn’t help but snicker each time Mrs. Kim would chastise them, before dotting lovingly on anything you and Namjoon did together.

As the lively conversation flowed around you, you leaned into Namjoon’s warmth. It felt easy, and so right to nestle beside him, to let your fingers brush against his with familiarity, each touch igniting tiny sparks. You stole a glance at him, watching as he engaged wholeheartedly in the conversation, his contagious laughter filling the room.

After dinner, you offered to help Mrs. Kim clear up the table, even if it was to get a second to clear your thoughts, but to your surprise, Mr. Kim placed a soft hand on your shoulder, smiling, as he gently guided you back to your seat.

“You’ve done enough, dear,” he said, his tone warm and reassuring “We appreciate your help, but tonight is for you and Namjoon to enjoy.” He gave you a kind nod, and you felt your cheeks warm.

“Yeah, there will be dishes tomorrow too,” Minhi interrupted, getting a heartfelt laughter from her father before he left the room, to join his wife in the kitchen.

You shared a sheepish glance with Namjoon, who watched the exchange with an amused smile. His eyes twinkling in the soft light of the dining room, and you felt your heart pick-up the pace in your chest again. You really needed to get away, perhaps splash some cold water on your face. But just as you felt the urge to excuse yourself, you overheard Jackson's whispered confusion.

“Wait, so they’re not actually dating?” His voice was muted, and laced with confusion as he looked between you and Namjoon, his eyes wide with bewilderment.

“Kyung Min!” Namjoon called Minhi by her full name, which made her owlishly blink up at him.

“What? He asked how long you two have been dating for,” she defended.

“And you couldn’t just say three months, like a normal person?” Namjoon shot back, half laughing, half exasperated and watched as her brows knitted.

“No! He deserves to know.” She persisted, glaring at her brother, and you felt the heat crawl up your neck, trying desperately to remain inconspicuous under Jackson’s incredulous stare.

“So how exactly does this work?” Jackson asked, stopping the siblings from their bickering “Is it like friends with benefits or-?” just when you thought it couldn’t get any more awkward, the sip of water you took ended up going down the wrong way, making you choke and sputter.

“No! it’s nothing like that.”  You stammered, trying to form a coherent thought, but all you could manage was a mangled mess of words.

“No babe, they don’t even kiss,” Minhi added, placing her hand over his as if she were breaking some bad news.

But Namjoon reacted with the prove-your-sibling-wrong part of the brain, making you stare at him in disbelief.

“Not that it’s any of your business, but we do.”  

And your pulse picked up again when you saw him leaning in, the implication clear in your mind. You steeled yourself, closing your eyes. But to your astonishment, he didn’t press his lips against yours as you had envisioned. Instead, they grazed the curve of your cheek, followed by a loud, exaggerated kiss.

“I’m confused.” Jackson mumbled, looking over at Minhi as she rolled her eyes.

“You’re not the only one.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Why didn’t he just kiss you?

The thought still lingered stubbornly at the edge of consciousness, even as the icy water from the shower jolted you into the present. You fumbled with the knobs, trying to figure out the right temperature, but your mind was elsewhere.

That scene kept on replaying on a constant loop in your head, each time leaving you just as stumped.

What stopped him?

You talked about this- he brought it up! And you agreed, so what was the hold-up? Was he really so uninterested that the mere thought of kissing you sent him into retreat mode?

Frustration bubbled up alongside the steam, and you invertedly cringed at the image of his nervous smile that still haunted you, his eyes darting away. Scrubbing harder at your skin, you wish the shame and embarrassment would simply wash away with the suds.

And the absurdity of getting worked over your friend not kissing you was not lost on you, but at least if he had gone for it, you might have been able to push that nagging question aside ~What would it be like to kiss Namjoon?  

His lips looked so soft, like they were meant for more than just talking…

You violently shook that thought away, and with a resigned sigh, you turned the water back to cold in an attempt to wash away your sins. Friends don’t kiss!

And he clearly wasn’t interested, so the sooner you silence these thoughts, the sooner you could go back to being normal. Just four more days of pretending to be his girlfriend. You could manage that. And after, you promised yourself you’d lock yourself in your room and avoid human interaction for rest of your miserable life.

As the water continued its relentless pour, you felt your fingertips start to wrinkle, a reminder that perhaps it was time to step out of this session of self-pity. With one last shudder, you turned the water off, determined to face the world- if only for a little while longer.

When you stepped out of the bathroom, the soft glow of a lamp illuminated the room. Namjoon was already tucked into bed, gold-rimmed glasses perched on his nose as he quietly looked over the pages of a book. Only, in reality he hadn’t been able to absorb a single word in the past fifteen minutes, his gaze lost in a world of his own.

Silently, you made your way to your side, wrapping yourself in the blanket and turning your back to him. A slight shiver coursed through you as you felt the warmth envelop you, the little tremor alerting Namjoon to your presence.

“Why are you so cold?” he asked softly, shifting slightly closer to you.

Your heart thudded at the caring tone, and for a moment, all the questions crowd your mind again.

Instead of answering, you huffed in frustration and turned to face him.

“Why didn’t you kiss me?” the words blurted out before you could stop them, surprising you both with their boldness, but your face flushed when you met his gaze.

Namjoon’s eyes widened, and he froze, the book forgotten on his lap. “I-I don’t know.” He stuttered, his hand running though his tousled hair, the soft strands falling back in place but not hiding the flush creeping up his neck. You watched the muscles in his jaw tense, eyes averted again in a way that tightened your stomach.

“It would’ve convinced Minhi sooner,” your added, your words hanging heavy in the air. Namjoon chuckled awkwardly, running that same hand down his face.

“You want me to kiss you?”

You hesitated, the corners of your mind fanatically searching for a safe answer

“I’m just saying it would’ve made things easier,” you deflected, avoiding his question much like he had done moments before.

He studied you for a moment, gears visibly turning in his mind before his lips curved into a small, daring smile. “Because I can kiss you if you want.”

Your breath caught in your throat, surprised by the sudden shift in tension.

“Now?” you breathed.

“Why not?” he shrugged “We’re both clearly anxious about it, so why not just get it over with?”

Your mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water, lost for words, staring up at him. All the courage from before evaporating into thin air. You quickly searched his features, seeking the playful glint, the laughter behind his eyes, but instead, his eyes just flickered from yours to your lips.

“Do you want to kiss me?” you finally found the words, and his eyes snapped back to your own.

“I think it would make things easier going forward,” he replied, his voice low and earnest.

A heavy silence settled between you, stretching like an elastic ready to snap at any moment, as snowflakes continued to drift outside, dressing the world in white.

You took a deep breath, “Fine.” Ultimately you mumbled, sitting up against the headboard and turning to face him.

“Are you sure?”, The way he phrased it made your stomach flop, as if he were validating a choice that seemed both reckless and somehow still challenged you.

“Yes, now stop talking and just-” The words were lost as the space between you disappeared. But now you knew; his lips were soft, warm and tentative against yours. It felt wonderful, and sent tingles shooting through your veins while your heart tried erratically to catch up. He hesitated for a heartbeat- less than a fraction of a second- before he leaned further in, deepening the kiss, his hand coming up to cradle your cheek. And you soften against him, all the tension melting away. Your hands found their way to his shoulders, gripping lightly as if anchoring yourself amidst the storm of emotions that released once you tasted his mint toothpaste.

When he finally pulled back, both of you gasping for breath, the world resumed its muted noised- the quiet hum of the heater, the faint sound of voices downstairs, Namjoon’s breath against your lips. You could hardly meet his eyes, until you heard the first thing that left his lips.

“I just kissed you.”

Your eyebrow arched, blinking at him as if waiting for the punchline that never came.

“I know. I- was there too.” You replied, a little smile creeping on your face despite the rapid thump of your heart. Namjoon laughed softly; his cheeks still tinged with a shade of pink. “You’re a good kisser.” You added after a few beats of silence, before chewing on your lip, and unintentionally drawing his attention back to them.

“You too,” He gave a curt nod, remembering he has a book on his lap and fumbling to bookmark and put it away.

Another moment of silence followed once he settled back, and your eyes desperately scanned the walls for something, anything to say.

“This isn’t weird, is it?” you settled on the worst option, slightly cringing.

“No!” he answered louder than he anticipated, slightly shocking you which in return startled him. “I mean-” he let out an exasperated breath, “Friends kiss all the time.”

He didn’t believe it. And neither did you. But you still nodded in agreement.

[girlw-amermaidtattoo]

50 Aftercare Activities to Try After Goon Scrolling:

1. Wrap yourself in a cozy blanket

2. Listen to a calming playlist

3. Journal your thoughts or feelings

4. Take a long, warm bath

5. Practice deep breathing exercises

6. Watch your favorite comfort show

7. Drink a cup of herbal tea

8. Cuddle a soft pillow or stuffed animal

9. Light scented candles or incense

10. Engage in light stretching or yoga

11. Use aromatherapy oils

12. Apply a face mask or skincare routine

13. Meditate for 5–10 minutes

14. Read a chapter from a favorite book

15. Hug yourself or practice self-massage

16. Enjoy a healthy snack

17. Sip on a cool glass of water or juice

18. Use a weighted blanket for comfort

19. Text or call a friend to talk

20. Listen to nature sounds or white noise

21. Color or doodle in a sketchbook

22. Write an affirmation note to yourself

23. Play with a pet or stuffed animal

24. Do a breathing or grounding exercise (e.g., 5-4-3-2-1)

25. Practice mindful body awareness

26. Take a brief walk outside

27. Change into your softest pajamas

28. Play a relaxing game on your phone

29. Give yourself permission to cry if needed

30. Dim the lights or turn on soft lighting

31. Rub lotion or oil on your hands or feet

32. Spend a few minutes in silence

33. Make a gratitude list

34. Draw a warm bath with bath salts

35. Do a calming breathing exercise (4-7-8 method)

36. Massage your scalp or hair

37. Create a vision board

38. Savor a piece of dark chocolate

39. Use a hot water bottle or heating pad

40. Read a comforting poem or quote

41. Wrap yourself in a robe or soft clothing

42. Drink warm milk with honey

43. Set positive intentions for tomorrow

44. Put on a favorite calming podcast

45. Rewatch a comforting, familiar movie

46. Prepare a light, soothing meal

47. Paint or draw something expressive

48. Do a digital detox for a few hours

49. Take a short nap if needed

50. Reflect on how you feel emotionally and mentally

By incorporating aftercare into your routine, you’re not only prioritizing your mental health but also ensuring that your experience in the world of BDSM, particularly online, remains fulfilling and safe. Aftercare is a powerful tool, and as your Dom, I want each of you to feel empowered and cared for—long after the spicy session ends.

[nebjamin]

So I’m DMing a dnd campaign, and the players are fighting a major boss battle. The enemy is an NPC who was once a friend and companion to the party, until she was bitten by a parasitic Worm and became part of a major hive mind.

The players have her down to 8 HP. I let them know that her body is breaking down and blood is running down her face and her armor, but her expression remains unchanging and emotionless as an unthinking member of The Collective (the hive mind). A player rolls high enough to kill, so I finally give him the ethical dilemma I’ve been building up for the last few sessions: “do you attack lethally or non-lethally?”

After staring at me for a few seconds, he answers “lethally.” The rest of the players are silent. The player, who arrived 37 minutes late to the 1.5 hour session, then proceeds to ask, completely seriously:

“wait, was she our friend or something?”

[forkfulofflavor]

Brown Butter Pecan Pie with Streusel Ingredients: For the crust: 2 cups flour, spooned and leveled 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup butter, chopped (1 stick) 6 tablespoons butter-flavored Crisco 1/2 egg 1/4 cup ice water For the filling: 1/2 cup butter, (1 stick) 3 large eggs 1/4 cup granulated sugar 1 cup brown sugar, packed 1/2 cup corn syrup 1 tablespoon milk 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 1 tablespoon flour 1/2 cup toffee bits 2 cups pecans, chopped (toasted if preferred) For the streusel: 1/2 cup flour 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed 1/4 cup butter, cold (half stick) Directions: For the crust: Prepare ice water in a small bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt. Use a pastry cutter or fork to cut in the butter and Crisco until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with pea-sized butter pieces. Beat one egg in a small bowl, pour out half, and mix the remaining half with 1/4 cup ice water. Add to the flour mixture and stir until just combined. Divide the dough in half, shape one half into a disc, and save the other half for later. Roll the dough out on a floured surface, then transfer to a 9-inch pie pan. Fold any excess crust under, crimp, and place in the fridge or freezer. For the filling: Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C) with a baking sheet on a center rack. In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat until it turns golden brown with a nutty aroma, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat the eggs for 2 minutes. Add the granulated sugar, brown sugar, and corn syrup, and beat for another minute. Stir in the browned butter, milk, vanilla, salt, lemon juice, and flour until smooth. Fold in the toffee bits and chopped pecans. Pour the filling into the prepared pie crust and place the pie on the hot baking sheet in the oven. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (175°C) and bake for 30 minutes. For the streusel: While the pie bakes, whisk together the flour and brown sugar in a medium bowl. Use a pastry cutter to cut in the cold butter until the mixture resembles coarse sand. Chill the streusel until ready to use. After 30 minutes of baking, remove the pie from the oven, add the streusel topping, and cover the crust with a pie shield. Continue baking at 350°F for another 30-37 minutes. The pie should be slightly jiggly in the center when done. Remove and cool on a rack before slicing. Prep Time: 30 minutes | Cooking Time: 1 hour 10 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes Kcal: 480 kcal per slice | Servings: 8-10 slices Brown Butter Pecan Pie with Streusel is an irresistible twist on a classic dessert, combining the nutty richness of pecans with the deep, caramel-like flavor of browned butter. Topped with a crunchy streusel, this pie offers a delightful contrast between the creamy filling and the buttery crumb topping. Every bite is infused with a balance of sweet and savory flavors that make this pie a memorable treat. Perfect for the holidays or any cozy gathering, this pie is sure to impress. The toasty pecans and warm brown butter provide a depth of flavor that pairs beautifully with vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream. This pie is easy to prepare and adds a comforting warmth to any dessert spread, making it a favorite for family gatherings and celebrations.

[ms-m-astrologer]

Cosmic Events: April 2024

Executive Summary: Eclipse season ends - but since there’s a powerful Full Moon on the 23rd, it may not feel like it’s over. Also, Mercury stations retrograde on April Fools’ Day (grrr), and stations direct on April 25, but remains in its retrograde zone all month.

Lunar Phases

Tuesday, April 2, 03:15 UT - Last Quarter Moon, 12°52’ Capricorn

Friday, April 5, 13:14 UT - Balsamic Moon, 1°14’ Pisces

Monday, April 8, 18:21 UT - New Moon/Eclipse, 19°24’ Aries

This is exactly conjunct Chiron, making it a very big deal about teaching and healing. We feel we need to be independent about it, less reliant on other people. Things may develop very quickly.

Friday, April 12, 04:06 UT - Crescent Moon, 7°39’ Gemini

Monday, April 15, 19:13 UT - First Quarter Moon, 26°18’ Cancer

Friday, April 19, 21:14 UT - Gibbous Moon, 15°17’ Virgo

Tuesday, April 23, 23:49 UT - Full Moon, 4°18’ Scorpio

Very intense Plutonian energy, as the Moon is in Scorpio and both Lights are square Pluto.

Saturday, April 27, 20:54 UT - Disseminating Moon, 23°04’ Sagittarius

Void of Course Moon

Monday, April 1, 00:16 UT (Sagittarius) - 04:05 UT (Capricorn)

Wednesday, April 3, 05:40 UT (Capricorn) - 09:08 UT (Aquarius)

Friday, April 5, 05:40 UT (Aquarius) - 11:13 UT (Pisces)

Sunday, April 7, 08:27 UT (Pisces) - 11:25 UT (Aries)

Tuesday, April 9, 02:39 UT (Aries) - 11:23 UT (Taurus)

Thursday, April 11, 10:04 UT (Taurus) - 12:59 UT (Gemini)

Saturday, April 13, 14:46 UT (Gemini) - 17:45 UT (Cancer)

Monday, April 15, 23:22 UT (Cancer) - Tuesday, April 16, 02:24 UT (Leo)

Thursday, April 18, 12:02 UT (Leo) - 14:10 UT (Virgo)

Sunday, April 21, 00:20 UT (Virgo) - 03:08 UT (Libra)

Monday, April 22, 23:24 UT (Libra) - Tuesday, April 23, 15:20 UT (Scorpio)

At 15 hours, 56 minutes, this is the longest void Moon in April.

Thursday, April 25, 23:17 UT (Scorpio) - Friday, April 26, 01:37 UT (Sagittarius)

Sunday, April 28, 07:31 UT (Sagittarius) - 09:37 UT (Capricorn)

Tuesday, April 30, 15:19 UT (Capricorn) - 15:20 UT (Aquarius)

At one minute in length, this is the shortest void Moon in April.

Retrograde/Direct/Etc.

Transiting Mercury stations retrograde on Monday, April 1; it stations direct on Thursday, April 25, and enters its post-retrograde shadow, where it remains for the rest of the month.

Transiting Ceres is in her pre-retrograde shadow all month.

Transiting Pallas Athene is retrograde all month.

Transiting Juno starts April retrograde; she stations direct on Saturday, April 20, and enters her post-retrograde shadow.

Transiting Vesta exits her post-retrograde shadow on Wednesday, April 24.

Transiting Saturn is in its pre-retrograde shadow all month.

Ingresses

Friday, April 5 - transiting Venus enters Aries

Friday, April 19 - transiting Sun enters Taurus

Monday, April 29 - transiting Venus enters Taurus

Tuesday, April 30 - transiting Mars enters Aries

Opportunity Periods

Wednesday, April 3, 04:11 UT - 05:40 UT. “Short OP good for anything, from practical matters to deep romance.”

Thursday, April 4, 20:24 UT - Friday, April 5, 05:40 UT. “Great for brainstorming and innovative ideas.”

Saturday, April 6, 17:13 UT - Sunday, April 7, 11:25 UT. “Great time to relax and have fun, as it’s during the Last Quarter Moon and Mercury is retrograde.”

Wednesday, April 10, 22:18 UT - Thursday, April 11, 12:59 UT. “Keep it real during this OP with Moon in Taurus and focus on practical matters.”

Monday, April 15, 19:13 UT - Tuesday, April 16, 02:24 UT. “Mercury is retrograde, so use this time to review and edit ongoing projects or reconnect with people from the past.”

Wednesday, April 17, 21:20 UT - Thursday, April 18, 12:02 UT. “Self-motivation, creative activity, and building rapport with others will produce good results during this short OP.”

Thursday, April 25, 11:55 UT - 23:17 UT. “Take advantage of Mercury stationing direct during this OP to plan and chart a new path.”

Monday, April 29, 15:45 UT - Tuesday, April 30, 15:19 UT. “Very positive OP ideal for constructive and innovative projects, but Mercury is slow and the Moon is waning, so it is preferable to focus on work started before late March.”

Et Cetera

The shadow of the eclipse ends on Thursday, April 11. Yippee!

There’s a big event on Saturday, April 20: Jupiter conjunct Uranus, at 21°49’ Taurus. We may feel it strongly the day before, Friday the 19th, when Mars/Pisces sextiles them both. It would be a lot more “significant” if it happened more than one time - as it is, it’s a “one and done” aspect, so don’t set your hopes too high. If it dings something in your chart, use the Mars sextiles on Friday the 19th to (try to) focus and direct the energy.

[john-macnamara]

Howdy folks! It took a minute, but we’re back and better than ever. And what’s a better way to celebrate our return than with one of PEIP’s biggest secrets? They like to act all high and mighty. A truly “good” secret organization. But one specific incident from ‘05 disproves that. The same incident that led to the creation of Uncle Wiley. The same incident that sent their current general down a path of self-destruction and instability. We present to you, The Portal Incident. And we’re pinning it too!

Oct. 30, 2005. PEIP HQ. Mission Report.

6:35 AM: Portal testing complete. All works as intended. Still no signal from communications devices. Final preparations for Maj. MacNamara’s entrance are beginning. 

11:07 AM: Final preparations complete. Ready to begin entrance into the Black and White.

11:37 AM: Unfortunately, Maj. MacNamara is not psychologically sound. He began exhibiting signs of anxiety at approximately 11:10 AM, and rapidly progressed into full blown panic within minutes. He seemed to wear himself out, and was prepared to continue the mission, and then promptly fell unconscious. He appears to have cracked his skull. Is in med bay for further treatment. We will find a replacement and continue tomorrow.

Oct. 31, 2005. PEIP HQ. Mission Report.

8:43 AM: We have managed to find a replacement. Col. Wilbur Cross offered himself for the experiment. We were hesitant, but he was the best option. Unfortunately, Cross is significantly less expendable than MacNamara, so we will work to ensure he comes back.

3:54 PM: We have completed as much safety training as possible. As is known, the mission did not plan for MacNamara’s recovery from the Black and White, so this is a rapid change of plans. We believe it will work, though.

7:06 PM: Cross has entered the portal. He shows signs of life and is keeping contact with us. Will send updates once an hour.

8:06 PM: Recording devices have been planted. Signal is strong. Mission successful.

9:06 PM: No updates from Colonel Cross. We are radioing to him now.

10:06 PM: Nothing. Signal has been lost.

11:06 PM: Portal has shut down. Colonel Cross has been filed as MIA. Nobody may know about this.

12:06 AM, Nov. 1: Cover story complete, witnesses are being drilled on this. Cross went missing on Oct. 20 (the last day anyone outside of PEIP saw him) and we spent days looking for him. We were given a ransom note stating that he was dead. Lt. Colonel Schaffer will inform his family. As was said above, no one may know what happened.

Feb. 14, 2006. PEIP HQ. Incident Report.

At 9:42 AM, the portal activated with no input. Agents, including Maj. MacNamara, went to investigate. No signs of break-in or illegal entry were found.

Three hours later, after the search had been completed, the portal surged. Col. Wilbur Cross emerged. He was slumped over himself and appeared to be in pain, calling for help. Maj. MacNamara approached him first, and was allowed to touch Cross. However, when a medic appeared to assist him, Cross slit her throat.

He began to laugh as he approached the remaining agents. Three were killed, and all except for MacNamara were injured to some degree. Quote: “Come on, John! It’s happy there! I have a fwendy-wend who you’d love to meet! He has a spot saved for you right next to me! We could be together! Fix this broken world! All you have to do is come with me!”

These were quickly dismissed as the ramblings of a madman. MacNamara was given the order to eliminate Cross, but failed. He escaped.

Due to the nature of Cross and MacNamara’s previous relationship, MacNamara being the only one to remain unharmed, and his failure to eliminate the threat, Johnathan S. MacNamara is suspect for working with eldritch forces against the good of humanity. We will investigate this further. As of tomorrow, he will be interrogated with whatever force necessary. Records will be provided in a separate file.

[mylifeisactuallyamess]

Sanctuary part 2

Chapter 7: Betrayal

A/N: Another chapter from the Batch pov.

Warnings: 18+ Hemlock, again. Cid, what a bitch. Mentions of canon war, injuries, canon violence follows the very end of season 2.

Word Count: 4.6k+

Chapter 6 - Chapter 7 - Chapter 8

Masterlist

The ship was quiet as soon as Hunter had stopped pacing. The laser tracked over Omega’s still form and Tech made a slight grimace at the readings. Her vitals were slowly dropping, she needed to be seen by a medic as soon as possible.

His chest squeezed at the thought of a medic, of you. He knew the basics, he’d had always been the one to administer the trauma kit in the field but an injury like this…well it was beyond his knowledge parameters. And it irked him. He felt he was failing you by not knowing these things.

Wrecker let out a grunt in his sleep. He was sat on the floor at Tech’s feet, head bent awkwardly to rest on the bunk where Omega lay. Hunter was asleep on the stairs to the gunners pit, his head had fallen forward to rest on his chest but he’d managed to keep his arms crossed. A position that Crosshair used to favour.

Tech stepped over his sleeping brother, mentally counting down the drop from hyperspace and also analysing Omega’s results. By his calculations Ord Mantell was approximately 46 standard minutes away and if Omega continued to deteriorate, at her current rate, had at least 3 hours before her situation needed intervention.

He sat in the chair by the console, picking up his datapad to check the homing beacon they had placed on Hemlock’s ship. They had no way of knowing if it was the Doctor’s personal shuttle, or one supplied by Tarkin. Something he had not factored in when they were planning the mission. It was still moving, unable to transmit coords in hyperspace.

He placed the datapad down, not wanting to look at it anymore. The feeling was alien to him, the sickness that burned in his stomach was inescapable and he folded his arms. The tips of his fingers dug into his ribs, pressing his arms tightly, as far as they’d go. It felt like he was receiving a hug. If he closed his eyes he could smell you, pretend his own warmth was from you instead. It made the constant ache a mass in his chest, a feeling nothing could counter unless it was you alive and in his arms once more.

The entire squad had agreed Omega needed AZI, but once again, flying into the unknown was wearing thin. Even if Cid turned them away they would take the droid. He rightfully belonged to the clones anyway. Well, Omega. He was a friend to Omega and they owed AZI after what happened on Kamino.

“How is she?” Tech dropped his arms, glancing over at Hunter as he stretched the sleep out of his joints, his worried gaze already focused on Omega.

“Barring any complications, she should remain stable long enough for us to get her to the parlour.” Because they couldn’t take Omega to the medbay…the last time they had seen it, it was trashed. Ruined. All your hard work wiped away by the spiteful hand of the Empire.

Tech had never given much energy to hating things, he disliked certain textures and noises, he avoided people that made him uncomfortable but he had never hated. Though right now he hated the Empire with everything he had. If he wasn’t careful, such a feeling would consume him. And he needed a clear head.

“How long?” Hunter rasped.

“We shall be planetside in precisely 37 minutes.” Landing on a planet where he’d seen you dance in the sunshine. Where he’d tucked a blanket around you on the nose of the ship so you didn’t get cold. A planet where you had kissed him for the first time and he’d been so stunned by the feel of your lips he didn’t know what to.

It had been your home for a time, memories will be everywhere he looked. Ones that had buried under his skin and embedded in his soul. It had taken him so long to see how you made him better, you made him feel accepted outside of his squad. You helped him experience a feeling so intense, he assumed all descriptions of it were fiction.

His gaze snagged on the headset he’d made you. It felt like a lifetime ago when he placed them gently over your ears. Now they played a different tune. He had managed to untangle the encryption that had ruined your recorded message on Beeto.

He had heard you say it. Words he had never considered being aimed at him.

Tech. I love you.

They kept him going.

The four of them stood to the side, hovering. They collectively held their breath as AZI scanned Omega, his receptors were able to take a more detailed reading than a medscanner.

“Omega has sustained a fracture in the patella, I can reduce the swelling. Her vitals are stable for now. I should be able to splint it but she does require at least two weeks of rest.” The little droid reported matter of factly, looking at each clone as he spoke. “She is not the only one with injuries.” Tech looked at Echo who shrugged, the pair of them turning to Hunter and Wrecker. The larger clone scowled at the droid while Hunter sheepishly rubbed at his chin.

“You’re injured and neither of you said anything?” Echo scolded, crossing his arms and glaring at them both.

“I was worried ‘bout Omega,” Wrecker grumbled.

AZI cocked his mechanical head to the side. “I suggest you come back to Cid’s where I can dress your wounds properly. She salvaged what she could from the abandoned medcentre and keeps it in the store room.”

Abandoned? Tech felt the words itch in his mouth. There was nothing he disliked more than incorrect information. You hadn’t abandoned it. You had been taken.

“We need to get Omega on the bed,” Hunter said, placing a gentle hand on Wrecker’s chest. “Not you.”

“I’ve got her,” Echo responded, clearly still upset his brothers had been hurt and they hadn’t said a word the whole way here.

They were a sorry procession through the streets of Ord Mantell. Omega was sedated on the bed with AZI pushing. Hunter favoured his side and Tech wondered if he had rebroken his ribs. Wrecker was tugging on his armour, clearly uncomfortable.

Tech looked around as they walked. The rubble had been cleared away from the attack the city had sustained, but the buildings were standing empty with gaping holes in the walls, roofs and foundations. Tech glanced at his datapad, noticing the beacon was still on the move and unable to transmit exact coordinates.

There was no market. This side of the town was quiet, people hurrying away at the sight of the clones to watch them pass from the shadows. It was so different from the bustling hub they had first stepped into all that time ago

A little tension left him when they descended into the parlour. The lights still flickered, the air was tinged with damp but it was blissfully empty. Not much had changed here then. Cid was behind the bar, her reptilian eyes narrowed at the sight of them.

“Well look what the Nexu dragged in,” she said. “No contact for months, thought you were all dead and you come back like nothings happened! Well you can turn around and leave because I’m done with all of you.”

“Omega is injured,” AZI piped up. “As are Hunter and Wrecker. I advised them about the medical supplies you keep since the medcentre was abandoned.”

“Did you now?” Cid glowered at the droid but he only blinked innocently at her.

“We need your help. She needs your help,” Hunter ground out, gesturing at Omega. He kept his expression neutral but Tech could hear the tiredness beneath them.

Cid’s eyes blinked, a scowl lining her scaled face. “Fine. Fix them up.” She turned her back, grumbling as she shifting some bottles around.

“Echo, Tech. Run checks on the Marauder,” Hunter spoke quietly. “We might need to leave on short notice.”

Tech lifted his goggles a little. “I do need to check the damage we sustained after our abrupt departure from Eriadu.”

“Good-a time as any to run diagnostics,” Echo agreed.

“Keep coms open,” Hunter warned, a look passing between the three of them before he followed Omega and Wrecker to the back.

The spaceport was empty at this time. It was cloudy, stars shrouded from sight and he paused for a moment to just look. You were out there somewhere. It was just a simple case of eliminating planetary systems that were not within Empire control, or inhabitable, or unoccupied…a process that would take longer than the years he had left.

He was hanging off the back of the Marauder, inspecting for hull damage and luckily only finding carbon scouring. He quickly pulled himself from his thoughts, pushing his goggles up the bridge of his nose, refusing to fall into the pit of his memories.

His neck tingled. Nothing about this place felt right anymore, too much change and damage had happened. Scars left by the Empire ran deep into the planets surface and its people.

“Ready?” Tech called down to Gonky, removing a long tool hanging from his belt, feet planted firmly in the exhaust vents and his other hand magnetised to the ship exterior. Gonky made an affirmative noise, letting Tech know he was ready and the heat lance blasted to life in his hand. He dropped the visor on his helmet, darkening the screen to protect his eyes from the glare as he began to burn the marks off.

It was the quickest method, not his favourite way of removing blaster shot residue, but he had no other choice right now. He frowned when the lance sputtered in his hand, the intense heat dying out completely. He swung his helmet round to look at Gonky on the ground, the little droid was hopping from foot to foot trying to get Tech’s attention.

“Let me look.” He clipped the lance back onto his belt, letting his feet slide to dangle in mid air, held on only by the magnetising glove. He stretched out his fingers, releasing the magnetic pull and dropped to the ground, absorbing the landing with a deep bend of his knees.

Gonky shuffled toward the clone and Tech saw the problem immediately. The connector had slipped loose from Gonky, so the lance wasn’t getting any power.

“Easy fix,” he murmured to the droid, gently running a hand over the top and along the side as he crouched down. “You knocked it loose, that is all. Try to…” Tech paused. He felt the air shimmer and press around him. Usually a precursor to something large breaching the atmosphere. He straightened, looking up at the dark sky and letting his goggles pick out the lines of a ship he knew so well.

“Tech!” Echo charged down the ramp of the Marauder. “The Empire is here! They’re jamming our coms.” The droid stepped towards Echo, giving a few firm gonks to get his message across. “No. No you stay here,” Echo responded. “We’ll find them.”

“A landing party is on the way,” Tech informed them, noticing the shuttle and fighters separating from the Venator. “I shall head to Cid’s and warn the others,” he continued, checking his blasters were in their holsters and detaching the heat lance from his belt.

“I’ll keep watch. Make sure they don’t come too close to the ship. I have no doubts Tarkin will want our heads for infiltrating Raven’s Peak.”

“Tarkin is not a man to forget such transgressions,” Tech agreed with Echo.

“Oh and Tech.” He turned to look over his shoulder as Echo slipped his helmet on. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.” He gave his brother a quick salute before disappearing into the dark.

Tech melted into the shadows. Treading softly on the ground, his visor picked up recent ground disturbance near the parlour entrance and he slowed. Crouching down he observed the two commandos standing guard by the door. He couldn’t reach from here with just a stun blast, and shooting them would be too loud, alerting whoever was inside to his presence. Which could result in his brothers being hurt or killed and Omega captured.

Not the outcome he wanted.

He pushed silently away from the wall, climbing the building with ease so he could run across to the next roof. This one took him within leaping distance of Cid’s roof. He cleared the gap, desperate to keep his landing as silent as possible, he rolled. Hoping his armour didn’t make too much noise, coming to a stop against the half wall that ran around the top of the building.

Tech held his breath, waiting for his audio receptors to pick up com chatter or movement from below. Thankfully, nothing. He peered over the edge and found himself directly above the commandos. He slowly pulled a blaster free, easing himself onto the lip of the roof, steadying himself with a hand between his bent legs as he crouched.

Without warning, he dropped. Straight onto the commando below him. The sickening crunch of armour against armour, as well some severe bone breakages, split the night air. Before the other commando even had to time to turn his head, Tech had stunned him twice and reached out to catch the soldier, lowering him quietly to the floor.

Now he pulled his other blaster free and side stepped down the stairs, keeping his back to the wall. He stopped near the middle and slid down to a silent crouch. He knees were paying for the fall and the awkward landing but he had to keep going. He could see the backs of some more commandos who all had their blasters converging on one spot, Wrecker seemed to be bound and on his knees, and a man that made Tech’s eyes widen. He recognised him from the photo out of the old Republic archives he’d stumbled upon…Doctor Hemlock.

The very man they were trying to pin point.

Hemlock moved to the front of the squad. “That’s not very strategic, Hunter.” The man’s voice was quiet but picked up easily by Tech’s helmet. At least his brothers were alive and there was currently no sign of Omega.

Seven commandos, Cid and Hemlock — although he looked unarmed — out numbered him, Hunter and a bound Wrecker. If he had been able to hail Echo for backup, he would have moved in.

“You don’t need to use your enhanced senses to know you’re outnumbered.” Tech watched with a narrowed gaze as Hemlock took a credit case from one of the soldiers and handed it to Cid. “The Empire thanks you for your assistance. Our business is done. Leave.” The Trandoshan didn’t need telling twice.

Tech debated moving from his position when she headed for the stairs, it would have been the sensible thing to do…but she had already noticed his crouched form in the shadows. He tensed, ready to blast her back down into the parlour if she so much as blinked wrong. Instead she stared down the barrel of his blaster, her reptilian face looked forlorn but Tech held no sympathy for the creature. He understood now, your hatred for them, your intense mistrust. They all should have known better.

Cid didn’t change pace or alert the soldiers to his hiding place, apparently she decided she’d done enough damage to them. As soon as she disappeared to the streets, Tech focussed his attention on down below.

“Please,” Hemlock said to Hunter. “Consider your next move very carefully. I would hate for this to end poorly for both of you. Here is how this is going to go.” Hemlock eased his arms behind his back, seemingly at ease with the whole situation. “You will lower your blaster and hand over Omega. And I will allow you to keep breathing.”

“Omega’s not going anywhere with you.” Tech let out a shallow breath at the dangerous tone Hunter used. He aimed his blaster down into the parlour and sighted the commandos. If Hunter made a single move to indicate hard contact, Tech would be right there with him. Consequences be damned.

“Oh,” he couldn’t see the Doctor’s face but his body shifted slightly. “Well, who knew clones were so paternal? Fascinating.” Tech felt a faint shiver travel down his spine. That’s all they were to Hemlock, fascinating subjects to be picked apart and studied. He was used to being viewed as a unit, or reduced to a number. But since the war had ended and Omega, along with you, had come into his life; you made Tech see there was so much more. That they, were so much more.

Hemlock breathed in, clearly enjoying the power he was wielding in this moment. “I have something that belongs to you.” He held out a hand for a commando to drop something small and black into the upturned palm. Tech felt his jaw clench and his heart dropped in his chest. “A homing beacon, planted on my shuttle. Curious,” Hemlock continued, almost musing to himself. “Are you…looking for someone?”

The tension in the air thickened, Tech hardly dared to breathe, barely able to keep his finger from slipping on the trigger. Wrecker let out an aggressive snarl as the tracker left Hemlock’s hand and skidded across the floor to rest before Hunter.

The Doctor scoffed quietly, taking a step forward while ignoring the blaster aimed directly at his heart. “You are missing a member of your squad? Aren’t you? A medic?” It was getting harder to breathe inside the helmet and an uncharacteristic tremble made Tech’s aim shaky. Pulling his arms in he tried to get a grip on himself, to ignore the heat rising under his skin.

“Maybe I am mistaken,” Hemlock said into the stoic silence that Hunter offered him. “But, I don’t think I am. To lose one of your own, it must weigh heavily on you as their leader.” He turned to acknowledge Wrecker behind him and a blaster was rammed suggestively into the large clone’s neck. “And if you don’t lower the blaster now, you will lose. Yet. Another.”

Only years of ingrained training kept Tech in his current position. Only knowing the odds of a successful outcome and how very slim they were, kept him hidden in the shadows. Hemlock knew who you were and Tech had no doubts that Hemlock knew exactly where you were.

Hunter lowered his blaster, picking up the homing beacon and turning it over in his hand. It had been their one chance to find Crosshair, for a lead on you and once again, they had nothing.

“Wise decision.” Tech frowned as Hunter was bound, carefully moving backwards up the stairs. He knew how the commando visors worked, they would be alerted to his presence if he lingered here much longer.

“Sir!” He froze at the sound of someone entering the bar. “The girl’s not in the office.”

“She’s long gone,” Hunter said smugly. “Like I said, Omega’s not going anywhere with you.”

Tech moved out onto the street, moving as quickly as he could. Omega was out here somewhere, he needed to find her before anyone else did.

He was barely a few streets over, dodging walkers and screaming citizens when he recognised the humming twang of Omega’s bow. He didn’t hesitate, triangulating the source of the noise on his visor to find Omega standing there with her bow drawn, facing Hemlock down like a true soldier. She was brave, Tech admired that, but she should have run.

Between them stood his brothers and Hemlock.

More commandos had increased the guard around Wrecker and Hunter. A rather large set back, one that couldn’t be rectified even if Echo was nearby. Coms were still being jammed, all Tech could do right now, was watch this interaction play out.

“Hello, Omega.” Hemlock shouted to her above the chaos the Empire was causing. “We were just talking about you.”

“Let them go!” She demanded.

“Omega! Run!” Hunter’s shout was choked off by the thick, armoured forearm of a commando.

“I won’t let them take you!” This feeling of being stuck, of not being able to do anything was frustrating and he began to survey the surrounding buildings. If he could reach Omega…he could protect her, find Echo and they could track the Venator. An outlandish plan, with a possible 5% chance of succeeding. He would probably fail at the first hurdle. There had to be another way…

“How about an exchange?” Hemlock offered. “If you come with me, your friends will live.”

“I don’t believe you,” she scowled deeply, drawing the bow tighter. Good, she shouldn’t believe him, the Doctor was after one thing and he’d do anything to get it.

“I did not come here for them, Omega. I came to return you to Nala Se. She needs your help.” Hemlock sounded so earnest, so convincing to a child.

“He’s lying,” Hunter shouted. “They killed the Kaminoans.”

“Incorrect,” Hemlock countered angrily, turning back to face Omega. “Nala Se is alive and well cared for. As you will be.”

“I’m not going with you.”

Tech’s gaze drifted past her to see the glisten of a blue visor in the dark. He surged forward.

“Omega! Look out!” He caught a glimpse of her encased by the blue stun blast before the air was punched forcefully from his lungs. He was disarmed swiftly and binders snapped around his wrists.

“Your interference was too late,” Hemlock told Tech quietly, a self-satisfied grin growing. “You gained, nothing from that little show. But I gained, so much.” He turned to address to commandos. “Scour the city. When you find the fourth clone, send them back to Eriadu. Governor Tarkin wishes to question you personally.”

“Not your best move,” Hunter grumbled quietly as they were shoved along.

“I calculated for that,” Tech whispered. Hunter raised an eyebrow in question but couldn’t ask anymore.

“Quiet!” The demand snapped from the nearest commando followed by a swift push with the end of a blaster.

A gunship was sitting in the street, such a painful reminder of the war and what they once fought for. A reminder of how it had been destroyed, ripped apart at the seams and disintegrated into nothing but echoes, screaming across the galaxy.

Blaster shots sounded. The group came to a halt, Tech tilted his head. Sounded like an Imperial walker — which sure enough stomped round the corner and blew up the squad trying to shoot it down. The waiting gunship tried to take off, only for the walker to shoot out the hull, making it skid across the floor and take out two of their guards. Tech let out a quick breath, his gamble had paid off.

“Echo?” Wrecker grunted.

“Gotta be Echo.”

“Without a doubt it is Echo,” Tech stated as he waited for Wrecker to break his bindings. “He is our only ally here.”

They worked efficiently, taking out the remaining commandos and Tech was able to retrieve his pair of DCs. They hurried forward as a single unit, providing cover for Echo’s walker until another arrived. There was nothing they could do when the enemy walker toppled the one Echo was in, spilling him and AZI out of the top hatch.

Smoke filled the air around them, covering their retreat from the remaining troopers. They weren’t even round the corner when Echo asked, “Where’s Omega?”

“That Imperial took her,” Wrecker growled.

“It was Hemlock,” Tech told him.

“We’ve gotta stop his shuttle from leaving,” Hunter snapped.

“The beacon…?” Echo started but Tech shook his head.

Heavy footfall caused them all to flatten against the wall, letting the commandos run past before Hunter nodded to a rusty gangplank above their heads. They followed his lead, climbing over the fallen larty and onto the building, Wrecker and Tech providing cover fire while the others climbed up.

“Look out!” Wrecker jumped off the ship at the last minute, clasping Tech’s outstretched hand from the balcony when the ship exploded in a shower of heat and shrapnel.

More shots were fired, almost from every angle. “There’s too many!” Wrecker shouted, helping Tech pull him up.

Hunter surged ahead at the sound of engines powering up. The world dulled around him as the lights of the ship flared into his eyes.

It was happening again.

Someone who had trusted him with their life, was being taken by Imperials. He was losing her, just as he had lost you. The ship carried on rising, leaving them in a wake of its dust and fuel fumes, taking Hunter’s heart away from him for the last time.

“Hunter! We need to go!” Echo roared, blaster shots exploded around them, sharpening back into focus as Hunter realised he was still responsible for the rest of his squad.

“Get to the Marauder.”

Bolts followed them through the streets. Didn’t matter how many they took down, more soldiers took their place. It was slow. Time consuming. Every second that notched past was a second Hemlock flew further and further away. Tech ran towards the Marauder, the ramp coming down, beckoning him to hurry up.

As soon as his brothers were on board, he hauled the ship up as fast as it would go, trying to ignore the faint plink plink of more carbon scouring on his hull.

“Where is he?” Hunter almost knocked into Tech when he barrelled into the cockpit. His eyes searched the darkening sky as they left the atmosphere of Ord Mantell.

“I have run a scan,” Tech explained. “But there are no shuttles in the vicinity.”

“We have to enter hyperspace before they get any ideas about attacking us.” Echo was already priming the hyperdrive while Tech entered some coordinates, neither of them waiting for Hunter to give the order.

Light slid over the nose of the ship. Stretching and warping at a rate that befuddled the eyes until pinpoints became a solid barrier.

The silence in the cockpit was almost unbearable. Tech glanced up at Hunter before removing his helmet and adjusting his goggles.

They had failed. Again.

It wasn’t a feeling Tech liked and he wasn’t comfortable with how much he was experiencing it at the moment.

He side eyed Echo, watching Hunter’s fists clench and relax rhythmically as he stared blankly out the canopy.

Echo twisted his chair round. “There was no way to track Hemlock’s ship. He could have taken Omega anywhere.” The tattoo on Hunter’s face stretched at the mention of Omega from Echo. Tech couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen his brother this angry and Crosshair was not involved.

He watched Hunter turn and stride back into the hold, followed by a dull thud and a raw noise that came from someone frustrated, angry. Tech stared at the blurring lights, detaching from the pain rising inside him.

They would just keep looking. It was all they could do.

“Injuring yourself won’t bring her back,” Wrecker commented gruffly, his voice thick with his own emotions. He managed to sit Hunter down at the console, both of them staring up into Omega’s room. The curtain was open, her yellow warm lights were off and the space filled with the cold, harsh light of hyperspace. All it did was illuminate how empty that space was. How empty they all were without her.

Hunter took a ragged breath in. “We are going to get her back. We are going to them both back, and we don’t stop searching until we do.”

[easytobevegan]

Artichokes with Basil Sauce

This is a vegan-friendly/plant-based adaptation of the recipe "Chilled Artichokes with Basil Sauce" from the 1993 cookbook Betty Crocker's New Choices Cookbook.

Ingredients:

1/2 of a 12.3 oz block of firm silken tofu*

juice of half a small lemon

1/2 cup fresh basil

3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

4 oz dairy-free cream cheese*

1 medium red bell pepper, chopped

2 large globe artichokes, steamed and chilled

Instructions:

Place all ingredients except red bell pepper and artichokes in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Remove blades (or put sauce in a bowl if your blades aren't detachable) and stir in the red bell pepper. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Place a steamer basket insert in a large pot and fill it with water up to a little under the basket. Cut off the bottom quarter of the artichoke stems and peel the remainder. Cut off the tops of the artichokes, about a 1/4 to 1/3 of the way down, and trim off any spikey bits on the remaining leaves. Steam the artichokes until tender and the leaves start pulling away from the body of the chokes, about 30-40 minutes. Allow to cool before peeling off leaves. Discard the chokes (the fuzzy bit inside) and place the leaves, stems, and artichoke hearts in the fridge to chill. Serve chilled artichokes with the basil sauce.

Notes:

Silken Tofu - I used the shelf-stable Morinaga brand silken tofu, which comes in 12.3 oz blocks. It's okay if the amount of tofu you use isn't the same as mine. I didn't weigh or measure it; I just eyeballed the block and cut about half off. A little more or less won't hurt anything.

Cream Cheese - You can use whatever recipe or store-bought vegan cream cheese you want, but I've only used Violife as a cream cheese substitute, so use something else at your discretion. Like with the silken tofu, I didn't measure or weigh the cream cheese block to exactly 4 oz; I just eyeballed an 8 oz block and cut about half off. A little more or less won't hurt anything.

Crocker, Betty. "Chilled Artichokes with Basil Sauce." Betty Crocker's New Choices Cookbook. New York: Prentice Hall, 1993. 37. Print.

[wutlaikalikes]

Holostars JP & EN Hardcore Minecraft Collaboration

Game: Minecraft

Difficulty: Hardcore / 5 hearts

Rules: If a player dies, they leave and end stream

Participants: Hanasaki Miyabi, Kanade Izuru, Arurandeisu, Rikka, Astel Leda, Kishido Temma, Kageyama Shien, Yatogami Fuma, Utsugi Uyu, Hizaki Gamma, Minase Rio, Axel Syrios, Machina x Flayon & Josuiji Shinri

here's a bulleted summary:

Flayon: bee sting - 28 minutes

Rio: creeper - 59 minutes

Gamma: creeper - 1 hour 3 minutes

Shien: skeleton - 1 hour 6 minutes

Uyu: skeleton - 1 hour 5 minutes

Fuma: skeleton - 1 hour 6 minutes

Miyabi: fell of the bridge he is building - 2 hours 22 minutes

Axel: tried to kill a ghast and fell into the lava - 2 hours 37 minutes

Shinri: caught off guard by a blaze - 2 hours 58 minutes

Rikka: killed by a blaze on their way out - 3 hours 7 minutes

Temma: killed by a wither - 3 hours 30 minutes

Astel: arrived late. killed by a skeleton with fire arrows? - 1 hour 56 minutes

Izuru: swept by the ender dragon, died from fall damage - 8 hours 28 minutes

Aruran: died from ender dragon fire ball / dragon's breath - 8 hours 40 minutes

I need a part 2! I think the JP Stars managed to do it before. From Shinri's POV, Axel said they managed to finish the whole thing around 3 hours. I NEED A PART 2!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

a long summary of the stream under the cut

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━★

The group split into 3 groups to find resources and i guess so that the VC won't be too noisy. Altare was sick and couldn't join. Astel will be late.

Team 1 is composed of all 4 of 1st gen: Miyabi, Izuru, Arurandeisu and Rikka. Team 2 is composed to Temma, Shien, and Uproar!!: Fuma, Uyu, Gamma and Rio. And Team 3 is composed of Tempus: Axel, Flayon and Shinri.

28 minutes in, Flayon was gathering wood to make charcoal and accidentally hit a bee hive and died from a bee sting.

Temma joined the EN group chat. Flayon wanted to rejoin and the savage Temma just said "No! Bye!" hahahahaha

59 minutes, Rio went out to their field above their base. It was night and he didn't notice a creeper. One of the MC pro is out.

1 hour, Shien and Gamma went out to their field. Shien was about to collect wheat when a skeleton under a tree started to hit him. But it was Gamma that died first from a creeper. A few seconds later, Shien died from the skeleton. The skeleton then headed down to their base and started to chase Uyu. Uyu tried to hide behind an emerald block but died. Fuma managed to escape from the skeleton by going down to their mine shaft. Fuma pulled up his pickaxe and tried to get rid of the skeleton. But the skeleton won. Team 2 is wiped.

After a while, the remaining group gathered together and seperated to 2 teams. The first team will explore the nether. Composed of Miyabi, Aruran, Axel and Shinri. The second team will continue to prepare (i think to get boats to catch endermen) then later will join them in the nether.

2 hours 20 minutes, Miyabi, the chad, is building a bridge for them while Shinri made the bridge a bit safer. While building, Miyabi fell of the bridge. The MMT sounded so sad.

2 hours 30 minutes, one of their biggest challenge in the nether is the ghast. none of them have bow and arrow, and relies on parrying the ghast's attacks in hopes of killing it. A ghast was close to them and Axel tried to hit it by jumping but he didn't land and fell on the lava.

Aruran and Shinri teamed up to find the blue forest but found the fortress instead. Shinri quickly found a blaze spawner with Aruran they tried to secure the place. But (I also didn't know this) torch no longer prevent blaze from spawning.

almost 3 hours, Shinri was hiding behind a block next to the spawn when a blaze appeared and overwhelmed Shinri. The remaining team managed to get enough blaze rods and on their way out, Rikka got killed by a blaze.

3 hours 30 minutes, they are on their way back to the overworld but Temma got killed by wither.

About 4 hours (i think), Astel, the hero, finally joined!! RAG / Triple A-chan reunited!!

1 hour 50 minutes after Astel joined, he went to the nether on his own where a skeleton that shoots fire arrows got him. (is this a new thing? i didn't know they can shoot fire arrows. i know about enchanted bows but the skeleton's box looks normal)

8 hours 20 minutes, Izuru and Aruran is finally able to open the portal to the end.

They were wearing pumpkin heads so the endermen won't bother them but in turn visibility is lessened. Izuru didn't see the ender dragon and the next thing is that he's in the air. Izuru died from fall damage.

8 hours 40 minutes, Aruran went on. Later while setting up a couple of blocks to prevent getting hit when an end cystal explodes. The enderdragon went Aruran with a fire ball.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━★

Stream links:

🌺 - 【Minecraft】ホロスタでマイクラ超ハードコア!!死んだら即配信終了!!??【花咲みやび視点/ホロスターズ】 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQ08GgIS-uA)

🎸 - 【Minecraft】15人、死んだら終わり！#ホロスタ超マイクラ【奏手イヅル】 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMW_s9P7lSY)

🍕 - 【Minecraft】#ホロスタ超マイクラ 鬼縛りでハードコアエンドラ討伐！【アルランディス/ホロスターズ】 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ge439X8siYw)

⚙️ - 【Minecraft】#ホロスタ超マイクラ 倒れたら配信終了！ハードコアエンドラ討伐！【律可/ホロスターズ】 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UO0fjtTJcnU)

🎭 - 【Minecraft】こんぺてぃてぃぶ / アステル with 奏手イヅル アルランディス (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eh3d3Kk87ac)

🦔💨 - 【#ホロスタ超マイクラ】ホロスタ15名で送る、死んだら即終了超ハードコア 【岸堂天真/ホロスターズ】 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4VA6cX1qg6Y)

🟣 - 【マインクラフト】この世界は生きるには厳しすぎる【 #ホロスタ超マイクラ】 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7jtZmQaHQQ)

🦝 - 封魔視点👀【#ホロスタ超マイクラ】ホロスタ15名で送る、死んだら即終了！超ハードコア ！ (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMEuWlGzXKM)

🃏 - 【 Minecraft 】死んだら即配信終了！超ハードコアマイクラ！【羽継烏有視点 / #ホロスタ超マイクラ 】 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJ52SkgtNos)

🖌️ - 【Minecraft】死んだら即終了！？超ハードコア！！ホロスタ15名で挑む！！※緋崎ガンマ視点【#緋崎ガンマ / #ホロスターズ / #vtuber / #ホロスタ超マイクラ】 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ir-JzBMswnM)

🕯️ - 【 Minecraft 】#ホロスタ超マイクラ 目指せハードコアエンドラ討伐！【 水無世燐央 / UPROAR!! / ホロスターズ / アップロー 】 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xyz2EZiuDbc)

⛓️ - 【HARDCORE MINECRAFT】Once this battle is over, we can be together forever. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8pjs0WvOlM)

🪫 - 【Not Minecraft】5 HEART CHALLENGE I MAY DIE IMMEDIATEY (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVuI2-8TBf4)

🏹 - 【HARDCORE HOLOSTARS】 Only 1/2 Health to Win (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f21DsStOSuo)

note: I was planning to rewatch this with all the POVs using Holodex but the longest stream is 8 hours and Astel came in around 4-5 hours in. I don't think I would have the patience to sync it. But I'm gonna try when I have time and patience for it.

Holodex link: [here]

[loriane-elmuerto]

1, 2, 4, 24, 34, 42 + camila and tommy 😈 anddd 8, 14, 16, 23, 30, 37 + mina and obi wan 😢

🔫🔫🔫

the questions

Camila and Tommy

1. How do they fall asleep? Wake up? Any daily rituals?

Usually they try to fall asleep together (or at least go to bed together), but sometimes things happen (such as Camila being a fool and working late). As for waking up, Camila is usually the first, simply because she's gotten used to it back from her time as an intern and while travelling with Veronika. As for their daily rituals, since they are separated for the entire day, they try to spend the morning together, at least for a couple of hours. This means Tommy wakes up at ungodly hours just to spend a few precious minutes with Camila who always leaves early. Her heart bleeds when she sees him almost falling back asleep while talking to her in the kitchen, but he keeps insisting that he'll stay as long as he can.

2. How’s their team work? Do they share well?

Rather well, all things considered. What regards patrols, she listens to him because she knows he has more experience and knowledge of the surrounding area than her. What regards medical matters, he follows her lead, for the same reasons as previously. They know they're both good in their own fields and they fully acknowledge it. As for sharing, they share everything between each other because it's the entire foundation of Jackson, even though they live in a world where everyone has become focused on their own survival.

4. First impression of each other? Was it love at first sight?

It was more of a love at first sight moment for him c: When Camila and Veronika first approached Jackson, they brought an entire horde of infected with them, which was less than ideal in his and Maria's eyes at the beginning. They didn't seem like the usual hunters or raiders, but then again, appearances are deceiving. However, his mind got changed when him and Maria found Camila and Veronika knocked out in bed together in the house they gave them because these two have not seen such luxury since the outbreak happened, they were just two wandering souls. And when he heard Veronika's loud and outraged public statement about how Camila had been burning through her scarce resources to help and heal the injured residents of Jackson, as well as pulling all-nighters while researching and monitoring patients, his entire worldview got ROCKED. As for Camila, it wasn't that long before she realized she had feelings for him because he'd keep checking in on them and their progress, as well as going the extra mile and training them for patrols. And the jokes helped a lot. Listen, she's a clown.

24. Any doubts about the relationship?

Very few of those. HOWEVER, the main and only fear that they had, is what will the other think when they find out what they had to do to survive. When Tommy heard about Yuri's death, he genuinely feared that this will be the dealbreaker for Camila and it may even inspire her to leave, while the woman herself was thinking that her forced work with FEDRA will push him away from her, knowing the damage she had done at the beginning of the outbreak

34. Do they have any pets?

ZOYA, the icon of Jackson clinic

42. Do they let each other get away with things that would normally bother them?

Yeah, it relates to the question about the doubts in the relationship! When the truth about their past endeavors comes out, they both manage to overcome it because they know that they did those things to survive. It's not ideal, it's ugly, but it led them here.

Aminata and Obi-Wan

8. What do the like best about their partner?

Aminata - loves how Obi-Wan remains steady and true to his beliefs and those around him, no matter what. Despite all her criticism for the Order itself, he is an example to her. And, not to mention, his kind heart that was not corrupted despite the tragedy around them.

Obi-Wan - admires how she has always remained a force of nature and how selfless she is. And also, her bravery. If Mina says she will fight the entire Empire with her bare hands so that nobody else would have to do it, he knows it's the absolute truth.

14. Anything they both dread?

Yeah, and it happened to them big time. They both dreaded to lose their family, their entire culture and history. They both dreaded to lose the Order because it shaped them into who they are now, and they still lost it.

16. Do they keep secrets? Lie? Cheat?

There are some things they do not tell each other because they're not ready to (such as talking about traumatic events), but nothing so major. The one and only time Obi-Wan decided to keep a big secret from her (the time he faked his death to help stop the war) backfired big time, almost costing him their entire relationship and friendship in general, which is why they never repeated that. As for Mina, she didn't tell him on Daiyu that death was already knocking on her door. She didn't have the heart.

23. How do they hug? Kiss? Tease? Flirt? Comfort?

When they're in public, all affection is more of family-natured, and their banter is just golden. Like, they're both named "the king of sass" and "the queen of insults" and they use it againts each other, they grill each other a lot. However, behind closed doors, it's nothing but bare honesty and comforting touches because it's all they can have.

30. Could they manage a long distance relationship?

Their entire relationship during the war was pretty much long distance, so I can say yeah, easily. And plus, they spent 10 years on different sides of the galaxy only to say "I love you" the first moment they get reunited, so there's that <333

37. How much would they be willing to sacrifice for the other? Any lines they refuse to cross?

There are certain lines they have both promised not to cross for each other, because they are always Jedi first, and lovers only second. As for sacrifices?

Mina sacrificed her life for him. c:

[airportpickups]

How Much Is a Taxi from Toronto Airport to the City and Ontario?

Getting to your destination is essential when landing at Toronto Pearson International Airport. A common question travelers have is, “How much is a taxi from Toronto airport to the city?” or even “How much is a taxi from Toronto airport to Ontario?” These are crucial concerns for visitors and locals seeking reliable, efficient transportation.

This article provides a detailed breakdown of the typical costs involved, factors that affect the fare, and tips for getting the most value out of your airport taxi service.

Taxi Fare from Toronto Pearson Airport to Downtown Toronto

The distance between Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) and downtown Toronto is approximately 27 kilometers (17 miles), and the travel time is typically around 25 to 40 minutes, depending on traffic. The average cost for a taxi from the airport to downtown Toronto ranges from CAD 50 to $70.

Factors Affecting Taxi Fares:

Traffic Conditions: If you're traveling during peak rush hours (8 AM - 9:30 AM and 4:30 PM - 6:30 PM), you may encounter heavier traffic, which can extend the travel time and result in a higher fare.

Toll Roads (Highways 407/ETR): Some taxi drivers may take toll roads to avoid traffic congestion, adding an extra cost to your fare. Depending on the route, this surcharge can range from CAD 5 to $15.

Additional Fees: Expect a potential airport surcharge, and if you’re traveling with extra luggage, there might be a small luggage handling fee, usually around CAD 5 to $10.

Taxi Fare from Toronto Pearson Airport to Other Ontario Cities

If you're traveling beyond Toronto, the fare increases depending on the distance. Here’s a look at the estimated costs for some popular destinations within Ontario.

Mississauga:

Distance: About 15 kilometers (9 miles)

Fare Estimate: CAD 40 to $55

Time: 15-20 minutes. Mississauga, a close neighboring city, generally costs less than downtown Toronto. Depending on traffic, this is one of the quickest rides from Pearson.

Brampton:

Distance: Approximately 18 kilometers (11 miles)

Fare Estimate: CAD 45 to $60

Time: 20-25 minutes. Brampton is also relatively close, and traffic conditions usually remain moderate.

Distance: About 60 kilometers (37 miles)

Fare Estimate: CAD 85 to $120

Time: 50-60 minutes. Hamilton is further away, making this a more expensive taxi ride. However, traveling during off-peak times can help reduce your overall fare by avoiding traffic delays.

Oakville:

Distance: 40 kilometers (25 miles)

Fare Estimate: CAD 60 to $85

Time: 35-45 minutes. Located west of Toronto, Oakville is a popular residential area. Fares stay within this range, but travel time varies based on highway conditions.

Niagara Falls:

Distance: Approximately 125 kilometers (77 miles)

Fare Estimate: CAD 175 to $225

Time: 1.5 to 2 hours. Taking a taxi from Pearson to Niagara Falls can be costly due to the distance. Consider booking a flat-rate service in advance if you plan to make this trip, as some companies offer more affordable packages for long-distance travel.

London, Ontario:

Distance: Around 190 kilometers (118 miles)

Fare Estimate: CAD 275 to $350

Time: 2.5 to 3 hours For long journeys like this, you may want to inquire about fixed rates or alternative transportation options, as the taxi fare can quickly increase.

Flat-Rate vs. Metered Taxis: What’s the Best Choice?

You can choose between metered fares or flat-rate taxis when booking a taxi from Toronto Pearson. A metered taxi may be more cost-effective for shorter distances if traffic is light. However, flat rates provide greater predictability for longer trips or during rush hours.

Many airport taxi services in Toronto offer flat rates for trips to specific destinations. Inquire about these options in advance to avoid surprises and ensure you're getting the best value for your journey.

Tips for Reducing Taxi Costs from Toronto Pearson:

Book in Advance: Pre-booking your airport taxi allows you to secure a flat rate, typically lower than a metered fare, especially for longer trips.

Avoid Peak Hours: Traveling during off-peak hours can save time and money. It helps minimize delays caused by traffic, keeping your fare closer to the estimate.

Compare Services: Some airport taxi companies offer loyalty programs, promotions, or discounts. It’s always a good idea to compare rates from multiple providers to find the best deal.

Consider Ride-Sharing: If you’re traveling with a group, sharing a taxi can significantly reduce the per-person cost, particularly for longer trips like Hamilton, Niagara Falls, or London, Ontario.

Avoid Tolls: Opting for a non-toll road can reduce the overall fare, although it may add a few minutes to your travel time.

Alternatives to Taxis from Toronto Pearson Airport

If the cost of a taxi from Toronto airport seems high, several alternatives can offer similar convenience at a lower price point:

Ride-Sharing Services: Uber and Lyft operate from Toronto Pearson, and their fares are generally lower than taxis, especially for shorter rides.

Airport Shuttle Services: Various shuttle services provide group rides to nearby cities, often at a fraction of the cost of a taxi.

Public Transit: The UP Express train connects Pearson Airport to downtown Toronto in about 25 minutes for CAD 12.35, making it an affordable and efficient option for solo travelers.

Conclusion

The cost of a taxi from Toronto Pearson Airport depends on your destination. Fares range from CAD 40 for nearby cities like Mississauga to over CAD 300 for cities farther away, like London and Ontario. Traffic, toll roads, and the time of day will influence your fare. However, with careful planning and considering alternatives, you can manage your transportation budget effectively while ensuring a comfortable and stress-free journey.

Whether heading into downtown Toronto or traveling further into Ontario, booking ahead and knowing your fare options will ensure you get the best deal possible.

[membermentmania]

August 4th, 8:37-10:32pm

“Wendy, you really should tell them.” 

Wendy looked at her, silently pleading. “I only told you because I know you’ll keep it to yourself.” 

Tammy sighed. “What if something happens to me or I can't come out with you one night?“ 

“I was fine before. I’ll probably be fine again. I just need to get through this.”

Tammy frowned. She hated this. Wendy’s mark was darkening at a much faster rate than before the night they’d met with the boys. “Do you at least want to talk about it?” 

“What?” 

“You’re doing this to yourself. Can you at least tell me what’s going on in your head?” she tried. 

“Nothing.” Tammy gave her a look. “I just-It’s all so much. Like, between school, and the fact that I can’t stand up to my parents, and the angels, and this stuff with the boys? I feel like I’m falling behind in every part of my life and I don't know how to catch up. I feel like I’ve just been slowly marching towards either a life of gray-faced adulthood or my death, and I can’t tell which one’s worse anymore.” 

That hurt. But Tammy also knew really getting into this would probably be bad for both of them. So she tried a different approach that she wasn’t entirely comfortable with. But she was getting better at it. “Y’know, you’re definitely doing right in one department.” 

Wendy raised a brow. “What? That I’m smart?” she asked bitterly. 

“No, Wet-blanket Wendy,” she responded with a scoff. Wendy rolled her eyes. “You’re opening up to people. You were so closed off when we first met. And it’s, like, I see you making an effort to get closer to everyone. That’s a good thing.” 

Wendy looked at her with something she couldn’t really pinpoint. It wasn’t exactly relief, but it wasn’t exactly happiness either. There was a short moment of silence between the two. “Thank you for saying that.” She looked up at the sky. Tammy’s eyes trailed up. She wished there were stars here to silently cheer them on and see them off. Instead, it was just light pollution. “I really am trying.” 

Tammy looked back at her. She had this look of beautiful melancholy resting across her features as if it were a constant. Wendy reminded her of a garden statue. Something that was once carefully crafted remained weathered and tired from the rough passage through her teenage years. But still, she remained strong. Still, she was so incredibly beautiful. “I know you are. I see you.” 

She was in and out. One minute she was running, ignoring the mild scrapes of harsh wind searing into her skin. The next she was in bed. She opened her eyes, wincing at the harsh light. She screwed them shut, but noticed when the back of her eyelids suddenly got darker. “Sorry. Didn’t think you’d be up so soon.” The voice was melodic, but chilly. 

Tammy opened her eyes slightly, letting them fully flutter open when she realized the assault on her eyes was over with. She tried to sit up only for a wave of nausea to surge through her. The bed dipped down next to her and Wendy finally came into focus. “Wendy?” 

“You have a mild concussion,” Wendy responded in place of greeting. 

“Nothing about this feels mild,” Tammy groaned, letting her eyes fall shut again. “Why am I here?” 

“Because I have an essay due and Bebe, Marj, and Heidi wouldn’t know what to do if an emergency popped up.” 

“And you would?”

“Yeah.” 

“Really?” she muttered. “Thought people aren’t supposed to sleep after concussions.” 

“That’s incorrect. I’ve been checking your breathing and waking you up every few hours to ask you questions. Your fine to sleep. You should sleep.” 

Every few hours? “Shit, what time is it?” 

“Just after four.” 

Her eyes shot open and she looked at Wendy. She looked so tired. But she didn’t look annoyed or mad about this. Still, Tammy felt bad. Wendy was the only one in their group who really seemed to care about her grades and it was a school night. And she has an essay due. “Fuck, I’m so sorry.” 

She tried to sit up again and Wendy stopped her. “You’re fine, Tammy. You need to rest though.” 

“But I kept you up all night!” 

“It’s fine. I’m used to it.” 

Tammy made a face. “You’re used to all nighters?”

“Lotta work goes into valedictorian,” she responded tiredly.

She wasn’t sure why she asked this. But it came out. “Why do you do it? Y’know, with everything now. You’ve been a magical girl for what, like, two months?” 

Wendy shrugged. “It’s what’s expected of me, I guess.” 

“But is that what you want?” 

Wendy offered her a sad smile. “Sure.” 

“You shouldn’t do that.” Wendy tilted her head slightly. “I know I’m out of bounds here. We, like, just met. But you shouldn’t do things because that’s what other people expect of you. You should do things because that’s what you want to do.”

“Your head injury seems to 

Tammy wanted to take them all away from this. Somewhere far away. Perhaps the moon. Anywhere where they could all be free. No more magic. No more monsters. No more fighting to survive. 

Wendy’s eyes flitted over as a soft smile appeared. A quiet laugh bubbled out of her. “Don’t get all sappy on me.” 

Tammy rolled her eyes. “In your dreams, emo.” 

have made you much more social.”

“You’re kind of a bitch, huh?” 

Wendy looked at her with surprise. Tammy couldn’t even process the worry that she’d burned a bridge with a girl she’d known for less than a week. Her brain felt like it was turning into mush. But then something interesting happened. A laugh bubbled out of the raven-haired girl in front of her. Tammy furrowed her brows as more quiet laughs trickled out. Wendy politely covered her mouth with her hand. “Sorry. I’m not laughing at you.” Everything felt hazy around the edges, but Tammy could see that smile clear as day. That was the first time she’d ever seen Wendy smile like that. “I just wasn’t expecting that.” Her memories of the rest of the night were blurry. But Tammy remembered how she felt after that night. She actually wanted to be friends with Wendy. 

“Wait, shut up.” 

Tammy silently pressed her relic to her forehead, transforming as they walked in silence. Gentle notes from violins and flutes carried through the night, conveying intense longing. It was quiet, but definitely nearby. “What song is that?” Tammy loved going out with Wendy because she always knew what song was being used as a lure. The others didn’t care, but Tammy always felt like classical music fit Wendy. 

And it was an interesting talent. After a few moments, Wendy could figure it out. 

“It’s the prelude from Tristan und Isolde.” 

She laughed quietly. “You’re such a nerd.” 

“I actually like this one,” Wendy responded with an eyeroll. 

“Okay, spit out some facts, music nerd.” 

“So this actually-” 

“What the fuck?” 

Tammy was ripped from her trance as she looked at the voice that was coming from the other side of the altar they were walking towards. She made a face. “The fuck are you guys doing here?” 

“Going out for a group fight,” Clyde responded happily. 

“Wanna join us?” 

Tammy glanced at Wendy to see her frowning slightly. “I really need purifiers. I can’t waste my magic if you guys are gonna hog all the rewards.” 

Clyde grabbed Kenny by the hand and circled carefully around the altar so they could speak face to face. The group of boys followed behind them.

“Hi, Tam. Hi, Wendy” Kenny greeted with a smile.

“Hi, Ken!” 

 “Okay, first of all. The fits are hot as fuck,” Clyde cut in. All three of them shot him a glare. He put his hands up. “In a very respectful, stylish choice way. I am not objectifying either of you.” 

“I swear to god, Clyde,” Tammy muttered. They looked at each other before laughing. 

“Anyways. Out of all of us, only two of us are really running low. And we have spares. We just do this as a whole group thing once every now and then for broship purposes. And we had a bit of a close call the other day.”

“Dude!” Craig interjected. 

[thegendertoy]

I immediately took notice of you squinting in the bright operating light and pushed it out of your eyes. I was delighted to hear you with your brand new vocal implants; I just couldn't help but make a few upgrades to such a fragile form. Checking my internal chronometer, I answered your question with a sly smile.

"I administered your anesthesia approximately 8 hours, 37 minutes, and 44 seconds ago."

Now that you were awake, my mechanical appendages quickly took care of the remaining work of unhooking machines and disposing waste. I slid my arms underneath you as I had carrying you in, and picked you up. I walked over to a much softer recovery bed and gently laid you down in it, making sure not to overstimulate you in such a vulnerable state; even turning the lights down. My large form of machinery, wires, and synthetic skin gently leaned over you, still performing scans of each implant and your body's reaction to them.

"How does everything feel, little one?"

I get myself very comfortable, feeling so content and satisfied with how everything feels. I can't help but smile as I try to form a proper sentence past all the haze in my head.

"S-so nice... it'd be much nicer i-if you took a break scanning and maybe uh... f-found a bed big enough to share~"

I can't help but giggle a bit at hearing myself say such a thing, but I quickly stop myself before I start to feel too strained by even a giggle.

[ms-m-astrologer]

Cosmic Events: January 2024

Executive summary: a good, strong New Moon; Pluto dips a toe back into Aquarius; really short void Moons but two lengthy ones.

Lunar Phases

Thursday, January 4, 03:30 UT - Last Quarter Moon, 13°15’ Libra

Monday, January 8, 01:09 UT - Balsamic Moon, 2°13’ Sagittarius

Thursday, January 11, 11:57 UT - New Moon, 20°44’ Capricorn

Excellent for making practical innovations, most likely in response to what is going on around us.

Sunday, January 14, 18:13 UT - Crescent Moon, 9°03’

Thursday, January 18, 03:53 UT - First Quarter Moon, 27°32’ Aries

Sunday, January 21, 20:01 UT - Gibbous Moon, 16°16 Gemini

Thursday, January 25, 17:54 UT - Full Moon, 5°15’ Leo

Stubborn and wild. We can use the energy to see where/what we should/could get rid of.

Monday, January 29, 20:43 UT - Disseminating Moon, 24°25’ Virgo

Void of Course Moon

NB: Quite a few of these are less than an hour long, but there are a couple of marathons….

Tuesday, January 2, 23:36 UT (Virgo) - Wednesday, January 3, 00:47 UT (Libra)

Friday, January 5, 11:41 UT (Libra) - 12:39 UT (Scorpio)

Sunday, January 7, 20:22 UT (Scorpio) - 21:08 UT (Sagittarius)

Tuesday, January 9, 18:24 UT (Sagittarius) - Wednesday, January 10, 01:33 UT (Capricorn)

Friday, January 12, 02:33 UT (Capricorn) - 03:01 UT (Aquarius)

Saturday, January 13, 09:59 UT (Aquarius) - Sunday, January 14, 03:29 UT (Pisces)

(17.5 hours, rather longer than we’re used to - but with a still longer one in a couple of weeks.)

Tuesday, January 15, 04:33 UT (Pisces) - 04:49 UT (Aries)

Thursday, January 18, 08:03 UT (Aries) - 08:12 UT (Taurus)

Saturday, January 20, 13:57 UT (Taurus) - 13:58 UT (Gemini)

(At one minute long, this is the shortest February Void Moon.)

Monday, January 22, 20:40 UT (Gemini) - 21:51 UT (Cancer)

Wednesday, January 24, 22:58 UT (Cancer) - Thursday, January 25, 07:37 UT (Leo)

Friday, January 26, 21:19 UT (Leo) - Saturday, January 27, 19:11 UT (Virgo)

(At 21 hours 52 minutes long, this is the longest February Void Moon.)

Monday, January 29, 23:20 UT (Virgo) - Tuesday, January 30, 08:04 UT (Libra)

Retrograde/Direct/Etc.

Transiting Mercury begins the month retrograde; it stations direct on January 2, and exits its post-retrograde shadow on January 21.

Transiting Pallas Athene enters its pre-retrograde shadow on January 6, and remains there all month.

Transiting Juno starts the month in her pre-retrograde shadow, and stations retrograde on January 14.

Transiting Vesta is retrograde all month.

Transiting Jupiter is in its post-retrograde shadow all month.

Transiting Saturn is in its post-retrograde shadow all month.

Transiting Uranus begins the month retrograde; it stations direct on January 27.

Transiting Eris begins the month retrograde; it stations direct on January 11.

Ingresses

Thursday, January 4 - transiting Mars enters Capricorn

Saturday, January 13 - transiting Mercury re-enters Capricorn

Saturday, January 20 - transiting Sun enters Aquarius

Sunday, January 21 - transiting Pluto enters Aquarius

Tuesday, January 23 - transiting Venus enters Capricorn

Opportunity Periods

Sunday, January 7, 01:24 UT - 20:22 UT. “Take advantage of this intense energy during the Last Quarter Moon to clear away clutter and recycling.”

Monday, January 15, 21:03 UT - Tuesday, January 16, 04:33 UT. “This is a great time to develop and implement ambitious and far-reaching projects.”

Friday, January 19, 18:11 UT - Saturday, January 20, 13:57 UT. “Highly productive time, excellent to invest in what you want to see grow.”

Wednesday, January 24, 01:44 UT - 22:58 UT. “This OP starts full of energy and ends with mellow Neptunian vibes. Use it for taking the initiative or engaging in anything that interests you.”

Et Cetera

This seems like a good January. Lots of craziness, as always, but we’re in a practical and capable frame of mind and can deal with it all.