#Black IPA

[horax]

on tap (26.1.2024)

Die neuen „Über-Kopf-Tanks“ sind schwarz und total stylisch. Sie finden sich gut zusammen mit den Backsteinwänden und der Holztheke. Der Denkmalschutz hat Geschmack bewiesen. Geschmacklich muß schnell zugeschlagen werden, denn das Faß Black IPA droht zu Neige zu gehen. Deshalb die heutige…

… Schleife: Hazy Heidi, 2 Black IPA, Double IPA, Stout

(2.2.2024)

[thedaily-beer]

Yards Doctor Nocturnal Midnight IPA (Picked up at McCaffrey’s in Blue Bell, PA). A 2 of 4. A solid black IPA -- relatively aggressive and bitter roast up front with the hops only in the background. This is mostly malt in the body, and although it does have the bitterness of an IPA, I don’t get a ton in the nose. Astringent finish with a bit of roast.

[jujuygrafico]

Cerveza Patagonia presenta la Octava Canilla con la nueva Black IPA

Cerveza Patagonia presenta la #OctavaCanilla con la nueva #BlackIPA Descubre la Octava Canilla de @cervezapatagonia, una experiencia única con variedades de edición limitada como la nueva #BlackIPA, disponible en Refugios seleccionados (@patagonia_jujuy).

Descubre la Octava Canilla de Cerveza Patagonia, una experiencia única con variedades de edición limitada como la nueva Black IPA, disponible en Refugios seleccionados. Innovación y experiencia única en cervecerías Con la innovación como su sello distintivo, Cerveza Patagonia introduce una nueva y emocionante propuesta: la Octava Canilla. Esta iniciativa, desarrollada por los maestros cerveceros…

[zeebreezin]

[Insert the ‘we’ll be right back’ jingle here]. Missing Month Moments!

Shaw & IPA-less version of the Avid Horizon under the cut

[thechurchofsplatterdaysaints]

[wiiildflowerrr]

calumhood: Drinking in Oslo

31 May 2016

[esleep]

i made korean tacos for dinner (no recipe just vibes + what i had in the fridge) and they were unbelievably delicious. my god.

[what-even-is-thiss]

Being poor in a trendy area is like I walk into a coffee shop and they’re also selling alcohol and a can of cheap beer and a black coffee both cost seven dollars and there’s seven dogs in here and maybe only one of them is the sort of dog that can be trusted in a coffee shop and you buy a small sandwich and eat it on a chair made of metal pipes and you’ve blown your whole food budget for the day so you’re probably gonna eat plain ramen for dinner and the guy sitting next to you is blackout drunk and full of caffeine with some incomprehensible excel sheet open on his laptop that might be for work or might be some sort of electronic incantation attempting to summon some sort of craft beer IPA based demon

[thebeermetalshowpodcast]

Beer Review: Adroit Theory EBK Gashadokuro (Ghost 945)

Continue reading Untitled

[writingwithcolor]

Naming International POC Characters: Do Your Research.

This post is part of a double feature for the same ask. First check out Mod Colette's answer to OP's original question at: A Careful Balance: Portraying a Black Character's Relationship with their Hair. Below are notes on character naming from Mod Rina.

~ ~ ~

@writingraccoon said:

My character is black in a dungeons and dragons-like fantasy world. His name is Kazuki Haile (pronounced hay-lee), and his mother is this world's equivalent of Japanese, which is where his first name is from, while his father is this world's equivalent of Ethiopian, which is where his last name is from. He looks much more like his father, and has hair type 4a. [...]

Hold on a sec.

Haile (pronounced hay-lee), [...] [H]is father is this world’s equivalent of Ethiopian, which is where his last name is from. 

OP, where did you get this name? Behindthename.com, perhaps?

Note how it says, “Submitted names are contributed by users of this website. Check marks indicate the level to which a name has been verified.” Do you see any check marks, OP? 

What language is this, by the way? If we only count official languages, Ethiopia has 5: Afar, Amharic, Oromo, Somali, & Tigrinya. If we count everything native to that region? Over 90 languages. And I haven't even mentioned the dormant/extinct ones. Do you know which language this name comes from? Have you determined Kazuki’s father’s ethnic group, religion, and language(s)? Do you know just how ethnically diverse Ethiopia is? 

~ ~ ~

To All Looking for Character Names on the Internet:

Skip the name aggregators and baby name lists. They often do not cite their sources, even if they’re pulling from credible ones, and often copy each other. 

If you still wish to use a name website, find a second source that isn’t a name website. 

Find at least one real life individual, living or dead, who has this given name or surname. Try Wikipedia’s lists of notable individuals under "List of [ethnicity] people." You can even try searching Facebook! Pay attention to when these people were born for chronological accuracy/believability. 

Make sure you know the language the name comes from, and the ethnicity/culture/religion it’s associated with. 

Make sure you understand the naming practices of that culture—how many names, where they come from, name order, and other conventions. 

Make sure you have the correct pronunciation of the name. Don’t always trust Wikipedia or American pronunciation guides on Youtube. Try to find a native speaker or language lesson source, or review the phonology & orthography and parse out the string one phoneme at a time. 

Suggestions for web sources:

Wikipedia! Look for: “List of [language] [masculine/feminine] given names,” “List of most common [language] family names,” “List of most common surnames in [continent],” and "List of [ethnicity] people."  

Census data! Harder to find due to language barriers & what governments make public, but these can really nail period accuracy. This may sound obvious, but look at the year of the character's birth, not the year your story takes place. 

Forums and Reddit. No really. Multicultural couples and expats will often ask around for what to name their children. There’s also r/namenerds, where so many folks have shared names in their language that they now have “International Name Threads.” These are all great first-hand sources for name connotations—what’s trendy vs. old-fashioned, preppy vs. nerdy, or classic vs. overused vs. obscure. 

~ ~ ~

Luckily for OP, I got very curious and did some research. More on Ethiopian & Eritrean naming, plus mixed/intercultural naming and my recommendations for this character, under the cut. It's really interesting, I promise!

Ethiopian and Eritrean Naming Practices

Haile (IPA: /həjlə/ roughly “hy-luh.” Both a & e are /ə/, a central “uh” sound) is a phrase meaning “power of” in Ge’ez, sometimes known as Classical Ethiopic, which is an extinct/dormant Semitic language that is now used as a liturgical language in Ethiopian churches (think of how Latin & Sanskrit are used today). So it's a religious name, and was likely popularized by the regnal name of the last emperor of Ethiopia, Haile Selassie (“Power of the Trinity”). Ironically, for these reasons it is about as nationalistically “Ethiopian” as a name can get.

Haile is one of the most common “surnames” ever in Ethiopia and Eritrea. Why was that in quotes? Because Ethiopians and Eritreans don’t have surnames. Historically, when they needed to distinguish themselves from others with the same given name, they affixed their father’s given name, and then sometimes their grandfather’s. In modern Ethiopia and Eritrea, their given name is followed by a parent’s (usually father’s) name. First-generation diaspora abroad may solidify this name into a legal “surname” which is then consistently passed down to subsequent generations.

Intercultural Marriages and Naming

This means that Kazuki’s parents will have to figure out if there will be a “surname” going forward, and who it applies to. Your easiest and most likely option is that Kazuki’s dad would have chosen to make his second name (Kazuki’s grandpa’s name) the legal “surname.” The mom would have taken this name upon marriage, and Kazuki would inherit it also. Either moving abroad or the circumstances of the intercultural marriage would have motivated this. Thus “Haile” would be grandpa’s name, and Kazuki wouldn’t be taking his “surname” from his dad. This prevents the mom & Kazuki from having different “surnames.” But you will have to understand and explain where the names came from and the decisions dad made to get there. Otherwise, this will ring culturally hollow and indicate a lack of research.

Typically intercultural parents try to

come up with a first name that is pronounceable in both languages,

go with a name that is the dominant language of where they live, or

compromise and pick one parent’s language, depending on the circumstances.

Option 1 and possibly 3 requires figuring out which language is the father’s first language. Unfortunately, because of the aforementioned national ubiquity of Haile, you will have to start from scratch here and figure out his ethnic group, religion (most are Ethiopian Orthodox and some Sunni Muslim), and language(s). 

But then again, writing these characters knowledgeably and respectfully also requires figuring out that information anyway.

~ ~ ~

Names and naming practices are so, so diverse. Do research into the culture and language before picking a name, and never go with only one source.

~ Mod Rina

[horax]

on tap (25.10.2024)

Weitere Biere sind frisch am Hahn: eine Reihe von fünf Bieren mit mindestens fünf Prozent Alkoholgehalt ist im Oktober möglich. Die Hazy Heidi ist sehr floral und frisch, das Stout reift binnen einer Woche weiter. Es entwickelt sich vielversprechend.

Die Reihe: Lady Redlight, Hazy Heidi, IPA, Black IPA, Stout

(27.10.2024)

[thedaily-beer]

El Segundo Tarmac Black IPA (Picked up at Windmill Farms). A 3 of 4. Lots of roast and toast in the nose with a little bit of astringent burnt notes. Drinks with quite a bit of bitterness, mostly pine/resin but some grapefruit, as well. Solid for the style, and has a nice malt/hop balance, although the roastiness + bitterness makes this slightly more aggressive than most.

[sheltiechicago]

Abstract Chicago

Abstract series of architecture in Chicago

Photographer: Rob Darby

IPA 2021

[mykneeshurt]

I absolutely love your Keegan fics.

If you’d be willing, could you write some Jealous Keegan x F reader smut based on this scene from After We Collided.

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTLWxKsTp/

Summer

Keegan x F!reader

Warnings - 18+, minors DNI, explicit smut, jealousy themes

A/N - sorry this took so long! I’ve haven’t written in such a long time so I hope this is everything you wanted ❤️

———

‘Hey!’ You laughed, clicking your fingers in Keegans face. Shaking his head gently he offered you a warm smile, acutely aware he’d been caught day dreaming. ‘It’s my round, what do you want?’ He pondered momentarily before settling on a pint of the newest IPA on offer.

He watched as you made your way to the bar, hips swaying with every step. Your baby blue summer dress accentuating every curve, every ripple of your soft skin. As he trailed his eyes up your body, he noticed a hand placed at the small of your back. Flashing his eyes towards the face of the intruder he could see it wasn’t someone he knew.

He felt tense instantly, fists clenched under the table, nails digging into his skin. He noticed his breath hitch in is throat, furious that someone else was touching you. Not that you were his to claim, you weren’t together. He knew you through your brother, he’d known you for years, you were just a friend.

The intruder pressed his lips against your cheek, his hand curling round your hips pulling you closer. Keegan felt his heart implode, acid coursed through his veins as he scrambled to keep in control. His mind raced, visions of the stranger fucking you, his fingertips grazing your skin, pulling at your hips as he buried his cock into you.

Not being able to take it anymore he shot up from his seat, the chair scraping across the wooden floor. It was enough to muster every single persons attention, all eyes fixed on him in that moment. Not that he cared. All but sprinting out the pub he charged his way through the plethora of patrons.

The fresh summers air sucker punched him, forcing the oxygen from his lungs. Sauntering over to his car he placed his hands on the hood, trying to ground himself. Why was he so wound up? Why did he feel so jealous? A flurry of emotions surged within him, unable to make sense of this sudden outburst.

And that’s when you showed up, because of course you did.

‘Keegan?! What’s wrong?’ You panted, pulling strands of hair out of your face. If his head had turned any faster he would have broken his neck. The low summer sun illuminated his steel eyes, full of an emotion you couldn’t quite understand. ‘You fuckin him?’ He snapped. Venom in his words.

Not being one to take anybody’s shit, especially Keegans shit, you squared up to him. He may be a marine, but he didn’t scare you. Not in the slightest.

‘What the fuck did you just say to me?’ You challenged, your eyes meeting his, seething with rage. ‘I said … are you fucking him?’ He closed the gap between the two of you even further, his breath brushing over your lips as he looked down on you. ‘And what on earth does that have to do with you? Of all people’ you spat.

Electricity surged in the air, skin prickling from the intense energy that swarmed between you.

‘So that’s a yes then?’ He said as he chewed his jaw, arms crossed with his biceps bulging from beneath his shirt. ‘No, it’s a mind your fucking business. Where has this even come from?’

Keegan had never acted like this before, he’d been protective of you, but never jealous.

Sighing he pinched the bridge of his nose, a single strand of black hair fell, framing his face. ‘Forget I even said anything’ he muttered under his breath as he turned away from you. ‘No, no, you don’t get to say that after making a scene. Why does this matter to you?’

‘It doesn’t.’

‘Clearly it does’, you said as you repositioned yourself in between him and his car.

Your back pressed against the black door frame, the metal molten from sitting in the sun. He remained silent, staring off into the surrounding fields. ‘I know him from work Keegan, he tries it on with me all the time but I’m not interested. You’d have seen that yourself if you’d had bothered to try and contain yourself. You’re my brother’s friend, not my brother. You don’t get to say who I can and cannot fuck.’

He chewed his jaw again, this time the muscle rippled beneath his skin, his pulse throbbing along his neck. Peering up at him you regarded him closely, wanting to see where this would go. ‘And what if I had fucked him Keegan? What then?’ His gaze deepened, hardened, as he placed his hands either side of your shoulders. Closing you in.

‘Him touching me? His body on top of mine? Kissing me … fucking me so so slowly? What would you do Keegan?’ You smirked at him, watching his face contort as his hands curled into fists. ‘Is that what this is about? You wanna fuck me Keegan?’ Placing your hands on his belt you pulled him slightly, biting your lip as you hummed. ‘You wanna feel me? Taste me?’

Pressing his hips against yours, you could feel his thick cock graze your thigh. He lowered his lips to your ear, his tongue running along his teeth. ‘Get in the fucking car.’

He all but manhandled you onto the back seat as you fell onto your back. Slamming the door shut he turned his attention to you. Your chest heaving as the sun strained to break through the blacked out windows. Pulling you by your hips towards him, he forced his knee in between your thighs causing you to gasp.

You grasped at his shirt pulling his lips to yours, they were unexpectedly soft. The kiss was forceful, with purpose, teeth clashing together as he pushed himself on you. His hands gripped at the flesh of your inner thighs as he coaxed you to grind on him. Deepening the kiss he swiped his tongue along your bottom lip, before nipping it gently.

Rolling your hips you whined into the kiss, the pressure on your clit igniting something primal within you. Breaking the kiss you gasped for air, pulling at his neck as he littered your neck with kisses. He groaned against your skin, fingertips leaving indents in their wake.

‘Tell me to stop’ he whispered, his voice cracking, ‘tell me to fucking stop.’ You dragged your nails along his scalp, unable to find words, instead only strained whispers. His fingers grazed along your lace covered cunt, ‘don’t tell me who I can’t fuck’ you purred, pulling at his belt once more.

In a swift motion he hiked up your dress, finally revealing a delicate white thong. He groaned to himself as he yanked at his belt, the metal the only sound heard in between your shared gasps. Propping yourself on your elbows you watched with curiosity as he freed his cock. Your arousal soaking the fine piece of material.

Spitting into his hand he pulled them to the side as he massaged his thick cock, your eyes wide you were about to protest ‘wait!-‘

When he pressed the tip against your entrance stretching you out in one fluid movement. His head dropped as he stifled a laugh, one of pleasure or disbelief you weren’t sure.

Falling onto your back you squeezed your eyes shut, completely and utterly blissed out. Mouth agape as your desperate pussy welcomed him with open arms. ‘Oh fuck’ he drawled, pushing your hips into the leather seats. He began thrusting at a punishing pace, a man starved, needy. Euphoria is the only way he’d describe finally feeling you around him, finally seeing you beneath him.

His thrusts expelled all oxygen from you, leaving you panting, needing more and more. Choking on your gasps you dug your nails into his skin, feverishly rolling your hips, trying to feel more friction on your aching clit.

Noticing this he slowed his pace, allowing a ribbon of saliva to fall from his lips onto the throbbing bud. ‘Show me’ he hissed as he pulled at your fingers. Needing no more direction you massaged your clit, finally relieving some of the pressure. ‘Atta girl’ he praised, smirking down at you.

He resumed his previous pace, sweat now beginning to form on his brow. Gritting his teeth, watching as his cock slid in and out of your cunt, covered in your arousal. ‘You wish it was him fuckin you? Fuckin this needy little cunt?’

‘I … fuck … no, Keegan please’ you stammered, all coherency and logic completely voiding itself from your mind.

Cupping your jaw he ran his thumb along your bitten lip, he pulled down on it watching as your eyes fluttered closed. You welcomed his thumb into your mouth, sucking softly at the pad. ‘Cum on this cock sweetheart. Come on’ he prompted, words barely audible over the whines exuding from the back of your throat.

Your fingers still worked your clit as he maintained his pace, his mouth slightly agape as he whimpered from the sensation of your pussy around him. He felt you begin to tighten, knowing your climax was building. ‘Cum for me’ he whispered, his thumb still nestled between your lips.

Your muscles tightened as your body shook beneath him, back arched and toes pointed as the explosive release washed over you. ‘Fuck … good girl’ he praised, as his free hand caressed your hip. You led beneath him breathless, completely and utterly satisfied.

‘In me’ you whispered, although it verged on begging. His brow furrowed as he slowed his pace, hitting every crevice of your cunt, your sensitivity heightening every move. ‘Cum in me Keegan’ you stated much more harshly, ordering him almost. ‘Are you on …’

‘Yes, don’t stop’ you whined interrupting him, wrapping your thighs around him, pulling him closer.

Not needing anymore information he pressed both hands around your hips, a single strand of hair fell onto his face framing it perfectly. His jaw fell open as he squeezed his eyes shut, low moans and whimpers filled the space between your two sweat glistening bodies. Feeling him fill you completely, you bit your lip smirking up at him. Biting his lip he dropped his head, chest heaving with every breath.

Humming to himself he finally looked up at you, the orange glow from the sun mixed with the steel blue of his eyes as he took you in. You were glowing. He pressed his forearms each side of your head as he kissed you deeply. ‘I’ve wanted to do that for a very very long time’ he admitted, hovering his lips above yours. ‘Mmm I can tell’ you smiled, ‘wanna know something?’

He nodded.

‘So have I.’

[bullet-prooflove]

Ten Years: Dean Winchester x Reader

Tagging: @kmc1989 @gatefleet @deanobssessedgirl @cosmic-psychickitty @cinderellasmissingshoes

Companion piece to:

Gatlinburg - Dean falls in love in a tiny town in Tennessee.

With You - Dean tells you he's going to stay the night.

You, Me & Tennessee - Dean always returns to Tennessee.

On The Mountain - Dean wishes he was back on the Mountain with you.

Feral (NSFW) - Dean gets feral when he sees you with another man.

Six Pack (NSFW) - You realise the man waiting for you isn't Dean Winchester.

Memories (NSFW) - Michael invades your home whilst you're away.

Sweet Dreams - Dean thinks about how this all started.

Deals With the Devil (feat: Michael)- You wake up with an angel in your bed.

The night that Michael shows up in your bed, is the night you end up at the Fire Tower indefinitely. Your supervisor is happy for the help because things on the mountain they’ve gotten a little wilder recently and you know that’s a reaction to the archangel that’s currently residing in your home.

Michael’s presence is fucking with the eco system, tipping the careful balance that you and the other forest rangers have spent years trying to maintain because the mountain doesn’t like it when others encroach on its territory. The spirit is old, dawn of time kind of old. The magic that guards the National Park it’s ancient, primordial, and it’s the only thing that’s keeping Michael away from you because even archangels know better than to fuck with Gaia.

You check your phone for the millionth time before you settle yourself into the metal single bed. Every ranger that stays in the tower tries to make it home for their rotation. You flick on the fairy lights that hang around the edge of the window as you tug the grey fleece lined blanket up to your chest. Dean brought it back to you after one of his trips because he knows it gets cold up here on the mountain.

You’ve been trying to call Sam since you found the archangel in your bed but it goes straight to voicemail. You turn it off and set it on the crate you use as a nightstand before you snuggle down into the blanket. The scent of Dean’s aftershave still clings to it from the last time the two of you were up here, making love to the sound of rain pattering against the windows.

As you lie there, your eyes fixed on the lights your mind drifts to Michael’s offer.

“All I’m asking for is one night.” He had whispered against your skin. “One night where I get to feel what he feels, that I get to experience you, enjoy you. You can have him back after that, you can be with the man you love again. Don’t you want that?”

You want that more than anything but the cost, it’s just too great because Dean will never forgive himself, it would torture him to the end of his days and you can’t do that to the man you love.

During your second night on the mountain, you ignite the firepit in the clearing at the base of the tower before setting up two camping chairs, close to the flames. You snap off the bottle caps off two IPAs from the microbrewery in town before placing one in the cupholder of the spare chair.

It doesn’t take long for your guest to join you. It never does once you’ve cracked open that first beer and this brand Mountain Brew, it’s his favourite. You hear the wind rustling through the trees before Guy steps out into the clearing, his hands tucked into the pockets of the black aviator jacket. He wears worn Levis and a threadbare navy blue Airforce cap on top of a thick head of white hair. He’s been this way ever since the day your father first brought you here at the age of eight to meet the spirit of the mountain. The rangers in this region are all legacy families, it’s in your blood to protect the people here from the things that go bump in the night.

“I’m gonna be here for a while.” You find yourself telling him as you stare into the fire. “Things out there…”

You trail off because you aren’t sure how to explain what’s happening in the outside world.

“It’s your hunter isn’t it?” He says as he drops into the empty chair beside you, picking up the IPA. “Somethings happened to him.”

The spirit of the mountain, it likes Dean. It has since that nightmare with the Wendigos. His affection for you, the fact that he cleans up after himself and deals with the shit that needs to be dealt with in, all of that has endeared him to Guy.

“The two of you make a good match.” Guy had told him one night when the three of you were roasting smores. “I couldn’t have picked a better mate for a daughter of the mountain.”

“What does he mean by that?” Dean had asked you later, his head propped up on his arm as he watches you undress from his position in the bed. “Daughter of the forest?”

You’d explained your heritage then, how the rangers in this town were descended from Gaia, how every single one of you was connected to this forest in some way which is why you protect it.

“And now you know everything.” You had told him as you lingered at the side of the bed, wearing one of his t-shirts. “Does it change anything for you?”

“Nah, I knew you were special.” He’d told you as he caught your hand, pulling you down on top him before he gathers you up in his arms. “A little bummed out that you’re not one of the X-Men though.”

“Yea it sucks.” You’d said as you buried your face into the crook of his neck. “No powers, just a shotgun and a ranger’s uniform.”

“You do look hot with a shotgun though.” He’d reminded you, his fingertips combing lightly through your hair. “And in uniform.”

Over beers in the present you tell Guy about the situation with Dean and with Michael. He listens diligently and without judgement, his expression remaining impassive throughout.

“There’s a way.” He says after a few minutes of silence. “But it’ll require some sacrifice on your part.”

“Anything.” You say resolutely and he sets his empty beer bottle down alongside the others.

“I can make a weapon.” He confides in you, his thumb peeling at label on the bottle.  “Something that can kill Michael, that will leave the hunter intact.”

“What’s the catch?” You ask and he inclines his head towards you, his lips pursed together grimly.

“Ten years.” He says and you frown because you don’t understand the meaning behind his words. “Crafting something like that, something that can kill an archangel it takes a lot of power, power I’m currently using to lock down some of the bigger grizzles that wander these parts.”

He means the monsters that he keeps caged, the ones that would tear apart the region if he didn’t keep a firm grasp on them. You deal with the small stuff, the ones that pick off campers and steal small children but anything bigger than that..

Well let’s just say you’d all be fucked.

“If I create this weapon it’ll leave me weak, things will start to slip and …”

The sentence hangs in the air and you know exactly where this is going.

“You’ll need to draw energy from me to stop that from happening and the only way you can do that is if I’m here on the mountain.” You sigh as he gives you that look, the one you’ve come to know so well.

“It takes ten years to replenish that kind of expenditure.” He explains, setting out the parameters. “That means you won’t be able to cross the boundary where the National Park ends. You’ll have to give up your freedom, your home, the life you have...”

It means that you’ll be stranded here like Rapunzel in the Fire Tower, on an indefinite watch for the next decade. The alternative doesn’t seem much better because as long as Michael’s out there, you can’t leave the shelter of the mountain anyway without putting yourself in danger. That archangel, he’s going to snap soon and it’s going to be violent and bloody when he does.

At least this way Dean will be free, he won’t be trapped in his own mind, screaming and clawing at the walls.

“Ten years.” You say quietly before you take a sip of your beer. “I can do ten years.”

Love Dean? Don’t miss any of his stories by joining the taglist here.

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Like My Work? - Why Not Buy Me A Coffee

[lynzishell]

The Past 💛 Atlas

Thanks to Asher pointing it out so fervently, I’ve become self-conscious of my quiet singing at work. Since no one has ever said anything directly before, I think I’d convinced myself on some level that they couldn’t hear me, but this is clearly not true. I’m not self-conscious of my singing itself so much as disrupting the people around me, now feeling as though my co-workers are all silently annoyed with me. So, I’ve spent the entire week actively trying not to sing out loud.

Until today, anyway. I’m so engrossed in my work, in writing out line after line of code, that the layers of synth and the familiar sound of the melodica teleport me elsewhere as Your Silent Face plays in my ears. I don’t realize I’m singing along until the last lines of the song, “you’ve caught me at a bad time, so why don’t you piss off,” when a hand flashes in front of my eyes, snapping me out of my flow.

I quickly remove my earbuds and look up to see Asher leaning against my desk, looking down at me with a smirk, “Did you just tell me to piss off?”

“No,” I say, a little flustered,” sorry, it was the song.”

“Ah,” he leans forward to look at my phone, but the screen has already gone black, “What’re you listening to?”

The closeness makes every nerve on my body stand at attention, and I watch as he reaches a hand toward me and taps my phone to bring it back to life. “It’s, um, New Order,” I tell him when a basket of roses illuminates on the screen.

He glances at it briefly, then looks back at me and simply says, “cool.” My face starts to burn as I stare into his eyes, perfectly gray like beautiful sheets of altostratus clouds, and I feel as though I may float away into them as they peer at me through long lashes and the teal-tipped strands of his black hair. Feeling overwhelmed by the intensity of his gaze, I quickly lean back, clear my throat, and ask, “So, what’s up?”

“A bunch of us are going out for a drink after work today. Do you wanna come?”

“Uhh, I don’t know.” To be honest, I hate making plans for the same day, especially if I’m expected to be that social. Normally, I’d be quick to say no, but today I hesitate. It’s been so busy that we haven’t had much of a chance to chat or hang out since Geek Con, save for the occasional ‘hello, how are you?’ when I arrive in the mornings. Part of me is a bit eager to spend time with him again.

“Come on, one drink. I’ll buy.”

Could he be eager to spend time with me again too? The possibility causes a flutter in my stomach, so I agree, “Okay, one drink.”

“Good good. We’re leaving here at four.”

“I don’t know if I can get out of here that early. I’ll just meet you there.”

“Okay. What do you drink, anyway?”

I shrug, “Just beer usually. IPA.”

He cocks his head to the side, “Hm, interesting.”

“What?”

“I didn’t realize you were such a hipster.”

I roll my eyes and jokingly tell him to “Piss off” as I wave him away.

He laughs as he turns to walk back to his desk and then calls back to me, “four o’clock.”

“Yeah yeah,” I say before putting my earbuds in and getting back to work.

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