#Find Hotel in Seattle Washington

[mingispelvis]

Chilli Pepper Vibe

Genre: mingi x afab!reader, smut w a little fluff but a LOT of plot

Length: 5.5k

Summary: You go abroad with your friends and are blessed to run into Ateez at your hotel.

NSFW warnings under cut

Warnings: oral sex female receiving, oral sex male receiving, fingering, alcohol consumption, unprotected sex (WRAP IT UP), not pulling out, use of slut, use of baby girl, there's a LOT of plot sorry this is kinda fluffy also at the end

Idk how NDAs work and idk how to end it sorry!!!!!

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Girls trips hit different when you’re all gainfully employed. Seulgi had just made partner at Bae & Kang law firm. Joy was recently promoted to Zone Manager of her company, with a hefty bonus to boot. And you? You finally finished residency and were officially able to practice medicine on your own. Despite the three of you being in your mid 20s, you had all continued to push each other and you all achieved great things.

Thusly, girls trip. 

Seulgi, being type A, organized the entire trip from start to finish. To her, vacation starts the moment you step out of your front door. She arranged an Uber Black to take the three of you to the airport, got you all first class tickets, and arranged a very expensive penthouse for the three of you to stay in. She wouldn’t even tell you where exactly you’d be going, just to “bring your sexiest party clothes, a few swimsuits, and your passports”. 

“Our final plane before we land at our destination will be at gate, ummm,” Seulgi paused to check her airline app to see where the three of you would be waiting for the next hour. “Ah, gate A57”. You and Joy eyed the terminal signs as you walked towards A57, passing “Los Angeles, California”, “Seattle, Washington” “Atlanta, Georgia” and then “Moscow, Russia”, “Beijing, China”, and “Seoul, South Korea.” A57 came into view and underneath, in bright orange pixels, read “Tokyo, Japan”. Your jaw dropped open and Joy began to squeal. “No way, no way, no way. Seulgi. You did NOT get us tickets to Waterbomb.” Joy jumped up and down, neck pillow flopping against her back. Seulgi shrugged her shoulders and attempted to fight a smile, but Joy squealed again and grabbed her into a huge bear hug, causing a grin to explode onto Seulgi’s face. “I LOVE YOU SO MUCH RIGHT NOW YOU DON’T EVEN KNOW!” Joy’s scream was muffled as her tight hug squashed her mouth into Seulgi’s shoulder.

“Umm..hold on…what’s Waterbomb?” You asked, giggling slightly at your friend’s antics. At this, Joy and Seulgi stopped hugging to stare at you like you’d grown an extra head out of your shoulders. “Ew I forgot she’s only a casual KPOP girl.” Joy rolled her eyes as she plopped down in one of the chairs at the gate and kicked her feet up onto her suitcase. Seulgi took the time to explain the massive festival, the amazing kpop acts, and the water guns to you and by the time your boarding zone was called, you were stoked about getting to go. 

The flight to Tokyo was long and uneventful, the ride to the hotel was short and sweet, and the check in process was smooth. The three of you were staying at a 5 star hotel famous for waiting on their guests hand and foot. The elevator up to the penthouse was smooth and when you stepped into the hall, you were shocked to find only two massive open areas on either side of the elevator. “The other side is the other penthouse. We have this entire half of the floor to ourselves. That’s how big this place is.” Seulgi explained. As if your jaws couldn’t drop enough, Seulgi scanned her thumb print and the door to your vacation palace unlocked with a quiet click. “They don’t have my thumb print, right? I didn’t authorize them to have that information!” Joy joked. You couldn’t even think of the logistics as you stepped into what could only be described as luxury beyond your wildest dreams. Marble floors, brilliant chandeliers, gold plated silverware (goldware?) 200 inch large screen TV with surround sound speakers, full bar, and floor to ceiling windows overlooking the city of Tokyo. The balcony was a walk around that you could access from the living area or any of the bedrooms and had a hot tub, a small infinity pool, and another outdoor bar. Each of the three bedrooms had a king sized bed that you actually had to walk up two steps to get into and a full bathroom attached. The bathrooms had clawfoot tubs made of more gold, massive showers, and a towel warmer. Despite having handed over your credit cards to Seulgi so she could split the price of everything equally between the three of you, you had no idea the measly 4 digit price you paid could amount to such elegance. 

The long travels and time change hit the three of you hard, so after gawking at the amenities the penthouse provided a little longer, the three of you washed up and hit the sack, hard. So hard, you didn’t wake up until almost 3pm the next day. Luckily, traveling queen Seulgi had accounted for this and had allotted two rest days into the rigorous itinerary, delivering every meal up to the room by room service to be had on the balcony or on the edge of the pool. 

“I wonder who’s on the opposite side of the hall from us in the other penthouse” Joy questioned between massive bites of her meal. She was standing in the pool with her upper half lounging on the poolside.

“Probably some big shot oil tycoon and his 3 wives,” you joked, nursing an afternoon mimosa. Joy giggled and downed another bite of her meal. For being so thin, she had one hell of an appetite.

“Actually,” Seulgi started with a smile. “I booked this hotel because it’s usually one of the ones idols stay at since it’s super close to the festival area and the hotel is known for its discretion. I bet it's a kpop group.” Joy dropped a grape into the pool, mouth agape, body frozen as she stared at Seulgi. You watched the grape bob away towards the other side of the pool. Joy still hadn’t moved or spoken when you turned back.

“Joy? Babe? You alright?” You gave her shoulder a light shake. 

Joy took a deep breath before shouting, “A KPOP GROUP!? YOU’RE TELLING ME STRAY KIDS COULD BE RIGHT NEXT DOOR? OR EXO? OR-” Joy jumped out of the pool at this point. “We gotta go over there and find out who it is!”

“No! What are we gonna do just knock on the door and see who answers? It could be a girl group too, you know.” Seulgi stated.

Joy jumped again, “TWICE!?” Joy feigned fainting, “catch me Nayeon!” You all three laughed and Joy jumped back into the pool. “We should get some drinks and just have a party tonight. A light party, so we can go explore tomorrow, but a party nonetheless.” Joy suggested. 

“Hell yeah we’ve relaxed enough. It’s time to get fucked up.” You agreed. 

“I know a place we can get some good stuff for cheap. We spent an arm and a leg on this trip. I'm not paying the big bucks for alcohol.” Seulgi stated, cleaning up the plates (as is her duty as the resident mom of the trip). “Let’s head there now so we can be back before dinner and get some food in our system before we get trashed.” 

You and Joy did as you were told and obediently threw on a swim suit cover-up to travel to the store. 2 bottles of champagne and a box of soju later, the three of you returned and got dressed for dinner. After your bellies were full, the three of you put on your “party pajamas" (short shorts, crop tops, and fuzzy socks) and got the snacks and drinks ready on the living room table. 

“Shit we need ice for the champagne don’t we. I’ll go grab some from the ice machine down the hall. We’re gonna need more than the refrigerator has at the moment.” You grabbed the empty champagne bucket and headed to the room where the ice machine was located. Well, where you thought it was located. The ice machine room was empty and you pouted while thinking about where you could get ice. You walked back to the room, but before you went back in and admitted defeat to your friends, you saw the doors to the staircase and thought you might as well try one floor down. Entering onto the floor below you headed back to the area where the ice machine could be, but stopped when you saw two figures standing in the open area after the penthouse suite door. Though the lighting was dim (a 5 star hotel can’t light their hallways?) you could see a third figure gesturing, and then backing up and pointing their phone towards the first two as if they were recording. You slowly walked closer when you heard “Ok, shi-jak* [A/N: begin].” T-Pain’s “Booty Wurk played and the two figures started dancing. The moves were executed flawlessly until one of the figures in a black cap made an imperceptible (to you) mistake. Groans from the other two were heard and the taller male in the front, in a gray cap, turned to playfully shake at the other. You took this as your chance to pass through. “You guys are really good at dancing,” you started as all three boys jumped, startled at your sudden appearance. You passed by them, but not before taking in just how beautiful they all three were. “Oh, thank you.” The one in the gray cap nodded to you. You headed to the ice machine, but subconsciously felt like someone was watching, so you took a quick peek over your shoulder to see all three men watching you. Dipping quickly into the ice room, you put your hand over your heart and felt it flutter. 

Woah. Were they checking me out? You thought to yourself as you pressed the bucket under the ice machine. The clanking and crunching of the machine and the ice hitting the metal bucket was a mere whisper compared to the thumping of your heart and whooshing of blood in your ears. 

Fuck it. It’s vacation. You convinced yourself as the ice toppled over the lip of the bucket and landed with a clack on the floor. When you came out, the boys were dancing again. You walked just close enough to let them know you were watching, and then leaned against the wall. The boys finished up their attempt of the dance and you stepped forward. 

“Wow! You guys are really so good!” you fluttered your lashes even though you weren’t sure if they could see in the dim light. “You should be professionals. I wish you could teach me to dance!” You stepped a little closer to the three boys. 

The boy holding his phone chuckled while the one in the gray cap thanked you again. You fluttered your lashes again and flashed a sweet smile. “I’m Y/N. And you are?” You turned to the shorter boy in black. “Oh, uh, I’m Wooyoung”. He smiled lightly. 

“I’m Yunho.” The boy in the gray cap waved and then shoved his hands back in the pockets of his white cargo pants.

You turned to the final boy and your eyes widened and pulse quickened. You hadn’t gotten a good look at him when you first passed by, but even in the dim light you could see he was a ten out of ten. You strained your eyes and pleaded with your pupils to let you see this man in all his glory. 

“I’m Mingi. Nice to meet you, Y/N. And, for the record, we are professionals.” He smiled. 

“Oh? Are you in a dance group?” You questioned, never breaking eye contact with Mingi.

“Something like that”, Wooyoung answered. “More like a KPOP group.” He barely finished his sentence before he was lightly slapped in the chest by Yunho.

“Oh that’s really cool. Which group? Maybe I’ve heard of you.” You played it cool even though your heart was threatening to beat itself out of your rib cage.

“Ateez.” Mingi said proudly. 

You did your best not to fangirl hard. You’d been listening to Bouncy continuously since Joy sent it in the group chat. Due to your rigorous doctor schedule, stanning wasn’t something you had time to do- thus, Joy’s “Ew, casual KPOP girl” comment in the airport.

“I think I’ve heard of you guys before.” you nodded and flashed another cute smile. “Well, I have to get this bucket of ice back to a few bottles of champagne,” you emphasized your sentence by holding up the bucket and patting it a few times. “But if you guys ever want a break from idol life, my friends and I are one floor up with drinks and snacks.” You passed through the three boys once again, turned around, and started walking backwards so you could express your final sentence to them, “and we’ll sign NDAs, no problem.” You whipped back around before the three boys had a chance to watch you sink deep into embarrassment, fear, and confusion.

Did I really just tell three international superstars I’d sign an NDA to party with them? I haven’t even started drinking and I’m already doing stupid shit. You chastised yourself as you quickly made your way back up the stairs and into your penthouse.

“Finally! We were gonna start without you!” Joy shouted, her back to you as she sat on the couch fiddling with something you couldn’t see.

“We did start without you.” Seulgi corrected, clicking something on her computer and watching the big screen TV at the same time. She seemed to be setting up her computer to cast to the TV to play music.

“You guys will never guess what happened to me and who I met.” You started, setting the bucket on the kitchen counter and tucking the two champagne bottles snuggly within the ice. When you turned back to your friends, they were both staring at you excitedly.

“WHO!?” they yelled in unison.

You went to go sit on the couch. You started off your story of the disappearing ice machine much to Joy and Seulgi’s dismay, and even kept an air of mystery by not revealing the names of the boys until the proper point in the story, after you’d gotten the ice.

“So I’m like, my name is Y/N what’s yours? And he goes ‘Wooyoung’ and the next dude goes ‘Yunho’ and the last dude goes ‘Mingi’.” you recount. At each name, Seulgi gasps and Joy squeals. You continued before they could interrupt you. 

“Then Mingi’s like ‘Yeah we are professionals’ and I’m like ‘yeah are you in a dance group?’ and Wooyoung goes ‘We’re in ATEEZ’ and I lowkey pretended like I’m not obsessed with Bouncy so I can stay chill.” You were speeding through the story to make it to the most important part before Joy exploded with questions. 

“So,” you continue “I say ‘yeah I’ve heard of you guys. Well if you wanna come up and party with us we’ll sign the NDA!” You bury your head in your hands and pull your knees to your chest while Joy and Seulgi, essentially, freak out. 

“Are you telling me Ateez could come up here and party with us!?” Joy stands up on the couch in excitement. Seulgi quickly brings her down a peg to reality and says “They probably won’t but at least Y/N got to flirt with hot famous guys.” Seulgi pauses for a moment before a squeal escapes her mouth and she taps her feet on the floor in glee. “WE COULD PARTY WITH ATEEZ THOUGH!” Seulgi grins. With that, Joy jumps lightly off the couch and pops open a soju bottle. She grabs three shot glasses and pours the bottle evenly across all three. “Well,” she starts “we should be ready when they get here!”

You three take the shots like champs, open the snacks, and turn up the music. After some light mixed drinks and a few good songs, the three of you had almost forgotten about your supposed super star visitors. A knock at the door stops the three of you in your tipsy rendition of Kai’s Rover. You look at each other in confusion, and then turn towards the door. You head over and peek through the peephole. A young Asian woman, probably the same age as you, with an ipad is standing outside the door. You open the door just wide enough to be polite.

“Hi.” You say tentatively, confusion clearly showing on your face.

‘Hi! I’m one of the managers working for KQ and I think I have something you’ll want to sign.” The lady turns her iPad around and you see NON DISCLOSURE AGREEMENT in big bold letters across the top of a document. You feel hands on your shoulder and the door swings wider. 

“YES. WE’LL SIGN. WHATEVER IT IS WE’LL SIGN!” Joy practically screams in the woman’s face.

The manager laughs and begins to quickly scroll through the massive document, highlighting the major points (basically, keep it quiet or we’ll sue you for your entire life and the life of your future children) and then hands you a stylus. 

“If you agree to the terms and conditions, sign, print, and date here. If you have any questions let me know and I’ll be happy to answer them before you sign. If you’re no longer interested-” before the manager can finish her sentence, Joy snatches the stylus out of your hand and signs off on the document. She hands the stylus to Seulgi and she does the same with speed. 

“So, they’re coming up here? They’re all actually coming?” You ask, raising an eyebrow and begging the answer to be yes.

The manager chuckles and says “this non-disclosure agreement covers any potential meetings with the idols mentioned within it on the dates mentioned within it.” She punctuates her sentence with a smile and moves the iPad towards you. Joy nudges you in a manner that lets you know that you will not be ruining this for her. You sign with shaky hands.

“Perfect!” The manager turns the iPad back around and taps on it a bit. “And if you could all input your emails here, you’ll receive a copy of this for your own records.” You put in your emails, and the manager hits send. “Thank you! Have a good night!” The manager bows, and heads down the hall. You slowly close the door and turn to look at your friends. You stand staring at each other, excitement buzzing between the three of you as not one of your brains can form words. Seulgi was the first to break the silence. 

“Well…this is happening.” She said as if she was trying to convince herself to keep calm. Joy walked off like a zombie in a trance to sit back on the couch and stare out into the distance. “This is happening.” She repeated in the same tone as Seulgi.

“This is happening!” Joy rocketed up from the couch. “I gotta go put on some makeup!” Joy rushed into her bedroom, and you heard a distinct zip of a makeup bag followed by the continuous clacking of makeup containers hitting each other while being dumped out. You and Seulgi finally had the wherewithal to leave the foyer and head back to the couch. You took a generous swig of strawberry soju when you heard another knock at the door. This time, all three of you ran to the door to answer it. You were closer, and, therefore, faster, and opened the door with a grin.

“(Y/N)!” Mingi raised his hands above his head as if he was greeting an old friend. “I brought drinks and friends.” You moved to the side to welcome Mingi in, Yunho, Wooyoung, and San following behind him. 

“These are my friends Seulgi and Joy.” You introduced your friends but before you could give them the eyes that meant “please be cool”, they began to fangirl.

“Oh my gosh Wooyoung you’re my bias! It’s so cool to meet you guys!” Joy giggled and jumped Wooyoung with a hug. “Oh I’m so sorry!” Joy jumped back as quickly as she had hugged Wooyoung. “I should have asked first- can I hug you?” 

Wooyoung laughed and nodded, coming in for another hug. Yunho, Mingi, and San greeted you all and you all headed to the couch. 

Joy, the official party girl of the three of you, immediately began to pour shots while Seulgi turned the music back up. The party had commenced full swing, with all of you jumping, dancing, and shouting lyrics as loud as you could. After an hour and a few drinks, you were just buzzed enough to let your inhibitions out the window, so when Bouncy came on, you lost it.

“EVERYONE SHUT UP I LOVE THIS SONG” you yelled, arms out as wide as possible to clear the makeshift dance floor (aka the area where the coffee table used to be). The song got as far as Yunho’s “one, two..” before it stopped. You whipped your head around to Seulgi with a look on your face that clearly said what the fuck!? But before you could verbally protest, Seulgi pointed to the TV. She’d pulled up the music video.

“Since you’ve never seen it.” She stuck her tongue out, but you didn’t see her. Your eyes were glued to the screen. By the time the video ended, you had made a dangerous decision. Watching Mingi clear out a bar with a fake gun, belly roll, and dance had you trembling. You knew you had to have him. You devised a devious plan in the blink of an eye. “Play it again!” you whined. “I wanna dance AND,” you stood up to emphasize the second request “I want you all to sing your parts!” 

The boys laughed and agreed as Seulgi re-started the music video. You began dancing as Mingi rapped “What you wanna do?”. Your plan was in motion and so were your hips. You spun around and swung your hand in the air like you were swinging a lasso. You slowly approached Mingi, who had sat down on the couch. When the chorus hit, you straddled him. Your heart was beating faster than it ever had before, but your mind was determined. You kept lightly moving your hips and swinging your imaginary lasso. Mingi looked at you with eyes wide and mouth slightly open, corners of his mouth turned up in disbelief. You pushed a little further- putting your hands on his shoulders and singing along:

“Slow it down, make it bouncy 

지금부터 fly

좀 다른 spicy 청양고추 vibe”

You looked Mingi in the eyes when you felt his hands on your hips. “Don’t forget to rap your part.” You leaned close with a small smile and mouthed “fix on” in time with the song. Mingi began rapping, and you began the next part of your plan. You wrapped your arms around his neck and began to kiss at his neck. You heard his breath catch slightly, but he didn’t miss a beat of his rap. You moved up to his ear, bit lightly, and moaned “mmmm”. You applied a little more pressure in your grind and you moved to snake your fingers up the hair on the nape of his neck. You kept kissing his neck and, when his rap had completed, Mingi slowly slid his hands down to cup your ass. You could hear San and Wooyoung confidently slurring their way through Seonghwa’s lines. You’re surprised you’re not embarrassed about slutting yourself out in front of your friends, but the growing bulge pressing into your crotch is making it a little easier. Pulling back and placing your forehead on Mingi’s, you stare in each other’s eyes and reach a silent understanding. You slide off of Mingi and grab his hand, leading him to your bedroom. 

You shut the door, but can’t turn around because Mingi has pressed his body against you. He wraps his arms around you and kisses your neck. He spins you around and crashes his mouth into you, tongues wrestling and arms wandering. You push him towards the massive bed and pull away from the intoxicating kiss just long enough to warn him to watch his step. You pull off your shorts and shirt and Mingi does the same. Mingi sits up against the headboard and drags you back into his lap. You both moan and grind into each other- Mingi clearly not able to choose between massaging your breasts or squeezing your ass, so he settles for one for each hand. You’ve had enough of the humping and pull away. You trail kisses down Mingi’s body, clearly heading to give him the best head of his life, but he leans forward and grabs you before you can make it to your prize. Mingi flips you over and tears your panties off like he’s unwrapping a christmas present. 

“Shit.” Mingi mumbles as he pushes your legs out and back for a clear view of his meal. He looks up at you as he lightly runs his middle finger through your slick covered folds. Your breathing is heavy and your heart is pounding. 

“You want it, baby girl?” Mingi raises an eyebrow at you. You nod fervently, but that’s clearly not enough. “Lemme hear you baby. What do you want?” Mingi teases in the sweetest, sultriest voice you’ve ever heard. 

“I want you to eat me like it’s your last meal, Mingi.” You respond, grabbing a fistful of his hair. At this Mingi’s eyes flutter shut and he gasps. 

“Don’t let go,” Mingi growls, then he dives in. He wraps his lips around your clit and sucks, and makes quick work of his tongue. He slowly pushes his middle finger inside you and hooks it right into your g-spot. 

The speed at which the pleasure overcomes you has you grabbing Mingi’s hair with your other hand and releasing a deep moan. Mingi slurps and moans as he fingers you deep. You pull him off of you and he looks up at you with confusion. You begin to crawl down towards his crotch, bulge straining painfully through his boxer briefs. Mingi gets it immediately and flips over onto his back to continue his work on your clit while you unearth his throbbing cock. Watching the thick, long member spring out of its cage has you clenching around Mingi’s finger. He moans and adds a second as you squeeze the base of his cock. He’s already leaking, so you squeeze a little more out to lubricate his dick. You lick a stripe from the base to the tip, and then take Mingi in his entirety. Mingi’s head falls back and he moans deeply. 

“(Y/N), fuck, just like that.” Mingi pants and speeds up his fingers within you. You feel your orgasm approaching but you’re determined to make Mingi remember you. You move off of Mingi, which removes his fingers from you, and turn to face him. He looks down at you and you stare in his eyes as you deepthroat him. You hollow your cheeks and work your tongue up and down, cupping his balls with one hand and running the other up and down his thighs. Mingi lightly places his hands on your head and you can feel him throbbing in your mouth. You can tell he’s getting close and remove him from your mouth with a pop. The heat of the moment over takes you and you go to straddle him, line him up, and sink down on his cock. Mingi’s eyes fluttered shut and he shuddered out a moan. You began a slow pace, up and down, while simultaneously circling your hips. You threw your head back and dug your nails into Mingi’s toned abs. He gripped your hip with one hand and began mercilessly rubbing your clit with the other. Your legs went weak as your orgasm built up again, and you sat down on Mingi, fully taking his entire length. Mingi pulled you forward so you were laying on his chest. He hooked both of his arms around your waist, lifted his hips, and began fucking you senseless. 

You came within seconds, gripping Mingi’s cock tight- he could feel your walls fluttering and your orgasm dripping down onto his thighs. 

“Fuck Mingi, yes! Make me cum!” You moaned into his ear. Between your pussy death gripping his cock and you dirty talking in his ear, Mingi couldn’t handle it. His hips stuttered, his breath became ragged, and his moans became louder and louder. He pounded into you harder and harder until he finally stilled deep within you. You felt him throbbing and spilling his release as you were coming down from your own high. 

Mingi rode out his orgasm still holding your body tightly to his. You pushed your torso up so you could see Mingi’s face clearly- hair sticking to his forehead by beads of sweat, eyelids low in bliss. Mingi took a deep breath and finally came to. His eyes got wide and he swore in korean. 

“Oh God. I just…fuck…I didn’t pull out…I’m…are you…” Mingi’s mind was clearly racing and you put your pointer finger to his lips to shush him.

“Shh. It’s okay. I’m on birth control, I’m clean, and I’d never do that to you. I promise.” you comforted him.

Mingi’s eyebrows creased together and raised in a face that relayed “you promise?” then he nodded and released the breath he’d been holding. He then rolled over, still holding you tight to his body, so you could be flat on your back when he pulled out. “Stay there!” he requested as he ran off to the bathroom to get you a warm towel. He came back smiling, ready to provide you with excellent aftercare. He found your clothes that had been scattered over the floor, and handed them to you as he put on his own clothes. A pang of sadness hit your heart as you realized your night with Mingi was over, and you went into the bathroom to collect yourself (and to pee. You always pee after sex!). You looked in the mirror and saw how rosy your cheeks were, hair all over your head, and all you could do was smile. You were thankful that you had this experience. After quickly brushing your teeth and washing your face, you opened the bathroom door and peeked back in the bedroom. Mingi was nowhere to be found. You realized simultaneously that it was silent in the penthouse. You assumed the girls went to bed and Mingi left with the rest of his members. You crawled into bed, fluffed your pillows, and turned off the lights.  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------

You woke up hot. Really hot. And paralyzed. Not sleep paralyzed, paralyzed like you were in a straitjacket. You slowly realized someone was in the bed with you. You could hear a soft snore from behind you. You twisted around to try and see if Joy had had another nightmare and wanted to cuddle with you for “safety”. The figure behind you aroused and you strained your eyes in the darkness to see who the hell caused you to be drenched in sweat.

“Hey, did my snoring wake you?” A soft, deep voice asked. Your eyes adjusted to the darkness and you saw Mingi’s sleepy face, eyes still shut tight. You were glad his eyes were closed because you were grinning like an idiot. “No, I just had a funny dream.” You lied as you cuddled up, face first into his chest. Mingi held you tight, kissed your forehead, and immediately fell back asleep.

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The smell of bacon wafted into your dreams and knocked on your brain until you regained consciousness. The sun was beaming into your room and you gave yourself a nice, full body stretch. While stretching, you realized how roomy your bed was. You turned over and noticed your empty bed. You sighed in content, happy for the night you had. A piece of cloth under the unused pillow caught your eye. You lifted the pillow and noticed Mingi’s shirt, and a note.

“Had a great time last night. See you at Waterbomb. Have you and your friends meet us backstage ;) -SMG”

You grabbed his shirt, stuffed it into your face, and took a big sniff. You didn’t care that it was creepy and delusional. You’re happy he left you a memento of the night you shared. The door to your room creaked slowly open, and you popped your head up as soon as you noticed it.

“SEULGI SHE’S UP OH MY GOD.” Joy screamed and sprinted full speed towards your bed. She flopped down next to you as Seulgi ran in behind her.

“TELL. US. EVERYTHING.” Joy enunciated her words by shaking your shoulders. 

You relayed the night to your best friends. You concluded by showing them the note. Joy and Seulgi shrieked and their voices overlapped in excitement- fantasizing about how the day was going to go. You tuned them out and looked wistfully out the window as the sun continued to shine into your bedroom. You began to grin as you thought about all you were going to do with Mingi again. 

[pedrito-friskito]

// track 1 - fortnight //

-> welcome officially to TTWD! (kay’s version). first on our track list is some sweet, smutty lovin’ from my favourite lover boy, marcus pike🤍

word count: 2.5k

warnings: drinking, meet-cute, unprotected p-in-v (wrap it before u tap it), marcus is a pleasure dom we all know this, kay knows nothing about the FBI LOL

Marcus has always hated paperwork. Finds it tedious, though he knows it’s necessary, but he loathes it, much preferring to celebrate a job well done than to rehash his assignment alone in his office.

It’s that exact hatred that had him sneaking out of the building, heading in the direction of the bar not far from his temporary workplace, one he’d visited earlier in the week with a few friends.

He’s only here for a few weeks, two to be exact. And with the way things are going, he has a feeling he’ll be heading back to Washington earlier than anticipated. He doesn’t mind the travel, it’s always been a perk of the job, though he knows it’s probably part of the reason he has yet to settle down.

After the fiasco in Austin with Robin, he’d sworn off dating for a while. Washington was a fresh start in every sense, but no sooner had he unpacked his bag, they were sending him to Maine on a job, then to Seattle, then Colorado, then Tulsa, the list went on and on. For a stretch of at least four months, he hadn’t even set foot in his apartment, living out of a bag and becoming far too accustomed to sleeping on those godawful chairs in the airport.

Seattle had been a highlight, however.

You were the commanding officer of your division, as much of an art geek as Marcus, and damn good at your job. Marcus had fallen easily into step beside you, and his week-long visit was shorted to a weekend after your success, but he found himself lingering, hesitant to tell his own CO that the job was done. He knew the news would make its way up the flagpole regardless, but he wanted to stay.

Wanted to know you better.

You let him, the pair of you starting with a dinner that was so full of conversation that you didn’t realize the place was closing until your polite-as-hell waiter gently suggested you head across the street to a 24-hour diner with the best cup of coffee in the city. You’d headed over, Marcus holding an umbrella over you both against the sudden downpour.

He lost count of the cups of coffee, enraptured by the way your hand kept inching closer to his on the tabletop, how your gaze flickered between his mouth and his eyes. On a whim, he reached out, curling his fingers around yours and rubbing his thumb over your knuckles.

The rain outside had thinned to a drizzle, and he leaned across the table. “You wanna get out of here?”

It was you who ended up taking him home, to the small house near the coast you called home. “Much nicer than whatever hotel they have you in, I can guarantee,” you commented as you fumbled with the lock.

The moment you were over the threshold, he had your face in his hands and was brushing his mouth over yours, the taste of coffee lingering on both your tongues, Marcus stepping forward so you would step back, until your shoulders hit the wall and he could press himself against you.

You took him to bed, and called in the next day, more content to spend the day with him. You didn’t leave the bedroom much, and the week progressed like that, wrapped up in sex and conversation and coffee, until Marcus’s phone rang and the bubble popped.

“We need you in Colorado. Your flight leaves in four hours.”

He saw it move through your face, then you shrugged and said, “It’s the job. I get it.”

He didn’t want to leave. But he had to. You said over and over that you understood, and when he asked if you could stay in touch, that maybe this could work, your eyes clouded.

“I don’t think that’s such a good idea, Marcus.”

Crushed, he got himself drunk in the airport bar, and by morning, he had a new assignment, and knew he had to put you behind him.

Fate, however, seems to have another plan in mind.

Stepping into the bar, he sighs, heading toward the same stool he’d occupied a few nights ago, when a familiar face catches his eye. His heart stutters in his chest as he reaches his seat, letting his suit jacket slide off his shoulders.

Your hair is shorter than he remembers — maybe a trim, maybe his mind is playing tricks on him — but the rest is the same. Better, somehow, like a restored painting in his mind as he drinks you in again like it’s the first time. Perched at the bar, your fingers curled around a glass, one heeled foot floating in the air. 

He recognizes those heels. He took you out for dinner another night in Seattle, and when you got home that night, he told you to keep them on. And you did. He felt the marks in his back for weeks, but it was worth it.

He orders a scotch, knowing he’s going to need more than a little courage. But how is he going to play this? What’s the best way to—

“Marcus?”

You’ve made the decision for him, your excited gaze meeting his across the few stools separating you. There’s a light in your eyes he remembers, knows you’ve probably had more than one drink, and that your next will be water. You had a system, he remembers you telling him.

The bartender slides him his drink, and Marcus takes it over to where you’re sitting, sinking into the stool beside you. “Fancy meeting you here.”

You grin wider. “Of all the gin joints in all the world…”

His heart does that stuttering thing again. “You finally watched Casablanca?”

“I did,” you reply, nodding, looking up at him through your lashes. “Cried like a baby.”

“Told you.” Tossing back some of his scotch, he signals the bartender to bring you a water. “I can’t believe it.”

You’re still smiling, your head cocked slightly to the side. “You know, I had the strangest feeling I was going to run into you? It sounds insane, I’m sure.”

“Not insane,” he shakes his head, setting his glass down inches from yours. If he straightened his fingers, he could brush the tips along yours. “I’m calling it fate.”

“Fate?”

He nods, taking a healthy sip of his drink. Liquid courage. “I’ve been wanting to call you since I left Seattle.”

You scoff. “It’s been three months, Marcus.”

He leans forward, contemplating putting his hand on your knee but thinking better of it. “I know, and I feel awful. I just…didn’t know what to say. When I left, it didn’t exactly sound like you wanted to hear from me again.”

“I didn’t,” you say bluntly, sipping your drink and mumbling thank you as the bartender brings you your water. “It wasn’t going to work; we both knew that.”

“And yet, here we are.”

You sigh, shaking your head. “Fate, huh?”

The corner of his mouth tugs up. “Or something like it. I’ve missed you. A week wasn’t nearly long enough.”

Your gaze meets his and lingers, flickering between his mouth and his eyes. “How long are you in town for?”

“Two weeks,” he answers. “Maybe less. I’m on assignment, but I plan to stay right through. Been slacking on my paperwork. Then once I get back to Washington, I’m hoping to stay in one spot for a while. What about you?”

“Two weeks,” you echo, and he grins.

“Fate, I tell you.”

“We shouldn’t do this again,” you say, leaning back slightly, your brow pinching. “Rekindle what we had just to have it pulled away again? It isn’t fair, Marcus.”

Defeat sinks onto him like a weighted blanket around his shoulders, and he tosses back the rest of his drink, the glass feeling like lead in his hand. “You’re right, it’s not—”

“We shouldn’t,” you cut him off, “but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to.”

Before he can get another word out, you’ve got your fingers curled around his tie, tugging him down your level. Your lips are soft, tasting faintly of lime and mint, and Marcus can’t help himself. His free hand dives into your hair, fingers locking around the strands, tugging until your lips part against his and he can kiss you more thoroughly, tongue stroking yours.

You pull back with a soft moan, still gripping his tie. “You wanna get out of here?”

Twenty minutes later, he’s pushing the door of his hotel room open, your fingers linked together. 

“Don’t mind the mess,” he starts, but barely gets the words out as the door shuts behind you. It’s his back that hits the wall, a low grunt falling past his lips as you tug on his tie again, using it as leverage to drag yourself closer, closing the distance between your bodies.

Marcus groans as you fit your face into his neck, teeth scraping his pulse as his hands find homes on your hips. Clothes start to fall away, landing in puddles of fabric on the floor until you’re both bare and falling into his unmade bed together. He lays you out on your back, trails kisses right down the front of you, over each hip and along the inside of your thigh. He doesn’t stop until you’re keening, back arching and one hand locked in his hair.

You’re soaked when he strokes his fingers along you, his name sung like a prayer when he presses them inside you. “Fuck,” he grits, curling up and dragging slow, watching the way your body reacts, the way it shapes to him. “Just as tight as I remember.”

You whimper, head falling back as he pushes deeper, seeking out that rough patch inside you, remembering how it made you fall apart before. The hand not in his hair shoots down, fingers wrapped around his wrist, forcing him deeper.

He lowers himself, kneeling at the edge of the bed, surveying how you’re spread out before him, your knee hooked over his arm. “Look at you,” he purrs, dragging his mouth along your thigh again. He can feel your muscles twitch, see the way your breath chokes out. “What do you need, sweet thing?”

Body writhing, your head lifts just enough for your eyes to meet.

“More.”

He’s more than happy to oblige, lowering his mouth to your cunt, laving his tongue around the place you’re split around his fingers. You moan loudly, one hand clapping over your mouth a moment later, and he snakes his free hand up your chest, squeezing your breast and pinching your nipple between his knuckles.

“I want to hear you,” he mumbles against you, moving up ever so slightly to suck your clit between his lips. It makes your whole body go tighter than sin, bearing down on his fingers as your breath hitches. He doesn’t stop, swirling his tongue against your clit, releasing it only to lap at you over and over, his fingers never stopping until you go tighter still, every muscle going taut as you cum, his name moaned over and over until your body starts to go lax.

He pulls his fingers from you slowly, still tonguing at your cunt as he does, pulling away only when you push lightly at his head. He stands slowly, cock hard as a rock against his stomach, and watches your eyes roam up his body as he licks his fingers clean.

“Come here,” you beckon as he leans over the bed, planting a hand on either side of you. Your hand curls around the back of his neck, pulling him close. “I still need more, Marcus.”

He doesn’t make you wait long, using his knees to spread your thighs further. His cock taps against your cunt as he lowers his body to yours, and you gasp, finding his mouth with yours. He drinks down your noises as he presses himself inside of you, the pleasure snaking down his spine like a memory.

He’ll be the first to admit that this is what he’s thought of these last three months. You, underneath him, your body soft and pliant and his. It hasn’t been far from his mind, playing like a movie in his mind whenever he’s taken care of himself.

But just like seeing you again in the bar, this is another thing entirely.

Your body accepts everything he has to offer, your heels hooking around his calves, hips rocking up into his. You’re still so fucking tight, and he knows he’s not going to last long, knows that’s why he made sure you came first.

The room fills with the sound of skin-on-skin, with your breathy moans and his quiet grunts. You hook one hand under his ribs, the other finding the back of his head and tugging at his hair, putting your gaze to his. “I want to hear you, too,” you tell him, a sly smile on your face, and he nearly cums on the spot.

He didn’t need the permission, but it unlocks him all the same, the quiet grunts growing louder until he’s all but growling your name in your ear, fitting his face into your neck and biting down as he feels the pleasure coil tighter and tighter until he knows he’s about to cum.

It starts to rip its way through him, and he pulls himself from you, painting the crease of your thigh with his cum, chest heaving. You watch him, eyes darting between his face and his twitching cock. The look on your face tells him you have other plans for him.

Good, because he’s got other plans for you, too.

And fuck the two weeks, he’s not letting you go again.

As you both come down, Marcus having retrieved a cloth from the bathroom to clean you up, both of you sharing. a glass of water, your face turns sheepish as you hand him back the water. “What is it?”

Your mouth opens, closes, and then opens again. “You know how I said I thought I was going to run into you earlier? I think the reason I was feeling that…was because I’ve been meaning to call you, too. Since you left, I wanted to call you, and then something happened and I just…”

“What happened?” he asks, sinking onto the bed beside where you���re laid out, pillow bunched under your arm, head tilted into your hand.

“I got a job offer,” you say, and before he can congratulate you, you lift a hand. “I got a job offer, and you were the first person I wanted to call, but I wasn’t sure if I should. Because it’s been three months and you’re amazing and I kept telling myself you found someone else and that was why you never called. But then I got this job offer, and I…”

You trail off, shaking your head, staring him down. “What’s the job, sweet thing?” he asks, reaching out and putting his hand on your leg, covered by the blanket.

The sheepishness disappears and you grin. “It’s in Washington.”

// TTWD track list //

[xmorguekittyx]

Ever Locked

Part 6: What More Could You Want?

Part 5: Now You Know From What

pairing: Older!Leon Kennedy x Ex!Coroner’s Assistant!Reader

warnings: masterbating, cowgirl, peepingtom!Leon, stalker!Leon, talks of drugging, talks of sex

Dead Dove Do Not Eat

extra: gonna shoot for once a week updates for as long as i have 10 hour shifts, im hoping in december they stop. i really can’t stand this job you guys and i feel like my writing reflects how little time i have but don’t give up on me! im not giving up and i really want to get immersed into this world im creating for Leon and Reader!

Everything. I couldn't tear her down, tell her about the horrendous creatures I saw that god awful night. She didn't realize how much danger she was in, those- those people- they didn't help any. Mary, Marie, Marina- whatever her name was, she was one of those people, watching as they ate. My pretty girl rolling her eyes as the blue haired girl spoke, pointing her fork at my sweet bunny. Sweet, saccharine bunny. She was so far but so close, it's like her scent intertwined with mine, keeping her just in my mind enough for my peace to stay fleeting.

The device sits on the desk, the dark hotel room, once again, a comfort for a passing moment. Ice tapping on the glass, a sound to break the stoic silence as the glass rolls on the edge of the glass, fingers directing the liquor to tip from side to side. Screen flashing as texts spiral in. 'Leon, you're a literal asshole. Rebecca's worried and least you could do was tell us why you're in Seattle fucking Washington. Can you not get a good feel of Washington in D.C.?.', a scoff came from the back of my throat, of course. He always thought i needed to be baby sat, needed someone watching my every move like a rat in a cage. D.S.O could survive a few days while i got my plan in place. The rim of the glass pressed to the scruffy part of my bottom lip, cold and smooth before i lift it higher, downing the liquid, feeling it burn the back of my throat as a moan left my lips.

Slipping my fingers under the device, flipping it open to show the keypad. Fingers typing quickly as the buzz filled my mind. Can't lose the confidence i had quickly built, by the time my fingers had finished the message, the feeling of untouchable power slipped away, before hitting the button to send it to the woman who threw my mind in a pandora's box of thoughts. The bubble stays for seconds, then minutes. Surely, she's seen it. She hadn't been too dismissive of my return. Answering my call and talking to me, almost edging me into a state of euphoria to know that maybe, just maybe, i'd dug myself into her brain enough to keep her baited.

Thoughts of hopping on my bike and barreling to the little home, pushing my way into the door way to find her... all prettied up for that damned boyfriend she had. My head lulled into the crook of my arm, the warmth of my own skin causing a flush to come across my cheeks, heating up the skin, flushing it, bending my back into an uncomfortable arch. Wondered what she felt like, if she was still embarrassed when she stopped nude, if she'd grown confidence and thought she was as beautiful as she always had been. I just wanted a taste, a lick of her delicate flesh, watching the skin as it dimpled under my fingers, causing her eyes to roll back and her words to become less than whispers. Her needy little moans cut off prematurely as i felt for more, pressing into the skin more as she whined.

  With those questions came more, did she like the way he was with her? Was he soft and sweet on her, caressing her delicate skin with his tongue and grateful for every second he had the chance to touch her? He wouldn't have it long, not much longer and Od finally have the moment of weakness and snatch her away. Maybe drug her, maybe let her fight back. A pulling at the corner of my lips curled into a smirk, thinking of her holding up a knife and trying to stab at me, unlike the night she froze, staring from the corner of her doe eyes, watching a big bad wolf show its fangs so deathly close to the fragile bunny. To kiss death and fate so tenderly before succumbing to its hand- or in this case, a mug. The sound of her head cracking against the glass then floor rant through my mind. I couldn't help it, she was so... idiotic and pretty. A simple minded creature needing guidance in a world full of snakes and predators, looking for easy, pretty, temping prey.

  My eyes flicker to the phone once more, expecting anything, something from the prey. Nothing, not a damn thing. No 'don't message me ever again's or 'im going to call the police, Leon's. Nothing. That, that made me feel a nasty pit in my stomach, the thoughts of driving over to their home and seeing for myself what had her so airheaded she couldn't reply to a message. Maybe even see how Ryland- Ryan- touched her, was he too delicate? Did he know that she does like it rough, at least a little? Was he too rough, leaving her nervous and frightened? The thought kind of turned him on, imagining how leaving him did nothing but potentially put you in another psycho's arms.

  The thoughts became actions as the keys jingled from the grip i had on them, maybe i was still a bit more protective than i needed to be. This was for her safety, damnit. Nothing beat trying to keep those predators from her, than a predator himself. Every red light felt like it was hours long, leg bouncing, waiting for the light to change into that 'go' green. Eyes watching streetlights become blurs as the distance closes from between her and I. I can almost feel her, almost taste that sweet taste that only she can produce for my senses to take in.

  My heart ramps up as i get to the small drive way, turning off the lights to my bike, parking up at the tip of the path. Couldn't let her get a peek, she knew too much. I liked to rush things, like letting her see me and talking to her, setting up what i wanted to be a comfort, letting her know i'm not angry at her for leaving me, she didn't have to stay with this guy anymore, now. Maybe it was the alcohol talking, as i feel the ground shift, legs nearly buckling as the only window with lights stemming from it, catch my attention. Guiding my wavering stance to push forwards, as my fingers wrap around the frame, it hits me. Seeping into my ears a soft 'Ah, ah, ah, Ry~', muffled by the wall separating us, her voice was so dirty, something enough to send me straight to hell for the things i think of her. A temptress shied away into a human body.

  "Ryan~", my eyes snap up at her voice, my eyes nest pop out at the scene. "Yeah, did he make you feel this good? Bet he didn't.", Ryan's deep voice, echoing around the room as soft slaps of flesh on flesh sound out. His hands dug under her thighs as he assisted her in riding him. Keeping her pace for herself and him, watching his cock head nearly slip from her hole had my cock weeping. Her hair falling over that face, eyes closed and head back as she whined, crying silently as he abused her little cunt. How is wanted to just walk in there and force my way into those velvety walls and take what was and IS mine. Her whines were accompanied by a smack, landing on her ass as she bounced on him. "Dirty bitch- can't have me loving on you sweet and soft-", Ryan's head tilted back against the pillow, their black bed sheets all bunched up and messy. "Gotta be treated like some cheap slut.", he groaned as her hips bucked up. "Dirty bitch...", i couldn't help but repeat, seeing how her hips filled out in 7 years, watching her tits bounce and her arms tense as she struggled to keep herself upright on his cock. Her cunt- MY cunt- sucking him in with a squelching sound, her moans followed by a whimper as she lost her rhythm. "Good girl- fuck-!", his hands dig into the plump of her hip, "gonna snap my cock in half, pretty.", the huff of air falling from my nostrils fogged the glass as i hadn't realized i'd moved so close, watching as my girl, my bunny, came apart on another man's cock. It made me fucking sick.

My fingers came up, flipping the phone until it opened, scrolling to get to my camera before snapping a picture of Ryan, who now has moved to bend her over the bed, snapping his hips quickly into her. The picture was shitty quality, but it DEFINITELY got the point across as I hit the send button, patience is a virtue i never really had. Eager impatience, sheer excitement causing me to become annoying as a rookie. The muscles in my jaw ached, from biting back a moan as i palmed myself over my jeans, also aching from how tense i'd been while watching. The stiffness of my cock had be aching for some type of pleasure, pulling my jeans to my knees as i whip it out. Looking at it in the moon light, it was so flushed pink, begging to find a home in that pussy, eyes lingering on his hips as they lost themselves into a bliss, his bunny's face pressed into the mattress, just an opening from her eyes and he'd run. He felt his palm heating up as he pumped his aching cock, watching her lips part into a wince/moan. He felt his cock twitch, spilling white sticky ropes over a plant by the window. "Shit-", i hissed, realizing this is definitely evidence i was here, but it was meant to rain more tonight, he'd be fine. He always was.

  Now she didn't care to look or open her eyes while her love was blowing back shot after back shot into her right pussy. Ryan's hand ran her back, easing her up into his chest. "Good girl, my good slut.", his hands brushed down her hair, comforting her after such a rough scene. I wanted to scream, that should be me, holding her in my arms, coaxing her into relaxation. I have a house, much bigger than this that she can have entirely to herself, one I built for her. She'd be so grateful if she'd just talk to me. Just let me "repair" the damage I'd caused. I wouldn't totally rush her, but imaging a world where she was swole, child on her hip and cheeks rosy from leaning over some food she'd been preparing, her eyes wide as I walk home and get to place a huge kiss on her lips, tasting the food on her lips, as she cooked his favorite meal.

  My hand slowly pumped out the rest, watching as she reached up for her phone. Ryan holding into her as she grabbed it and yelped, she must've see the photo. The phone in his pockets dinging as he used his non cum covered hand struggling as to not drop the phone but as soon as he opens the device. Bunny's name, her contact completely, the same from 7 years ago as it flashed on the screen, he ducked, quickly, laying in a thorn bush. Damn Chris, always blowing up my fucking phone for some sort of reaching out to get me to come back or explain myself… how do i explain what i’m doing? "Fuck~", I whined, looking up as I saw my bunny close to the window looking off into the distance, looking for me as she buttoned up what looked like one of Ryan's shirts. It hurt... but what more could i want? what more could you want, bunny?

[justforbooks]

Quincy Jones

Musician, producer and arranger who had global hits with Michael Jackson, was the first black composer to find acceptance in Hollywood and won 28 Grammys

From the 1980s onwards, Quincy Jones, who has died aged 91, was best known for his production and arranging work with Michael Jackson, not least because his efforts on Jackson’s album Thriller helped make it one of the bestselling albums in pop history. But the superstar glare surrounding his work with Jackson tended to conceal the fact that there were many more layers to Jones’s abilities.

He worked with jazz stars such as Count Basie and Dizzy Gillespie, became a friend and collaborator of Frank Sinatra, and developed a flourishing career as a composer of soundtracks for film and TV. He enjoyed success under his own name in styles ranging from big-band jazz and swing to pop, soul and funk. He became an influential music business executive, a successful entrepreneur in film and TV production and launched the music magazine VIBE.

He was born in Chicago, the son of Quincy Jones Sr, a carpenter and semi-pro baseball player, and his wife, Sarah (nee Wells), a building manager. His parents divorced, Quincy Sr remarried, and the family moved to Bremerton, Washington, during the second world war, then to Seattle. Quincy Jr began playing the trumpet and singing in a gospel quartet at the age of 12, and when he met up with the teenaged Ray Charles, also based in the Seattle area, Charles encouraged him to take an interest in arranging. A course at the Berklee College of Music in Boston set Jones up for his first professional job, in 1951, with the bandleader Lionel Hampton.

His experiences on the road with the Hampton band were an eye-opener. “You couldn’t stay in white hotels, and to me, coming from Seattle, a lot of this stuff was like a slap in the face,” he said. “Back then, all the black bands had white bus drivers so they could eat, ’cos you couldn’t go into white restaurants. Even in Philadelphia, they had segregated hotels.” Jones left Hampton in 1953, having accompanied the band on a European tour and rubbed shoulders with a remarkable lineup of musicians including the trumpeters Clifford Brown and Art Farmer.

He set about making a living writing arrangements for jazz luminaries including Basie and Tommy Dorsey. Although Jones put in a stint as musical director for Gillespie’s ensemble in 1956, he was aware that the days of the big bands were numbered, and rock’n’roll was coming. “In a funny way, Lionel Hampton was one of the bands that was serious with a rock’n’roll sensibility, before we even knew what the word meant,” Jones said.

During 1957 and 1958, Jones based himself in France and Scandinavia. He continued to study composition – notably with Nadia Boulanger, mentor of Leonard Bernstein and Aaron Copland, among others – and took a job with Barclay Disques, the Paris-based subsidiary of Mercury Records. While in Europe he formed a star-studded big band of his own, and spent two years touring Europe and the US. He wrote material for Count Basie, and during the late 1950s and early 60s worked as an arranger and music director on recording sessions for vocalists including Billy Eckstine, Ella Fitzgerald, Dinah Washington and Sarah Vaughan.

In 1964, Jones won his first Grammy award, for his arrangement of Basie’s song I Can’t Stop Loving You. He also produced four million-selling singles for Lesley Gore, including the US chart-topper and UK Top 10 hit It’s My Party (1963). His hectic career was matched by an equally eventful private life. In his memoir Q: The Autobiography of Quincy Jones (2001), he described how at one point he was dating five women at the same time.

His burgeoning profile was boosted by collaborations with Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr and Andy Williams. Jones’s association with Sinatra produced the albums It Might As Well Be Swing (1964) and Sinatra at the Sands (1966), both featuring Basie’s band. Jones and Sinatra became close friends, Jones later writing that Sinatra was “hip, straight up and straight ahead, and above all, a monster musician”.

Jones’s track record gained him entry into the lucrative fields of film and television, and he became the first black composer to find acceptance within Hollywood. Throughout the late 60s and 70s he was commissioned to write scores for more than 30 movies and hundreds of TV shows. Among his better-known film projects are In Cold Blood (1967), In the Heat of the Night (1967), The Italian Job (1969) and The Getaway (1972). The theme from Ironside is his most instantly recognisable effort for the small screen, but his compositions for The Bill Cosby Show, Sanford and Son and his Emmy-winning work for the miniseries Roots proved enduringly popular.

As the 70s wore on, Jones displayed his instinct for moving with prevailing musical trends by immersing himself in funk and disco music. His album Body Heat, from 1974, featured the Brothers Johnson as the rhythm section, and Jones subsequently produced bestselling albums by the Brothers Johnson themselves.

Despite undergoing surgery to deal with twin brain aneurysms in 1974, Jones continued to work at a furious pace. He produced chart-busting albums for the disco queen Donna Summer and soul diva Aretha Franklin, and he found another musical soulmate in the guitarist George Benson. Their collaboration on Give Me the Night (1980) – the debut release on Jones’s Qwest label – was another career benchmark, the album reaching No 3 on the US album chart while the title track was a No 4 single.

Meanwhile Jones had hits under his own name. He had a US Top 30 success with Stuff Like That (1978), and in 1981 scored a Top 10 album with The Dude, which spun off the Top 30 hit Ai No Corrida (No 4 in the UK), and the Top 20 hits Just Once and One Hundred Ways, both featuring James Ingram. In 1998, the hit movie Austin Powers prompted a revival of Quincy’s 1962 hip-shaker, Soul Bossa Nova; it was also used as a theme for the 1998 football World Cup in France.

Jones first met Michael Jackson, then aged 12, at Davis Jr’s house, but it was not until Jones was working on the soundtrack for the film The Wiz (1978), starring Jackson and Diana Ross, that he was invited to produce a Jackson solo album. This was the 20m-selling Off the Wall (1979). Their collaboration continued with Thriller (1982) and Bad (1987), the trio selling 100m copies between them. In between, Jones was also the natural choice to produce the 1985 charity single, We Are the World, co-written by Jackson and Lionel Richie and performed by the all-star USA For Africa to benefit Ethiopian famine victims.

Jones was a pivotal figure in helping musicians take control of the business side of their work. Like most other musicians, he had grown accustomed in the early years of his career to having his royalties and copyrights appropriated by unscrupulous publishers or record labels. “If you write a song, the publishing is 50% of that,” Jones explained. “They would say: ‘I want 50% of your creation’, so that means you get 25%. That was normal.” He began to see the light when he took a job as A&R man at Mercury Records in New York in 1961. Within two years, he was made a vice-president, making him the first high-level black executive of a major record label. “I’d lost so much money when I had my band [the Jones Boys] in Europe that I had to go with a record company. That’s when I said: ‘I’d better pay attention to the other side, because it is a music business.’”

After moving from Mercury to A&M Records he launched Qwest, which became home to such varied artists as New Order, Milt Jackson, the Winans and Tevin Campbell. Qwest also did excellent business with the soundtracks to Malcolm X (1992) and the rap-generation movie Boyz N the Hood (1991).

Growing into the role of entertainment mogul, Jones co-produced Steven Spielberg’s film of The Color Purple in 1985 and produced its soundtrack. In 1990 he teamed up with Time Warner Inc to form Quincy Jones Entertainment; in 1991 he helped create the NBC television series The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, which launched Will Smith on the road to superstardom; and in 1993 he set up VIBE. He headed a consortium of businessmen that formed Qwest Broadcasting, which purchased TV stations in Atlanta and New Orleans.

Jones won an Emmy, 28 Grammys and three Special Grammy awards, including the Grammy Legend award in 1992, was given the Sammy Cahn lifetime achievement award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1989, and was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2013. He was showered with honorary doctorates, Time magazine declared him one of the most influential jazz musicians of the 20th century, and in 1990 he was made a chevalier of the Légion d’honneur, promoted to commander in 2001.

He was celebrated in the film Listen Up: The Lives of Quincy Jones (1990) and the documentary Quincy (2018), directed by his daughter Rashida.

Three marriages ended in divorce. He is survived by a daughter, Jolie, from the first, to Jeri Caldwell; a daughter, Martina, and son, Quincy, from the second, to Ulla Andersson; two daughters, Rashida and Kikada, from the third, to Peggy Lipton; and by a daughter, Kenya, from a relationship with Nastassja Kinski, and a daughter, Rachel, with Carol Reynolds.

🔔 Quincy Delight Jones Jr, musician, producer, composer and arranger, born 14 March 1933; died 3 November 2024

Daily inspiration. Discover more photos at Just for Books…?

[pidgebeats]

cassidy peña - tlou oc

He’s one of them, she thought, no matter how much he tells his little sob story. I should leave him.

theme song

trigger warnings: character death, but not described very detailed.

CASSIDY was born in Mexico City. She was 12 on Outbreak Day, and her parents rushed to take her to America, thinking it would be safe there, but it was not. They travelled far in a little car to get her and her brother to the Boston Quarantine Zone.

When Cassidy was 16, her mother ran away from the Zone, leaving her, her grieving father, and her 18-year-old brother. She did not cope very well with this and ran away to join the Fireflies when she was eighteen.

She served with them for four years, until she was twenty-two, and then escaped from the Zone with the girl she was crushing on, Emilia, and Emilia's boyfriend, Noah. They travelled to the outskirts of Kansas City, and, in a horrible smuggler attack, Noah was shot and killed.

Cassidy fled with Emilia to a little log cabin in the woods that was kind of undisturbed by infected, but it was then she found out she was expecting. They fell in love over that short time, but when Cassidy was fully head-over-heels and completely ready to care for a child that was not hers, she found Emilia dead, hung by her neck, a snake carved into the tree next to her.

She was hell-bent on revenge for her late lover and her unborn baby, and so travelled to Oregon. She had recognised the snake: it was the symbol of a cult, she'd read about it back in Boston. She did end up finding them, and in a horrible state of mind where nobody could be freed, she managed to murder a significant number of them before finding the catalyst: a man, the same age as her, who seemed to be almost taken prisoner. His name was Jason, and he became Cassidy’s rock very quickly, helping her take down the last of the hostile cult members and convincing her to get to the next state over, Washington.

He knew about the Fireflies. I heard there’s a group that takes in Firefly refuges, he’d said, and that had sold Cassidy. If they could just find the girl that they needed to operate on, the auburn haired one, then maybe everything would be alright – they could cure people, meaning Noah and Emilia’s deaths wouldn’t be in vain.

In Seattle, Cassidy and Jason rode around on horses he had acquired when she had come down with a horrible fever until they were shot off of them, and they fled to an abandoned hotel. There, unbeknownst to the two, was a girl: she was an escaped Seraphite, another cult the duo had yet to discover, and she tried to attack them.

She warned them, and Cassidy had a row with Jason, but ultimately, they decided to take her in. Her real name was Aubrey, but she insisted on being called Star. She had dirty blonde hair and scars carving their way up her cheeks, and she referred to zombies as demons. She was also only 15.

They travelled together, but Star was far too hesitant of joining the Washington Liberation Front, and after meeting a rather violent blonde who tried to kill Star, they decided not to join up. Cassidy ended up regretting this for years to come. They headed to Wyoming, hearing of a settlement.

Jason seemed to be getting horribly sick during the journey to Wyoming. It had started just after they had encountered some infected in Montana, and Cassidy anxiously glanced at him very often. It wasn’t until one day later that Jason stopped dead at the border to Wyoming and showed Cassidy his leg. There was a horrible bite on it, angry and fungal, and Cassidy knew that must be the end of his journey.

She said they’d leave him behind, that Montana must have scenic places to die, but Jason begged for her to just kill him. Shoot him herself. Maybe it would have some resonance with her, he’d said, seeing as he had been a prisoner of the cult she’d taken down all the way back in Oregon. Maybe she should have just killed him then.

Cassidy was forced to shoot him. Star was the only thing she had left now, and the girl didn’t seem very happy. She refused to talk to Cassidy, and maybe the self-loathing of the woman stopped her from trying to rekindle their relationship. If she wants to run away, she’s very welcome. I won’t stop her.

They stayed in their silent little dance until they got to Jackson, where a very angry-looking woman had pointed a gun at them as soon as they tried to pass the gates. They had taken away Star’s bow and Cassidy’s machete, but, after Cassidy confirmed that she would be taking care of Star and that the girl was seventeen which meant no school, they were let in, being allowed to live in a nice little house next to a park.

Slowly growing closer again, Cassidy and Star went on patrols together, and when Star came to eat with Cassidy at the dinner table, that sealed it: they had made up. Star was like the child that Cassidy had never had – or, had almost had – and she often wondered if the girl saw her the same.

She knew that she would never recover from any of her losses – not Jason, nor Emilia, nor her mother – but she had Star, and maybe she helped her heal. She never thought about the Oregon cult or the pistol she had shot Jason with, burning the stupid thing, and she finally knew peace.

[ghostsbrokenbyfairytales]

[The Flirt]. Please welcome [Romeo Myst (He/Him)] to Huntsville, WV. They are an [32]-year-old [VISITOR] who lives in [COMMUNE]. You may see them around working as [Security @ Huntsville Supply Warehouse]. They are looking for [Franklin 'Frank' Simmonds] their [Best Friend] Poor unfortunate soul. We’ll see if they survive.

FULL NAME: Romeo Myst FACECLAIM: taylor zakhar perez HEIGHT: 6'0 AGE: 32 DOB: Dec 24th OCCUPATION: Security @ Huntsville Supply Warehouse ROLE: Hunter IDENTITY: He/Him ORIENTATION: Pansexual RELATIONSHIP STATUS: single

Biography

romeo was born and raised in seattle, washington where he grew up in a hotel that his family owned. it wasn't a franchise or anything of that sorts it was just a single hotel that doubled as a casino which is what really brought in the money. his parents never had any other kids after romeo so he grew up a spoiled only child who got everything he asked for when he was younger and then got most of what he wanted as he got older.

at some point his rich friends who were pricks made a dare for him to talk to frank because they thought it was funny he was lower class and since he didn't know any better and wanted to fit in with them he did the dare but what he wasn't expecting was enjoying franks company more than his own friends. romeo genuinely liked frank and the two grew closer which ate at romeo on how their friendship started so he came clean, causing a rift in their friendship (rightfully so).

he didn't want to give up the friendship though and kept trying to win franks trust back by both apologizing an ungodly amount of times and by just showing that he was genuinely sorry for how he was back then. eventually frank forgave him because he was persistent enough and was showing actual growth and the two were as close as ever. then his best friend went off to medical school when he finally had the money (even though romeo kept offering to pay for it but frank refused) while he stayed back in seattle to start learning the business. how things were ran, banking, all the information he needed essentially to take over.

romeo was supposed to take over on his 32nd birthday but he told his parents he wanted to wait a little bit longer. with christmas and his birthday passing and frank not so much as answering a text he got worried and wanted to find his friend, plus it was a big thing that he wanted to celebrate together knowing he wasn't going to get a lot of free time anymore so he took off for huntsville: the last place he'd heard his friend was heading.

[captaintoddpstewartus]

When did you fuck @lisa-i-am ? How did your wife feel about it? Did she fuck Mr. C?

First time was at her meet the fans event she had I want to say in October 2021. Crazy night and what a resilient woman because she took cock after cock all night. She had different events set up which I thought was smart. It helped her not get a steady pounding of cock after cock. Fun night and I talked to a lot of guys there who agreed. It ran so smoothly. Like a professional operation. If you didn't know any better, you would've thought this wasn't the first time she had done this.

My wife Emz, knows that the only reason why I met her was because of @lisa-i-am. I met Lisa on Tumblr and had hit rock bottom from my previous wife's death. Lisa rescued me and gave me a will to live. Then she helped me find Emz. Emz knows the whole story and Emz also knows the antics Lisa gets into. Emz has always had an interest in it and was skeptical a good relationship could work like that. Emz would feel guilty at how much her pussy got wet. I told her I'm glad it made her as wet as I get hard. I've told Emz I don't really have a desire to fuck other women in general but if I had a shot at Lisa I would want to. At the same time, I told Emz I would never limit her on fucking men because it turned me on a lot and the reason why it turned me on a lot was because of Lisa. I knew it made Emz extremely wet whenever I talked about seeing another man's cock in her.

When Lisa planned her meet the fans event, I mentioned it to Emz. Emz asked me if I entered the drawing. I told her I had not and she asked why. I told her I didn't think she would be happy if I did that. Emz is the one who encouraged me to put my name in and she contacted Lisa to tell her she was okay with it. They had started to message back and forth a little when we got married building a friendship. I have a feeling that when they were messaging back and forth, is what helped get me selected.

Lisa and Mr. C wanted me and Emz to both come to Vegas to meet them. We had dinner with them a couple of nights before the event and met with them again the day after even though Lisa was wiped out from the fuckfest. We all hit it off as a group and Lisa made it clear we would all get together again and told Emz if she wanted Mr. C and I was okay with it, then she could. Next time we met in LA and Emz fucked Mr. C in our hotel bed and I fucked Lisa in their hotel bed. I'm not gonna lie, it's nice to fill another man's wife with cum and leave a wet spot to for him to come back to. He did the same for me.

We've met several times and this past two weeks they have been in Washington. We live in Seattle. They came for a funeral and then Mr. C's mom was rushed to the hospital and they've been dealing with that. Lisa reached out to me and told me Mr. C really needed her to get fucked and feel her pussy full of cum. I surprised her by bringing a friend and I surprised Mr. C by offering Emz to him. That was a couple of nights ago and man was that hot. We kind of did the same thing again tonight except I brought my friend again who brought another friend with a really nice big cock. I know Lisa doesn't like them too big, but I knew we would warm her up with our sizable cocks first. Let's just say it was a fun night and they were in better spirits with the good news on his mom. Emz was relentless with me and kept telling me how much better Mr. C was which fueled my desire for her even more. She took all four of our cocks tonight. She is growing into a mini Lisa and Joy. Can't say I'm complaining either.

[petalsfm]

if you’re hearing I LIKE YOU (A HAPPIER SONG) by POST MALONE & DOJA CAT playing, you have to know MILAN “MILLY” EDWARDS (SHE/HER; CIS WOMAN) is near by! the THIRTY-THREE year old HOTEL MANAGER has been in denver for, like, ONE YEAR. they’re known to be quite OPINIONATED, but being ADAPTABLE seems to balance that out. or maybe it’s the fact that they resemble LAURA HARRIER. personally, i’d love to know more about them seeing as how they’ve got those SOUND OF A BELL RINGING, SIGHING AFTER A STUPID PHONE CALL, LIVING OFF TV DINNERS AND TAKEOUT, YEARNING FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER vibes. and maybe i’ll get my chance if i hang out around the DOWNTOWN DISTRICT long enough!  

STATS:

full name :       milan ramona edwards

nickname(s) :     milly

birthplace :      miami, florida

date of birth :       01 / 01 / 1990

parentage :      elizabeth washington edwards & jeffrey edwards

relationship status :     single

gender identity :     cis woman ( she/her )

sexual orientation :     heterosexual

faceclaim :      laura harrier

BACKGROUND:

born in miami, florida to two… trying parents.

in no way was milan planned. in actuality, milan’s conception was meant to be no more than one last hurrah before her father left salt lake city, utah to fort hood in killeen, texas to join the military base

however, two and a half months later, sergeant jeffrey edwards receives a letter from the one and only elizabeth washington saying she’s pregnant and it has to be his

trying to do things the traditional way, the two find a way to get elizabeth to killeen and situated. around elizabeth’s four month mark, elizabeth and jeffrey decide to elope, tethering themselves together forever.

it’s around six and half months that the edwards’ are told they’re being relocated to florida.

milan isn’t due until mid january, but decides she wants to spend new years with her parents. she’s born on january 1, 1990 to a twenty-four year old jeffrey and a twenty-five year old elizabeth.

she spends the first year of her life in florida, but it’s at age one the edwards’ are told to move to seattle, and age three they’re told to move to washington d.c.

stability had never been a word milan was all too familiar with, seeing how she never lived in the same town for longer than two years at a time up until the age of eighteen

despite attending numerous public schools both on and off bases, milan had to really rely on herself if she wanted to retain any information. jumping from schools in the middle of the year always left her at a loss. either she was joining a new school ahead or behind where everyone else was.

neither of her parents were educated past the secondary level, but her mom tried to help her whenever she had time

luckily, the books and work she did seemed to be a constant in her life, which motivated her to do the work on her own. while the content of the work may have been inconsistent based on relocations, the expectation remained the same.

if she can’t control anything going on around her, she can control her own person. her grades were always good, and she always took really good care of herself. as she entered her pre-teen / teen years, she began reading different fashion magazines to figure out what to do with her hair, skin, and makeup. something she’s always had, though, is an incredible care for her teeth. it’s at age thirteen she decides she wants to go into dentistry when she gets older.

when she’s fifteen years old, jeffrey edwards is discharged from his military services. after living on bases all around the country, he decides he wants to settle down in vancouver, bc.

living in vancouver from ages fifteen to eighteen meant she was going to have a new record for place she’s lived the longest.

it’s not until things have really settled that milan notices her parents don’t seem to have the connection she thought they did. with the chaos of moving all the time with two parents working, it was never apparent to milan that they might not be a good match.

things are tense, and she hears harsh whispers across the hall when her parents believe she’s asleep.

still, they refuse to divorce. milan is almost out of the house, then they can be free to live life as they wish. after giving her years of instability, the last thing they want to do is spring yet another new life change on her. sometimes she wishes they had.

to get away from it all and back to what she’s familiar with, milan looks for a school in the states where she can get a degree in dental hygiene.

at age eighteen she moves to sacramento, california to attend carrington college. the program promises licensure in less than two years, and the sooner milan can get herself to a normal life, the better.

when she’s twenty and unfortunately after some mishaps with fiscal services and payments, milan is halfway through her program. just one more year and she’s done. and that’s when she meets her first boyfriend. she’s never been in one place long enough to really care to meet anyone, so this man is both nerve-wracking and exciting.

he is good to her. in fact, she’s never felt more COMFORTABLE in her life. with his love and support, the last year of the program is a breeze and she passes her licensing exams with flying colors.

she’s twenty-three and a year into her new job when she messes things up ROYALLY. her boyfriend’s sister is now engaged, and milan begins to think. she begins thinking of her parents timeline versus where her and her boyfriend were. they were almost the age her parents were when they had her. her parents never had the heart to tell her the truth about her conception, and although she knows their relationship is not good, she has no one else to look up to. she didn’t meet many friends parents growing up, and her parents would talk to more people on each base than she could keep up with.

for the first time in her life, milan is not fully in control of herself. sure, for the most part, everything is her choice. but wanting to be married was a decision they both had to make, and it didn’t seem like he was going to budge. before she knows it, she’s pushed too hard and he’s moving his things out.

not long after that, her parents finally decide to pull the plug on their own marriage as well. a cherry on top of the shit cake life had seemed to hand her.

with everything she knows crashing down around her, she feels herself spiraling. being a dental hygienist is not nearly as fulfilling as milan had planned for it to be, but the gig did come with some pretty decent benefits.

it’s the only way she can afford therapy. while she desperately needs multiple years to unpack everything she needs to deal with, it only takes a year for her to decide she needs to find a new job.

when her and her boyfriend were together, she was always the one planning dinners and parties, and she always felt her calmest when doing so. her therapist suggests it gives her the opportunity to have control, something she’d lacked the majority of her life. so, getting a degree in hospitality management and seeking jobs in that field seems like a no brainer.

she’s twenty-nine when she finally finishes school for the second time. she knows through social media that her ex has found his way to denver, colorado, and seems to have found peace for himself.

they haven’t spoken since he in years, but she ( hesitantly ) reaches out to catch up. she asks how he’s liking the city and what it’s done for him. in the end, she asks if denver is big enough for the both of them. ❛ I WANT SOME OF THAT PEACE YOU’VE GOT, ❜ she jokes.

to her surprise, he says yes. she goes back to work as a dental hygienist while planning small events on her off time. that, and selling most of the things still remaining in the apartment she never moved out of, seemed to be a bit lucrative. she saves enough money to get her to denver by february 2022, and her parents were kind enough to chip in what they could to help.

she quickly found a job at a hotel-- a receptionist, but there’s always room for growth. she moves up fairly quickly. it’s not long before she’s promoted to hotel manager.

she’s currently still trying to find her footing of life in a new(ish) town with a new(ish) career. overall, my girl is strugglin !!!!!

[thewhodeedoo]

When In Williston....

This is actually the first entry I have ever done. Several years ago, when I worked for the railroad, I embarked on a journey I would never forget.

The text below is my first attempt at writing a story. I haven't made any edits since posting this. Perhaps I will go back make another draft. Until then, I'll let this serve as an inspiration to continue better developing my craft.

Here goes….

Fresh out of training, yet still in my probationary period dubbed first 120.  I began my embarquement from Seattle, Washington to Chicago, Illinois on my normal run called The Empire Builder.  The total journey would be 6-days; 3 there and 3 back.  Assigned to the Sleeper Car, I was in charge of first class services.  This entails providing services to 16 to 24 rooms with 1 to 5 passengers per room; making beds, to-go meals, luggage assist, etc.  I especially like working in the sleepers because of the direct customer contact.

This summer was proving to be an especially difficult one.  Continual track work bestowed us with countless delays.  This resulted in irritated passengers.  Still nothing I couldn’t handle.  Even as we entered Wolf Point, MT and I learned a tornado caused a freight liner to derail just ahead of us, I could still direct the mood of irritated passengers into a more positive one and keep people entertained.  

I guess I was too focused on the people and paid no attention to my arachnid homies, causing one to get especially bitter.  I asleep in my room, while Charlotte spun her web somewhere in the vicinity.  After a long day of whipping out some web, she must of developed a bad taste in her mouth.   

Through her several eyes, I can only guess she saw me as one of two things: An asshole who was keeping her trapped there, or a nice humid incubator where she could sink her teeth into a nice tender thigh.  Since Wilbur never gave her any bacon, after writing all those messages in the web, I assume she saw this as her one opportunity to get some good squealing in.  

I awoke with a burning sensation in between my legs.  Not that of a result of a great time with a complete stranger in a cheap hotel room.  But still one that would require countless antibiotics.  Where’s the fun in that?  I’m not sure whatever happened to Charlotte.  But I’m guessing after her journey to the nether regions of my southern hemisphere, she turned eight feet up and six feet under.  

Now me being me, I of course fell right back to sleep.  If the intruder alarm in my house won’t wake me up for long, chances are some heat near my hot pocket won’t wake me up either.  When I awoke though, I discovered Charlotte’s little parting gift for me.

Throughout the next several hours, I worked as normal.  Trying to ignore the pain of what started out as a pea-sized nob, and then had grown into a half-dollar sized coin.  By the night, I had started mastering the penguin waddle.  You skinny people might not get this reference.  But the penguin waddle is what us larger people do when chafing occurs in between the thighs.  As to not piss our ham hocks off any further, we keep our thighs close together and swish our hips, while keeping our legs straight in order to keep pain at a minimal.   I haven’t had to use this maneuver since my teenage years.  Luckily, it was like hopping on a bike after not being on one for a decade.  Oh the things I take pride in.

Going late into my 3-day, and still no where near Chicago, the abscess between my thighs had now grown to about 6-inches.  Still too scared to seek medical attention, I did find it in my better interest to let a crew member know just in case, you know, something worse could happen.  Despite his years of experience and vast knowledge of how Amtrak handles things, I still chose not to make management aware.  During the first 120, it was ingrained in our heads you will be fired for any mishap.  I must emphasize, this is not the case as I later learned.  

Our layover in Chicago, when on time is approximately 18-hours.  The delay from the derailment lowered that layover to approximately 4-hours.  I had planned on going to urgent care, getting an I&D, then leaving out on my return trip.  Unfortunately, I had just literally pulled a 24-hour shift, and was allotted 4-hours to do laundry, take a hot bath, nap for 1-hour and then return to work the train going back.  I was riding myself hard and putting me away wet.  

The wound had now spread from my groin to knee and was the most beautiful color of dark purple, had it not been my flesh.  Full car coming back, there would be no rest for this wicked man.  

In the distance, I heard the sound of a call light go off.  As it was lunch time, this could only mean they wanted to order their food to-go as opposed to being normal people and eating in the dining car.  Normally I wouldn’t be so irritated by such an easy request.  But my time back on this bicycle was making my ass more tender than veil.  

After collecting their order and returning with their food, I knocked on their door.  The vibrations of the knocking must of set off the richter scale because a splitting of the plates happened.  I ruptured.  The man answered the door with the biggest smile.  Those fresh burgers for him and his girlfriend had finally arrived.  And how he couldn’t wait to sink his teeth into them.

Yes he was greeted with that, but no.  There would be no smell of fresh angus beef and bacon in the air.  There would be that of the foul stench of the walking dead.  I dare not say what just happened.  We both looked at each other as if to say “What hell did you eat?”.  He knew it wasn’t him.  I knew it was me.  But he didn’t know that.  I gave him the look like it was him.  Which I hope made him believe it was his girlfriend.  Both our faces wrinkled to the point of needing an immediate injection of botox.  We still managed to exchange product for gratuity.  If they are still together, I won’t ever know.  

I was at a loss.  There was no more penguin waddle left in me.  I could only now slither like a slug to the nearest shower room and play doctor with my first aid kit.  I texted my partner in crime to let him know that an act of God had just occurred.  And thank goodness because we were approaching our next stop and I had to let passengers on and off.  There was no way I was going to help people with sappy, soupy pants on with the fragrance of that one wouldn’t even smell in a soup kitchen.  

Now seriousness was going to have to take place.  There was no further thing I could do but seek medical attention.

“Good afternoon passengers” came across over the PA system.  “Our next station stop will be Williston, North Dakota.”  

This was to be my stop.  The conductor had called for an ambulance to take me to the hospital.  I had only had about 15-minutes to pack my room, dress my wounds, dress myself and be available at the door.  Oh, and please don’t forget that I’m still only one 1-hour of sleep.  

As I stood there waiting for that next station stop, my passengers had began to cluster around the vestibule area, eager to step off the train, have that much desired cigarette, and of course witness my grand exit.  

I open the door upon arrival and before me are approximately 14 paramedics.  Not quite the paparazzi, but still very intimidating.  Then the press conference begins.

“Why is it you think you need an ambulance?” the one reporter boasted.

“I beg your pardon?”  What the hell kind of question is that?

“Why do you think you need to go to the hospital?”

Am I interviewing for a patient position, I thought.  I turned and look behind me to see my passengers just a chomping at the popcorn, anticipating what I was going to say next.  Well I’m sorry to disappoint.  But your not going to hear me say “Oh I have a compromised immune system and a wound the size of my fucking thigh just blew up in my thigh and I thought this would just be the next fun thing to do in my day.”

“I’ll be more than happy to answer that questions on our way to the hospital without an audience.”  I assertively replied.  

While dancing in the back of the ambulance to every pothole on the road, someone must have heard me say “I have ebola”, because when I got to the hospital, every person was wearing thick gowns, spit guards, and filtered masks.  I’m now so emotionally distraught, and tired, I have no idea what to do.  

I then was blessed to meet probably the only person with a brain, the PA who walked in asking why she felt she was on a movie set instead of a hospital.  As the lambs started “baaaaaaaaaahing” out their reasons, she quickly schooled them and said contact precautions as normal.  None of this additional crap is necessary.  She then looks at my wound and says “Cellulitis and possible MRSA.”  Oh Christ, I thought.  My next emotion was to cry.  Apparently this was something they didn’t know how to handle.  Well not handle so much as acknowledge.  

Because at this moment, I had learned Nurse Ratched had continued her education, becoming a doctor, my doctor and was standing before me.  “If we don’t keep you here, what is it you think you’re going to do?”

I didn't understand the question.  Yes, it was to the point.  I just didn’t see how it related to me.  “What do you mean, what am I going to do?”

“Well do you think Amtrak is going to just give you another ticket?  What are you doing to do?”

Despite Nurse Ratched’s continued education, I noticed she still somehow must have missed any courses involving bedside manner.  It feared me though that once I explained I was an employee and fully insured, how quickly her tune changed.  But that wasn’t a hill I was ready to climb.

While being admitted as an inpatient, I had understandingly fallen asleep to only be awoken by the Hospitalist, a harpy I dubbed Olga the Oger.  “Michael, we need to talk.”

I fumbled to awaken myself.  SInce my bladder felt as if to explode, this initial task was a bit easier.  “I need to use the restroom first.”

I’m not sure what kind of fetishes this harpy had, but she grabs a urinal,sits it in front of me, then sits down herself, giving me the strongest execution of poker face I had ever seen.

“Without an audience.” I commanded.  

While waiting for her to come back in the room, flapping her wings to perch in her nest, I fell back asleep.  Then again with that same shrill I heard “Michael, I said we needed to talk.”

Hold up.  What’s that?  No ma’am.  You obviously don’t know who I am.  It was at that moment my hummingbird ass was put to rest by my alligator mouth.  I couldn’t believe I had it in me.  The harpy looked down, looked at me in the eyes, then said “I am getting security.  I don’t feel safe with you in the room.”

Security must have been busy fighting the meth monsters from the emergency room.  Because she came back with no soldiers.  Which I was fine with.  I grabbed my big boy britches, apologized and proceeded our discussions.

Three more times she ran out of my room in fear.  No my friends, not from my hot temper.  But to change every order she had already written for me because she failed to find out my allergies beforehand.  I was starting to feel that Charlotte and I were going to be seeing each other again in the after life by the way things were going.

Well I survived the that 5-day stay in the hospital.  But no.  Mount Fiji had yet to be conquered.  My final night in Williston was to be at a hotel.  Work had generously called me cab to take me to the Ritz, no Discount something or other inn.

As I stand there waiting for my chariot to arrive, a strong sense of anxiety consumed me as I saw this black SUV come racing towards me.  Oh God.  This can’t be my cab.  I found placing my luggage in the back to be especially easy as the the whole back window had been busted out.  Upon entering the cab, I took notice to the several inches of dirt and dead insects upon my bench.  I especially loved that my “driver” rhythmically licked and chewed his lips as if they were two cheeseburgers from the best burger joint in town.

“Now they told me you would need a receipt.  I told them we give receipts on cards.”

Fair enough I thought.  Wait….What’s this.  Lip Licker hands me the card of a female real estate broker who specializes in short sales at Remax.  On the back of my card it says Cab Fare $17.00 and a signature.  Oh yeah.  Accounting will look at this like seeing a turd floating in a punch bowl.  

Thank Christ, I’m at the hotel!  I walk in to see the accommodations were doable.  Not the Ritz as I dreamed.  But after my week, a cardboard box set up in the middle lane of a highway in a rainstorm wouldn’t seem so disappointing.  “Sir.  We have your complimentary dinner available for you in the hallway over there.”

Dinner in the hallway?  Oh hell yeah!   Jackpot.  I couldn’t wait.  As I stand in line behind every roughneck in the state acting like vultures before 3 metal canisters, I couldn’t hardly wait to see what lottery winnings I could be consuming.  Door number one had something that I think might have been tuna.  Whatever it was, it was shredded, white, and crusty on top.  Behind door number two, chicken so oily, had I dropped it, Foghorn Leghorn would have slid straight to the Canadian Border.  Then behind door number three, corn dogs so hard, I could speer someone’s eyes out from across the room.  I figured between the preservatives, and the 600 different antibiotics running through my system, the speers would be the best way to go.

Oh let the C-Diff begin!!!!

It’s safe to assume, if I’m ever bit again, by anything, I’ll probably not wait so long to address it.  Maybe I’ll start asking for directions too.

[scrapsovereign]

That One Time I Got Kidnapped By An Evil Vampire Lord Ch. 8

AO3 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/57838303/chapters/150566218

Summary:

Astarion learns about Mackenzie's troubled past. Amanda has a surprise visitor at the clinic.

Pairings: past Ascended Astarion x Evil male!Tav, Ascended Astarion x Original Female Character

Trigger warnings/Tags:  Eldest daughter syndrome and parentification meets suspected breeding kink, violence against healthcare workers, bystander apathy, graphic depictions of violence

Downtown Seattle, Washington 

The Fairmont Olympic Hotel

Friday, August 25th

11:30 AM

Mackenzie had planned to bring the car around while Astarion was checking out of the hotel. 

“Had” been the key word, seeing as the old rust bucket was now gone.

She stares blankly at the empty space in front of her where her car had been, glancing at the parking ticket in her hand. 

Had Rob forgotten to lock the car? Maybe. Was there anything in there that was worth stealing? Absolutely not, unless the thieves fancied the half-full pack of Winco brand soda water in the trunk. Was her car itself worth stealing? The answer is a vehement no, but there’s something about not having a car payment when you’re living paycheck to paycheck that can’t be replaced.

She makes her way to the urine scented elevators, wracking her brain with how she was going to explain this to Astarion. The thought of recounting her misfortune to him made the breakfast they had eaten off each other’s bodies do somersaults in her stomach. Checking out early was her idea, after all. He’d asked her what she wanted to do with the rest of the day, and she decided on stopping at her favorite bakery and taking him to the beach she used to frequent as a child. 

Tempting as it was to stay in and be thoroughly debauched by him until the evening, maybe finding out now was a blessing in disguise. She couldn’t imagine how she would have felt if they had left this evening just in time for him to make his flight, only to find her car missing. Hell, they’d just barely left in time for check-out. 

A full body shiver ripples through Mac. Astarion nearly made her black out with how hard she came on the bed for him, covered in maple syrup. He’d then carried her to the bathroom and continued to ravish her as they bathed together. When they’d finally gotten dressed, Mackenzie initiated round three after finding the evidence and confirming he’d hand sewn the dress she wore yesterday evening (while watching Law and Order: SVU reruns). 

As she walks across the street back to the hotel, she’s surprised she has use of her legs at all. The magical concoction he had given her earlier had been incredible in restoring her to a state of health she could only remember feeling as a teen. Perhaps this was why she could keep up with that “appetite” of his as well? 

Speaking of the devil. Mac spots him handing an envelope over to the concierge as she walks into the lobby, turning around to face her direction. 

Good lord, he’s handsome. Mac almost pinches the back of her arm to remind herself he’s real. He’s wearing the same white linen and black lightweight woolen trousers (which Mackenzie is shocked they are as clean as they appear to be). The brightly colored go bag of Mac’s looks completely out of place, slung over his shoulders. So does her work purse in his hands. 

Mackenzie doesn’t fit his aesthetic at all. As such, she doesn’t know why he looks at her the way he does in the hotel lobby, like she’s the one who hung the stars in his sky. He looks like old money and she could be a Torrid ad from last fall with her linen skirt she thought was shorts, Star Trek T-shirt (cursive script that says “There’s Coffee in That Nebula”), jean jacket, and ugly tennis shoes. 

She fears that she’ll completely ruin his dreamy mood with what she has to say. Her shoulders tense and raise to counter the weight she feels crushing them as he glides over to kiss her, his perfect brow furrowing when she doesn’t return his affections with equal enthusiasm.

“Something the matter, darling?” Astarion inquires, tucking an errant strand of hair behind her ear, a gesture so gentle it makes her want to burst into tears.

“Soooo, about my car. It’s gone. I think someone stole it,” she says with a trembling voice, bracing for the impact of his displeasure.

Astarion’s jaw twitches, forcing an exhale out of his nose.

“Bloody hells,” he huffs indignantly under his breath. He turns on his heels toward the front desk, ramping up to unleash a fury that she always dreads receiving from her patients. Mac’s grandfather always used to say you can catch more flies with honey, and in this town? A little kindness goes a long way.

“Wait-“ She catches the linen off his sleeve before he storms forth, “Let me do the talking. Trust me.”

Astarion pauses, his eyes flashing a dangerous red. “But of course. Anything for you.” 

Mackenzie smiles faintly in gratitude, taking his hand in hers to squeeze it. “Thank you,” she mumbles to him, leaning in to kiss him on the cheek. 

She cracks her wrists, calling upon her work persona to aid her before she approaches the front desk. 

“May I help you?” The well-dressed gentleman about her age asks smoothly, as if he’s said the same phrase hundreds of times. Mac squints as she clocks the name tag- “Jason Y”. 

“Hi! Hope your day is going well. Soooo, I have an unfortunate situation. I was parked in the garage across the street overnight and my car wasn’t there just now. I think it was stolen,” she says in a smooth, neutral voice, sliding the parking ticket between them.

Jason pets his beard as he considers Mackenzie’s words. “You look familiar…aren’t you Kenz from Ari the Mighty’s YouTube channel?” He asks, a wry smile spreading on his face.

Mac’s lips press into a tight smile. “Yep…that’s me.”

Jason leans in slightly, his dark eyes scanning the lobby around them as he brings out his phone. “So, his Twitter said this morning that he had his car stolen, and he ‘found’ it in the garage across the street earlier this morning before he went to PAX. Here, take a look.” 

Mac accepts the device to look at said tweets. Lo and behold, Jason isn’t kidding. It’s a selfie of Ari leaning out her driver’s side window with the parking attendant. Her stomach twists into knots as she hands back the phone. “That’s…yeah. That’s it. Jesus Christ.”

Jason continues. “Did you see he tagged the parking company for helping him out? All I have to say is, wow. Just wow. Fucking shameless.”

Mac’s blue eyes widen at Jason’s very candid comments. 

Jason clears his throat and adjusts his tie as he straightens up, setting his shoulders back. “So now he’s not just a dirtbag, he’s a car thief too? What a piece of shit. Don’t worry, I believe you. I’m sorry this is happening to you. I can’t forgive him for what he did to my little sister. I can only imagine what he’s put you through is worse.”

Jason cranes his head around a stunned Mac to smile reassuringly at Astarion, who watches them closely with a displeased and haughty demeanor. “But hopefully that’s all behind you now? Hell of an upgrade you got there. Please know that I mean this respectfully - would. Anyway. Let me see what I can do for you. I’ll be right back,” he excuses himself, disappearing behind a partition at the front.

Mackenzie turns around to give Astarion a thumbs up. 

Astarion quirks up a single eyebrow in response.

Jason returns with a sticky note, words scribbled on it in blue ink. “Manager says we can’t do anything, unfortunately, because of your car being off hotel property. However, concierge can always set you up with a rental, or a second and slightly less expensive option…”

“Which is?” Mackenzie asks, craning her head to see the information he has before him.

“Okay, so my Appa retired for the second time in March. We just convinced him to rent out the Tesla he bought, so he doesn’t go back for round three. His diabetes can’t take another round of the stress. If you’d like, I’ll give you the name of the app and his info. Usually it’s a $70 fee to bring to the hotel, but he can waive it for you,” Jason explains excitedly, handing Mac the sticky note. 

Mac takes the note to look at it, her mouth drawn in a line, leaning on the counter supporting her head with her elbow.

Mackenzie has very specific feelings about these cars, the company, their origins, and not all of them are happy. The people who drove them were about as bad as BMW SUV drivers. They had as much life in them as a toaster oven, and she didn’t trust the idea of a car that could drive itself if needed. Last but not least, when she’d seen the cars mentioned on the front page of Reddit, the news wasn’t all that good.

That being said, they’re about as ubiquitous in Seattle as her bucket of bolts used to be back in the day and they are fun to drive. Mac remembers Amanda had test driven a model X out of Issaquah earlier this year. She can still hear Amanda’s peal of laughter as they rocketed up Snoqualmie Pass at 100 mph, the g-forces nearly turning her stomach inside out.

But…technically if she’s helping someone…and none of the money goes directly to the car’s manufacturer…and she’s getting a discount…

She takes the sticky note from Jason, giving him a single nod. 

“I would like option two, please.”

West Seattle, Washington 

Friday, August 25th

12:30 PM

Getting used to the brakes and accelerator coming out of downtown and through the West Seattle Junction (to hit up the PCC and her favorite bakery) was a nightmare. However, as they cruise down California Ave, Mac thinks she’s finally got it under control. The car is, at least. Keeping Astarion’s hands off the dash display so she can drive the thing is another story. 

“Fascinating machine this is,” he mutters to himself, his eyes flitting about the screen, poking and prodding at the icons on the center console. It reminds Mackenzie of what a cat would do if it were stuck inside a room with a mirror ball.

“Hey…Astarion? Can you uhm…I don’t mind if you play with that when we’re parked, but I kinda need it to go back to the main screen while I’m driving,” she asks timidly, feeling proud of herself for speaking up. If Ari were in the car, she would have bitten her tongue and just let him poke and prod at whatever his heart desired to avoid a fight.

Astarion sighs, running his hands through his hair as he leans back in his seat. “I suppose I can leave it be, if I must.”

He crosses his ankle over his knee, his foot bouncing impatiently. “Remind me where you’re taking us?”

“Lincoln Park, by the Vashon Ferry Dock. There’s a nice stretch of beach that has a great view of the sound,” she says wistfully. “It’s not like the beaches in Britain or Nor Cal, but it’s different and the view’s gorgeous.”

Mackenzie rolls to a careful stop at the red light on Fauntleroy, the hand closest to Astarion taken into his own and raised to his lips. 

“The view is already gorgeous, my sweet,” he purrs against the back of her hand. Mac is so enchanted by him she doesn’t notice the light turning green. She gasps when Astarion peppers kisses up her arm, tracing a path of fire up the extremity that sets her core alight.

Their lips are about to touch when the brand-new, shiny Dodge Ram in back of them lays on the horn. Its bald, geriatric driver flashes its brights at them and leans out the window to holler, “Get a room, you dykes!” The truck speeds around them, nearly running over a clueless hipster couple and their goldendoodle while they try to cross the street.

“Well! That was certainly uncalled for!” Astarion complains, crossing his arms. “And he’s just moving along like he didn’t nearly damage our vehicle and murder those people over there! Where are the city’s guards?! Why isn’t he being arrested?”

Mackenzie’s so rattled by what just happened she doesn’t register his unusual choice of words. She waits to turn the corner after the couple makes it safely to their destination. “Don’t get me started on the SPD. One of ‘em actually mowed down a grad student in South Lake Union in January of this year and killed her. They don’t care.”

“Unbelievable,” Astarion tuts, looking out the window for a moment before resuming his questioning. “And what of the responsible parties? Surely someone has made an example of them?” 

She tips her head back and barks out an ugly laugh. “Hah! Oh. Oh no. I haven’t read the article in a while, but the SPD either suspended them with pay or they’re still working. It’s a mess.”

Mackenzie catches him licking his lips out of the corner of her eye, the motion reminding her of the events of this morning. She shifts uncomfortably in her seat as she feels a chill travel down her spine and straight to her core. Sneaking another look at him, she’s so enticed by the memory of his pink tongue between her legs that she almost misses the turn…and the one spot available in a completely full parking lot. 

She puts her hands on top of the steering wheel to steady herself, taking in a deep, shuddering breath. 

“Welp! This is the spot. Let’s get going,” she prompts, her hands fumbling around to find the right button to open the car door.

Mackenzie makes a clumsy, hasty exit from the car, nearly tripping over her own feet. She goes to open the storage compartment in the hood, frowning at what she finds there. “Did you take the extra towels from the room?”

“Darling, you were the one who suggested we go to the beach,” he reminds her with a chuckle, crowding her from behind. “I thought they’d come in handy in case we got…a little wet.” 

When Astarion utters an innuendo at her earlobe, it does more than just make her a little wet - she is fairly sure that the flimsy cotton panties she is wearing are completely ruined. 

She hastily collects their provisions, locking the car with the app on her phone. 

Mac takes the lead as they start down the path to the beach, the gravel crunching under their feet. The screams of children playing nearby pierce through the wood and startle her, setting a long-forgotten instinct on high alert that doesn’t go unnoticed by Astarion.

“Have you considered having children?” He inquires, the intensity behind his words clashing with how he sounds almost bored with his question. 

Mackenzie stops dead in her tracks. “No,” she replies, barely looking over her shoulder as she answers him. She turns to face the field, feeling as though she’s staring directly in the face of years of unspoken resentment. 

Astarion embraces her from behind, pressing a kiss to the back of her head. “A simple no is always an appropriate answer, but I gather there’s a story, isn’t there?”

The re-usable bag she carries sags near the ground and Mac melts against him. “Do you want the short one or the long one?”

“I want whatever version of your tale that you have to tell,” he murmurs to her, giving her a brief, reassuring squeeze.

“It all started when I was a child,” she jokes, an imitation of the long-winded anecdotes her patients would launch into when she’d ask them the simple question of how long they’ve had symptoms for. 

Astarion doesn’t seem to understand her humor. Mac decides not to take it personally and moves on.

“But seriously, I raised my little brother when I was a child myself. He was only a few months old when he had his first seizure,” Mac explains with a far-away look in her eyes. “And when I was ten, he was diagnosed with autism. The pediatric neurologist teased it out when my parents thought his epilepsy symptoms were getting worse.”

Mackenzie turns around and leans her head against Astarion’s chest, taking in a deep breath to savor the citrus and herb notes of his cologne. “Both of my parents worked, and I did what I could to help. I was running the house by the time I was 13. I cooked, I cleaned, gave my brother his epilepsy meds...”

She swallows before she continues, hoping it clears the lump in her throat. “My mom used to say she was glad God gave me to her so I could help her, and my dad would tell me I was a better wife than my mom.”

“Eugh! I do hope you know those aren't normal things that one says to their child,” Astarion exclaims with a guttural noise of disgust.

Mac chuckles at his reaction. “Yeah, my therapist gagged when I told her the same thing. Oh well. They ended up shooting themselves in the foot in the end,” she sighs, pulling away from him to start down the well-traveled dirt path. 

“How so?” Astarion prompts, feeling her hand being taken in his to lead him to their destination. 

Astarion and Mackenzie reach a bench that overlooks the impossibly blue waters of Puget Sound, sparkling in the late summer sunlight.

“They kicked me out right before I turned 19, I got caught by the pastor kissing his daughter in the tech closet at Easter service,” she flushes, tightening her hand around his. “It was a pretty big deal. They’re the type of Christian that isn’t real tolerant of that kind of thing.”

“The pastor’s daughter? My, my…that’s rather naughty of you, but I cannot see how a simple kiss is worth evicting you from your home,” Astarion drawls with a hint of amusement in his voice that makes her shiver. “Did they at least hire a maid, a chef, and a nurse to replace you when you left?”

Mac shakes her head, huffing a weak laugh at the list of roles she used to fulfill. “I hadn’t been gone for a week when they called crying and begging for me to come back,” she starts down the path leading to the beach, walking hand in hand with Astarion, side by side. “I told them to take their apologies and shove it right up their family values.”

“Standing up to them must have been an impressive feat for you after years of childhood slave labor. Bravo, darling,” he congratulates her, pressing a quick kiss again to the top of her head.

“Well, I can’t take all the credit,” Mackenzie clarifies with a bashful smile. “It’s actually a variation on something Rob’s hippie parents said the night I showed up at his place. His mom’s a hoot. She made me a rainbow-colored cake for my birthday a week later that said ‘Happy Birth-Gay’ on it. All organic, non-GMO, free range ingredients, of course.” 

Mackenzie continues on with her tale as they journey down the hillside. “I stayed in the spare yurt at their commune for a while and moved out when I finally got my medical assistant associate’s. Those few years bumming around with them were some of my happiest memories.”

“Right before the pandemic, I reconnected with my family briefly. My little brother’s a fan of Ari’s and they wanted to meet up with the two of us. I cut them off again before we could settle on a time and a place,” she winces as they emerge from the shade, holding her hand aloft to shield her eyes from the offensive late summer sun. 

“Whatever for?” Astarion asks, as if he knows exactly where this was going. 

Mac’s eyes flicker over to him with a quick sideways glance. “They refused to get vaccinated. It all went downhill when I tried to explain why it’s important to me.” Mac didn’t want to elaborate further, the pain from her past still fresh. She focuses instead on the present moment- on the warm, soft hand belonging to Astarion as she leads him along the rocky beach.

“I suppose after practically raising yourself their absence isn’t a terrible loss, but it still hurts to get your hopes up, no?” He reflects at her with a soft, buttery rumble. 

Mackenzie swallows to clear the lump in her throat. “It did. Maybe when they reach out in another few years, I’ll have learned my lesson and ignore it. Ah-hah! Here we are,” she announces, motioning over a spot shaded by a structure made of driftwood. 

Mac ignores the amused smirk on Astarion’s beautiful face as he aids her in setting up their temporary shelter. She plops down on the large, luxurious bath towel they spread out, leaning her head on Astarion’s shoulder when he takes his place next to her. 

“Hey…I didn’t mean to go off like that. You asked me a simple question, and I ended up trauma dumping all over you,” she sighs as she stares out over the waves undulating towards them, placing her palm in his.

Astarion lifts her hand and brings it to his lips with a warm, genuine smile. “There’s nothing to forgive. I delight in every detail I can gather from you. If we could re-visit our earlier topic, would you ever consider it? It being having children, of course.”

“Only under certain conditions,” she brandishes a finger in front of her. “If I could afford it, if I had help, and if I was with someone who I could depend on. Right now? I have none of those things, so it’s out of the question.”

“And what if you did?” Astarion’s hand tightens around Mac’s with his inquiry.

Mac should feel uneasy with this tenacious pursuit of the subject, but she forgets her misgivings as her stomach growls and gnaws at her. She rummages through the bag, producing the massive caprese sandwich purchased from the bakery.

“I think I’d consider it. You hungry?”

Astarion’s answer to her is an odd, intense look in his eyes that Mackenzie’s never seen before, his lips tugging up to one side of his mouth in a toothy grin.

She feels a bead of sweat drip down her back as she realizes their picnic lunch isn't the only thing on the menu.

Downtown Seattle, Washington 

Mercy West Medical Group Primary Care Clinic

Thursday, August 24th

12:58 PM

Amanda flops over her keyboard with a whiny, petulant groan. Lunch is almost over. She hadn’t been out of meeting hell for 10 minutes and there’s already some shenanigans brewing in the lobby. Charlinda, the newly hired southern transplant working the front desk, messaged her moments ago to say that Prince Charming just walked in and took a wrong turn at the Mason-Dixon line (if he was looking for Disney World). She needed him to go on and git so the 1pm crowd could get checked in, but bless his heart, he can’t take no for an answer!

Amanda checks her drawers to scavenge for an energy bar or a piece of candy to fuel the impending confrontation and damn it all, they’ve all disappeared. Dr. Calloway’s likely to blame for this one. Amanda caught him raiding her desk for treats in the past when his lovely wife has put him on a diet…just like she did a week ago.

Amanda grabs her wallet. Maybe after she deals with his royal highness, she can hit up the food trucks two or three blocks away. 

Amanda feels her hunger turn to nausea as she steps out into the lobby, recognizing the mysterious man in armor.

Ari’s mouth falls open like a carp gasping for air as he stares back at her. Amanda’s never seen him dressed up like this before. He looks good. His appearance is a far cry from the bum she knows him to be. She hates to admit it, but for a fraction of a second she might understand what Mac saw in him. He’s the very image of a storybook prince: custom made plate armor in silver and gold, a battle worn blue velvet cloak, a longsword slung across his back.

The gaudy bouquet of blood-red roses he holds enhances the illusion, while the crumpled up envelope held in the other breaks it. He makes his way over to Amanda with a sideways smile, his wintry blue eyes sparkling with hope. 

“Hey Amanda! Kenz here today?” Ari greets her as if he had not just been nasty with her and threatened to un-alive himself less than a day ago.

“Nope,” Amanda answers simply, shaking her head. “Sorry, my dude, she’s not in.”

Ari’s fist tightens around the bouquet, snapping some stems off. An intentionally loud “SIR” that Charlinda projects across the lobby arrests the aggressive display.

“Yes you, mister knight. If you’re fixin’ to leave those for someone, I can make sure they’re in some water for the lovely lady you’re leaving them for,” she drawls with an accent sweet as honey, power-walking her petite frame over to him.

“Oh…uh, sure,” he assents in confusion, handing the bouquet over to the small woman’s outstretched arms. 

Charlinda gives Amanda a cheeky wink with the massive bouquet in her arms, returning to her workstation to check one more patient in.

Tears well up in Ari’s eyes as he turns to face Amanda. “Do you know where she is? I’m so worried about her, I don’t even know if she’s okay, I keep sending messages- “

Amanda finds she cannot tolerate his bullshit any longer. She’s reached a critical boiling point. After years of Ari mistreating one of the few friends she has, calling her clinic and disturbing her peace, and now this- impeding Amanda’s path to lunch?

Ari has found Amanda’s last nerve with remarkable accuracy and stomped all over it.

 “Look. You can’t walk in whenever you want and demand to see her. When she’s here, she’s working. She’s busy with patient care. And today, when she’s not here, you barge in and expect me to tell you what she’s up to?! No. She’s a grown-ass adult. If Mac doesn’t want to talk to you, I don’t know what to tell you other than you earned her silence. You did it to yourself,” Amanda rants, throwing her hands up in the air. 

“How dare you,” Ari snarls, opening his mouth to hurl more insults Amanda’s way. 

Amanda beats him to it. “No, nonono, how dare YOU. Walking into the clinic, causing a scene like this. You need to leave. This is your official verbal warning.”

“No, not while you’re keeping her away from me,” Ari refuses, his icy eyes narrowing in defiance.

“Ari, unless you have an appointment with the providers, you need to vacate the premises. Immediately. Before I call security.” Amanda dictates, lowering the pitch of her voice to assert dominance.

Ari laughs, an ugly, villainous sound that gives Amanda the shivers. “You have no power over me. Tell me where she is and I’ll consider sparing you from my wrath.”

“Your wrath? Please. For the last time- I don’t know. And if I did, I wouldn’t tell you. Not over my dead body,” Amanda hisses, her hanger taking full control of her mouth.

“That can be arranged,” he announces coldly, reaching for the hilt of his blade strapped to his back.

Amanda doesn’t have time to flick her eyes to the ceiling in contempt of him, feeling a brief, excruciating pain of something sharp piercing her middle. She sinks to the ground, thinking it’s just a nasty hunger pang until she sees the very life spilling from her, coating the freshly washed carpets in her crimson. 

Her field of vision darkens, her eyes fight to stay open. She hears Ari’s armor clanking away from her, the thud of the clinic’s front doors, the shrill screeching of Charlinda calling out for help as she rushes to Amanda’s side. 

Amanda has enough energy to chuckle in irony at the last thing she sees before her sight fades to black: a lobby full of patients recording what could be her last living moments on their cell phones. 

What a Seattle way to go.

[oregonphotobus]

12 Fantastic Wedding Rentals in the Pacific Northwest

If you are looking for the perfect wedding rental in Seattle, Washington, or the Pacific Northwest, look no further. Your wedding should be just as beautiful as you imagined it. And that is why choosing the perfect place for your wedding is not easy. Especially in the Pacific Northwest, where you can find thousands of beautiful places. Well, if you are looking for some help, this blog lists the top 12 wedding rentals in the Pacific Northwest. Here are some of the most incredible wedding venues in the PNW, where you can unforgettably celebrate your wedding day.

Wedding Rentals in the Pacific Northwest

Kodiak Room

This sandstone building was constructed over a century ago, making it the perfect location for a vintage-themed wedding. The charming wedding decorations create a magical ambience, providing an ideal backdrop for aesthetic-style photos. This venue epitomizes the charm and history of wedding rentals in the Pacific Northwest.

Creekside

If you are looking for a simple yet beautiful location, this is the perfect place. It features extensive gardens, a beautiful kiosk, and spacious white rooms. Additionally, there is a stunning bridge that can add a spark of creativity to your photo session. Creekside is a fantastic choice among wedding venues.

Lord Hill Farms

If you're looking for an elegant outdoor venue, this is the perfect place for you. One of the best things about this venue is that it offers various beautiful spots for a fantastic wedding photography session. Take a look at this gorgeous wedding. I had the pleasure of photographing it there. It’s one of the premier wedding rentals in the Pacific Northwest.

Des Moines Beach Park Event Center

This venue offers a blend of country style and beach vibes. You can have your ceremony with a beautiful view of the sea and capture unforgettable photos of the moment. Afterwards, you can celebrate your party either indoors or outdoors. As a versatile choice, it's a top option for wedding rentals.

Hyatt Regency Lake Washington

This venue, located on the shores of Lake Washington, is surrounded by the natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest. Additionally, there is a dock and a luxurious lounge that will serve as stunning backdrops for your photos. It stands out among wedding venues in the Pacific Northwest for its breathtaking lake views.

Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium

If you love the ocean, fish, and marine animals, I have good news for you. You can have your wedding at the Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, and your photos will look like you got married under the sea! This unique venue is a standout among wedding rentals in the Pacific Northwest.

The Edgewater Hotel

If you prefer an elegant and classic ambience, this venue offers various locations for your wedding, all featuring classic and elegant decor with the sea as a stunning backdrop. This venue is a top choice for those seeking sophisticated wedding rentals.

Hilton Bellevue

This stunning venue is perfect for those who wish to bring their fairy-tale wedding to life. Featuring spacious rooms and grand chandeliers, your special day and photographs will resemble scenes from a storybook. It’s one of the premier wedding rentals in the Pacific Northwest for an opulent celebration.

The MV Skansonia

If you want to have a high-seas wedding on a luxury boat, you can have a Titanic-themed wedding. The ship has incredible and elegant rooms, and you'll be able to exchange your vows in the middle of the sea. Just imagine the beautiful Pacific Northwest photos you will have! This venue is an exceptional choice for your special day.

Salish Lodge & Spa

If you love nature, you can't miss this place. The setting is a forest surrounded by impressive waterfalls. With this backdrop, you'll definitely capture incredible photos of your special day. It’s one of the most scenic wedding rentals in the Pacific Northwest, perfect for nature lovers.

The Kelley Farms

This venue offers a perfect place for a beautiful wedding, with stunning photo opportunities. The lush green fields, rustic-style house, and farm create a timeless aesthetic that will make you, your guests, and your photos feel like you've stepped back in time. 

Silvan Ridge Winery

Silvan Ridge Winery, previously known as Hinman Vineyards, follows the tradition of a small European winery. It is situated just fifteen minutes southwest of downtown Eugene. The winery's patio and picnic area, which overlook the rolling hills covered in vines, offer a perfect place for a picnic in the afternoon or an evening under the stars. Silvan Ridge Winery is open from 12 pm to 5 pm daily. Undoubtedly, it is one of the best Eugene photoshoot locations for your wedding.

Final Thoughts

No matter which venue you choose, the Pacific Northwest provides a range of beautiful locations to make your wedding day truly special. Each of these wedding rentals offers something unique, ensuring that your big day will be memorable and photogenic. From historic buildings to lush landscapes, you have countless options to explore in this stunning region.

[new-federal-way-wa]

Comfort and Convenience

Trouvé offers a selection of studio, 1-bedroom, and 2-bedroom apartments in Federal Way, each designed with comfort and convenience in mind. The studio apartments at Trouvé come with modern features such as air conditioning, ensuring residents stay cool and comfortable throughout the year. Each unit is also cable-ready, making it easy to set up TV and internet services. These amenities make Trouvé a practical choice for those seeking well-equipped living spaces. By combining essential features with a great location, Trouvé provides an ideal home for anyone looking for studio apartments in Federal Way, blending modern convenience with a welcoming environment. The stylish design and thoughtful amenities make Trouvé an attractive place to live.

The Geography of Federal Way, Washington

Federal Way, Washington, is located between Seattle and Tacoma, making it a convenient place to live. The city is close to the Puget Sound, giving you beautiful views of the water and easy access to beaches. To the east, you’ll find the Cascade Mountains, which are perfect for hiking and exploring nature. Federal Way is mostly flat, but there are some hills that offer great spots to see the surrounding areas. The city has a mix of residential neighborhoods, parks, and commercial areas. With its close proximity to both mountains and the sea, Federal Way is a great spot for people who love the outdoors and want to enjoy the beauty of the Pacific Northwest.

Steel Lake Park in Federal Way, WA

Steel Lake Park is a popular spot in Federal Way, Washington, where families and friends can enjoy a fun day outdoors. The park has a big, beautiful lake where people can swim, fish, or just relax by the water. There’s also a sandy beach area, perfect for building sandcastles or sunbathing. There are picnic tables and barbecue grills, so it’s a great place to have a picnic. Kids love the playground, and there are sports fields for playing soccer or baseball. If you enjoy walking, there are trails that go around the park, giving you a chance to enjoy the scenery. Steel Lake Park is a favorite place to gather, play, and enjoy the beauty of nature.

With Millions Devoted to the Project, Federal Way Homeless Hotel Remains Vacant

Homeless hotels, like Federal Way's Homeless Hotel, can be a helpful way to address homelessness. These hotels provide a safe place for people to stay when they don't have a home. They offer more than just a bed; they also provide support services like food, healthcare, and job training. This helps people get back on their feet and find more permanent housing. While homeless hotels are not the only solution, they play an important role in offering immediate relief and helping individuals start over. They give people a chance to stabilize their lives and work towards finding a more permanent home, making them a valuable part of the effort to reduce homelessness.

Link to Map Driving Direction

Steel Lake Park 2410 S 312th St, Federal Way, WA 98003, United States

Head west on S 312th St toward 24th Ave S 0.6 mi

Turn left onto Pacific Hwy S Pass by Village Inn (on the right in 0.4 mi) 1.5 mi

Turn right onto South 336th St 0.7 mi

Use the left 2 lanes to turn left onto 1st Way S 0.8 mi

Turn left onto S 348th St 0.1 mi

Trouvé 34816 1st Ave S, Federal Way, WA 98003, United States

[moochilatv]

Mr. Gnome presents: Fader

Cleveland duo Mr. Gnome’s new album A Sliver of Space will be out September 27th via El Marko Records, mixed by Claudius Mittendorfer (Interpol, Tennis, Temples, Parquet Courts, Ra Ra Riot).

Continuing to defy simple genre classification, Mr. Gnome create a dense tapestry of textures, aural fabrics, and influences that all coalesce into a unique, defining sound where ,desert rock, psych, indie rock, electronics, and lush soundscapes swirl and converge. 

The new single FADER it's a "monstrous sounding 7 minute epic that is thick with loud, layered guitars and thunderous drumming that has been their signature".

While always pushing themselves in their pursuit of sonic exploration, the duo of Nicole Barille and Sam Miester, create a living, breathing, shapeshifting realm of psychedelic sounds. 

View this post on Instagram

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A SLIVER OF SPACE album

N. Meister, S. Meister (ASCAP) © 2024 El Marko Records

Pre-order the vinyl and cd, and find it on Bandcamp

Mr. Gnome Fall dates:

• 2024 FALL TOUR DATES • 08/24/24 - EXPANSION FEST - LEXINGTON, KY 09/27/24 - WATERFRONT HALL - WHEELING, WV 09/28/24 - THE DEEP END - FROSTBURG, MD 10/01/24 - PIE SHOP - WASHINGTON, D.C. 10/02/24 - SLY GROG LOUNGE - ASHEVILLE, NC 10/03/24 - SMITH’S OLDE BAR - ATLANTA, GA 10/04/24 - THE HANDLEBAR - PENSACOLA, FL 10/05/24 - SPOOPY FESTIVAL - ADAMS, TN 10/08/24 - THE PLATYPUS - ST. LOUIS, MO 10/09/24 - PYRAMID SCHEME - GRAND RAPIDS, MI 10/10/24 - GAMMA RAY BAR - MADISON, WI 10/11/24 - ACE OF CUPS - COLUMBUS, OH 10/12/24 - DAYTON 20TH MUSIC FEST - DAYTON, OH 10/14/24 - SISTER ANNE’S - KANSAS CITY, MO 10/15/24 - LOST LAKE - DENVER, CO 10/16/24 - THE DLC - SALT LAKE CITY, UT 10/17/24 - SHRINE SOCIAL CLUB - BOISE, ID 10/18/24 - STAR THEATER - PORTLAND, OR 10/19/24 - SUNSET TAVERN - SEATTLE, WA 10/22/24 - BOTTOM OF THE HILL - SF, CA 10/23/24 - PERMANENT RECORDS - LOS ANGELES, CA 10/25/24 - 191 TOOLE - TUCSON, AZ 10/26/24 - TBA - ALBUQUERQUE, NM 10/28/24 - TBA - DALLAS, TX 10/29/24 - HOTEL VEGAS - AUSTIN, TX 11/01/24 - BEAT KITCHEN - CHICAGO, IL 11/02/24 - BEACHLAND BALLROOM - CLEVELAND, OH

[whitepolaris]

Roche Harbor: Company Town

With trees being plentiful in the Pacific Northwest, it's easy to see why most houses built there in the nineteenth century were made of wood. But there are drawbacks to relying on wood for construction: Buildings could be only as high as four stories, and there was always the danger of fire. Several cities that relied heavily on wood alone-including Seattle-would burn down, sometimes more than once.

The alternative construction materials were stone and brick. Stone was easy to find and quarry, and there was plenty of clay to make bricks. But until the late 1800s, the mortar necessary to hold them together had to be imported. Mortar was made from quicklime, created by burning limestone in a very furnace. There were many limestone deposits in Washington, but the only the purest limestone would do, and that was hard to find.

Prospectors found small but pure limestone deposits in 1881, and in 1886 John McMillin formed the Tacoma and Roche Harbor Lime Company on vast limestone deposits found at Roche Harbor. A company town grew up around the lime plant; it had its own school, stores, housing, and utilities. Like most company towns, it paid its workers in scrip instead of money, but unlike in other company towns, the company kept prices in its stores down by buying in bulk and passing the savings on to the workers. Company housing was also a step above what other workers could afford in Seattle.

When the line deposits ran out, the Tacoma and Roche Harbor Lime Company ceased operation and the main reason for Roche Harbor's existence went away too. Underbrush and trees grew over the remains of the warehouses, and the docks were torn down or left to rot. All that was left was several kilns, loading docks, and the rotting Roche Harbor wharves.

In 1957, the Tarte family bought the property, rebuilt some of the wharves, and reopened the place as the Roche Harbor & Resort. In the last decade, Roche Harbor has undergone many changes, becoming a stopover for yacht owners and summer tourists. In 2007, the Roche Harbor Resort continues to make improvements around the remnants of the old lime works. Today you can get a map of the historic village at the front desk of the Hotel de Haro and conduct your own walking tour of the area.

[aghsupply77]

Case Studies: Successful Implementation of Biodegradable Products in Hotels

In the ever-evolving hospitality industry, the shift towards sustainability is no longer optional but essential. Hotels worldwide are recognizing the importance of incorporating biodegradable, eco-friendly, and sustainable products into their operations. This blog delves into real-world examples of hotels that have successfully implemented biodegradable products, highlighting the challenges they faced, the solutions they adopted, and the tangible benefits they reaped.

Case Study 1: The Green Haven Hotel

Location: Seattle, Washington Initiative: Comprehensive Biodegradable Product Integration

The Green Haven Hotel embarked on a journey to become a leader in sustainable hospitality by integrating biodegradable products across all departments. They started with the basics: biodegradable toiletries and eco-friendly cleaning supplies. Over time, they expanded to include compostable food packaging in their restaurant and recyclable guest room amenities.

Challenges:

Finding reliable suppliers for biodegradable products.

Ensuring product quality matched their high standards.

Training staff on the proper use and disposal of new products.

Solutions:

Partnered with certified suppliers known for their sustainable practices.

Conducted extensive product testing before full-scale implementation.

Implemented a comprehensive training program for staff.

Benefits:

Reduced waste management costs by 20%.

Enhanced guest satisfaction scores related to sustainability.

Received local and national recognition for their environmental efforts.

Case Study 2: The EcoLuxe Resort

Location: Aspen, Colorado Initiative: Sustainable Guest Amenities

The EcoLuxe Resort focused on providing guests with an entirely eco-friendly experience by using biodegradable products in guest rooms. They introduced biodegradable toothbrushes, compostable coffee pods, and recyclable paper products. Additionally, the resort’s spa offers treatments using organic, sustainably sourced products.

Challenges:

Ensuring that eco-friendly products did not compromise the luxury experience.

Communicating the value of these products to guests.

Solutions:

Selected high-quality biodegradable products that met luxury standards.

Educated guests through in-room information and interactive displays about the benefits of using sustainable products.

Benefits:

Increased guest loyalty and repeat bookings.

Positive feedback from guests appreciating the resort's commitment to sustainability.

Boost in social media engagement and positive reviews highlighting their eco-friendly initiatives.

Case Study 3: Urban Retreat Hotel

Location: New York City, New York Initiative: Waste Reduction through Biodegradable Packaging

Urban Retreat Hotel implemented biodegradable packaging for all their in-house dining and takeaway services. They transitioned to compostable containers, utensils, and straws, significantly reducing plastic waste.

Challenges:

Sourcing biodegradable packaging that could withstand the demands of food service.

Managing the cost implications of switching to biodegradable options.

Solutions:

Worked with local suppliers to develop custom biodegradable packaging solutions.

Introduced a small sustainability surcharge to cover additional costs, which guests supported.

Benefits:

Decreased landfill waste by 30%.

Strengthened brand image as an environmentally responsible hotel.

Fostered partnerships with local eco-friendly businesses, enhancing community ties.

Case Study 4: The Coastal Retreat

Location: Miami, Florida Initiative: Biodegradable Cleaning Supplies

The Coastal Retreat focused on sustainability by replacing all traditional cleaning products with biodegradable, non-toxic alternatives. This change aimed to create a healthier environment for both guests and staff while protecting the local ecosystem.

Challenges:

Ensuring that biodegradable cleaning products were as effective as traditional ones.

Overcoming initial resistance from housekeeping staff used to conventional products.

Solutions:

Conducted trials to find the most effective biodegradable cleaning solutions.

Provided extensive training and support to housekeeping staff during the transition.

Benefits:

Improved indoor air quality, leading to a healthier environment.

Positive feedback from staff about the safer, non-toxic cleaning products.

Enhanced reputation as an eco-friendly hotel dedicated to guest and staff well-being.

Conclusion

These case studies illustrate the significant impact biodegradable, eco-friendly, and sustainable products can have on hotel operations, guest satisfaction, and environmental footprint. By carefully selecting and implementing these products, hotels can overcome initial challenges and achieve substantial benefits.

The move towards sustainability is not just beneficial for the environment but also for the business, as it attracts eco-conscious guests and enhances brand reputation. As demonstrated by these successful implementations, the transition to biodegradable products is a worthwhile investment that can set your hotel apart as a leader in sustainable hospitality.

Embrace the shift to biodegradable products today and witness the transformative impact on your hotel's operations and guest experience.

[sunmarketing]

Bremerton, Washington and getting unstuck in travel planning

In this episode: FAQ is: I get lost all the time, so how can I travel without getting frustrated and upset? I want to have fun and not fear making a mistake.

Today’s Destination is: Bremerton, WA

Today’s Mistake- Mixing up my cities in Washington State

  Travel Advice:  Stuck in your planning?

FAQ: I always get lost, so how can I travel without getting frustrated and upset? I want to have fun and not fear making a mistake.

Answer: Like you, I get lost all the time. I’ve got a terrible sense of direction. How bad? If I leave a hotel room, I usually walk the wrong way out the door, which tells me I am not noticing the direction when I should.

  What is a sense of direction? According to the dictionary, a Sense of direction is knowing one's location and performing wayfinding. It is related to cognitive maps, spatial awareness, and spatial cognition.

  Given that, I’ve still traveled around the world solo and can help you deal with this issue. My personal experience is as a teacher. I admit my faults and weaknesses but don’t let them get the best of me. I make the same number of errors but don’t get distracted or upset.

  I will try to be more self-aware of direction, and in the meantime, you can do the same with me.

  Today’s destination: Bremerton, WA

  I spent Easter vacation near this area, and it was beautiful. It was chilly compared to San Diego, but it was sunny, and it felt crisp to be hiking and enjoying the outdoors air. 

  You will likely come from the Seattle airport, about a 90-minute drive, or you can take a ferry. Ferries are popular ways to get around the area, and I took a Fast Commuter Ferry from Port Orchard to Bremerton. Let’s back up a minute here.

  From SeaTac, you can also take the Kitsak bus to Bremerton. It makes several local stops along the way, but it’s frequent, and you don’t need a reservation from the airport. Just pay the driver and jump on the bus. If you rent a car, consider the traffic you will face in Seattle and be patient.

  Either way, look at the maps and the ferry routes as you navigate the area. You will discover a lot of water, islands, and sound here.

  Bremerton sits on the Kitsap Peninsula, overlooking the Puget Sound. It’s a city with strong links to Seattle, well-known for its charming neighborhood restaurants and coffee shops, beautiful parks, and fascinating naval museums. You'll find plenty to do to pass the time in Bremerton, WA, with visitors of all ages able to enjoy the city’s scenic nature trails and family-friendly eateries. The top 6 things to see are?

  1. USS Turner Joy Museum Ship

2. Puget Sound Navy Museum

3. Manette Bridge

4. Illahee State Park

5. Kitsap Forest Theater

6. Purple Scent Lavender Farm

  I had a great dinner while walking around the downtown areas, observing the influence of Quincy Jones and the music scene. I could also see the snow-capped mountains in the distance, which was a beautiful and peaceful vision. In the spring, look for lilacs, daffodils, tulips, and other blooming beauties.

 If you are looking for some off-the-beaten-track places, check out Ollala. There is a winery and cidery here. You can see the history of a sanitarium, where a murder happened by starvation. You can go clamming here with a day license. I met Gregg Olsen, the author of several books and a clam expert. Another touristy town is Manchester, but you will miss it if you sneeze. Manchester State Park has some great hikes with military mines, which you can observe. There are barbeques, shelters, and hiking trails here.

https://vacationidea.com/washington/best-things-to-do-in-bremerton-wa.html

Today’s Mistake- Mixing up my cities in Washington State

I was mixing up my B-cities in the Seattle area. I was confused about Bremerton and Bellingham. I’ve now been to both cities, and they are very different. Sometimes, you need to be there in person to get a feel for and understand what the city is all about. You’ve heard about Bremerton here. Let me know if you want to learn more about Bellingham, and I will do a podcast about that, too.

  Today’s Travel Advice-Stuck in your planning?

  The planning can be just as much fun as the trip itself. Are you stuck in your travel planning? My team is working on a new helpful tool to make your planning more of an adventure and tangible experience instead of a drudge. It’s a workbook that my daughter, Tina, and I have been discussing for two years. Let us know what you want to see in a workbook for solo travel. You can email me or respond to any connection options in the notes.

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