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redhairedwolfwitch · 3 years ago

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Rock Collection - Sarah Reese x Reader - Chicago Med

Request: Can you imagine the reader being in charge and a bit intimidating in the Ed but every time they find a shiny or cool rock or something small, they gift it too Sarah or Sarah giving rocks to them, and they get teased for keeping the rocks and maybe storing some in their locker for good luck

///

The ED staff weren’t sure about you, they hadn’t been since you had first arrived after completing your fellowship in Seattle, or when Ms Goodwin promoted you further up the hospital hierarchy.

“Who is that?” Sarah Reese, a fourth-year med student whispered to April and Maggie as she spotted you walking by, heading towards a treatment room.

“That is Doctor S/n. Intense, aren’t they?” April smirked as Sarah’s eyes widened slightly at how Will side-stepped you as you walked by, pretending like he didn’t exist.

“A little…” Sarah admitted, biting her lip as she watched you slip out of sight.

/// Time skip ///

Sarah paused as she glanced up from one of the psychology textbooks that Doctor Charles had recommended her when she decided to take up his offer to go into psychiatry.

Her eyes flickered to you sat on your own in the cafeteria, gaze hovering over the earbuds you had in as you stared into space.

///

“Goodbye to my Santa Monica dream, fifteen kids in the backyard drinking wine. You tell me stories of the sea, and the ones you left behind, and the ones we left behind…”

As the song began to close, you were snapped out of your thoughts as Doctor Reese sat down in front of you, her psychology textbooks on the table near your lunch tray.

“Can I help you, Doctor Reese?” Your voice was gravelly as Sarah did her best to not flinch at your tone, intrigue in her eyes as she stared at you.

“I don’t think you’re as harsh as the ED staff think you are, Doctor S/n.” Sarah began, watching as you checked what song was playing on your phone before looking at her.

“Who they think I am, and who I am, are two very different things. Lunch break’s over.” You stated, picking up your tray to leave after putting away your earphones.

Sarah bit her lip to hide her smile as she walked away, pride bristling in her chest as she realised that was the longest conversation that she’d ever had with you.

///

“Is S/n in yet, the troll is driving me up the wall, how do they put up with him?” Will enquired to Nat and Maggie, as he walked over from where Doctor Stohl had been talking to him.

“I have no idea how they put up with Doctor Stohl, but they do somehow.” Nat admitted with a shrug, glancing around for you but you were nowhere to be seen.

“S/n is on the nightshift tonight.” Maggie explained, raising an eyebrow as she noticed how Sarah was listening in.

“Reese! Can we help you?”

“Doctor S/n is on the nightshift tonight? I saw them this morning.” Sarah admitted, tugging her lip between her teeth as Will gave her a shocked look.

“S/n has a life outside of the hospital?”

“Will!” Nat huffed, whacking him in the arm as Sarah frowned and Maggie gave him an alarmed look, gesturing with her eyes to look behind him.

“Doctor S/n.” Will stammered, raising an eyebrow as you didn’t give him a second look, instead you met Sarah’s gaze for a second before Doctor Charles appeared from out of nowhere.

“Ah, Doctor S/n, I see you got my voicemail. How about we talk in my office?” Doctor Charles suggested, smiling softly as you just nodded.

“What’s that about? S/n getting therapy or something?” Connor enquired as he stuck his head in, but Sarah’s eyes widened when she realised.

“It’s about a patient, Doctor Charles mentioned needing to meet Y/n about a patient.” Sarah replied, trying to nip the rumour in the bud as Maggie gave her a look.

“Y/n, huh? I didn’t realise you two were so chummy.”

“Everyone, back to work.” Doctor Choi warned, raising an eyebrow at the ED staff gathered gossiping.

///

Carefully placing her lab coat back on the hanger, Sarah glanced up at the small clank of something was placed in her locker.

A small fossil sat on the shelf in Sarah’s locker, the spiralled shell resembling an ammonite in the grey sedimentary rock as Sarah glanced around, spotting you tying your shoes over on the couch.

“Did you?” Sarah gestured to the fossil, smiling softly as your harsh façade broke for a moment, the corners of your lips tilting upwards slightly.

“Have a good night, Doctor Reese.” You slipped out, tugging your lab coat on as you left the break room to get to work on the nightshift.

“You too, Doctor S/n…” Sarah murmured, glancing back at the fossil with a smile as she picked it up, looking at it properly in the light with a giggle.

You really weren’t as harsh as everyone thought you were.

///

“What’s with the growing rock collection in your locker?” Ava enquired as she and Connor walked into the break room.

“Uh, they were gifts.” Sarah smiled, glancing over the other rocks that had joined the ammonite fossil over the last few shifts.

“Who’s been gifting you rocks?” Connor frowned, pausing as he looked at the ammonite, his eyebrows raising as he realised, “Wait, you know who also has a rock collection? Doctor S/n. You two are bonding over pebbles.”

“They’re not pebbles. That’s a piece of amethyst, this is an ammonite fossil, that’s some sandstone, pumice from Mount St Helens, that’s a piece of marble, and this is some citrine, for good luck.” Sarah gestured between each piece in her collection, not seeing the amusement on Ava’s face or Connor’s confusion.

“I almost forgot that S/n did their fellowship in Seattle.” Connor admitted whilst Ava smirked.

“Seems like Doctor S/n only shares their rock collection with you, Sarah.”

Sarah’s cheeks flushed as her eyes glanced over to where you were working with Doctor Choi out in the ED.

“Yep. Just like I thought. You like them, and not just for the good luck citrine.” Ava affirmed, the teasing mood gone as the cardiothoracic surgeon’s pager went off, along with Connor’s, leaving Sarah alone.

“Doctor Reese, can I get a consult?” You enquired as you walked into the break room, raising an eyebrow slightly as Sarah flushed, swallowing thickly before nodding and following you out of the break room.

“Does Sarah look a little red to you?” April whispered to Maggie as the two of you walked by them, heading over to the patient’s treatment room who needed a psych consult.

“Did S/n just smile?” Maggie gasped, spotting the event where you had given Sarah a small smile.

“Wow. Sarah got on Doctor S/n’s good side.” April realised as Ava chuckled to herself.

“Guessing you two don’t know about the rock collection?”

“What rock collection? Besides the one in S/n’s office, Stohl told them it was ridiculous once, but then they warned him about the pranks, so he took it back.” Maggie explained as April quirked a brow at the story.

“Sarah has a small rock collection, she said they were all gifts.” Ava explained, gesturing as Sarah walked by.

“Hey, Sarah, you didn’t tell us you had a rock collection?” Maggie raised her eyebrows knowingly as Sarah flushed red, hurrying away.

“Rock collections, S/n should just ask her out… those two are made for each other, complete dorks.” April giggled before she was called over for an incoming trauma, although what she said was true.

You two were made for each other.

#sarah reese x reader #sarah reese imagine #chicago med x reader #chicago med imagine #one chicago x reader #one chicago imagine #queer one chicago #one chicago #sarah reese #chicago med #request

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darkmindsotome · 3 years ago

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Soap and Sun

Title: Soap and Sun

Fandom: Love365 Masquerade Kiss

Pairing: Yazuru Shiba x MC

Word count: 3,464

Warning: NSFW Smut

Written by: darkmindsotome

Summary: When a long awaited date threatens to derail under the summer sun a spur of the moment idea triggers an even steamer time together than planned.

Tagging @voltage-vixen as requested. Prompt #9: Car Wash Featuring the MC/LI as the Sponge

---

When I thought of summer in London, I hadn’t thought of much else other than spending some quality time with my boyfriend.

He’d been playing the part of visiting lecturer at his old alma mater, Oxford University. His curriculum was well thought out and methodical, just like the man himself. Every time I was been able to catch one it was like attending a sell-out concert. I was always blown away by how he could turn a baffling topic into something easier to understand. In the end, you were never left feeling like you were stupid and it was amazing to watch him in his element. A true genius craftsman with genuine love and passion for his work.

Still, I would have liked to have seen him a bit more than I currently was. Silently chastising myself for the selfishness of that thought I tried to push it aside. I was once more in England and as per our agreement, we were on a date. That alone was enough to re-energise me.

It wasn’t much but we had decided to go for a drive in one of his cherished Bugattis. The sleek lines of it cut through the English countryside like a hot knife through butter. This was the kind of escape he liked. It wasn’t any more rushed than he wanted it to be. Just him, the open road, and his car. I watched with relief from the passenger seat as I could see the layers of stress and fatigue melt away from him.

“Are you sure this is all you wanted to do?” He had his usual blank poker face on as he asked. The only thing giving away how sceptical he was, was his tone.

“Yeah. I enjoy spending time with you Yuzu. I don’t really mind what we are doing as long as we can be together.” The answer came quickly to me and I enjoyed the brief moment where I could see his stoic mask slip and get a glimpse under it.

“You can be very direct at times.” He sighed.

“Does it bother you?” I didn’t candy coat things when talking to him. I had tried that when were first became an item and found out the hard way that subtle approaches would not be to anyone’s benefit in this relationship.

“No.” There was a faint smile on his face whether he was aware of it or not.

A comfortable silence fell over the interior of the car as it twisted and turned down roads that were becoming increasingly more rural and isolated.

“Where are we going anyway?” I decided to break the silence and ask as it had been about twenty minutes now and there was still no clue as to where Yuzu had planned on taking me. When I suggested just going for a drive and he had agreed, I thought he would have a destination in mind, not just aimlessly driving around the rural backroads of England for the afternoon.

“You’ll see when we get there.” I watched his dashing profile my eyes naturally falling to the strong hands the gripped the leather wheel. Those slightly rough calloused fingers I adored and missed so much, flexing against the wheel I was suddenly jealous of. Averting my eyes back to the passing scenery I tried to push away the ideas that would send me into dangerous waters.

Tall old trees lit up with the sun produced a mottled canopy of light as Yuzuru expertly drove his car through a nearly completely hidden entrance from the main road onto a small dirt track. For a car not designed to be an off-roader, the ride was still smooth. I found myself wondering if that was a testament to the Italian engineering or his driving. A smile came naturally to my face and I couldn’t stop it. Before I met Yuzuru the idea of engineering, cars, driving… any of it would have been far from my mind. Now the ideas came to me easily. He really had changed me.

“What is it? You have a grin on your face.” He frowned.

“Am I not allowed to be happy when I’m with you.” I teased watching as his expression relaxed once more.

“As long as it’s only with me. We’re here.”

He stopped the car in a clearing that was right next to the three S’s old school hideout. The shabby little cottage stood there in the overgrown garden looking like something from a fairytale. It was just as I remembered it the first time I saw it with him.

“What happened to ‘no girls allowed'?” I couldn’t help but ask, surprised by his choice of destination.

“You would rather go somewhere else?” He still had the keys to the car in one hand and the handle of the door in the other. He was looking at me with those dark eyes scanning me like code on a screen.

“No, it’s just why here?” I didn’t really have a location for our date in mind I had decided to leave it up to him. That didn’t mean I wasn’t a little shocked by his choice.

“I wanted to show you something. You remember that old failed power supply?” His hand fell from the door allowing it to partly close on us both in the vehicle.

“The hyrdo—” I started to answer only to be cut off.

“Hydraulic turbine.” For some reason, he looked bashful. A man who didn’t show much emotion was looking at me with a faint blush making my heart skip in my chest. “I got it working and I thought- I wanted you to be the first to see it.”

“Really?!” I was stunned.

“I’ve never known someone to get so happy over such things.” He chuckled.

I had assumed he would be showing his success to his two best friends before me. I was perhaps a little too excited to find something where I topped the list of people ahead of Kazuomi or Kei when it came to Yuzuru and his work.

“You’re one to talk Mr Space Screws.” I tried to distract from my over the top reaction by childishly reminding him of when he got so passionately attached to something it nearly ruined a date.

“True. Come on it's over here.” My childish retort didn’t work. He didn’t react to it at all and simply nodded accepting what I said as the facts they were and exited the car leaving me to scramble behind him to catch up.

A small waterway near the rear of the cottage was sparkling in the sunlight. The fresh clear water was turning the fossil-like shell structure I had seen on my last visit. Watching it spinning it looked even more amazing than before.

What once could have been little more than a garden sculpture was now functioning. Scooping up water and cascading it between its two halves speeding it up and pushing it out in a strong even flow.

“I can’t believe you got it to work.” I was mesmerised watching the two halves turning the craftsmanship of the original I had seen had been adjusted to something more streamlined and very much in keeping with the minimalist nature of its creator.

“It wasn’t easy. The stream here isn’t very large so I had to calculate the flow rate and adjust the design to accommodate it. Amping up the flow inside the device allows for more energy to be produced and stored so power is produced. Then there was customising the old generator for the cottage to take the charge and convert it for use.” He was explaining and becoming the animated Yuzu I remembered. He was a man typically of few words but give him a topic he loved then his passion would allow him to ramble on for hours.

“It’s wonderful.” The words barely left my mouth before the spinning shells in front of us gave an ear-piercing shriek and ground to a halt. “What happened?”

“I think one of the bolts might have slipped its casing. Or maybe…” Yuzuru was already moving from my side towards his creation before pausing to look back at me his posture slumping as he mentally chastised himself for losing focus on our date. “Sorry, I-”

“It’s fine. You want me to go make a cup of coffee while you figure it out?”

With my reassurance that I accepted his desire to correct the problem he nodded and fell silent. It might not be how I wanted the day to play out but this was the man I loved and it wasn’t like we weren’t together. Draping his jacket over a nearby branch as he bent over his invention inspecting it.

His passion came with an extreme immersive focus. It was one of the things I found endearing about him. How he showed me glimpses of himself where his guard dropped. This was Yuzu in his element. The kid in the candy store. I went inside the cottage removing the door key from its hiding spot under a planter.

Time ticked by the hours of the sun passing with every stroke of the hand on the clock. It might be a part of him I was used to by now but it didn’t mean that I wasn’t a little bored. Exercising to kill time in this heat was not my idea of fun. Still, my body felt kind of itchy wanting to move. I was washing up the cups when my eyes fell on the Bugatti parked outside and I had an idea.

Yuzuru normally paid a valet to clean it. Maintaining its showroom condition was something of a source of pride to him as an owner. It couldn’t hurt to give it a little wipe down myself right? I could get rid of the dust on it and cool off in the process.

The lukewarm water swayed in the bucket as I carried it outside. I had found a new sponge and even some car shampoo in a cupboard. It was several years old but it was going to be better than trying to use dish soap.

I hooked my hair up high at the back and pinned it there with a couple of chopsticks I found in a draw in the kitchen. I’d already abandoned my dress in favour of a pair of shorts and a t-shirt I found in Yuzu’s old bedroom. I had to pull the drawstring at the waist to get the shorts to fit and the shirt was massive. Rolling the hem, I knotted it at the back turning it into a makeshift crop top. Happy with the adjustments to my wardrobe I plunged my hands into the bucket and got to work.

The soap lathered quickly oozing between my fingers as I squished the sponge and carried it over to the car.

It took some time but the turbine was once more turning freely and working. He frowned as he looked at his watch, thankful for its water resistance and realising how much time had passed. This was supposed to be a date and here he was once more lost in his own world. As he walked back to the cottage, he only hoped Mc hadn’t gotten so bored with him that she’d left.

Musing over the fact that he wouldn’t blame her if that was the case he stumbled upon a rare sight and his heart skipped such a beat it felt like it had landed in his throat. Mc dressed in his old school gym gear, his car and one of the most dazzling impromptu foam parties he’d ever thank a God for providing.

For all the fact it wasn’t the first time I’d ever washed a car before I still forgot how hard it was to reach all the parts of the roof. No matter how hard I stretched I kept coming in contact with the side of the wet soapy Bugatti and not actually reaching the missing points on the roof with my outstretched hand and sponge.

It wasn’t until a hand enveloped mine taking the sponge from it that I even noticed Yuzu was back.

“What are you doing?” His question felt absurd so I decided to joke.

“Hunting elephants.” I tried to turn only to find myself pinned to the side of the car by him. His tall frame easily overpowering me. “I’ll ask you the same what are you doing?”

“I thought you were trying to tempt me. I’m just playing along.” His mouth was hovering near my ear and the grip on my hip was flexing like his hands had done before on the steering wheel. Large strong hands began kneading at my body like it was pasta dough.

Shamelessly I went limp against him. The weather was too hot for me to bother thinking of fighting back as usual. Our little games of cat and mouse we both enjoyed was a distant idea for another day. I let his hand travel further round to the ties at my waist, those skilled fingers loosening the shorts with ease.

All the time I remained “helplessly” pinned to the car by his body and his other hand sliding up my arm and pulling the chopsticks from my hair letting it tumble free.

“So compliant. That’s not like you at all.” He gave a dark chuckle that sent a chill down my spine. I couldn’t let that go and turned to give him a piece of my mind.

“I’ll have you know I--” Words died the instant I met that dry ice gaze. His dark eyes were an inky black reflecting only me and all hope I had of putting up a front with him melted in that passionate heat.

“You what?” He held me frozen in place that smirk on his lips felt very like him at a time like this. Yuzu always became a tease when things were taking a steamy turn. “You know you missed several spots?”

He pulled back his heat leaving me feeling the cool, dampness of the clothes I was standing in. I felt my body betray me with a whimper I barely silenced.

“I can’t reach all of it.” I knew I was pouting but right now this had been the closest contact we had had in a while and I was far from wanting to play coy. “Can you help me?”

Holding out the sponge to him I gave it a squeeze letting the suds run across my skin and smiled watching his adam’s apple bob under that thin infuriating turtleneck of his. Without a word he pulled his top off exposing that mass of well-toned muscle and lean physique, he worked hard to maintain with his demanding job. It was my turn for my throat to go dry as he took the sponge and loaded it with soapy water from the bucket.

“Come here.” His command had me moving automatically and I watched him slap the wet sponge on the bonnet of the car. “Take it.” I did as I was told only to feel my body pulled back by my hips. “I said take it.”

“I’m trying but you’re not helping.” My complaint was indignant but still playful. His hands were running over my thighs delving into the fabric of the shorts from below pushing them higher exposing more of my legs to the world.

“I can’t help until I see where you need my help.” His breath was like a vapour at this point. His body was burning up and I could feel the pressure of his desire against me. My grip on the sponge grew limp all I wanted was to be with him now the car be damned. “What giving up before the job is done? That isn’t like you.”

“Mmm, Yuzu.” I ignored how in control he was and was willing to blame the heat of the day for the fire swelling inside me and how I rubbed my ass purposely against him. It was an invitation he was all too willing to answer.

In a flash, my arms were pushed high over my head the water of the sponge ran in a river over the bonnet soaking through my shirt between my breasts. His hands removed the shorts and underwear in one fast motion like he was removing a band-aid. Even with the lack of breeze outside, I shuddered at the exposure.

With one hand reaching down to burry his fingers inside me he used the other to reach up over me taking the sponge and pushing it around me. The wet sounds from me and the squelch of the sponge in my ears had me squirming under him. The different places the water touched on my skin felt like he was running his tongue all over me and I arched my body into his firm chest as he covered me.

“I don’t think this is going to cut it.” He denounced the sponge. holding it high over my back and squeezing it dry over my exposed skin before tossing it from the car and flipped me over. My body felt limp in the heat but I managed to remove the painful knot of the wet fabric at my back and hitch myself up a little higher on the car so I was at a better angle.

He let out an appreciative guttural moan that sounded far more animalistic than usual.

“You like cleaning the car then huh?” I teased with what was left of my composure.

Yuzu moved to between my thighs soundlessly and dragged his hot tongue in a long slow swipe through my folds. I tilted my head back blinded by the bright sun and in total disbelief that we were even doing this. When had I become so into sex that this was my life? Did I care? I glanced down and was met with his eyes staring at me from over my pubic mound. He sucked on that bundle of nerves and gave me a little nip on the inside of my thigh.

“What are you thinking?” He asked as he played with his fingers inside me. Scissoring them moving both fast and slow.

“Y-you. I was t-t-thinking about you Yuzu.”

My reply had him smiling and he then removed his hand and grabbed both my ankles dragging me down the slippery metal towards him.

“You know one of the best things about cleaning a car?” I was stunned speechless. There was something devilish about him that I didn’t see often. He was always passionate with an endless sex drive but this was new. He leaned over me his face in front of mine blocking out the sun making it hard to see him. “It’s the getting it dirty to start with.”

Before my eyes could adjust to see him clearly I felt a familiar suffocating pressure from below as he filled me up with his length. With every roll of his hips, it had me bouncing against the bonnet. The water trapped under me foamed with the fabric of my shirt and moved me around in unpredictable ways. The even rhythm from him coupled with my body's unrulily movements thanks to the lubrication of the soap on the car had me reaching the edge faster than normal.

“Ah! Yuzu… I … I’m so close.”

He seemed to speed up and target all the parts of my body he knew I liked. Thanks to the clinging shirt, my nipples were clearly visible and found their way into his mouth where he nipped at them with his teeth. He used his mouth to cover the exposed patches of my torso playing a game of hide and seek with the wet fabric driving my mind further to oblivion.

Right when I thought I was going to reach my limit, he stopped. He left himself inside me but refused to move. I mewed and looked up at him. He was panting, sweat dripping over him. I tried to move my own hips to get more but he just remained still looking at me.

“Yuzu?” I was confused. Why had he stopped?

“I love you Mc.” His confession was quiet but touched my heart as clearly as if he had screamed it.

“I love you too Yuzu.”

“I know.” He picked up the movement as if he had never stopped. The devilish smile on his face replaced by an erotic pleasure mask that had my own heart soaring.

Under the summer sky in an isolated part of the English countryside, we connected over and over again. Our cries and moans melting into the nature surrounding us. Our love and passion driving us forward burning hotter than the sun long after it had set.

---

#summer of smut #summer of smut content creation challenge

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zimson-watches · 7 months ago

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zimsonwatches3 · 5 months ago

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x0401x · 4 years ago

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Jeweler Richard Fanbook Short Story #12

Feel free to message me about possible corrections, and please consider supporting the creators by purchasing digital copies of the official releases: Novel || Manga || Fanbook. In case anyone is feeling generous: Ko-fi | PayPal. ( ╹◡╹)っ’･*

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Suit Story

If you went through Ginza’s Main Street from 7-chome to 1-chome, the change in the city’s atmosphere would shock you. Bulgari, Cartier, Louis Vuitton, Chanel. Felt like you could play shiritori with these high-class brand names. It was a fun neighborhood to stroll around during Christmas season, as all the stores would come up with elaborate plans for the decorative lights, but it was currently autumn. The store most closely related to me in these vicinities was the long-established stationery store where I went to buy stationery. It was, however...

“Please raise your arms a little more.”

“All right.”

“Pull your chin back a bit. Yeah, that’s great.”

“Haah. Is this really right?”

“Of course. Might be hard, but please do relax.”

For whatever reason, I was across the street from the stationery store, practically in front of it, on the second floor of a branded men’s fashion store originally from England. On the walls of this mysterious-gentleman-themed space, which housed a bar counter and even a huge aquarium, there were clusters of business suits, pants and waistcoats with basting threads attached to them in conspicuous spots.

It was a place for taking measurements for custom-made stuff.

I couldn’t get over the feeling that this was some kind of mistake. Wasn’t this the stationery store? The place where you could buy vanilla-colored envelopes for 30 yen each? Or illustrated writing paper with seasonal vibes, or pens.

“Seigi, you are too nervous.”

“Nakata-san is such an imp, but so are you.”

Leaning against the bar counter, Richard shrugged his shoulders, indicating possibility.

Today was Thursday. Having been called by Richard, who said he wanted to ask me to do some odd job, I went over to the front of Etranger, and then we came to this store in the green jaguar. Just when I thought he was gonna make me hang with him for shopping, the man on the driver seat hastily took out his phone, showing me a video letter from my dad, Nakata-san.

“Seigi, congrats on your graduation. I wanted to go suit shopping with you, but I’m in Jakarta, so I’ll be borrowing Richard-san’s assistance for that. Seems like people are getting them custom-made lately. Make sure to buy a good one. Well, see ya.”

Richard had watched over me in the passenger seat as my eyes got wet, but the tears drew back in when we stepped into the store.

While talking lightheartedly about the difference between English and Italian suits, the young clerk, who wasn’t all too apart from me in age, smoothly took my body measurements with a measuring tape and showed me countless textures.

“You can also choose the lining. What should we do about the pockets?”

When I started getting dizzy, said man, who was like a page of suits, began giving me suggestions from behind. I had nowhere to run. I was really going to have my suit made here. As I picked a charcoal-gray suit with blue lining, Richard quickly told me that tanzanite cuffs would look very nice in it. Of course, I was thinking the exact same thing.

By the moment that the Onii-san finished the measuring and disappeared into the back of the store to take notes, I heaved a deep sigh. “This kinda stuff’s been happening a lot lately. All I ever do is receive.”

When I said that, Richard laughed, giggles ringing up his throat.

Richard had two types of smiles, and whenever he raised his voice while laughing, if I refused to back down, he’d often give me a word of advice of some sort. When it was a silent smile, I’d feel like he was telling me in some way to “reflect about myself”, which would make me a bit anxious, but I liked both.

Walking up next to me as I stood in front of the mirror, Richard grinned. “It is no longer guaranteed that your body will grow out of your clothes. Isn’t it fun to sometimes purchase slightly larger clothes and try to wait for your body’s growth?”

“Feeling like this talk doesn’t have the ‘sleep well and drink milk’ kinda nuance to it.”

The reply was a smile. How strange. Richard’s face was right at my left side, but the smile in the mirror was looking directly at me. Clad in a double-button slender silhouette suit, his figure was perfect no matter from what angle I looked at it, like an extraordinarily fine jewel, so my own figure as I tensed up beside him appeared even weirder.

“Hey, Richard, I kinda have the feeling that suits are like the base metals of jewelry.”

“Are you referring to the foundation parts of rings, earrings and such?”

I nodded. The base metal was the metal part that formed the foundation for attaching gemstones to jewelry. In stores, people would often memorize the materials and call them by their names, such as gold base metal or platinum base metal.

It was a part that never played the leading role in Etranger, which handled accessories with gemstones on them. But it’d be hard to wear jewelry on the body without it, and it was also a part that allowed people to express their particularities regarding the materials, durability and design. Whether they would be prominent or not depended on the basis. Erm, this was probably what a jeweler from Kyoto that I was acquainted with would say. The contrary was also possible.

“Gotta psyche myself up. If I don’t become someone that won’t lose to this suit, I’d feel bad.”

“This is my personal opinion, but there is nothing more tiring to look at than a jewelry in which the gem and base metal are at rivalry with one another. What you should emphasize is the harmony. Just because you use the finest high-grade eggs and milk as ingredients, it does not mean you will create the best pudding – is that not the same thing?”

“Ah...”

When I replied that, indeed, high-end ingredients were often strongly in demand, the beautiful man nodded with an “exactly as you say”. By the looks of it, those were the sweets that he was into lately. I hadn’t been able to take time some for it at all due to being busy, but I decided to make pudding again one of these days and offer to him. Despite having a wallet that enabled him to eat as many high-grade desserts as he wanted, Richard would always be delighted anew no matter how many of them I made, which made me believe that, as one would expect, he had a talent for pleasing people. I was grateful for his existence.

“Both suits and jewelry are goods that exist for the sake of their owners. The initiative is clear from the start. You must handling it skillful and comfortably, not fight against it. That is why it is custom-made.”

“So you’re also ‘skillfully handling’ the clothes you’re wearing right now?”

“Evidently. Enough that I do not know anymore at what point it ends and I begin.” With that said, Richard sleekly patted his suit. I wanted to try saying that too someday.

We exchanged glances not through the mirror but directly.

When the clerk Onii-san came back, the measuring recommenced. I got kind of embarrassed as he praised me, saying I was well-relaxed.

“Seigi-kun, good work! Wow, that suit looks really great on you.”

“Thanks, Tanimoto-san. Uh, this print on your furisode, could it be—”

“I was told it’s a modern type of print, but yep, it’s kinda like...”

“It looks like a bismuth crystal!”

With a face that said, “I know, right”, a dandy crease formed under her eyes, which were just a bit more on-the-mark than usual. Her bob-cut hair was the same as always, her cream-colored hakama paired with a yellow-green and dark blue furisode, which bore a mysterious geometric pattern print. On top of being cute, it was unique. She said it was rented, but I got emotional upon finding out there was a furisode that was so much like her.

As for me, I was wearing a double-button English suit that fit my body extremely well. It was a little embarrassing, but the creatures called college boys were more or less the same kind of individuals as myself, so they weren’t too mindful of their male friends’ clothes. Only one of them, who had found employment in the apparel industry, said that “the suit Nakata’s wearing is so nice”.

It was the graduation ceremony of Kasaba University. We gathered in the excessively large auditorium for all but an instant, and once we had our diplomas in hand, it was the beginning of a rapid shooting party, where we took pictures with our preferred friends in spaces near the auditorium. Tanimoto-san came running over to the spot near the central library, where we had decided to meet up.

“Seigi-kun, really, congrats. Things might get hard from now on, but if it’s you, everything will definitely be okay.”

“Thank you. I’ll do my best. I don’t think I’m that big of a deal, though...”

“That’s not true. I know very well how awesome you are.”

I played around a little and bowed my head, also congratulating Tanimoto-san for her graduation, she laughed with a “huhuhu”, looking happy.

She had passed in teaching and she would officially be a middle school science teacher starting this April. She fulfilled the dream that she had told me about when we were in our second year of undergrad. So cool. She had laughed when I said I wanted to take her classes if it were ever possible, but now I knew her video communication address, so it might be that I could actually get to attend her lectures at least once. Even if I were no longer living in Japan.

“Tanimoto-san, the school you’re assigned to is...”

“In Okayama Prefecture. It’s famous for the Katsuta Group of vicarya fossils. Compared to you, it’s next-door.”

In a few days, my address would change from Japan to Sri Lanka. I was going to be a jeweler apprentice. I had been told that I would often have to move around in rough dress, so sure enough, I was going to dedicate myself to wearing formal stuff for the time being. It was a bit of a waste, but Nakata-san and Richard had probably given me a chance to wear this kind of thing because they knew about that.

I could hear a voice in the distance calling, “Shouko~”. It was apparently a friend of Tanimoto-san’s. She waved at them in response.

“Seigi-kun, y’know... I think I was very lucky to meet you in this university. Literally thank you. Thanks to you, university was always fun.”

“Those are all my lines. But Tanimoto-san, I only ever gave you trouble.”

“If you’re gonna say that, same goes for me. I feel like you’ve granted me many opportunities. Seriously, thank you.”

When she smiled, saying she was going to do her best, she looked really cute. Neither of us had any familiarity with Okayama, but surely, she would actively pave the way with her own strength no matter where she was. And on her days off, she would go out to the Katsuta Group to dig up fossils.

“From now on too, if there’s anything I can help you with, I want you to tell me. I’ll do anything. If you run into any weirdo, I’ll get on a plane and come give them a beating.”

“Me too; if anyone ever messes up with you, Seigi-kun, I’ll take my crack hammer and go finish them off. Look forward to it. Ah, Aki told me that a sniper rifle suits me better, apparently?”

“I-I wonder.”

After that, we talked for a while, seated on an inconspicuous bench, and when it was finally time, she told me to at least take care of my body, offering me her hand. I nodded and squeezed it back. Her hand was small but very strong.

“Take care of your body, at the very least. May the blessings of the stones fall upon you.”

“Thank you. You too.”

We bowed deeply, taking pictures with each other while we were at it, and once we were done with the commemorative photoshoot, in which the two of us kept a moderate distance from one another, we parted ways. Students here and there were hugging intensely and wailing, but neither she nor I were that type, and I didn’t think this would be farewell for a lifetime. We would definitely get to see each other from now on too.

However, this was our last time seeing each other while we were students. After the handshake, my angel waved her hand with a “see you”, even more brightly than an actual angel.

Later on, having finished looking around for the friends that I could call friends and going on a tour to tell them “thank you for everything until now”, lastly, I sent a brief text. Not to Richard. To Nakata-san and Hiromi.

“I was able to graduate from university without problems. Thank you very much, truly. I will be in your care from now on too.”

Rather than a greeting, it turned into a notice to announce my renewed determination. The stylish suit indeed gave off an extraordinary feeling of fittingness, but I couldn’t think I was fully used to it. Obviously. It finished being made just a while ago. It would start from here. If it would take on my shape the more I wore it, then I would make sure to wear it steadily to my own liking.

What mattered was the harmony, he had said.

While smoothly stroking the suit, which I still couldn’t deem as anything other than formal wear, as if I were stroking my favorite gemstone, I seared the contrast of cherry blossom petals against the blue sky into my eyes.

#housekishou richard shi no nazo kantei #housekishou richard #jeweler richard #the case files of jeweler richard #nakata seigi #richard ranashinghe de vulpian #richard ranashinha de vulpian #tanimoto shouko #richard #tsujimura nanako #yukihiro utako #novel #jr short story collection #my translation

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justfrozenthings · 4 years ago

Text

Welcome Home

Pairing: Kristoff/Anna

Rating: G

Word Count: 1,178

Notes: Happy Birthday to my birthday twin @azchris! Also known as azchrisd on Instagram. Happy Birthday Chris! Happy to be sharing a birthday with such an amazing artist/illustrator and human being! Hope you enjoy your birthday fic! If you’re not already, please go give them a follow!

Summary: Kristoff and Anna, now newly married, decide it’s time to add a new member to their family.

Anna practically flew out of the front seat of Kristoff’s old beat up pick up truck. She did quick happy skips up to the front door of the humane society. “Come on Kris hurry!” Anna yelled over to her husband when she saw that he was still getting out of the truck.

They’ve only been married for two months. And while they both decided that they weren’t ready for kids quite yet, though definitely want some in the near future, it was time to add a new member to the family. So, here they were at the humane society with hopes to give a furry friend a new home. Anna was so excited that she was bouncing on the tips of her toes watching with big sparkling eyes and a huge grin as her husband sauntered over to her.

“Okay, calm down there feisty calm down. I’m here.” Kristoff chuckled as he opened the door for the petite redhead beside him. Once again, Anna was off in a flash, immediately heading over to where the dogs were being kept and ignoring the lady at the front desk.

“Hello! Welcome to the Arendelle Humane Society! How may I help you today?”

“Uh hi. We’re looking to adopt, my wife was the streak of red that flew by just a minute ago.”

The lady covered her mouth as she gave a soft chuckle, “Yeah this place can really bring out the excitement in people. So, anything specific you’re looking for today...a dog? A cat?”

“No actually,” Kristoff said scratching the back of his head. “Our options are pretty open. We’re just looking or the one I guess you could say.”

“I’m sure you’ll find just the one you’re looking for here. It looks to me that your wife already made her way to where we keep the dogs. I can come with you to make the choosing process easier, I’ve spent time with each animal so I know a thing or two about their personalities.”

“We would really appreciate that. Thank you.”

When Kristoff and the employee lady stepped into the dog area, Anna was sitting on the floor with her legs crossed petting a German Shepard through one of the holes of the cage. Kristoff crouched down next to his wife, “Find one you like?” Kristoff asked, reaching through another hole to give the dog a pet as well.

Anna shook her head, “She’s cute but not quite what I’m looking for. While she’s very sweet and would no doubt make a great dog, I’m looking for one with a little more energy.”

“Ellie is one of our older dogs here,” the employee lady stated. “If you’re looking for one with a bit more energy I would suggest one of our younger dogs or puppies.”

“I think a puppy might be too much for us to handle at the moment, but we’ll take you up on that offer about the younger dogs,” Anna responded, giving a smile to the nice lady in front of her.

“No problem!” The lady returned a smile, “Are you looking for a certain size or breed?” Anna shook her head in response, “No. We’re pretty much open to anything.”

“That’s what your husband said,” the lady giggled, gesturing back to Kristoff, who was trailing behind them as they walked down the hall.

The two continued chatting away about little things like their love for animals until Anna suddenly stopped. “Oh my gosh!” she squealed, taking off down the hallway before stopping at another cage. “Who’s this big guy?!” She reached through the fence to give the dog in question a pet on the head.

“That’s Sven,” the lady responded, “He’s a Norwegian Elkhound.”

“Well he certainly is a cutie,” Anna giggled as Sven licked her hand, “And a sweetie too.”

Sven had a wood brown coat with markings of fossil gray fur, and the warmest pair of chocolate brown eyes she had ever seen. Well, besides Kristoff.

“He’s very playful! And might be just what you’re looking for! Would you like to meet him?”

“Oh yes please!” Anna looked up at the woman, eyes wide as saucers. It was like a kid in a candy store, and Kristoff couldn’t help at how cute his wife looked at that moment. He couldn’t wait to see that look throughout their lives.

They went outside to a small enclosure where a big oak tree stood proudly in the middle and various toys were scattered along the luscious shamrock green grass. Anna picked up a blue and white striped tug of war rope, shaking it in front of Sven to grab his attention, and then throwing it across the lawn. Sven bounded after it bringing it straight back to Anna.

Anna threw it again...and again...and again, sometimes even running with Sven as he went to fetch it, and chasing him as she tried to get it back.

Anna made her way back over to Kristoff and the lady, face red and completely out of breath. “Kristoff,” she huffed, still trying to catch her breath, “I think we found him. I think Sven’s the one.” Anna looked back at the Norwegian Elkhound who stood wagging his tail as he waited for the game to continue.

“Are you sure you don’t want to look at any of the others first?” Kristoff asked smugly, knowing very well that his wife was one to make quick decisions.

“I’m sure. In fact, I have never been more sure of anything in my life. It’s him. He’s the one.”

“Well okay then.” Kristoff gave a small nod and put his hands on his hips. “If you’re sure then I guess we have no other choice than to adopt him.”

“Really?!,” Anna piped up, clasping her hands in together. “You’re okay with getting him?! You like him too?!”

At some point during their conversation, Sven had pondered back over to the three humans. Kristoff squatted and stroked Sven’s head, “I do. I think he’ll make a perfect addition to our family.”

“Well, seeing as the two of you have made a decision I can set you all up to take him home, and let you be on your way so you can begin making some memories.”

After handling all the paperwork and paying the adoption price, Anna and Kristoff let Sven jump in the front seat with them. As they drove down the country roads, Sven set his two front legs on Anna as he stuck his head out the window, tongue wagging in the wind.

Kristoff glanced over at Anna who was smiling at Sven enjoying the breeze as she lightly stroked his fur. “So what should we name him?” Kristoff asked.

“Actually,” Anna giggled, “I was thinking we should keep his name. I like it, it’s unique, and fits him very well. What do you think?”

Kristoff took her hand giving it a gentle kiss, “I was thinking the very same thing.”

And from that day forward, Sven had become a beloved and valued member of the Bjorgman family.

Ao3

#kristanna #my fanfiction #kristanna fanfiction #kristoff #anna #happy birthday chris!

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undertaleheadcannonsfromagremlin · 5 years ago

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Science, Ink, Error and Cross Sans and UT skele and (if this isn’t too much) SF Skeles having a beach day with Friend?

I’M GOING TO THE BEACH TOMORROW, HAHAHAHA, WISH ME LUCK ON FINDING GLASS FLOATS, AND GOING TO THE DINOSAUR STORE! Should I try to see what they’re excavating, or naw? (And by tomorrow, it is the 6/28 as of writing this)

Atom (Science Sans)- He’s actually enjoying the fresh air, and the cool breeze. He’s been working too much in the lab, and it surely was showing. He was very reluctant to even go to the beach, but his friend had forced him to come, and he’s honestly thankful for them. He’s lucky to have a friend like that.

Ink- Sandcastles, excavations sights, the beach is the best place to be! He can watch people build sandacastles, build on with him friend, or move more towards town and see an excavation sight where they’re finding fossils! This beach town is awesome!

Error- He reluctant to even be at the beach, mainly because of how messy sand is. It was frustrating to get the sand off of his slippers, and to stop sticking to his bones randomly. Very frustrating, but he’s willing to go. Then a seagull nearly pooped on him, and he’s peeved. This was the worst beach day ever, but don’t worry, tomorrow is better! He had found a glass float the next day, it had an intricate design, and once he learned that he got to keep it since he found it on the beach, he was even more surprised. He got to see Sea lions, and those were cool, and he saw a seagull eat another bird whole- what the hell. Well, it was mostly good.

Cross- With how much Chara is bugging them to go to the candy store near the beach to get some of the famous salt water taffy, he had actually gotten quite a bit of candy at the beach, he also got to be alone with his friend. It was rather... Nice, walking down the small pier, watching the people below creating sand castles, out in the water he spotted some seals and sea lions. Hm, it was worth it, even with Chara requesting him to eat more of the taffy. Chara’s favorite might have been the chocolate salt water taffy. Yikes.

Sans (Undertale Sans)- He’d probably be sleeping on a towel, under an umbrella. It’s ironic that no one has yet been able to bury him until he was nothing but a head. Unfortunately, that wasn’t going to happen anytime soon, it seems. Sad days.

Papyrus (Undertale Papyrus)- He’s actually showing off how good he is at beach volleyball. He is a skeleton of many talents, and this is one of them. He’s probably going to knock his friend’s sock off with how good he actually is.

Rus (Fellswap Papyrus)- He likes the rather clean beaches, and his friend seemed to bring him to a beach that was trash free *cough cough looking at you California cough cough*, and hey, he sees fish in the water! That’s so awesome! He’s, uh, getting too excited by being at the beach, isn’t he? He just hopes that his friend had more planned to do at the beach, show him all the proper experiences, and they do just that! They show him all their rituals they do when they visit the beach, go to a restaurant only found at the beach, go to the outdoor beach mall, walk on the beach and do beach things, go to a haunted lighthouse. It’s just amazing.

Black (Fellswap Sans)- The beach, huh? Now, he wasn’t expecting his friend to plan a day with just him at the beach, but he’s got to say, he’s intrigued. Especially since there’s a bunch of interesting museums there- he’s mainly intrigued by the boats museums and war museums on the coast, but, hey, he’ll look at other museums as well! Not all the time will be spent at museums, don’t worry, he’ll go to the beach as well, but the museums are calling his name-. He’s fascinated by history, even if it was idiotic human’s history. And, well, there are interesting things in museums at times.

I’ve seen a seagull eat five baby ducks whole (alive btw) in a row before it nearly drowned because of the parent ducks. Nature is f-ed up. Also pardon, I’m drunk halfway through this and yeah, and a part of me that usually lets me shut up and not talk is currently broken. Fourth ever alcoholic drink and I’m a lightweight bitch. Also, Black’s response was done when drunk and sorry. idk why museums but... museums. My drunk ass brain registered Black/Mal with museums and I just... Don’t have the heart to delete drunk me’s response, haha.

#undertale headcanons #inktale #errortale #fellswap #sans #papyrus #science sans #ink sans #error sans #cross sans #fs sans #fs papyrus

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momtemplative · 5 years ago

Text

One-Act Play

It was the summer of 2004. I was living at 940 North Street in Boulder, in the strange kind of rental property you can only get away with in your twenties. It was dilapidated and half-swallowed by shrubbery, but also rustic and quaint, a slice of woods in the middle of town. (A raccoon had babies in my ski boots out back.) It was few blocks from the mountains and a few more blocks to Pearl Street. I used to ride a hand-me-down bike that was heavy as wrought-iron down to the Trident Coffee Shop on Pearl Street and pretend I was a “real” writer.

(I parked and tripped over the very same bike during the very same summer to greet my buddy, Lisa, and her friend, Jesse, who were enjoying a drink at an outside table at the Corner Bar. That was the first time I met Jesse, and the summer of 2004 is when our romance began. But that story is for a different day.)

I had just quit my job after a year of working as a receptionist at a chiropractic office. I’d had it with a passive-aggressive boss and no growth potential. I was living with my former African drum teacher and his girlfriend. They ascribed fully to the phrase you-only-live-once and they buzzed with a sort of free-spiritedness that would make my mom cringe. So when I quit my (responsible if people-pleasing and self-sacrificing) job, fate had it so I was living with them, with their input that said, Good Riddance. Now what do you really want to do?

In a bold act of maternal generosity, my mom wrote me a check that covered tuition for the entire month of the Summer Writing Program at Naropa’s Jack Karoac School of Disembodied Poetics. (Naropa, a Buddhist college in Boulder, CO.) I signed up for one week with artist /dancer, Michelle Ellsworth, and used the extra on rent and groceries. (I’d been in Colorado for all of two years and I was barely able to make ends meet even before my new status of being unemployed.)

I picked Michelle randomly; I liked her picture in the brochure. I can envision her now, as clearly as if I had a Fotomatic print of her in my hands. Clear blue eyes like crystals you hang in the window to shoot rainbow-slivers into the space. A wide, shiny smile. She spoke to our crowded class with a quick, giggly cadence, like the tick of a wound-up clock. Any details blur into the oblivion of non-essential memory, but her imprint, like that of a fossilized leaf on a river stone, hasn’t faded in the slightest.

Our assignment was to write a one-act play about anything.

940 North was entirely furnished in one afternoon from the Habitat for Humanity Thrift store, and its décor was mostly provided by an old lady’s estate sale. I had emptied out the closet in my bedroom to make a writing nook. I had an ancient laptop and a borrowed printer. We definitely did NOT have Internet; I had to use the computers at the college for that. This was still an era where Internet could be used intermittently and intentionally—for checking email and other specific to-dos that required only a finite amount of time. This was before Internet was available and necessary for us to receive continuously and at a heavy drip.

I had not slacked. I didn’t procrastinate. To the contrary—I cleared my calendar for this assignment, took it way too seriously and tried WAY too hard. I wanted so badly to be awesome at this, but after two complete afternoons, I could barely pinch out a coherent sentence.

On the due date, Michelle said, “Ok, let’s go around and have everyone tell us about their play.”

Bla, bla, bla, blur, blur, everyone did their assignment, no problem, until the spotlight landed on me with, it seemed, the sound of brakes coming to a screeching halt. I cleared my throat and shifted in my chair.

“I didn’t finish it.” I said. I felt a clenching desire to fold up and hide. The back of my skull droned like the sudden onset of a fever.

She smiled without a fleck of irony. “Then tell me what you did instead.”

Okay...? So many eyes on me...”Honestly? I re-organized my closet. Then I stared at a blank screen. Then I ate a bunch of potato chips. Then I typed a few words and printed a page, tossed it into the trash, hung out with my roommates and cleaned my toilet. It went on like that for hours, two full afternoons.”

“Well then that’s your play,” Michelle said, giddy with the proposal. “Anyone want to help Heather out with this one?” Four hands from four complete strangers shot up.

Low, behold, later that week, the five of us lined up on stage like human-cogs in the grand machine that was to be our performance.

I, PERSON ONE: typed furiously on a typewriter, then I pulled out the paper and handed it to the person to my left. Then I started again, and it went on like this.

PERSON TWO: crumbled up the paper and threw it into a bucket of water, then put a hand out my way for another paper to crumple and dunk. Our movements were stiff and mechanical.

PERSON THREE: pulled the paper out of the bucket, squeezed it then smoothed it flat on a towel. Then she looked up to pretend-talk to an invisible person, while pulling another paper from the water.

PERSON FOUR: grabbed the wet paper from the towel and handed it to the next person. Then he shoved a handful of potato chips from a bag open directly in front of him into his mouth, before grabbing and passing another one.

PERSON FIVE: placed the wet paper overtop a balloon that was held steady onto a table with tape, and then another wet paper and another.

It went like this, a factory line going going going through at least six cycles, each of us doing our part to assemble a visual-thought from beginning to end, without fighting or judging—just reporting.

When the last piece of paper whizzed out of my typewriter and was handed to the next person, I froze. Then, each of the four remaining performers did their respective actions and froze, until PERSON FIVE was the only one moving. He plastered the final wet paper to the balloon and held it up for observation. Then the scene went dark, and, applause.

The idea that there is information (dare I say wisdom, creativity) in the non-doing, the over-doing, and everything in between, shattered my archaic notions of black-and-white thinking. It created grand pockets of space for curiosity to germinate. Curiosity— the grand antidote to perfectionism.

I could not undo this teaching even if I tried.

I pull it out now as a sort of valuable overlay to everyday life. It breathes oxygen into the mundane moments, and works as sort of a salve when shit doesn’t go as planned, which is the New Normal. Let the record show, I’ve had young kids in my life for the passed decade-plus, so I’m accustomed to lack of control. And yet, I’ve always also had certain chunks of the day when I was guaranteed some sense of command over my own actions. While Ruth was in preschool, 12 hours a week, I worked and did adult life, making choices that actually happened. At a bare minimum, I had that.

Now we are dwelling in the land of a thousand distractions, with no reprieve. There is no boat off this island. No departures in the near future. It often feels like the how the day unfolds is entirely up to some larger sources that I have utterly no influence on. Is Ruth in the mood to play independently for any stretch of time today? Is she up for watching a TV show while I do a little writing? Will she spend more than five minutes on an art project without descending into coloring her eyeballs with face paint or covering an entire palm in glitter glue? One never knows. One can only pray.

Truth: It took me an hour to write and send a three-line email this morning. The staggering disruptions became almost comical. Ruth fell down FOUR separate times. This is an extreme example, almost as if her nervous system could sense my focus was elsewhere and ran a smear campaign against Mom Completing Any Singular Task. But, if perhaps a lighter version, this is a typical day.

Before Michelle, I may have regarded these off-script moments as those of non-doing, small fails to wrestle with until I can get my “actual shit done.” But today I can see there is so much more there. Choices, aggravation, empathy, my physical body, the body of my wild-puppy preschooler, suppressed laughter, expressed laughter, suppressed annoyance, expressed annoyance—all are contained in these moderately priced moments.

Then you add a blizzard. In the last four days, we’ve gotten multiple feet of snow. The world is covered in a suffocating wool blanket, itchy and hard to breathe underneath. The snow outside—higher than the dog’s belly!!—squeezes us between the walls of this house, everything inside seems tighter and louder because of the outside’s sound-deadening insulation.

So there’s my one-act play for today.

#momtemplative #HeatMamaWords #OneActPlay #COVIDwords #michelleellsworth

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mister-maiden · 5 years ago

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Surprise Game Review: Animal Crossing - New Horizons

As the date for the release of a game about crushing demon skulls and a game about giving sweet gifts to friends came near, I came to a harsh decision...

Well. You know what I picked.

I can’t get over the damn thing.

It’s like cocaine mixed with heroin in a handheld. I can’t just NOT visit my island. What if my islanders got lonely? Phoebe is a nice person, Coco is wild, and cut ol Doc is outta this world. I don’t wanna leave’em alone :c

Animal Crossing at its heart is about taking a break...by doing chores. You are tasked to create a brand new island community through whatever means necessary. Through its time restricted events, real time following, and high level of customobility, this game had me and my player 2 snorkling from the cuteness.

While many games require you to sit down for hours at a time to chip away at achievements, upgrades, and resources, Animal Crossing took a different approach by forcing you to sit down for increments of about an hour every day. With morning announcements from Tom Nook comes the exciting new island features (which update every day 5:00 A.M., your time c:) Fruits grow, fossils spawn in the ground, new stones are spawned, etc. It’s these special times which allow the player to feel the beginning of a brand new day.

While this happens, you could find yourself slowly moving into a routine just as I have - At 5 P.M., wait for P2 to come home and we both watch announcements of the day, celebrating in the announcement of any new buildings or visitors. Then I comb through my island in harvest of all of its fruitful bounties in the form of fossils and...well, fruit. After this I walk to the stones of my island and give them a few good wacks for iron ingots to craft into better equipment for the day and future. Next I will get to speak with some of my islanders! The lovable blue bunny Doc always makes me grin with his assortment of old furniture while Bangle keeps me happy with her goofy Tiger pep. The special interactions you can have with your villagers really made the game for me. Makes me feel homely to watch them use the furniture I set down for a picnic for anyone to use.

After checking in with my friends, I check in at the stores to look at the hot item of the day as well as Turnip prices just in case I invested. I swipe any furniture I see at the store if I am interested and continue to buy a few flimsy tools to merge with my iron ore to create better tools. Next is the grand visit to the ATM machine next to Tom Nook. Passively giving me more currency in the form of *Nook Miles*, I can increase the amount I get each day by visiting it consecutively. This gives me an even stronger reason to just visit once a day.

I won’t spoil anything else in hopes that whoever reads this will perhaps pick up a copy to play! I’m more of an adventure/RPG/horror type of fella, but this game really hit me in the chest. It’s a game that lets me feel free in pursuits of doing whatever I want because it gives me endless options to continue my pursuit of a nice looking island. The way you can interact with the island at different times was an excellent feature. It gave me a reason to wait and play my game till a specific point in the day. It made me excited for the next time I got to play!

I’ve always been into base building games. I have over 700 hours racked up in Terraria on steam (and I still make square houses :C). With that, this purchase was a perfect decision because of its allowance of sheer customization in game. I can change the color of multiple pieces of furniture, I can make my own clothes, hell I can even leave paintings around in display of my art skills! I love being able to create custom designs and give them to friends. I have already made my friends cool little coats with their favorite pokemon on them. I even made one for my favorite pokemon, good ol Bulbasaur!

There are a few items in game that are left to be desired in regards to its multiplayer. With no second island, my PS2 is unable to play on her own island and is forced to use resources from my island or just visit my island. There are also huge issues regarding an overflow of text for online multiplayer which is simply very unneeded for a game in this age. I shouldn’t have to go through 3 minutes of unskippable text talking to a pelican before getting an unskippable cutscene every single time one of my irl friends come to my island. It also restricts my customization abilities because “a visitor is on the island.” Seems very misplaced and jarring in a game as polished as this one. This is the only gripe I have. Other than that, it’s been a fun experience.

All and all, I’m giving it a 9/10. It’s an absolutely phenomenal game with so many things to do you’ll become dizzy of all the duties...but the multiplayer is far too bad to be disregarded as *just another thing*

I want these type of community style games to have seamless multiplayer or at least some form of faster joining in multiplayer. It takes far too long just to join or have someone visit your island only for them to just sell some fruit and look around. I feel like Nintendo could have stepped it up here and gave players their own personal *online* space as a disconnected island bridged to the main island by some form of bridge before separating and departing....However, all of the other features completely disconnects this from any form of disappointment I could have. I mean this game is just amazing. I am continuing to learn more and customize more just to form my own clothing store in game! It’d be neat if I could have some random visitors so we could visit each other's island c:

Hope y’all have a wonderful night <3 My island’s name is Dagon by the way c:

#Animal Crossing #Animal Crossing Review #Short Reviews #Cultist #Occult #Cult Chief

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protectorsofthewood · 5 years ago

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Abby and Wendy - Episode 35

THE VOYAGE DOWN THE RIVER

Phoebe appeared from under the bridge and said in a whisper: “You’re still here. Thank you! Let’s go.”

“Abby in the bow, just behind the mast. Phoebe in the middle.” They jumped in, Lluvia pushed off, and the canoe was running with the current. “Take that paddle, nice and easy on the left. Watch carefully.”

A blue sail was wrapped tightly around the mast. The motor was not running. The boat drifted into the fast current in the center of the river. For a while no one spoke. The view of the rushing water, the Winkle Family farm, the hills and the cliffs in the distance… It was all enchanting. The light breeze and the roller coaster feel of the current stirred their blood. The dark water glittered in the setting sun. Abby felt the warm sun on her back. All was calm. Abby and Lluvia didn’t make any great effort, but just kept the canoe straight and clear of other small boats coming upriver near the bank. They had a brief view of the town of Half Moon on the left and the park and docks on the right, passed by a few more farms, and then entered a more suburban landscape.

“Sorry to be late,” said Phoebe. “We had a surprise.”

Abby turned her head to look at Phoebe’s face. She doesn’t seem too worried. “Tell us!”

“Zoe had news. One of the reporters from the River City Post – name of Jerry Norris – is known to moonlight for political campaigns. Its possible he’s employed by Confidential Investigations, a well-known creepy outfit that works for big money. The same people stalking you, Abby. Norris is short, thin-faced, blue eyed, pale, receding hairline, in his thirties. Goes around with a broad-shouldered guy. I remember them from the churchyard gate. We were standing there a long time with nothing to do but look at reporters. According to Zoe, Jerry Norris is the most likely ‘reporter who’s not a reporter’, to quote what Marcus told Nico. We’ll have to watch out for him at the event tomorrow.”

Abby was trying to concentrate on her job, looking for dangerous floating objects in the river. “Tell Sara,” she said.

Phoebe continued her story: “Later on, Sulay came bursting into the toy store. She pulled me into the back room and said Marcus had just come into Phones and More to buy a fancy new smart phone. When her father was occupied with another customer he whispered to Sulay: ‘Change all your passwords. Wipe your phones and start over’. She hung around him and made the sale, but that’s all he said that’s of interest to us.”

“Wow,” Abby exclaimed. “Go, Marcus! What did you do?”

“It was already 4:15. Sulay said she’d do her job for you and then find Nico and make security changes in their phones and computer. I ran down to their store and asked her father to wipe my phone and help me get started again. He thinks my phone is too old to be any good, but said he’d wipe it later today. He recommended a new one but I don’t have the money, and now I have no phone. Thank God I never use my computer. And I barely got to you in time. I was panicked I’d miss out.”

Abby looked at Lluvia. “It’s a good thing we have no phones or computers.”

Lluvia laughed. “How did you know?”

“Oh, Jeremy told me about the Phone Rules, and I just didn’t think you’d go in for all that media. You like to be secret, and aren’t afraid of being alone.”

“That’s me.” Lluvia wore a smile during the whole conversation, with her eyes on the water. “But I do want a taste of all of this new action. I’m really glad to see both of you. We know the big change is coming, and this weekend we’ll see for ourselves.”

“And I’m so relieved to be with you,” Abby said. “I really have no idea what I’m doing. Like, what’s the schedule? Where do we sleep? How do we handle this meeting tonight? Who will even show us where to go?”

Phoebe had been glancing back at Lluvia. “I’ve seen you before,” she said suddenly.

“Oh my God,” exclaimed Abby. “You don’t know each other! Phoebe, this is Lluvia!”

“Watch the water, Abby. Don’t turn around. We can hear you.”

“Oh, I’m such an idiot!” Abby muttered. “I was better at this when I was ten. I can’t even remember which of my friends know each other.”

But Lluvia and Phoebe were not listening. They were studying each other’s faces. Even Lluvia had taken her eyes off the water.

“I know I’ve seen you before…” murmured Phoebe. “Somewhere.”

“Of course you have. Can you remember?”

“In the toy store. You buy paint… and brushes, every once in a while.”

Lluvia laughed. “Oh you do remember! And I remember you, and your mother and father. But I’ve seen them more recently… in Rivergate and the forest.”

“Ah. You probably see my parents more than I do. Maybe you paint like my mother.”

“I’ve seen some of her work. But I’m not that kind of artist. I add detail to boats. Like names, and where they’re from. And sometimes fancy little extras. Some people want a lot of detail. We build boats and I ride them all over, taking people and supplies here and there, and fishing. Or just exploring.”

Lluvia glanced at Phoebe’s face again. “You play soccer. I’ve seen you in uniform, working in your store. And we read about your high school team.”

“I destroyed my knee in college this year. But now I coach.” Phoebe’s voice was not full of despair. She seemed to have accepted the fact.

Abby was listening, and trying to maintain her concentration on the water. But she wanted to watch the faces of her friends. Boats passed them going upstream, always close to the bank, and power boats passed them from behind. Lluvia’s canoe held the center of the river. Along the way various streams flowed into the Half Moon, and the river grew wider, and the number of boats increased.

“Are we going to sail?” asked Phoebe. “I’d love to try it.”

“Not today. We don’t need any help going with the current. I use the sail going upriver, and in the open water in the wetland. A few times we’ve gone all the way to the bay and the ocean.”

“I’m envious,” Phoebe said. “It’s different seeing things from the river.”

“Is it ever! I’m kind of addicted to seeing things from the river. But I’m not going to miss out on these new events. I have the feeling I’ll be involved somehow. Chi Chi told me about the meeting tonight, and some kind of event tomorrow.”

“And who’s going to meet us?” asked Abby. “Who will show us around? Where do we sleep?”

“Sara’s supposed to meet us at the dock,” answered Phoebe. “But I was going to text her when we got close, and now I can’t. I hope she shows up anyway.”

“I know my way around a little bit,” Lluvia told them. “I’ve delivered vegetables and biogas to Evansville more times than I can count. And I have a friend there. We’ll stay at his house tonight.”

“So who is it?” Abby almost turned around to see Lluvia’s face. “We’re curious!”

“I was going to surprise you, but I should tell you now. It’s Alex Johnson.”

“Alex… Alex Johnson… Alex and Lexa? You’re kidding me!”

“No, you’re just out of touch.” Lluvia spoke with a wide smile, her eyes on the water.

“Well, how did this happen? I was just thinking about them. About all of us in the Young Warriors’ Club.”

“The Young Warriors’ Club?” asked Phoebe.

“It was our Sunday school when we were children,” Abby explained. “I lost all my friends when I was ten and my family moved.”

You’ll be surprise to hear this,” Luvia said. “Not long after you left Rivergate, Lexa and Alex left too. Their parents had long been separated, and their mother died. Their father took them to River City where he lived. None of us had ever met him, and he had no interest in us. He just took Lexa and Alex and never came back. But then a year ago they showed up out of the blue! Well, Lexa and Alex did. Not the father. It turned out their father had died.”

“My head is spinning,” Abby said. If only I could see Lluvia’s face! she thought.

“Yeah, I’ve got a lot of news.” Lluvia obviously enjoyed surprising Abby. “We didn’t know it, but their father had been a part of some big real estate family, owning tons of property in River City and even in Evansville. Alex’s father left him a little house near the Evansville College campus, and money for his tuition, but otherwise Alex is broke, barely getting by. His father didn’t trust him or something. It’s complicated, and he doesn’t like talking about it. But we’re friends now and we’ll stay with him.”

“So how does he survive?” Phoebe was clearly interested, risking quick glances at Lluvia behind her.

“He’s an artist, and sells woodcut prints. You’ll see at least one of them. The students have adopted the image of Noah’s ark as a kind of insignia, like a badge of identity. I’ve brought some prints to Rivergate, and even up to students at Northern State, where Students Against Fossil Fuels is organizing.”

“I think I did see it from a distance at the churchyard festival. It was big like a flag.” Abby’s mind was racing, but her eyes still looked for obstacles in the water. “Hey! Something floating up ahead! Look. It’s… yes, a loose boat!”

A small dinghy was floating free on the current with no passengers. Lluvia and Abby maneuvered the canoe alongside. Phoebe managed to tie a line to the metal ring on the bow of the little white rowboat, and they began towing it along behind them.

“We’ll leave it at the college dock and see if they can find the owner. Otherwise it’s ours. Who needs a boat? You’d be surprised how often this happens.”

She’s so happy, Abby thought enviously. I wish I felt that way. Is happiness something you can learn?

I’d like a boat!” Phoebe exclaimed. “Can I have it? It almost like your boat, Abby.”

“I wish I had a chance to use mine. You take it, Phoebe. I’m jealous of the boat we’re in. I’d like to get a sail and a little motor like Lluvia’s got.”

“It’s yours, Phoebe, unless someone at the dock locates the owner. It’s good luck to find a boat. And Abby, I’ve got a special present for you, back on the West Isle. We’re going to get you fixed up good.”

“I can’t wait!... Hey, look, there’s Evansville. A few tall buildings and the bridge.”

#Environmentalism #ecofiction #environment #teenagers #protectorsofthewood #Teenagers

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