#I am not good at making schedules or managing my time efficiently

[aflippedflop]

It's been a while. Huh?

[joooooniecore]

Oh no, I'm falling in love

Being in love with your best friend is the last thing you wanted in your life. Namjoon has always been your pillar in the harshest of days and no matter how much you are in love with him, you are never going to confess. You are too scared for things to go wrong.

But when that one fateful event occurs, will you be able to suppress your growing desire to be his?

✧˖* pairing: best friend!namjoon x f!reader

✧˖* w.c: 5.2k (full work)

✧˖* genre: best friend namjoon, best friends to lovers, a problematic ex(for a brief moment), fluff, smut.

✧˖* content warnings (full work): reader is really depressed, a problematic ex, some harsh words | explicit smut: body worship, praise, unprotected penetration(don’t do it guys)

THIS FIC IS FOR +18 READERS ONLY! I can't control what people read, but I can control who interacts with my blog. MINORS CAUGHT INTERACTING WILL BE BLOCKED.

The continuous stubborn urge to run away has always been there on your mind. You never stay stable as the world seems to make fun of the way you live. You have always been a people pleaser, someone who has always been there. Someone who looks strong like she can cause a storm but no one finds a way to see through the façade of how she is the one fighting a storm all alone. Being alone has done wonders to your mind. You know how to live alone even though you hate being alone.

You have always been an extroverted person but the amount of toxic relationships and messed up dates has ruined your will to do anything for the sake of love at all. You are good at it though, giving your all when you liked someone and somehow losing yourself in the process.

“You have grown distant”, was what they would say as they broke up. It was the same every time. A cheap way to get away from the depressed energy you always gave off probably.

The buzzing in your mind never stops as you type aggressively on the keyboard, jotting down schedule and timings for the new tour and brand dealings on the spreadsheet. The clattering of keys probably helps as your mind stays blank and all you can think of are putting numbers in those tiny boxes.

“You are going to break the keyboard at this rate.”, came a soft chuckle from behind you. Then a warm hand on your shoulders as the stress somehow dissipated.

“Shut up Namjoon.”, you told out loud as the clattering stopped and you turned your head to meet eyes with your best friend.

“I was just passing by and saw you murdering the keyboard.”, Namjoon said with a teasing glint in his eyes.

“Not my fault that the schedule seems skeptical.”, you murmured before addressing the drink in Namjoon’s hands.

“Thanks for the drink.”, you said with a grumble as the sweet strawberry milkshake calmed your nerves down.

“You’re welcome.”, Namjoon said as he sat beside you and started toying with the small figurines displayed on your desk.

“Aren’t you extending your welcome?”, you playfully teased.

“I provide you smoothies to survive so shut up.”, Namjoon responded with the same frequency.

You both became fast friends. When you first joined this entertainment company as a manager, you were naïve. Being young among the other workers, it was tough for you to get used to your surroundings. You were also not so fluent in Korean which created a little chaos for the first few months. Namjoon was your savior. Even though he had his own responsibilities as an idol trainee and composer of a rookie group, he gave his time in teaching you Korean and also helping you get used to the surroundings.

He was your first friend in this unknown country and you both have been strong ever since. When Bangtan became famous, Namjoon was the one to ask for you as their manager in front of the board of directors and even though you were younger than most members of the group, your efficiency didn’t go to waste as you were granted that position without a single hesitation.

“Don’t you have work?”, you snickered as you sipped the drink.

“I am done for the day so decided to annoy you.”, Namjoon said with a shrug.

“Of course.”, you said with an extra sweet smile.

You started typing again as Namjoon started scrolling on his phone. After what felt like hours, Namjoon finally spoke again, “Are you going to the get-together party?”

“I don’t think so. It gets awkward there.”, you muttered under your breath.

The get-together in question is something some of the managers and idols attend. It’s a monthly thing where they get to lose their status and enjoy the evening. You like going there as you are good friends with most of the idols but recently you have been feeling a little under the weather and you are not wishing to come face to face with Youngjin, your ex who is also the manager of an idol group.

“Oh come on, Jungkook has been nagging me to bring you there.”, Namjoon said with an almost pout.

“You know how it is. I don’t want to face him.”, you said trying to sound less tired.

“I know but we all will be there. It will be fine. You have to just stay with us.”, Namjoon said with a soft smile, his hand resting on top of yours as he tried to calm you down.

You thought about it for a second, taking the possibilities in and how you would be able to enjoy the evening with good friends. Yes, you would hate to see your ex but it’s inevitable that you would meet him one day or another.

“Fine. But you are picking me up.”, you said as you glared at him.

“Yes ma’am.”, Namjoon said with a victorious smile.

As he walked out of the door, you released a sigh you didn’t know you were holding. It has been harder nowadays to hold back the feelings you have for your closest friend. You are extremely scared that this might cause a rift with the only person who feels like home to you. You have always been scared to fall in love. Always finding flaws in the other person and justifying you falling out of love because of a missing quality. But with Namjoon it was different. You have tried hard to find a flaw that would justify your urge to keep the friendship as it was but there were none. You have seen the way he treats women and it makes your heart skip a beat.

Speaking of women, Namjoon has always been the centre of attraction and that has always caused you to stay behind the scenes. He is charismatic, and handsome. He can easily get any woman he lays his eyes on and hence, it would never be you. Even though he never really dates, you have seen the way women fawn over him. You would always be his best friend. Someone who he allows to be in his life as a support. Someone who knows all his little tales at the end of the day. Someone who is there to just be a friend.

The day went by as you got busy with work. In the evening after you got dressed up, your phone rang and you were quick to pick it up only to find Jimin calling.

“Hello Jimin-ie. What’s up?”, you sweetly responded as you searched for your lipstick.

“Nothing just seeing whether you would come to the party or not.”, Jimin’s soft voice filled your ears.

“I am coming. Namjoon is forcefully picking me up from home in a few minutes.”, you flatly stated.

“Oh come on, you would actually like being forced by him.”, Jimin said with his usual teasing voice.

“Ugh shut up. I did a mistake when I told you about my crush.”, you snickered back with an eye roll.

“Get your man ____.”, Jimin said.

“He isn’t mine and he never will be.”, you chuckled bitterly but nobody has to know that.

Jimin sighed as he ended the call and you decided to finally wear your heels just when the doorbell rang. You quickly got out of your bedroom as you opened the door only to find Namjoon leaning against the opposite wall to your apartment.

“What the heck are you doing?”, you frantically screamed as you grabbed his blazer and pulled him in, not before slamming the door shut.

“Woah calm down girl. What happened?”, Namjoon said with a smirk.

“Why are you here? Where’s your driver?”, you glared at him.

“He is waiting in the car. I came to pick you up.”, Namjoon casually stated as he sat on the couch.

“Anybody could have seen you. Are you insane?”, you were still a bit shaken.

You live in a very secured society which does have a lot of famous people since your job does include being captured by cameras when you are escorting the members through the airport. Many of the fans know you by your name as they gush about how pretty and confident you are. You have no idea how they concluded that from just your pictures. You have seen the posts and hence it won’t be nice if someone decides to spread a rumor just for the sake of some sort of fame. You are scared to tarnish Namjoon’s career with your name.

“It’s a secured building.”, Namjoon flatly stated.

“Still...”, you swallowed the words as you decided to wear your heels and get your purse.

When you finally came out all ready, you saw Namjoon staring at you intently.

“What?”, you finally asked.

“You know how to clean up good manager-nim.”, Namjoon said with a silly smile.

“Shut up.”, you grumbled and hoped for Namjoon to not notice how your cheeks flushed red and your heartrate increased.

By the time you reached the party, your mind has become calmer. You were actually excited to meet your friends and were also prepared to ignore your ex.

As soon as you crossed the threshold of the door, you were pulled in by the members and few of the managers. They were laughing and giggling about something you had no idea about.

“Why are you guys laughing?”, you asked with a puzzled expression.

“Hoseok here started a bet that you would enter here pissed off because of something stupid Namjoon would have done.”, said one of the managers as you rolled your eyes.

“He is stupid. He was standing at my doorstep without a freaking mask on.”, you exasperated as your hands moved dramatically.

Everyone laughed about it and served you drinks.

“I don’t have a crush on him anymore.”, you said as you sat beside Jimin and Taehyung.

These two menaces were eating your head out. They were saying how Namjoon always looks at you from across the room and you would never believe that. It’s probably because of the fact that you are his best friend, someone he knows closely that he checks up on you once in a while.

“He doesn’t check up on you. He checks out you.”, Taehyung said with a knowing glint.

“I bet money that he would come right towards you once he sees you talking with that ex of yours.”, Jimin stated.

“But why would I talk with my ex?”, you dumbly question.

“Because he is approaching us. Bye.”, and before you knew, the known faces of Jimin and Taehyung were replaced with the dipshit face of your ex.

“Hey ____. How have you been?”, Youngjin said in his usual cocky tone.

“I am fine.”, you answered in a clipped tone.

“You look uhm amazing.”, he said as sat on the bar stool in front of you.

“Thanks I guess?”, you said nonchalantly.

“Listen, I seriously want to talk about something.”, he started to speak but you raised your hand to make him stop.

“Don’t.”, you said in a tone that meant finality.

“Oh come on, can’t we just get back together again?”, he said in a voice that made your skin crawl.

He was the one who ruined you and now has the audacity to get back with you just because he thinks you are available.

“I don’t want to.”, you said in that exact same annoyed tone.

“You aren’t dating anyways.”, he stated and that made your blood boil.

“Doesn’t mean I am available for you.”, you snickered back.

“Nobody would date you anyways, I am giving you a chance.”, he said in such an unbothered manner that it made you gasp. Your face turned red as your eyes teared up.

Just when you were going to walk away, there was a warm presence behind your back. An arm crawling up around your waist and you were damned because you knew whose hand it was.

“Is there some kind of problem?”, Namjoon’s deep voice vibrated against your back. He was pressed against you as warmth seeped through the flimsy dress of yours.

“Uh no- no sir.”, you saw Youngjin crumble down.

“Then you might go away because you are making her uncomfortable.”, Namjoon said in such a demanding voice that it made your knees weak. He was mad and you could feel it by the way his fingers tightened against the dip of your waist, pressing the skin which send delicious shivers down your spine.

“Are you two-?”, Youngjin dumbly asked and as you were going to deny the fact, Namjoon spoke.

“And what if we were? What are you gonna do about it?”, he mocked as Youngjin could only ramble something incoherent as he scurried away.

The palm against your skin vanished and you almost missed it. That’s when it hit you – ‘oh no I am falling in love again’

Namjoon twirled the bar stool around till you were facing him or more precisely his chest. You craned your neck up to look at his face and you could see the way he was grinding his molars. He was mad as his chin puckered out which only happens when he is either concentrated or extremely mad.

“It’s okay Namjoon. He is gone.”, you said with a soft smile as you ran your hands across the length of his arm in a friendly pat.

You saw the way he melted when you touched him and that almost made you believe that he had the same feelings towards you. His eyes softened as he looked at you as if trying to find a way to ease your pain, to make it up to you.

“You should have walked away.”, he finally said, his voice barely a whisper.

“I wanted to see how low he can get.”, you said with a sad smile.

“I don’t like when someone ruins your mood.”, he said as he sat down on the stool.

“It’s okay. I am fine.”, you tried to calm him down.

“He has no right to do that. How can he think that he can talk like this to someone as pretty as you?”, he stated with a stern gaze.

“You think I am pretty?”, you asked as you wiggled your eyebrows to make him laugh or cringe.

“Yes. You are.”, he stated instead as he tried to find answers in your eyes.

You gasped as your eyes widened but before you could say something, his hands reached yours as he played with your fingers. His eyes fixed on the way your fingers molded with his. Then he trailed an invisible line from the tip of your nails to the dip of your lips.

“So pretty.”, he whispered as if it wasn’t meant for you to be heard.

“Namjoon I –”, you were going to stop him or do something to stop the sensations that were happening in your body.

“You have no idea how I look at you.”, Namjoon spoke again as your breath hitched.

It might have been an insane thought but you wanted to know more. You were bathing in the way his eyes travelled to every inch of your exposed skin.

“And how do you look at me?”, you asked softly as if trying to keep it a secret.

“Like I want to make you mine.”, Namjoon said as his eyes met yours with a stern gaze. He was looking at you as if trying to see the way you would react. The way you would blush or push him way. The way you would kiss him or simply slip out of his fingers.

“Then do it. Make me yours.”, you said and that was it for Namjoon.

He got up so quickly as if his pants were on fire. He tightly held your hand as he passed through the crowded room not before informing his members that he is going home quickly. They shared a knowing glance as Jimin winked at you which made you blush.

And soon you were out of the messy crowded room and into the cool spring night. The soft wind made your blazing skin a little calm as Namjoon called for his driver to pick him up.

The palm of his hands again found their home on the dip of your waist as he pulled your back towards his wide chest. Your skin flushed against his as he dipped his head low just to gently kiss the curve of your neck – where your neck meets your shoulder. The sleeveless dress was doing nothing to stop the sensation that his lips left on your skin.

The car stopped right in front of you as Namjoon opened the door to usher you in.

“Drive to my house.”, he directed the driver before his entire attention was on you again.

“Are you feeling fine?”, he softly asked you.

“Yes.”, you whispered back.

“Are you drunk, love?”, he gently asked.

“No. Just sipped a little wine.”, you answered truthfully.

“Good. Because I need you to remember how I make you mine.”, Namjoon firmly stated against the cavity of your ears. The warm breath fanning against your neck which caused shivers down your spine.

The ride to his place felt like it was taking too long. The quietness of the night as the big buildings passed by and the street shops shined even though it was past midnight. As soon as the car drove through the gate of the society, Namjoon’s grip on your thigh tightened. He got out of the car and helped you out before thanking the driver and wishing him a goodnight.

Almost as if he was afraid you might vanish, he pulled you in the building and towards the lift. His hands trying to hold onto you as you softly smiled.

“I am not running away.”, you teased.

“I know but I am not taking chances.”, Namjoon smirked as he dipped his head to place a chaste kiss on the top of your head.

The lift chimed signaling the floor number as you both got out and slowly walked past the hallway and into his apartment. You have visited his place a million times. Mostly to discuss tour schedules and sometimes to enjoy a good drink and some movies. You both have always maintained the friendly boundary as you always tried to suppress the overflow of feelings whenever his knees grazed against yours as you both sat on the floor and laughed.

The room somehow felt smaller today as Namjoon allowed you to walk in first before he followed and shut the door behind him. You slowly got out of your heels, a relief washing over your face as you tentatively walked towards the welcoming couch.

The soft plush cushion dipping down with your weight as you sat on it. Your dress rose up a little as the fabric was doing nothing to hide the expanse of your legs. Namjoon’s eyes never left you as he took you in; seated on his couch in his home. He was feeling extremely nervous as he walked towards you before kneeling in front of you on the carpeted area.

“You are so beautiful, fuck.”, Namjoon’s voice seemed strained as if he was trying to control himself.

You blushed under the heated gaze as he grazed his hands over your exposed legs. He was groping and massaging your skin as you held onto his shoulders.

“You are so pretty, I could die.”, he muttered under his breath before spreading your legs gently as if asking for permission.

You gladly listened to his commanding hands as you spread your legs wider, giving him access to your red lacy panties.

“Fuck. I will crumble down here itself.”, Namjoon huskily stated as he grazed a finger against the hem of the lace.

“N-Namjoon...”, you whimpered as you desperately wanted him to touch you.

“What do you want my darling?”, he asked, his eyes again finding yours with so much more lust.

“I want you, Namjoon. Please.”, you moaned as he finally grazed his fingers against your core. His knuckles deliciously grinding against the soft fabric that separated your skin from his.

“So pretty and perfect for me.”, he said as he got up and lifted you up as you squeaked a little. He walked towards the bedroom with such fast steps that you almost fell like giggling.

The room was dimly lit as Namjoon threw you on the soft bed. Your back against the plush pillows as he hovered over you like a thirsty man.

“I have always wanted you here, right here under me.”, Namjoon stated as he dived in and trailed kisses down your neck and chest.

“You have me now, what are gonna do about it?”, you said with a hint of tease, trying to make him lose control.

“I will devour you love.”, he said before flipping you on your stomach easily and unzipping the dress. He yanked it away from your body and threw it somewhere on the floor before flipping you again over as you were facing him in your naked state.

The red lingerie set gleamed against your tan skin. The lace making your body glimmer with a newfound beauty under the dim light from the night lamp. Namjoon groaned before kissing and sucking your skin, trying to memorize every inch of your existence.

“You are all mine.”, he said as he trailed his tongue down your belly button and stopped just above the fabric covering your core.

“Please Namjoon.”, you whispered.

“Please what?”, Namjoon challenged.

“Take it off. Goddamit!”, you almost whimpered and that was his cue as he grazed his teeth a little on the skin before biting the corner of your panties and peeling it down inch by inch only with the help of his teeth.

The scene made you roll your eyes as you couldn’t imagine how aroused your felt. Namjoon was a piece of art and the way his dragon eyes never left your face for a single second when he opened your panties did things to you that you were embarrassed to admit.

He grazed his fingers against your wet core which elicited a deep guttural moan from your throat.

“You like the way I make you feel, right?”, Namjoon’s deep voice rumbled as all you could do was nod.

He finally unclasped your bra as you laid naked on his bed, in his sheets all glowing from the arousal as he breathed heavily.

“I would die if you don’t make me cum.”, you finally said and all you received was a smirk and his tongue twisting against your core.

The sensation caused a dramatic effect on your body. Your hips grinding as if they have a mind of their own. Namjoon used his one hand to hold you down while his other hand was used to rub your clit in a slow agonizing pace.

“Fuck Namjoon...”, you whimpered as your hole clenched around his tongue.

He inserted two fingers in, finally making you lose your mind as you moaned loudly before biting your own lips to stop the obstinate sounds that were coming out of your mouth.

“Don’t fucking do that.”, Namjoon almost growled as he removed your lips from under your teeth.

“I want this entire floor to know who is making you feel so good.”, he smirked as he dived in again and ate you out like a man who has been starving.

You felt it then. The onset of euphoria as your body rumbled and your knees went weak. Your breath increased as you moaned loudly his name before falling apart against his fingers and tongue. Your release coating his tongue perfectly as he licked you clean.

He got up, smiling cockily as his chin glistened with your juices.

“Fuck you are insane.”, you said before you sat up and kissed him.

He gladly kissed you back as you fell against the pillow and he devoured your mouth. You tasting yourself against the tip of his tongue which made you moan into his mouth.

You pushed him onto the bed before sitting on his lap, facing him.

“Hi.”, you smiled against his skin as he held you tight. You peppered kisses down his chin and neck as he moaned a little. You liked the way you affected him as you slowly undid his shirt’s buttons and kept kissing every inch of skin that was being exposed.

His grip tightened against your waist as your grinded a little on his lap. Your exposed pussy deliciously twisting on his dress pants which were getting coated by your arousal.

“Leave marks –”, he moans.

“Please leave marks.”

You smirked as you kissed and sucked his neck and his chest, leaving marks as you pleased and he moaned and whimpered. You almost felt invincible as you saw such a big man like him whimpering against your touch.

“You are so pathetic.”, you muttered lowly in his ear.

“I’m so pathetic...”, he hums submissively, agreeing.

You slowly opened his shirt and threw it away before going for his belt. You got down from his lap and kneeled on the floor before asking him to sit on the edge of the bed.

Slowly you opened his belt and pants as his cock heavily strained against his boxers. You touched it through the fabric as he moaned.

“You are so big.”, you whispered and it came out like a sigh.

“Take it out darling, please.”, Namjoon whimpered as you finally took his cock out and put it in your mouth.

You licked the precum clean as you tried to take it whole at one go. Tears dared to fall out of your eyes as you moaned satisfactorily against his cock. He was huge and it filled your mouth perfectly as you bobbed your head up and down, making he groan and moan.

“Fuck, you take me so well.”, he stated as he gripped your hair around his knuckles.

“Only I make you feel like this right?”, you tease with kitten licks on the tip.

“Yes. Yes, only you.”, Namjoon whimpers as you suck one last time before he is pulling you up and onto the bed.

A shiver ran down your body as Namjoon stared you down as he crawled up to you and aligned his cock to your aching core. You were so impatient as you saw the way he correctly caught onto your desperate look and smirked.

“Namjoon...don’t tease.”, you whimpered as you tried to sound stern.

“You have to say please, baby.”, Namjoon’s eyes bored down on you as you saw a smooth smirk forming on his face.

He knew he drove you crazy and that made it extra hot. You moaned at the sensation of his cock slowly rubbing against your pussy and almost as if an involuntary reaction, you whispered, “Please fuck me.”

He slammed his cock in and groaned along with you, your bodies convulsing into one as only panting was heard.

“That’s it darling.”, Namjoon groaned in your ear as he kept thrusting at an agonizingly slow pace. He snapped his hips once in a while to give you the intensity of how his cock would feel completely in your pussy but then he is back to slow fucking.

“You are making me go crazy.”, Namjoon said between thrusts and all you could do was moan his name. He was making you feel so good that you clenched against his throbbing dick, trying to take it all in.

Your body was on fire as the sensations that were happening on your skin was too much to take. You gripped his biceps, trying to stabilize yourself as you pulled him in for a kiss.

“I want to ride you.”, you finally whimpered out and Namjoon obliged willingly.

He flipped you both over so that you were seated on his stomach as he lied down and took you in. Your flushed skin and messed up hair was looking extra pretty. Your cheeks red as sweat glistened your skin like some sort of alluring entity.

“You are so beautiful.”, Namjoon stroked your cheek as you slowly grinded on his cock. His head fell as he groaned and moaned. You were euphoric when you watched the way he fell apart. It almost gave you confidence as you slowly grinded your hips and rode his dick.

“Nam...joon I am going to...”, you whimpered as you could feel the climax approaching.

Namjoon noticed and took the matter in his own hands as he gripped your waist and hips tight, your skin blazing under his touch as he snapped his hips up to coax your climax. You saw stars as you felt the climax take over your body, creaming his cock with your release which made him moan loudly as he tried to take his dick out before he releases.

“Don’t. Cum inside me. I have IUD.”, you couldn’t even finish speaking as he thrusts in again and this time you saw the pleasure shoot up on his face as he gripped you tight against his skin and came inside you. Filling you up with his warm release.

“Fuck...”, he said in your ears as he held you tight.

You both stayed in that position for quite a long time before he slowly got up and took you to the washroom bridal style. He got a warm bath ready for you as you washed yourself and got into one of his shirts and shorts.

After Namjoon was also done showering, he quickly changed the sheets and placed some fresh sheets on the bed before he pulled you in with him. You lied down on his bicep as he pulled you in for a long embrace.

“I wasn’t joking, okay?”, Namjoon said after a while.

“Huh?”, you looked at him dumbfoundedly.

“I wasn’t joking when I said I want to make you mine.”, he said a little more serious this time.

“Oh.”, you said as you could feel your cheeks heat up.

“Yes. I have been in love with you for a while now. I tried to suppress this feeling for a while but then I saw you with that bastard and I thought I lost you.”, Namjoon earnestly confessed.

“I also have feelings for you.”, you meekly replied.

“What?”, Namjoon was shocked as he stared at you in disbelief.

“Yes. I dated Youngjin because I wanted to get over that feeling but that never happened. I have always been hopelessly in love with you.”, you finally confessed after mustering a lot of courage.

“That’s...wow...that’s insane.”, Namjoon stammered as he drew slow circles on your skin.

“We are both stupid, aren’t we?”, you said with a silly smile.

Namjoon gave a hearty laugh as he pulled you in again, this time making sure you know how much you mean to him. He kissed your forehead and then your cheeks before he was peppering your whole face with kisses as you giggled and tried to push him away.

“You are smitten.”, you teased.

“Just for you.”, Namjoon said with a smile.

And no matter the loneliness that once was in your life, you knew that Namjoon would always has been there. Namjoon has always been that invisible pillar in your life that you always were grateful for. He has always been there, in the most subtle ways. And you are glad that you both found your ways to each other.

✧˖* taglist: @topforsure @moonqueensposts @sanarin @joonlover1207

✧˖* note: this was kind of intense but i really wanted to use the short plot idea i saw somewhere online. i hope you liked it!!♡♡ can you guess where i used that short plot idea? anyways i will be back with more such fics, till then goodbye and have a great day!

– love, artemis

[ninadove]

Nina reads Dracula 🦇

September 20th

I opened today’s entry thinking I knew what to expect, but apparently I did not:

Report from Patrick Hennessey, M. D., M. R. C. S. L. K. Q. C. P. I., etc., etc., to John Seward, M. D.

A bit of humour in the darkest of nights. And what a power move! I love that even minor characters are given such vivid personalities!

With regard to patient, Renfield, there is more to say. He has had another outbreak, which might have had a dreadful ending, but which, as it fortunately happened, was unattended with any unhappy results.

This is what I mean! Look how this man writes. Completely redundant. He has a unique “voice” and I love it!

I went down to see if I could make out any cause for his anger, since he is usually such a well-behaved man, and except his violent fits nothing of the kind had ever occurred.

I’m starting to think every staff member has a death wish.

It was, I am sorry to say, however, only another instance of his cunning, for within half an hour I heard of him again. This time he had broken out through the window of his room, and was running down the avenue. I called to the attendants to follow me, and ran after him, for I feared he was intent on some mischief.

YA THINK?????

Also, what was I saying about safety protocols the other day?

The other fellow jumped down and struck him over the head with the butt-end of his heavy whip. It was a terrible blow; but he did not seem to mind it, but seized him also, and struggled with the three of us, pulling us to and fro as if we were kittens. You know I am no light weight, and the others were both burly men.

IT’S WORKING!!!!! The DYI vampirism is working!!! Mark me down as scared and strangely proud.

The two carriers were at first loud in their threats of actions for damages, and promised to rain all the penalties of the law on us. Their threats were, however, mingled with some sort of indirect apology for the defeat of the two of them by a feeble madman. They said that if it had not been for the way their strength had been spent in carrying and raising the heavy boxes to the cart they would have made short work of him. They gave as another reason for their defeat the extraordinary state of drouth to which they had been reduced by the dusty nature of their occupation and the reprehensible distance from the scene of their labours of any place of public entertainment. I quite understood their drift, and after a stiff glass of grog, or rather more of the same, and with each a sovereign in hand, they made light of the attack, and swore that they would encounter a worse madman any day for the pleasure of meeting so 'bloomin' good a bloke' as your correspondent. I took their names and addresses, in case they might be needed.

Efficient crisis management. Have a sticker 🦇

Now onto the regularly scheduled horrors…

Only resolution and habit can let me make an entry to-night. I am too miserable, too low-spirited, too sick of the world and all in it, including life itself, that I would not care if I heard this moment the flapping of the wings of the angel of death.

About that —

And he has been flapping those grim wings to some purpose of late—Lucy's mother and Arthur's father, and now.... Let me get on with my work.

Oh so it’s official! Arthur’s father has passed! What a month!

Van Helsing was very kind to him. "Come, my child," he said; "come with me. You are sick and weak, and have had much sorrow and much mental pain, as well as that tax on your strength that we know of. You must not be alone; for to be alone is to be full of fears and alarms. Come to the drawing-room, where there is a big fire, and there are two sofas. You shall lie on one, and I on the other, and our sympathy will be comfort to each other, even though we do not speak, and even if we sleep."

That is very sweet.

There was a full moonlight, and I could see that the noise was made by a great bat, which wheeled round—doubtless attracted by the light, although so dim—and every now and again struck the window with its wings.

Hold on hold on hold on. I think Jack might be on to something here.

So far, we’ve seen Dracula target Jonathan and Lucy specifically and relentlessly. Yes, he also attacked the crew of the Demeter, but that was out of necessity (being stuck in the middle of the ocean with no other source of food) rather than choice; and he doesn’t want to feed on Renfield, who is older and “feeble” both physically and mentally.

So he is attracted to the light, metaphorically: to young people who are full of life and love. Because that’s what he lacks. Argh.

It was certainly odd that whenever she got into that lethargic state, with the stertorous breathing, she put the flowers from her; but that when she waked she clutched them close.

🥺😔

"She is dying. It will not be long now. It will be much difference, mark me, whether she dies conscious or in her sleep. Wake that poor boy, and let him come and see the last; he trusts us, and we have promised him." […]

When we came into Lucy's room I could see that Van Helsing had, with his usual forethought, been putting matters straight and making everything look as pleasing as possible. He had even brushed Lucy's hair, so that it lay on the pillow in its usual sunny ripples. When we came into the room she opened her eyes, and seeing him, whispered softly:—

"Arthur! Oh, my love, I am so glad you have come!" He was stooping to kiss her, when Van Helsing motioned him back. "No," he whispered, "not yet! Hold her hand; it will comfort her more."

Say what you want about Van Helsing (SISTER), he’s showing incredible amounts of compassion in this chapter.

In a sort of sleep-waking, vague, unconscious way she opened her eyes, which were now dull and hard at once, and said in a soft, voluptuous voice, such as I had never heard from her lips:—

"Arthur! Oh, my love, I am so glad you have come! Kiss me!" Arthur bent eagerly over to kiss her; but at that instant Van Helsing, who, like me, had been startled by her voice, swooped upon him, and catching him by the neck with both hands, dragged him back with a fury of strength which I never thought he could have possessed, and actually hurled him almost across the room.

"Not for your life!" he said; "not for your living soul and hers!" And he stood between them like a lion at bay.

The next few entries are going to be fun.

Their eyes met instead of their lips; and so they parted.

Ouch.

"Ah, well, poor girl, there is peace for her at last. It is the end!"

He turned to me, and said with grave solemnity:—

"Not so; alas! not so. It is only the beginning!"

When I asked him what he meant, he only shook his head and answered:—

"We can do nothing as yet. Wait and see."

A heads up would be nice!!!

< Prev 🦇 Next >

[sleepyjump]

lightly edited from a discussion on discord about the term "thrall middle management:"

in my fantasies, i am the absolutely broken loyal obedient so-cutes right hand girl of some wicked leader. but then i'm in charge of breaking all the other thralls. y'know, the classic hypnotized hypnotist? i'm the one who shows up with completely empty eyes and a big smile to happily rebrainwash them. the secretary that schedules 1:1 meetings with everyone and casually drops veiled threats to get my way.

now, being a secretary-thrall means theres a constant tension between two contradictory orders: "do whatever the boss says" and "do what makes the company stay afloat and efficient." so theres all sorts of delicious opportunities for one side to threaten the other in that balance!

even if its with an Evil Overlord i still think this applies. being the right-hand minion of a capricious overlord puts you in a fucking impossible position where you're expected to keep the place running but also make everyone think your boss is the genius making it happen. and you're also managing the boss and their flighty expectations! you run the desk and brainwash the thralls and then your boss is like "im LONELY." and drugs your coffee so you'll nod your head when she asks you to hang out with her and its like. shit, boss, someone's gotta tell the legions to capture the heroes. guess i gotta lock the fuck in and brainwash them myself. i love you. you can cuddle me like a plushie as soon as im done kidnapping the weakest party member and replacing her with a robot of "your" design.

if you were an incompetent hero before, it's even better -- it raises questions of why you didnt lock in before. was your heart really ever in being good? finally you have something that really clicks with you, and it's writing a love poem to Her out of spreadsheets and calendars and tasks done and flowers on Her desk. it's getting up to go have an all-hands meeting so you can poison a few scones and take out some inconvenient henchpeople but the boss puts a hand on your shoulder and you feel a chill run down your spine and for a second wonder if any of this fucking matters when what you really want is to get back in that bed and stare into Her eyes and never get up again. but then you think about the next day and the day after that. your poem isn't done. if you lie back down, you'll feel Her heart beating in time with yours -- but if you do that meeting, She'll be proud of you.

imagine getting "freed" from your secretary role and the heroes are trying to deprogram you again and make you remember what you were fighting for but now you -- the silly one -- the one that always did it for the power of friendship -- can spot the threads. the flaws. the holes in the heroes' philosophy. all the reasons they might not know what they're fighting for, either. they didn't taste absolute white-hot dripping certainty. a headache thuds in their temples when their cognitive dissonance over doing something they're not completely sure about pours over and swirls into their consciousnesses.

and you don't feel that way anymore. you're not the punchline. you're not the heart of the team. you looked into a pair of eyes and saw through the window into a soul that was absolutely, impossibly, undeniably Right. why would anyone want anything else but to feed that fire? why wouldn't they shovel all those headache-inducing feelings back into that furnace and use it all to make that soul grow so bright the whole world'll see it?

maybe if you pretend that you're "in there somewhere--" that the you they're looking for, the dead you, has been "freed"-- you can lead them into a trap. you can hold their eyes open and show them that things can be better. for you, for them, for everyone. and who cares about everyone else? they'll see it, too. they're fighting for imaginary people somewhere distant that they can't name. they're fighting for the future. you're fighting for the now. for the animal comfort of having something safe and warm. they're striving for the tiny top of the hierarchy of needs and you're securing your foundation. shouldn't you put your own oxygen mask on before you help the person next to you?

[paintingwhiteceilings]

Can you do Male Reader X EXO?

So, its basically when either Male reader or an EXO member is struggling with his homework.

❃EXO and helping with your school/uni work ❃

A/N: Heyyy, I am so sorry this took as long as it did. I had to take some time off of posting on Tumblr as I am about to start my graduation process for my RMA. In a way, it was super cathartic to write this prompt so it became a bit of a mix between school and uni work, I hope you don't mind :')

Regarding male x-readers: I try to keep my prompt as gender-neutral as possible, mostly so anyone can insert themselves regardless of whether they identify as male, female, non-binary, etc. However, I am totally open to doing any LGBTQIA+-specific prompts, so feel free to do so!

Xiumin/Minseok:

✾ Considering this man is rumoured to have a PhD (although not specified in what), you would think that he would be an amazing person to have around when you are struggling through your homework/coursework. However, being smart doesn’t always equate to being able to offer understandable explanations.

✾ His brain skips so many steps when he is tackling a problem or working on an essay. He knows why something is right or wrong, but he can’t really explain how he got to his answers. It comes so naturally to him that he struggles to dissect his thought processes and convey them to someone else.

✾ Ultimately, he will convince you to email your teacher/professor; they can explain it much better than he can, anyway. After having corresponded so often with professors during his own studies, he is more than capable of helping you with formulating your email in such a way that they would agree to help you out.

✾ Still, after having studied as much as he has, he understands the struggle of keeping up with homework/coursework. Considering he got his degrees whilst being an idol, he is incredible at planning his work efficiently. Thus, he instead offers to help you with creating a schedule, giving you a more healthy work-life balance.

Suho/Junmyeon:

✾ Well, considering that he has an MA in Cultural Management and talked at Stanford (plus it has been proven time and time again that Suho is incredibly intelligent), he is one of the best members to go to if you ever struggle with your homework/coursework. He strikes me as someone who, although they are incredibly smart, can explain his inner thoughts very well.

✾ Give him a whiteboard, and he will shine. Don’t ask me why, but I can totally imagine him being one of those people that is convinced that “you have to visualize things. Write it down to have more space in your head to think.” Does that work? Maybe. Is it annoying to be told time and time again to “just draw it”? Yes.

✾ If he isn’t familiar with the topic/class that you are struggling with, he will take time out of his busy schedule to familiarize himself with it. He will find a couple of sources or a handbook so that he can read up on it.

✾ A part of him enjoys studying and learning together, smiling the entire time as you do so. Despite your own stress on why you can’t seem to work through the problem/assignment, you can’t help but return his quiet enthusiasm.

Baekhyun:

✾ Another member who went to university to get his degree (although I can’t find out whether he has a BA or MA, sources are so incredibly vague) and is probably used to studying whilst being unbelievably busy. Furthermore, Suho has said before that although Baekhyun tends to be the mood maker of EXO on camera, Baekhyun is a deep thinker and has many philosophical conversations with him in private. Therefore, I can imagine him being another member who would be good at conveying his thoughts very well, offering you a coherent explanation.

✾ He would be an expert on making studying fun. Instead of having to cram a bunch of facts or read a long dry article for your next class, he would find a way to gamify it, turning it from a long boring study session into a fun competition. Although he might not be a huge help regarding the content of your class, he would help you to keep your motivation while studying.

✾ At the same time, I can totally see Baekyhun being a massive distraction while studying. You will be trying to solve a problem or work on that lengthy essay, and Baekhyun keeps trying to get you to pay attention to him, as he is too restless to sit still and study. He strikes me as someone who tries to convince you to do it tomorrow instead.

Chen/Jongdae:

✾ He has an MA in Media Advertisement so you can bet that he can sell a story. I am pretty sure Media Advertisement falls under either business or communication studies, so he will probably be not too shabby at statistics either. He will, therefore, not only sell you on why studying this particular subject is fun, but he will also be able to help you actually study the contents of most math-based subjects.

✾ Chen probably is too busy to delve deeply into the subject matter that you are trying to grasp, though. He will try, nonetheless, to work through it with you. He will sit next to you as you try to solve equations, and although he might not have mastered the theory himself, he will try to learn it with you, giving you a fresh set of eyes.

✾ I think rather than being incredible at explaining stuff, he would be an amazing person for emotional support. I can see him prioritize calming you down first and having you take a step back from studying to clear your head. He would make sure that you stay hydrated and fed while studying, preparing a bunch of snacks beforehand that he will hand out as a reward for making it through another chapter.

Chanyeol:

✾ Am I tired of repeating myself and saying “This member is smart because they got their degree”? Yes. Am I insanely impressed with most of EXO going to university whilst balancing their studies with a full-time idol career? Yes, and I will never shut up about it. Anyway, yeah Chanyeol went to university bla bla, making him, not just smart, bla  bla, but also hard-working, bla bla. You know the drill.

✾ Regardless of whether Chanyeol is well-studied in the field you are struggling in, nothing will stop him from becoming an expert. He is reading up on it as if his life depended on it, driven by his strong dislike of being bad at something. It doesn't matter whether you tell him it is okay and that you can always ask a fellow student or your teacher/lecturer; he is having none of it.

✾ At this point, he is more frustrated about not grasping a particular part of the theory than you. Even after you two manage to work through your homework/coursework, he will continue to read up on the topic until he fully understands it.

✾ He might be an overachiever and perfectionist who could’ve very well used the time that he spent on a piece of information he will never ever use again more wisely, but if anyone ever needs to know more about that specific theory, he can tell them everything.

D.O./Kyungsoo:

✾ Listen, I love him with every fibre in my body, and I will continue to do so until I turn to dust, but Kyungsoo has admitted, on several occasions, that he is not a big fan of studying. Sure, he got his degree, just like the others, and got his culinary license, indicating that he is more than capable of retaining a ton of information and working through difficult assignments/problems. But, does he enjoy studying? No, not really; he got it over with and seems glad to be done.

✾ So, when you ask him to help you with your homework/coursework, he will remind you, at least seven times, that he isn’t too good at studying and that there are better people to ask for help instead. He will try his best, albeit reluctantly, reminding you continuously to lower your expectations.

✾ In the end, he will try to help out in a different way, either by supplying you with a ton of study snacks or recounting how he worked through tough assignments back when he was in university, with the hope that maybe it works for you as it did for him. He makes sure that you are as comfortable as you can be, convinced he can’t do much more than that.  

Kai/Jongin:

✾ Listen, don’t get me wrong, I adore Kai. However, I have to say that he is not the brightest when it comes to academia (at least compared to the rest of EXO) or, like, his common sense. Yes, he had his moments of genius in New World, and I am sure that when it comes to memorizing dance and lyrics, he is insanely good. However, give him a math problem, and he will cry.

✾ Kai strikes me as someone who was exhilarated to be done with school, not seeing the point of going to university like the rest of his members. When you ask him to help you out with your home/coursework, something inside of him dies as he knows nothing that will be leaving his mouth will be helpful. He is too sweet to say no and will try his hardest to help you with whatever you are struggling with. Nevertheless, he is even more lost than you upon reading your assignment, confused by all the fancy words the assignment seems to be using.  

✾ Nevertheless, Kai would be an amazing person if you need someone to talk to without necessarily needing any advice/answers, just to get your own ideas out of your head. He knows exactly when to nod and say “hmhm”,  aware that you don’t necessarily want to get his input, only needing him to work through your thoughts and ideas on your own.

✾ Honestly, he gets an A for effort for me. Kai is good vibes only, and he would give you a hug for support.

Sehun:

✾ Another one who is glad he finished school and never has to go back. Again, don’t get me wrong, I love Sehun, but you can’t deny that he isn’t the smartest person in the room. As Suho said during EXO Ladder, “I think, they (the beluga whales) have the same IQ as Sehun” after noting they have an IQ of 60-90.

✾ Where Kai still tries to help out, he flat-out refuses. What do you mean you need his help finishing your work? He is so unapologetic about it too and slightly offended; why did you have to remind him about the horror that is school? He left that behind him and under no circumstances will he ever be dragged back in. He is rich, and he needs no degree.

✾ Such a bad influence on you as he tries to keep you from doing your work. “Well, if you are struggling with your homework you might as well take a break and go to the convenience store with me.” Funnily enough, it actually helps to clear your head. Sometimes the best thing to do is to step away and try again with a clearer mind. Sehun maintains that it was his plan all along; you doubt it.

✾ He will end up asking one of his members to assist you with your homework, calling in a favour with, for instance, Suho. They are all down bad for him, so you end up with the best tutors EXO has to offer.

Masterlist

[hxpel3s5-slxxt]

𝐇𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐌𝐞 𝐃𝐨𝐰𝐧

.

TW: Gang violence

A/n: Not all characters will be dated/developing relationships in the first book/season. You may have to wait until the second book/season if you are waiting for a specific character.

X Table Of Contents

𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝟸: "𝚂𝚒𝚌𝚔"

《𝙿𝚛𝚎𝚟 𝙽𝚎𝚡𝚝》

"Boss," My secretary looks up at me with a confused look plastered on her face. "I thought you were sick."

Oh right. I chew my lip.

I offer her my best smile. "I ate some soup! I'm all good now!"

She raises a judgmental eyebrow.

A harsh bump on my shoulder makes me look behind me, resulting in me coming face-to-face with my friend, Emma. She examines me from head to toe, her nose scrunched up. She turns to my secretary. "Hina, why is there a liar in my face?" She questions.

"That's what I'm trying to figure out!"

Emma rolls her eyes and hands me a stack of paper. "I'm glad you enjoyed your 24-hour vacation because you have work to do." Soon, my right hand is overflowing with papers covered in letters and numbers. My face resembles that of confusion and an ever-so-sassy Emma scoffs at my dismay, rolling her eyes. "The CEO's wife cheated on him; he filed for divorce. Ever since then, it's like he's been taking his anger out on us." She jots her lip out to form a pout.

"I... thought it was the other way around? Didn't his wife...?" Hinata trails off and looks at Emma incredulously.

I roll my eyes at their loose lips and make my way to the elevator. I press the button to go to the 11th floor and look over the stack of paperwork Emma handed me. My role as a junior operations analyst is to assess the business policies and procedures of an organization. To make sure the business is running as efficiently as possible, I pinpoint areas that require improvement and assist in creating new plans.

It's my responsibility to carry out research, investigate workflows, and make sure the company complies with legal requirements. I collaborate with each department to schedule meetings with managers and carry out internal audits to gauge their workflows. In order to provide insights into corporate operations, I am a key player in the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data. I support management and senior analysts in spotting patterns, summarizing research, and coming to wise judgments.

I'm pulled out of my calculations by the sound of the elevator alerting me to my stop. I head into the hallway to find my nameplate with the numbers 1105 etched underneath it, just beside my door.

I push my door open and carelessly plop the papers onto my desk. Slumping into my office chair, I swing about, already fatigued.

The phone rings on my desk, and I immediately sit up straight and act professionally. I pick up the phone and hear Hina's chirpy voice ringing through. "Ma'am, you are to pick up line 2. There is a gentleman who says he would like to speak with you."

"Will do! Thank you, Hinata." I hang up the phone, this time pressing 'pickup' followed by the numbers 02.

I introduce myself and my role to the guest then ask how I can be of assistance.

"I know who you are, sweetheart; I need a favor." I recoil at the sound of Hanma's voice, pulling away from my phone. "Hanma?!" I inquire.

"How do you know where I work? Why didn't you just text me? Don't call me at my workplace because you're bored." I chastise.

"Wow, this is some customer service. 1. I have my ways; 2. your phone is off, and even if you did answer, you would still nag me for texting you at work; and 3. while I am bored, I need something."

I upturn my lip at his quips. "What is it?"

"I need you to deliver something to someone once you're done at work."

"That sentence contained no nouns at all. I'm having trouble getting a name, knowing where I'm going, or what I'm dropping off. Already a red flag." I deadpan.

"There's my businesswoman." He chuckles. "But no, sweetheart, you can trust me."

I sigh.

"You owe me."

His laugh reverberates over the phone. "Of course, doll."

As I exit the building, my phone is illuminated by the orange hue of the setting sun. Scrolling down my contacts, I dial Hanma's number and wait for him to pick up.

"Hello?"

"So where am I supposed to be going? Do I walk down the street, or?" I briefly look around for any signs of Hanma.

"A friend of mine is coming to pick you up. Stay where you are." Caught off guard by his sudden serious tone, I hang up and do as I am told.

In less than five minutes, a black Toyota Camry pulls to a stop in front of me. With a text from Hanma telling me what the car looks like, I know that this is the friend he mentioned. Opening the passenger door, I realize there are two men in the car. The driver, brownskinned with black and yellow hair, pushes his glasses up his nose. The passenger, purple haired sporting a jellyfish-like haircut, looks at me as if I just spat on him.

"Can I help you? You're riding in the back." He jots his thumb towards the backseat, gazing down his nose at me as if he is already annoyed by my presence.

"Damn, excuse you." I mumble, slamming the door and sliding into the backseat instead.

I cross my arms and fight the urge to complain to Hanma about his friends' less than welcoming behavior. Sighing heavily, I rest my head against the window as we turn down countless streets. I try my best to remember where we're going just in case things go left.

It isn't long before the car comes to a stop outside an abandoned warehouse. Graffiti and dirt cover what's left of the establishment. I look towards the men.

"Are y'all sure this where we supposed to be?" I gazed out the window with concern.

I get no response as the man in the passenger seat gets out the car. I look to the driver instead. He looks at me, yet gives no response. Irritated, I step out the car, broken glass crunching beneath my feet. I go to the trunk where the purple haired man is located.

He gives me something that is sealed with red string and wrapped in a brown paper bag. I examine the square-shaped object in an attempt to determine what it is.

"Let's go." The man slams the trunk and strides over to the warehouse.

Shortly after the man knocks on the enormous doors, they swing open. A man in a suit flanked by what I could only guess to be bodyguards stood in the center of the room.

The man was overweight, short, and leaned on a cane. The man grins at us, and I'm not sure which sparkled more, the big gold ring on his hand that he extended toward us or the single gold grill on his teeth.

"Haitani! Good ta see ya!" The man bellows.

Though he tried to hide it, the man named Haitani grimaced.

"Pleasure doing business with you, Kosung." One of Kosung's men stalks towards us, and Haitani takes the package out of my hand, giving it to the man.

"Who's the doll?" Kosung motions towards me with the package. "The King's recruiting newbies?" He slightly opens the package, peering through the small hole.

Haitani scoffs. "I sure hope not."

Haitani clears his throat, then all eyes are on him. "I have some toys in the trunk." Haitani uses his head to motion towards the car.

Kosung hands the package to one of his men. "The King sure does act fast, huh? Let's see what you've got."

Haitani grabs my upper arm and drags me out the warehouse. Once the heavy doors close behind us, he spins me around so that I'm facing a small shed hidden far behind the warehouse.

"See that shed over there?" Haitani points, "Go in there and grab anything with the word Bonten on it." He pats my shoulder and starts to walk to the car.

I turn and grab the sleeve of his tux. "So you wanna be rude from jump, then have the nerve to ask me to do something for you? Have you lost your goddamn mind?!" I push his arm.

"Have you lost yours? If you're gonna be sensitive over every little thing, you shouldn't have offered to help in the first place." He glares at me. "Hanma needs to keep his bitches on a leash." He mumbled and continued to walk to the car.

It took everything in me not to grab him by his ugly ass hair and slap the shit out of him. Regardless, I turn and walk to the shed, only to be met with a rusty padlock. I look around for something to break- much less, open- the lock. Hidden in the tall grass, I find a hammer and ready myself. With three good swings, the lock breaks off. With the door dragging on the ground, it takes most of my strength to open it, though just enough for me to squeeze through.

Once inside, I discover a dusty storage area with documents strewn about. Not sure where to look first, I maneuver over to the office desk in the middle of the room. While looking through papers, a particular document catches my eye. The name of the company I'm working for, Gynja Investments, and Bonten are supposed to be completing a deal today.

Organizing the documents on the desk: a stack for Gynja Investments, a stack for Bonten, and a stack for the plans they have created and intend to create together. I fold up the stacks that have to with the company I'm working under, and stuff them into my shoes. I grab Bonten's papers and stuff them into the waistband of my skirt.

Suddenly, my body is thrown forward, and my chest meets the desk. Instantly, what I can only assume is a zip tie, binds my wrists together. As I attempt to scream for help, my assailant gags my mouth with a cloth, tying it.

They yank me up by the zip tie, causing the plastic to dig into my wrists. I scream in pain as I am pushed out of the shed. I scream and kick, but my attempts to make a sound are met with silence and my kicks miss their target. Soon, we come to the back door of the warehouse, only for the doors to be flung open by my assailant, and me to meet the disgusting floor. Looking up, my eyes meet Haitani's- disappointed? disgusted?- expression.

No, it was more like he was bothered with the fact that I got caught and he now has to save me. But by the looks of it, I'm not even sure if he wants to do that. Kosung looks back at me and smiles.

"Haitani! I thought you said it was a pleasure doing business with me?" He turns back to the man in question.

Haitani picks at his ear. "That's the thing, Kosung. The boss thought so too. So while you're worried about my rat, shouldn't you be worried about why one of yours has supposedly been taking millions from Bonten?"

Haitani takes out his phone, seemingly uninterested in what Kosung has to say next.

Kosung's face grows red as he grits his teeth with anger. "Me? Skim Manjiro? Don't make me laugh, bastard! What business do I have skimming a gang that's going to fall within days?!-" The man's sentence is cut off with a blood curdling scream and the sound of a gunshot ringing through the air. Blood splatters from the man's knee as he falls to the ground.

I look back to see a man with a pink mullet and scars adorning each side of his mouth, pointing a smoking gun at Kosung. "Watch your tongue, pig."

I can hardly understand what's going on as shots ring through the air. Trying my best to get to safety, I crawl behind a crate. Screams and gunfire are all that can be heard throughout the warehouse. Just then, a large man gets thrown at the crate in front of me, breaking it and knocking me out in the process.

[satansapostle6]

Angel With A Broken Wing | Jonah Simms

And if I may just take your breath away / I don't mind if there's not much to say / Sometimes the silence guides a mind / To move to a place so far away / The goosebumps start to raise / The minute that my left hand meets your waist / And then I watch your face / Put my finger on your tongue 'cause you love to taste, yeah / These hearts adore, everyone the other beats hardest for / Inside this place is warm / Outside it starts to pour

Warnings: Mature language and themes. Sexual content.

Chapter Thirteen, Part Two

Chapter Fourteen: In The Sun, I Feel As One

Jonah’s day was not off to a good start. Last night, he’d fucked up royally with Sophie, and already, as he got to work, things were not looking any better. The awkwardness hangover was still very much in effect as he clocked in and headed to grocery where he was working that shift. Eventually, he saw Dina passing by.

“Dina!”

Dina turned, stopping with her clipboard in hand as she made her usual rounds around the store.

“What, I don’t have time for this right now, somebody vomited in sporting goods,” the assistant manager huffed. “If this is about that, I’m trying to investigate any questionable smells, but, knowing our clientele… It was probably just the exercise that was the culprit.”

Jonah made a face. “…Uh, no. I was actually just wondering where Sophie was working today.”

“Oh, she’s working the deli today. Dan called out.”

“Thanks,” Jonah nodded.

But Dina was already gone, in typical Dina fashion. Jonah then made his way over to the front of the store, where he found Sophie cleaning a spill on the counter. He sighed, bracing himself, still mortified about his behavior the night before. And she wasn’t making it easy. God, she was pretty.

He slowly walked up to the counter, nervously fiddling with his hands. “Heya…!” he announced himself awkwardly.

Sophie looked up, startled.

“Oh!” Jonah exclaimed. “Sorry… Didn’t mean to startle you. Just… saying ‘hi’.”

She sighed, not seeming to be in the greatest of moods, still wiping soda off the counter. “Hey.”

“Hey, so, I hate to ask, but… Can I get a ride home today, if it’s not too much trouble? I don’t have my car today.”

It took her a minute to pull up her mental schedule.

“Yeah, sure,” she nodded as she sprayed the counter down.

“Great! Thanks…! You’re a lifesaver,” Jonah smiled genuinely as he watched her at work.

She wiped the counter down before tossing the dirty rag away, going to wash her hands. Jonah thought it was oddly cute, the rough and efficient way she rolled up her sleeves, a vaguely blue collar attractiveness to the way she worked. Sophie finally looked up at him in confusion.

“…Why don’t you have your car?” she asked finally as she realized.

Jonah chuckled awkwardly at the question.

“Oh, uh… I let my friend Scott borrow it for the day,” he explained somewhat sheepishly.

Sophie frowned. “Why does Scott have your car?”

Jonah was surprised that she remembered the irresponsible, Type B friend he’d told her about on a few occasions.

“Oh, well, he had a thing in Maplewood today…”

Sophie raised an eyebrow. “Maplewood?”

“Yeah…” Jonah shrugged nonchalantly.

“What ‘thing’?” she questioned.

“Uh…” Jonah paused. “You know, I didn’t ask.”

“You didn’t ask?”

“No,” Jonah shrugged again, “I mean. I asked, but… he just said he had a ‘thing’…”

“Is he paying you?” she asked.

“Uh, no,” Jonah replied, a little confused. “He’s a friend…”

“And friends don’t just borrow your car,” Sophie reasoned, “Is he putting gas in the tank?”

“What?” Jonah chuckled. “Yeah, of course! I mean… Yeah. Probably… I think?”

Sophie shook her head in disapproval. “You should not be lending your car to Scott. He couldn’t even handle your Crockpot.”

“Okay, that was an accident,” Jonah quickly made an excuse.

She just shook her head at him as she worked. “You’re too nice.”

Jonah grinned smugly. “Says the one giving me a ride home.”

“That’s different,” she pointed out, “You’re buying me Taco Bell later.”

“I am?” Jonah asked, not remembering that. “…Oh. Seriously? Fine,” he rolled his eyes.

Sophie nodded triumphantly as she rang up a customer. Jonah just stood off to the side, smirking to himself as he watched her.

“You know, there’s nicer ways to ask,” he reminded her.

“I don’t have to ask. I’m taking you home,” she stated.

She seemed to be in a working mode, not really as open to fun and banter as she usually was.

“Thanks, I guess,” he just sighed dramatically as he walked away.

Was Sophie mad at him? He could never tell anymore. He just walked off in defeat, trying to figure out the best course of action.

*****

Somehow, that seemed to lead him to the beauty counter, as Cheyenne and Mateo both looked him up and down with the most judgy eyes before he even made it up to the counter.

“Hey, guys…” Jonah began.

“Hey,” Cheyenne said coolly as she put makeup products back.

Mateo said nothing, just watching to see where this was going.

“So…” Jonah thought aloud. “You guys are friends with Sophie, right?”

“Yeah,” Mateo said almost confrontationally.

Jonah had no idea why he hated him so much.

“Yeah,” Cheyenne offered in a much more perky tone. “She buys Bo Four Lokos for extra money.”

He didn’t really know what to do with this information.

“…Okay, well, we’re not gonna get into that. Cheyenne… Does Sophie, like… tell you things?” Jonah wondered.

“Mhm,” Cheyenne nodded matter-of-factly. “Marcus cries after.”

Jonah tried not to throw up in his mouth, as Mateo joined the conversation.

“Really?” Mateo chimed in. “I mean, that’s not surprising.”

Cheyenne nodded in agreement, the two of them going off on a tangent for a moment before Jonah eventually refocused the conversation.

“No, I mean, like… Is she mad at me?” Jonah inquired nervously.

“Why, what did you do?” Mateo responded. “Kill her cat?”

“What? No!” Jonah exclaimed, for some reason feeling the need to defend himself.

“Is this about that huge crush you have on her?” Cheyenne asked him, far too confidently.

“Wait, what?” he blurted out. “What crush?!”

“You know,” Cheyenne said, before correcting herself, “Well. Everybody knows.”

“Mhm,” Mateo nodded, as the two looked at each other.

This made Jonah panic even more.

“What?!” he questioned. “What do you mean?!”

“It’s totally obvious,” Cheyenne rationalized, “Everybody knows you like Sophie, it’s like… Everybody knows Elias needs extra strength rash cream, and Cody smokes in the garden, and you like Sophie,” she explained perfectly.

“What—! Who is saying this?!” Jonah demanded, in shock.

“I don’t know,” Cheyenne shrugged, “Just everyone.”

Mateo nodded in agreement, as Jonah tried to wrap his head around this.

“Everyone?!” he cried.

“Yeah. Me, Mateo, Sandra, Elias, Dina, Sarah, Heather, Garrett, Brett, Amy, Tate, Glenn—”

“Wait, Glenn?!” Jonah stared. “The guy who thinks ‘wazoo’ is a bad word?!”

“Yeah,” Cheyenne confirmed.

“That’s… so many people,” Jonah lost his mind at the fact.

Cheyenne and Mateo just nodded, watching him as he spiraled.

“So… Does Sophie know?”

“I don’t know,” Cheyenne shrugged.

“Probably,” Mateo scoffed, “You are so obvious.”

Jonah sighed deeply, realizing Mateo was probably right. “So… Do you think that’s why she’s mad at me?”

“I don’t know,” Cheyenne said defensively, “Go ask Janet.”

“Janet?” Jonah questioned.

“Mhm. Her and Sophie are friends,” she stated.

“Yeah. Right,” Jonah realized, “Thanks.”

He rushes off, as Mateo just watches.

“He probably cries too,” Mateo remarked.

Cheyenne just nods as she works.

*****

Later in the day, Jonah made sure he took his break at the same time as Janet. He found her sitting in the break room, eating her lunch alone. This, he thought, was his perfect chance. He walked up to Janet’s table with a friendly smile, drink in hand.

“Hey, Janet,” he beamed.

He did not get the response he’d expected.

“…What do you doing?” the older woman questioned him.

Jonah realized he and Janet had never really spoken.

“I was just, uh…” he paused. “Wondering how you were doing!”

She was not very receptive to this.

“Why are you in my business?” she demanded.

Jonah was caught off guard as he tried to save the interaction, in any way he could.

“Sorry, I’m not. Uh. I was just… saying ‘hello’,” he smiled.

“Hello,” she stared. “Goodbye.”

Jonah chuckled, realizing this was going horribly. “Sorry, I uh… I don’t wanna intrude on your break. I honestly just… wanted to ask… We’re both friends of Sophie. Right?”

“I’m Sophie’s friend, yeah,” Janet nodded.

“Great! Well, uh,” he struggled, “I just… Sophie seems a little off today.”

“I think she’s fine just as she is,” Janet snapped.

“Oh, no,” Jonah’s eyes widened, “That’s not what I—No, she’s great, I agree. I just… I don’t know, things seemed kinda off earlier… Do you happen to know if she’s mad at me, or…?”

Janet just rolled her eyes. “I don’t know, go and ask her yourself,” she scoffed, going back to her lunch.

“…Oh,” Jonah said disappointedly, “Right.”

“What I look like?” Janet muttered under he breath, “Dr. Phil?”

With that, Jonah decided the conversation had come to its natural end, smiling sheepishly as he bowed out of it and walked away. Now, he definitely understood why they were friends, if nothing else. As he left, Janet just shook her head to herself.

“These white men are gonna ruin that girl’s life,” she thought.

*****

Throughout his shift, Jonah had been racking his brain, trying to figure out what to do about Sophie. He hadn’t gotten the chance to really talk to her all day, and had no idea if he should ask her if she was upset about last night or not. Garrett wasn’t of too much help either, and he had no idea what to do. Jonah clocked out a little late, having gotten stuck helping Sandra with go-backs.

He headed out to the parking lot to wait for Sophie, then getting stuck helping an elderly woman with loading her groceries into her car.

“Thank you,” the old lady smiled at him.

“Of course,” Jonah smiled back, waving, “Have a nice day.”

He turned to head back towards the entrance to the store, freezing at what he saw. Sophie was now out front, but with Marcus. Why was she with Marcus, he wondered frantically. Last he’d heard, Sophie was pissed at Marcus. She hated him. For cheating on his ex with her, lying to her about it, and then calling her the wrong name during sex. She hated Marcus. Right?

But Jonah’s heart dropped at what he saw. They were standing there, talking, until they weren’t. After a moment of neither of them talking, he saw Marcus’s hands on Sophie’s hips, his tall form towering over hers, as she kissed him, and he held her. She kissed him. And he held her. And she kept kissing him. Jonah felt like there was about to be a second vomiting incident at the store that day.

-

Chapter Fifteen

[ros3ybabe]

Life Update After a Few Days: October 18th, 2023 🎀

I’ve been a little busy with school, work, resting, and starting my workout routine back up, so here’s a little update!

I’m getting a tattoo soon! I know the aesthetic of my blog is pink and girly and coquette and I love everything that comes with the aesthetic and the lifestyle but I have an affinity for gothic style/spooky tattoos, so I’m getting a decent sized spider tattoo on my right thigh and I’m super excited! This is the first big ish sized tattoo besides the two small ones I have, and it’s the first tattoo appointment I’ve ever made so I’m really excited. A little anxious, especially for the shading portion of it, but I’m looking forward to how good it’s going to look when it’s finished and how much more confident it’s going to make me!

I’ve started working out at the gym again! My current schedule is three days of weightlifting (pull day, leg day, push day), and two days of just cardio. It feels so nice both mentally and physically to be taking care of myself like this again. I even bought some new workout shorts and gym clothes and I’m feeling better than ever! I’m focusing on improving my mental health right now and working out is doing wonders for me!

I’m working so much right now, but it’s worth it because I need the money for rent, tattoos, gym stuff, groceries, and whatever other necessities and wants pop up. I’m pulling doubles most Saturdays and it’s a little tiresome and energy draining but I’m managing pretty well. I won’t pull doubles every Saturday tho because that drives me straight into burnout and I’m trying to avoid that.

I hit 31 days on Duolingo and I’m at 28 days on Busuu, super proud of myself for keeping up with those two goals for now! I’m still working through the first two lessons of Genki and I’m still using the Kanji app but my studying has been a little bit more spread out because of my busy schedule. I’m trying to learn how to better balance multiple things without hyperfixating on just one and forgetting about everything else. I’ve noticed I tend to do that and that’s not the most productive thing for me.

I think I mentioned in a previous post that I spent a lot of money on stuff from Amazon (and Ulta) and most of it is here already besides the last couple Amazon items coming in today! I love the workout clothes I bought and the fitness/health tracker planner I bought is really interesting. I also got my language tracking bullet journal stuff in the mail so I am super looking forward to starting that up soon. Again, I noticed I tend to hyperfixate on one thing at a time but right now I’m trying to balance all my interests and things I need to do. My current “balance breakup” is: fitness/nutrition, Japanese language study, school/classes and academic success, work/making money, self care (sleep, skincare, reading, journaling, etc), boyfriend time, appointments, and chores/cleaning/housework. Sounds like a lot but there’s 24 hours in a day and 7 days in a week. Not everything has to be done in one day and as long as I manage my time efficiently, then I’ll be successful. I also try to take into account my energy levels, daily tasks, possible “curveballs”, and my current physical and mental/emotional well being. Flexibility is a must in my life but I do like having routines and things to stick to, plan and schedule wise.

I’ve been working on some posts ideas for this blog so it’s not just daily updates and stuff, but actual tips, advice, and my current routines and schedules too, to maybe help motivate and inspire you guys! I have some things in mind currently, so hopefully I can find the time to type them up and post them!

Thank you guys for 850+ followers! I never thought my blog could grow like this and I’m super happy it has! This community has given me such a safe and comforting place where I can just be myself without worry. I appreciate all of you so much!! I hope all of you have amazing days, amazing sleep, amazing skin, amazing grades, and that life is going great for all of you!

that’s pretty much all I have to update you on for now. I will be posting a Daily Check In tonight about how today went as well, to help me get back on track with posting!

til next time, lovelies 🩷🤍

[theprodigalrobot]

Rubber ducking , a la MsDemeanor recently

I have a new, excellent job starting soon (excitement! Uncertainty! Scary life changes!) I need to move 9 hours away from here, to a city I have never been to in a state I am unfamiliar with.

My current job will keep me unavoidably busy until/through March 26. My current job is stressing me out because I had unclear goals for the next week's worth of work. This is somewhat relieved by having a better-defined to-do list as of this morning, but I still need to figure out the logistics for a good-but-green 6-person crew who are scattering across the state. I can relieve this stress by preparing navigation instructions and possible camp sites for the groups I will not be with. I am feeling responsibility for this project because I signed up to be crew lead, and I am dedicated to these projects because of my work history. I feel -guilty- ?? about leaving early, neglecting my commitments to people I respect and care for. My manager/friend is busy and stressed as hell. While she is very supportive of me getting this job, I know that me leaving is inconveniencing her.

! L's overburdened schedule is not my fault. R is a very good co-crew lead, and the crew is made of competent people. They won't die and the data will still be collected after I am gone. I can unclench: I will put my best effort into the remaining work, and then Let it Go. I am sad to be leaving. I like these people and the work I do. I will not be coming back for a long time, if ever.

My current leased room ends March 30. I have exactly one car's full of stuff that takes several hours to pack away if I'm working efficiently. I have a couple days to pack after I get back, and then a full day's drive to get to New City. I am stressed about this quick turn-around. I can make this better by working today on some of the packing, leaving less work to do at the end of the month.

[moderntradwife]

Sober Mindset 

Sober - to do one’s duty, be moderate, self controlled, thoughtful, and to learn to make wise decisions and judgements 

As wives, we should be sober at all times for our husband, children, and family’s. Through sobriety, we need to consider our husband’s needs, time schedule, and resources. While my Husband has the final say in majority of our marriage, I need to maintain and manage a loving home. 

When I realized I wasn't a good wife to my Husband, I put my foot down and got to work. I made it my mission to to be the best wife and manager of the home. My biggest responsibility is to run our home smoothly and efficiently. I am currently achieving this goal by planning at least 2 weeks ahead. 

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Cleaning 

Dates 

Visiting Friends and Family

Etc…

Obviously, we have a calendar that has all of our events coming up and there is always a notebook opened when there is something in need. I keep tract of how much we have on each product in the house, like toothpaste, body soap, milk… you get the idea. I even have a few meals prepped in the freezer for days that I am too busy too cook or if I am sick. Honestly there is no reason why my Husband shouldn’t come home to meal after a long day of work. It is my job to be the best at serving my Husband and to create an oasis for him. 

Now when my Husband comes home from work, there is a plate of food ready for him. He always kisses me first and ask how my day was. I try my hardest not to complain or give him tasks while he is eating. After a long day, I don’t think he wants to hear complaints or nagging. From there, we spend a while talking about our day and watch a little bit of tv before he is off to take a shower and get ready for bed. During this time, I am preparing his lunch that is sometimes leftovers from dinner or a simple sandwich with fruit, crackers, and a sweet treat. 

There is million ways to have our evening turn sour, but through soberness, I have minimized arguments and tensions between us. We can focus on having a loving marriage without the petty disagreements that most couples have. 

The biggest take away to get from this (I believe) is to not immediately complain to your husbands once he is home. You don’t know how your husband’s day was and you shouldn’t assume. 

[melissamasakari]

Confessions you didn`t notice

Chapter eleven. Martial arts

“Kid, are you ignoring social calls again?” Sam asked reproachfully as she leaned on my fence.

“Has it already started? I signed up yesterday.”

“Almost, and your match is scheduled after lunch. But Arlo was real upset that you didn’t even come to cheer for him. His fight is coming soon; shall we go?”

“Well, since the boss wants to see me, let's run. Wait, how do I look like?”

“Good enough to crush just everyone. But I won’t give in to you, don’t get your hopes up.”

I climbed over the fence to her side and we quickly ran across the field. Oh, here are the standings. Wow, looks like I'm going to have a tough fight today. Sam and I pushed our way closer to the arena.

Qualifiers. First round. Arlo vs Russo. What a competition! Right away, two of the most powerful fighters in the city opened the festival. I watched in fascination as they thrashed, threw each other around and on the mats. Alas, as expected, the butler won the first match. My redhead (Bro? I wish he isn’t!) had only recently recovered from an injury, and he is still nursing his hand, so this is why he has a clink in his armor. For such an experienced fighter as Russo, noticing that was not a problem.

Break.

“Come on, Arlo! Beat him!”I shouted, finally making my way to the first row. Why not? I’m the smallest one here, I can hardly see behind other people’s backs.

“Oh, you’re here! I didn’t notice you in the crowd earlier,” but he clearly perked up. Arlo smiled at me, stood up and began the second round.

This time it turned out much better. It looked like Russo was already tired. Or the support of friends had such a serious impact. Arlo was very dangerously close to losing a couple of times, but managed to level up and even win, albeit with a minimal advantage in points. The third round ended as a loss to Russo. Everything happened so quickly that I almost missed the ending by simply blinking at the wrong time. I greeted my hero with a standing ovation.

“YAY! And you said there was no chance. I KNEW you could do it. How are you?” Where did Sam go?

“Fine. I should go rest on the stands. Let's go to the shade, this heat is killing me.”

“Well, yes, going home is not an option now. All of us are in qualifiers today. Do need some water?”

“Yep. Did you submit your application at the last minute? I haven't seen your name in standings this morning.”

“Remy said, I now have to. Well, I comply. By the way, am I not entitled to your beautiful uniform now?”

“We don’t have any uniform! But you really should order stripes with medical information.”

“Which ones? I didn't pay attention to it.”

“So here it is. On the shoulder,” he pointed to what I thought was just a decoration on the jacket. So, height, weight, date of birth. Oh. Blood type, AB +. I have to remember it; it might come in handy later.

“Our Corps wears badges. I still have mine if it's needed. So I didn’t take a closer look at those stripes. Do I have to sew this on all of my clothes? Will you help me to review Regulations?”

“What do you mean about having your own badges?”

“And I see you still didn’t read my profile careful enough. Don't go off topic. What should I do with these patches?”

“Evening gowns don’t qualify, if that’s what you’re asking. Just add it on your outerwear in a visible place. How much patches should I order for you?”

“Based on the number of jackets I guess it should be four. That’s all I’ve got except my copycat one, I just won’t ruin it. For that one I’ll just put a patch in my pocket. Will it work?”

“Then go see Phyllis and sign the permission. I'll arrange everything. Let's go, Remy is going to have his match soon.”

The fight between Remy and Paulie did not bring any surprises. Even though they are nearly even, the furniture maker was efficiently dispatched two rounds in a row. Flawless victory.

“Well done! So, it turns out that tomorrow we will spar, won’t we”

“That's right, Captain. I try to keep up.” Remy smiled cheerfully and punched Arlo at his open palm.

“Well, kid, you're next. Are you ready?” Sam appeared from somewhere and hugged me from behind by my shoulders.

“Yes. Would you hold my bag for a moment?”

Putting on a calm expression, I slowly walked into the arena. My opponent today is Django. Well, that will hurt. If not physically, then emotionally, for sure. I also knew that he's as bouncy as desert hopper. Looking at me, he somehow immediately shrivelled, but got ready for battle regardless. Seems that I greatly offended him with my refusal.

Signal to start fight sounded.

Breathe deeper!

It was strike, turn, retreat. Step, kick, rebound. Almost like a dance. Another blow, left, right, bend down, strike from bottom to top. I was going well. Distracted by Arlo, who was looking very carefully, I missed a very sensitive blow which Django landed on my belly with a knee. Ouch, that hurts! The stands became agitated. I resisted and didn’t fall down. My opponent was speeding up. Great. I crawled under him, rolled over and kicked him in the back of the leg. Django lost his balance and fell onto the mats. The first round was mine.

Break.

Oh, here came pacifists, what a dubious honor. It's surprising that SHE wasn't here during the first battle. But now she has cheerfully joined the Civil Corps team. What are they whispering about? And why do I so want to show her an obscene gesture? Jealous, or what? What nonsense, they're not dating so I have no need to be jealous.

“Melissa! You can do it!” My redhead shouted and waved his hand at me, smiling encouragingly. Take that, Nora.

I flexed my fists, stretched and stood up. It was time to settle this matter. Django quickly rushed to attack. I missed a couple of blows but broke through his defense on the right. Did he guess who I had in mind when I returned his heart knot? Well, by now, everyone probably had already guessed it, except for Arlo himself. But that doesn't matter right now. Ouch, it hurts so much. He got me again. I should try to go around it on the left. Jump, turn, hit. Wow! I didn’t even know I can do THAT! Django received a powerful kick to the jaw, took a few hesitant steps back and sank down. Didn't I break him any bones?

“Are you alive? Are your teeth intact? Should I call the doctor?”

“It's okay, my princess!” He stroked the bruised area and slowly stood up. “Victory is rightfully yours. Losing to you is a great honor.”

Yell louder, I'm not your princess! I'll kick you for this! Oh, yes, I already did it. Well, okay, I won.

Next is Sam so I need to take my bag from her. While I was going down to my friends, Nora got lost somewhere. Scared? It’s better for me, I don’t really want to stand next to her. My friends met me and immediately hugged me all together. Sam rubbed the top of my head and went to prepare for her fight, after having returned my belongings.

Sam's opponent was Sanwa. I had no doubt at all about her victory, although the hairdresser is very agile for his size. That’s all spectacular. Wow, what a great jump and strike. I wonder if I looked just as cool?

Oh, did she finish with him already?

“Well, little fella, now there’s no escape. Tomorrow at lunch, second round. It will be tough.”

“Do you promise?”

“I guarantee it.”

“In total, it turns out that... The entire Corps team is in the finals? A tournament for our own people?”

“Ha ha, so funny. I didn't expect that.”

“Maybe we can agree on two by two?”

“And we’ll get a scourge of redheads against everyone? No way, kid, we’ve already been through this in the winter.”

“And guys against girls isn’t too fair,” Remy said.

“I would suggest a celebration, but the restaurant seems to be closed today.”

“You knocked him out great. It's like you've been possessed by an imp.”

“Plierimp,” I joked, taking pliers out of my bag and clicking them with a clanking sound.

[blysstastic]

My Five **Realistic** Daily Non-Negotionals

Manifest / Set your intentions and motivations

This isn’t always something I manage to fit into the very beginning of my day, in fact, sometimes this is something I do at the end of my day! For me, this is something that feels calming, almost like meditation; manifesting is something that I can easily squeeze into my busy schedule, it brings me a moment of calm while reminding myself what I’m building toward and the foundation for where I see myself.

2. Drink water & keep yourself hydrated

This is something I always struggle with, however, once I’m feeling the consequences of not doing so I am in absolute agony. Which is why I’m lucky I have friends with set alarms to remind me lol. Just remember: staying hydrated is the key to productivity and efficiency. Without water in your system to keep you going it’s like running on E.

Some tips for staying hydrated

Set👏🏽 alarms👏🏽 always set alarms👏🏽

Politely request from friends or family to remind you from time to time

Fill up a BIGGGG water bottle / jug that’ll last you a few nights (I’m talking like a gallon sized-) and leave a cup on your nightstand. Before you go to sleep drink a cup of water!

Leave reminders on sticky notes where you spend lots of time! Staring at a computer all day? Leave a sticky! Driving and spending lots of time in the car? Leave a sticky!!! Stuck at a desk all day? Leave a sticky on your desk. (I find this very helpful)

3. Feed your soul!

This is something that took me a long time to figure out that I still struggle to internalize but feeding yourself is so important. There is nothing that should stop you from feeding your self. There is no reason good enough to justify not feeding your body. Don’t worry about what you think you must look like to other ppl or what sounds you make while eating; no one is looking, no one cares. The most important thing is that you feed your body until you feel satisfied. If you’re hungry: eat. If you’re not hungry: don’t eat. It’s that simple, I know how hard it can be to internalize that and deprogram that voice in your head telling you that you can’t allow yourself to eat but it really is so, so important to take care of your body so your body can take care of you.

4. Absorb positive energy / content & shed negative energy 🧿

I must admit I’m on social media a lot so I absorb lots of social media content daily. While it’s beneficial to everybody to go offline and touch grass every so often it’s also important to absorb positive content while online. You’ll find once you start blocking out negative energies in your life, especially in your social medias, it will make a huge impact in your mental health and may have influences on your personal / social life as well.

5. Only entertain those who benefit you

Don’t entertain those who do not benefit you. Turning someone away because they no longer serve or benefit you doesn’t make you a bad person and it doesn’t mean you are using them. The word “benefit” doesn’t have to mean financially or socially, it can mean something as simple as making you smile and providing you with positive energies and reinforcements. To “benefit” can simply mean being a comforting shoulder for you to lean on when things are difficult for you. Learn to let go of those who don’t benefit you. Once you do this you will notice your energies start to align.

[joshbouchardblog]

Strengths and Weaknesses

One of my strengths is problem solving. I discovered I am very good at being able to solve a problem or challenge no matter the barriers. whether that be while working or at school or in my everyday life. For example, if I have a lot of homework I am good at making a schedule to make sure everything gets done on time. Or if I'm working and I'm asked to do something that's hard to do, usually I can get it done. I am also good at planning things out to make sure everything I need to do gets done efficiently and well. Another strength of mine is hardworking. I always put 100% effort into anything I have to do.

One of my weaknesses is public speaking. My whole life public speaking and talking in front of people has been one of my weaknesses and I have never liked presentations. Sometimes I have a whole presentation prepared and I forget everything I'm supposed to say when I get up to present. I'm trying to improve this by talking more in class and by being more prepared. Another weakness of mine is Time Management and Procrastination. I usually have a hard time with Time Management by showing up to work and school right on time or a couple minutes before instead of 5-10 minutes before so I can be early. I try to fix that by leaving for school or work a few minutes earlier than usual.

[beesandwasps]

Robert Benchley (American humorist of the first half of the 20th century) actually wrote a piece in 1931 which was unintentionally somewhat good advice, depending on what your problem is. Since it is (a) silly, (b) potentially good advice, and (c) mentions fish, here it is for you:

How to Get Things Done

A great many people have come up to me and asked me how I manage to get so much work done and still keep looking so dissipated. My answer is “Don’t you wish you knew?” and a pretty good answer it is, too, when you consider that nine times out of ten I didn’t hear the original question.

But the fact remains that hundreds of thousands of people throughout the country are wondering how I have time to do all my painting, engineering, writing and philanthropic work when, according to the rotogravure sections and society notes I spend all my time riding to hounds, going to fancy-dress balls disguised as Louis XIV or spelling out ɢʀᴇᴇᴛɪɴɢs ᴛᴏ ᴄᴀʟɪғᴏʀɴɪᴀ in formation with three thousand Los Angeles school children. “All work and all play,” they say.

The secret of my incredible energy and efficiency in getting work done is a simple one. I have based it very deliberately on a well-known psychological principle and have refined it so that it is now almost too refined. I shall have to begin coarsening it up again pretty soon.

The psychological principle is this: anyone can do any amount of work, provided it isn’t the work he is supposed to be doing at that moment.

Let us see how this works out in practice. Let us say that I have five things which have to be done before the end of the week: (1) a basketful of letters to be answered, some of them dating from October, 1928, (2) some bookshelves to be put up and arranged with books (3) a hair-cut to get (4) a pile of scientific magazines to go through and clip (I am collecting all references to tropical fish that I can find, with the idea of some day buying myself one) and (5) an article to write for this paper.

Now. With these five tasks staring me in the face on Monday morning, it is little wonder that I go right back to bed as soon as I have had breakfast, in order to store up health and strength for the almost superhuman expenditure of energy that is to come. Mens sana in corpore sano is my motto, and, not even to be funny, am I going to make believe that I don’t know what the Latin means. I feel that the least that I can do is to treat my body right when it has to supply fuel for an insatiable mind like mine.

As I lie in bed on Monday morning storing up strength, I make out a schedule. “What do I have to do first?” I ask myself. Well, those letters really should be answered and the pile of scientific magazines should be clipped. And here is where my secret process comes in. Instead of putting them first on the list of things which have to be done, I put them last. I practice a little deception on myself and say, “First you must write that article for the newspaper.” I even say this out loud (being careful that nobody hears me, otherwise they would keep me in bed) and try to fool myself into really believing that I must do the article that day and that the other things can wait. I sometimes go so far in this self-deception as to make out a list in pencil, with “No. 1. Newspaper article” underlined in red. (The underlining in red is rather difficult, as there is never a red pencil on the table beside the bed, unless I have taken one to bed with me on Sunday night.)

Then, when everything is lined up, I bound out of bed and have lunch. I find that a good, heavy lunch, with some sort of glutinous dessert, is good preparation for the day’s work as it keeps one from getting nervous and excitable. We workers must keep cool and calm, otherwise we would just throw away our time in jumping about and fidgeting.

I then seat myself at my desk with my typewriter before me, and sharpen five pencils. (The sharp pencils are for poking holes in the desk-blotter, and a pencil has to be pretty sharp to do that. I find that I can’t get more than six holes out of one pencil.) Following this I say to myself (again out loud, if it is practical), “Now, old man! Get at this article!”

Gradually the scheme begins to work. My eye catches the pile of magazines, which I have artfully placed on a nearby table be forehand. I write my name and address at the top of the sheet of paper in the typewriter and then sink back. The magazines being within reach (also part of the plot) I look to see if anyone is watching me and get one off the top of the pile. Hello, what’s this! In the very first one is an article by Dr. William Beebe, illustrated by horrifying photographs! Pushing my chair away from my desk, I am soon hard at work clipping.

One of the interesting things about the Argyopelius, or “Silver Hatchet” fish, I find, is that it has eyes in its wrists. I would have been sufficiently surprised just to find out that a fish had wrists, but to learn that it has eyes in them is a discovery so astounding that I am hardly able to cut out the picture. What a lot one learns simply by thumbing through the illustrated weeklies! It is hard work, though, and many a weaker spirit would give it up half-done, but when there is something else of “more importance” to be finished (you see, I still keep up the deception, letting myself go on thinking that the newspaper article is of more importance) no work is too hard or too onerous to keep one busy.

Thus, before the afternoon is half over, I have gone through the scientific magazines and have a neat pile of clippings (including one of a Viper Fish which I wish you could see. You would die laughing). Then it is back to the grind of the newspaper article.

This time I get as far as the title, which I write down with considerable satisfaction until I find that I have misspelled one word terribly, so that the whole sheet of paper has to come out and a fresh one be inserted. As I am doing this, my eye catches the basket of letters.

Now, if there is one thing that I hate to do (and there is, you may be sure) it is to write letters. But somehow, with the magazine article before me waiting to be done, I am seized with an epistolary fervor that amounts to a craving, and I slyly sneak the first of the unanswered letters out of the basket. I figure out in my mind that I will get more into the swing of writing the article if I practice a little on a few letters. This first one, anyway, I really must answer. True, it is from a friend in Antwerp asking me to look him up when I am in Europe in the summer of 1929, so he can’t actually be watching the incoming boats for an answer, but I owe something to politeness after all. So instead of putting a fresh sheet of copy-paper into the typewriter, I slip in one of my handsome bits of personal stationery and dash off a note to my friend in Antwerp.

Then, being well in the letter-writing mood, I clean up the entire batch. I feel a little guilty about the article, but the pile of freshly stamped envelopes and the neat bundle of clippings on tropical fish do much to salve my conscience. Tomorrow I will do the article, and no fooling this time, either.

When tomorrow comes I am up with one of the older and more sluggish larks. A fresh sheet of copy-paper in the machine, and my name and address neatly printed at the top, and all before eleven A.M.! “A human dynamo” is the name I think up for myself. I have decided to write something about snake-charming and am already more than satisfied with the title “These Snake-Charming People.” But, in order to write about snake-charming, one has to know a little about its history, and where should one go to find history but to a book? Maybe in that pile of books in the corner is one on snake-charming! Nobody could point the finger of scorn at me if I went over to those books for the avowed purpose of research work for the matter at hand. No writer could be supposed to carry all that information in his head.

So, with a perfectly clear conscience, I leave my desk for a few minutes and begin glancing over the titles of the books. Of course, it is difficult to find any book, much less one on snake-charming, in a pile which has been standing in the corner for weeks. What really is needed is for them to be on a shelf where their titles will be visible at a glance. And there is the shelf, standing beside the pile of books! It seems almost like a divine command written in the sky: “If you want to finish that article, first put up the shelf and arrange the books on it!” Nothing could be clearer or more logical.

In order to put up the shelf, the laws of physics have decreed that there must be nails, a hammer and some sort of brackets to hold it up on the wall. You can’t just wet a shelf with your tongue and stick it up. And, as there are no nails or brackets in the house (or, if there are, they are probably hidden somewhere) the next thing to do is put on my hat and go out to buy them. Much as it disturbs me to put off the actual start of the article, I feel that I am doing only what is in the line of duty to put on my hat and go out to buy nails and brackets. And, as I put on my hat, I realize to my chagrin that I need a hair-cut badly. I can kill two birds with one stone, or at least with two, and stop in at the barber’s on the way back. I will feel all the more like writing after a turn in the fresh air. Any doctor would tell me that.

So in a few hours I return, spick and span and smelling of lilac, bearing nails, brackets, the evening papers and some crackers and peanut butter. Then it’s ho! for a quick snack and a glance through the evening papers (there might be something in them which would alter what I was going to write about snake-charming) and in no time at all the shelf is up, slightly crooked but up, and the books are arranged in a neat row in alphabetical order and all ready for almost instantaneous reference. There does not happen to be one on snake-charming among them, but there is a very interesting one containing some Hogarth prints and one which will bear even closer inspection dealing with the growth of the Motion Picture, illustrated with “stills” from famous productions. A really remarkable industry, the motion pictures. I might want to write an article on it sometime. Not today, probably, for it is six o’clock and there is still the one on snake-charming to finish up first. Tomorrow morning sharp! Yes, sir!

And so, you see, in two days I have done four of the things I had to do, simply by making believe that it was the fifth that I must do. And the next day, I fix up something else, like taking down the bookshelf and putting it somewhere else, that I have to do, and then I get the fifth one done.

The only trouble is that, at this rate, I will soon run out of things to do, and will be forced to get at that newspaper article the first thing Monday morning.

I need to clean my room but my brain is choosing wallow and be sad instead. I don't like this feeling, does anybody have any wisdom or advice on this

[returnedfromthepurge]

Move along, just some words.

You did good today. Your ideas weren't acknowledged and you weren't given the time that you thought you were being scheduled for and that's okay. And you did what you said you were going to do. And you might not have been acknowledged to or respected, but you are loved by the people around you. You actually do care. management does not have your back, and that's okay, because other people have your back. And you are not going to be fired because you do a good job because you're a good worker and you do great. you do great because other people tell you that you do a good job. So it's always a good job, because you put in the effort. And it was acknowledged it is harder without 3 people on the set, and even though you weren't given credit for starting this meeting, things were discussed that were important. And you did get to talk about at least 2 things that were important to you. It doesn't matter that they laughed at you. It doesn't matter that they dismissed your concerns. You got to speak. You got to be heard, and it doesn't matter if they were sarcastic about it, because you try and you did your best and you did your best effort to be heard.

Other people love you even if you don't see it all the time and you are loved at this job by people and if they had been in the room, they would have comforted you, and they would have not let you be walked all over while you were trying to make a point. And people care about what you think. Just not those people that were in the room that day. It's no longer your responsibility to point out things that you see are wrong or have been done wrong and You did your part and you attempted to fix things to make things more efficient and you were ignored and belittled sarcastically.

Therefore:

I relieve myself of the burden of caring about the team because I am not in management and everyone else can sink and suffer. I am loved and respected by the people that love and respect me. I deserve to be heard, and I deserve for my time to be respected and my concerns heard in a polite and non-sarcastic manner. I am not the problem of the situation, when I am trying to be the solution. My feelings are real and they are okay to have them. When I get done writing this, I will go about my day because I still have precious time that I could be spending on better things, than worrying about what other people think about me. I will pursue peace and happiness. Because at the end of the day, none of this will matter when I die. I will not sit here and mope and sit in these negative feelings because, they are not my fault. I had a goal and a plan and the reason to do all the things. And I had good reasons and good plans to execute for the sake that of what I thought would benefit my team, and I am not wrong for trying.

I am doing my best. I will not continue to be punished for trying to do well. There will be retribution. But I am not the hand of revenge, and I will continue on.

[indiatravel556]

Taj Mahal Day Tour

Taj Mahal Day Tour

There are few experiences in the world as breathtaking as standing before the majestic Taj Mahal, and with a Taj Mahal Day Tour, you can witness this iconic monument without the stress of planning a full vacation. Perfect for travelers on a tight schedule, this one-day excursion packs in history, architecture, culture, and a taste of Mughal-era romance — all in a single day.

A Quick Getaway to Agra

Departing early morning from Delhi, the Taj Mahal Day Tour offers a seamless journey to Agra, home to one of the Seven Wonders of the World. You can choose from different travel modes — a private car, luxury coach, or the high-speed Gatimaan Express train — depending on your preference for comfort and budget.

Sunrise Option for Early Birds

Want to see the Taj in its most magical state? The Sunrise Day Tour is a must. Departing Delhi by 2:30 to 3:00 AM, you’ll arrive just in time to see the first rays of the sun bathe the white marble in golden hues. Fewer crowds and cooler temperatures make this experience absolutely serene.

What’s Included in a Day Tour?

Most day tours come with a complete package:

Round-trip transport

Skip-the-line entry to Taj Mahal

Guided tour by a licensed expert

Visit to Agra Fort, the grand Mughal fortress

Optional stops at Mehtab Bagh, Itmad-ud-Daulah, or a local market

Lunch at a top-rated restaurant in Agra

Ideal Itinerary for the Day

Here’s what your day might look like:

6:00 AM: Pickup from hotel in Delhi

9:30 AM: Arrive at Taj Mahal

11:30 AM: Visit Agra Fort

1:00 PM: Enjoy a delicious Indian lunch

2:30 PM: Optional visit to Mehtab Bagh or shopping

3:30 PM: Begin return journey

7:00 PM: Drop-off in Delhi

Guided Experience Makes a Difference

Having a professional guide can really enhance your day trip. You’ll hear untold stories of love, sacrifice, and power that bring the marble monument to life. Plus, your guide helps navigate lines and photo spots, ensuring you get the most out of your time.

Private vs Group Tour

Private Tour: Ideal for couples or families. Offers personalized attention and flexibility.

Group Tour: Budget-friendly and social, but with a fixed schedule.

Both options offer great value; it all depends on how you like to travel.

Best Time for a Day Tour

The ideal months to plan your Taj Mahal Day Tour are from October to March, when the weather is pleasant and perfect for sightseeing. Avoid Fridays, as the monument is closed to tourists.

Tips for Your Day Trip

Carry a valid photo ID

Wear comfortable shoes (you’ll walk a lot!)

Don’t bring big bags — they’re not allowed inside

Carry a hat, sunscreen, and water

Be respectful of the heritage site and its rules

Conclusion

A Taj Mahal Day Tour is the ultimate way to witness the grandeur of one of the world’s greatest architectural wonders, even if you're short on time. With comfortable transport, expert guides, and a chance to experience history up close, this one-day escape is perfect for those craving a meaningful yet manageable adventure.

FAQs

1. How long does a Taj Mahal Day Tour take?

Typically, it lasts 12–14 hours, including travel time to and from Delhi.

2. Can I customize my Taj Mahal Day Tour?

Yes! Many providers offer private tours where you can choose your start time, itinerary, and even add on other destinations.

3. Is lunch included in the day tour?

Most packages include lunch at a good local restaurant. Be sure to check the tour details before booking.

4. Do I need to buy Taj Mahal tickets separately?

No. Reputable tours usually include entry tickets in the package.

5. Is it worth doing a day trip from Delhi to the Taj Mahal?

Absolutely! It’s the most time-efficient way to see one of India’s top attractions without needing an overnight stay.