#Then runs to another country to restock

[chocolateteapotsvis]

Happy Halloween!

[puckinghischier]

Cart Girls & Curly Q’s

Luke Hughes x fem!reader

summary: luke has a crush on the cart girl

notes: for once, i feel like i didn’t really struggle while writing luke. this probably isn’t one of my best works, but i loved the idea and i’m so glad i was able to try to bring it to life. hope you enjoy!! happy reading! 🫶🏼

request: from my 400 follower celly - “You come here often?” “Well, I work here. So I think I’d have to say yes.” with Luke and maybe a cart girl at the golf club close to the summer lake house?

[3k]

Most of your friends absolutely hate going to work in the summertime. They hate being stuck in an office or storefront all day, no chance to enjoy the high UV and prime lake hours.

You, however, never wake up dreading your work.

During the cold, Michigan winters, you work as a bartender at your college’s local bar. You attend your classes in the morning, do your homework in the afternoon, then clock into your shifts at night. You have the routine down to a science.

During the summers, though, you found a job as the cart girl at the uppity country club closest to the large community of expensive lake houses you drive by every morning.

The tips are amazing, and getting paid to drive around in the sunshine and watch attractive men play golf all day is what you call a small piece of paradise. Not to mention you’re off by five o’clock every day, allowing time to join your friends and family out on the boat for night swims and evening rides.

Today was especially good, with it being one of the hottest days of the summer, your sales were sky high.

You’ve already had to restock your beer cooler three times this morning, and it’s barely even noon.

Your boss has really been pushing the sale of liquor, so you inform every group you pass about your buy a double, get a single shot half off deal, but nothing calls to a man more than a cold beer on a hot golf course.

Many of the men you’ve served today have given you a tip simply because you’re out working in the heat, delivering beers ‘like an angel’ one middle aged man told you, handing you an extra ten.

You just laughed and told him thank you, pocketing the cash. You always loved weekend mornings, locals and vacationers alike all over the course, upping your sales, and as a result, your tips.

As you’re leaving the club house after yet another restock, you see a group of guys that you assumed were around your age.

They were being loud, but not obnoxious, as they piled into two carts and sped their way out to the course, eager to get their game started.

You wondered when you would see them, having been told not to bother people until they’re at least on hole two. Apparently, people get mad when you try to sell them alcohol in the middle of their first stroke.

Making your way around your normal path, you start at hole eight and work your way in a circle until you get back to the clubhouse, the later holes being your big money makers. People are either celebrating their lead or mourning their loss at that point, wanting a drink either way.

You sell a few shots, making your boss happy no doubt, but run out of beers for the fourth time that day around hole sixteen. You stop and offer to each group after that, selling a few more liquor items, but were mostly told to come back when you had beer again.

Flying down the cart path, you see the same group of guys from earlier around hole seven, one out of the group flagging you down as you speed by.

You slow your cart down to a stop and they walk over to meet you, grabbing their wallets from their carts as they approach you.

“Sorry, boys, out of beer. On my way back to the clubhouse now to restock if you want to wait a few,” you tell them once they’re within ear shot, not wanting to get their hopes up.

“Well, do you have anything you can sell us? I’m getting beat pretty bad out here and need a pick me up. Don’t really care what it is,” a brunette pleaded.

You tell him about the shot deals, and he hands you his I.D., requesting a double shot of crown and ginger-ale before turning and asking his cart buddy what he wanted.

“Jack, what do you want?” he calls over to a guy that looked similar to him, thinking to yourself that they could be brothers.

He explains the discount to the other brunette, saying he’s already paid, just to pick what he wanted.

After viewing the second player’s I.D., your brother theory is confirmed by their matching last name.

Jack, you learned, asked for a simple, funnily enough, Jack and coke.

“Alright, gentlemen, anything else I can do for you?” you ask, turning to face the last member of the group.

You make eye contact with a tall, curly-headed boy, noticing the pink tone of his cheeks when you catch him staring at you.

“Anything for you, curly Q?” you ask him, taking note of how attractive he was. You always play up the flirting a little when you find a player on the course attractive, figuring it’ll help your sales while simultaneously allowing you to have a little fun.

His cheeks turn an ever-deeper shade of red when he realizes you’re talking to him, freezing up and averting his eyes. You feel a little bad for putting him on the spot, but you find his shyness endearing.

“Nah, Lukey here isn’t old enough, is he Quinny? Still got a few months till you can drink with the big bros. Isn’t that right, Luke?” the brunette named Jack slaps who you’ve now learned is Luke on the back.

You let out a chuckle, witnessing the deadly glare Luke shoots at his older brother.

“Don’t worry, they picked a cart girl that isn’t even old enough to drink, either. Won’t be able to drink the concoctions I make until next spring,” you tell him, hoping to alleviate a little of the embarrassment you caused him.

“Oh, wow,” is all he utters out, bringing out another laugh from you.

“Alright, well, I’ll let you boys get back to your game,” you tell them, walking back over to get back into your cart.

You ride off, thinking of the tall, curly brunette the whole time.

Three hours later, you’re tending the clubhouse bar.

When you came back in for restock, your boss told you it was too hot for you to keep your role as cart girl all day, insisting you switch out with one of your coworkers.

You weren’t too upset with the trade off, now in air conditioning but still getting tips from buzzed players after their game, either nursing their loss or celebrating their win.

The clubhouse gets busier as the day goes on, people dipping in for a quick cool off after playing eighteen holes in the heat.

“Hey, new body down on the end. Care to get it for me?” your co-tender, Brady, asks you, the two of you working in tandem.

You nod at him as you finish pouring the beer in your hand, walking down to the other end of the bar.

“Hey, player, what can I get for ya?” you ask the stranger, not looking up as you place a coaster in front of the patron.

“Just-Just a water, if you don’t mind,” he asks, slightly stumbling his words.

You look up to see the curly brunette, Luke, from earlier.

“Oh, it’s you. Curly Q,” you say, grabbing a glass and filling it with ice.

“Name’s Luke, actually,” he tells you, the redness from earlier returning to his cheeks.

“Yeah, I remember. Just think Curly Q fits you better,” you smirk at him, placing the glass full of water on his coaster. “I’m Y/N.”

He mumbles a small thanks, taking a sip from the glass.

“Anything else I can get for you?” you ask him, glancing down the bar to see if any new customers have sat down.

He stares at you, his eyes caught like a deer in headlights.

You wait patiently for an answer, letting out a small giggle when he just continues to stare at you.

“Alright, well I’ll let you think about your answer and be right back,” you laugh as you start to walk away.

“Wait!” Luke startles you, stopping you in your tracks. “Uhh..do you…come here often?” he stutters out, closing his eyes tightly in embarrassment as soon as the words leave his mouth.

Your eyes shine at him with amusement. “Well, I work here, so I think I’d have to say yes,” you respond, smiling.

Luke peeks one eye open at you, seeing your amused expression and sighing, letting his body sag.

“Yeah, I don’t know why I asked that,” he runs his hand through his curls nervously.

You rest your arms on the bar in front of you. “Ehh, don’t worry about it,” you tell him, scrunching your nose as you shake your head.

Luke gives you a nervous smile, sliding his water towards his body and running his finger around the rim of the glass.

“I’m sure you talk to all kinds of idiots like me when you’re serving drinks, huh?” he asks, making your face fall a bit at his defeated tone.

You stand a little straighter. “Nah, not really. Most of the idiots I talk to are just old and creepy, not my age and charming,” you tell him, finally earning a laugh from him.

His laugh was more of an amused scoff, but you already want to see the shy smile that makes its way onto his face afterwards, again.

“Yeah, cause a guy that asks you if you come to your job often is the epitome of charming,” he looks up at you.

“Well, it’s kept me here talking to you so far, hasn’t it?”

Luke blushes, making you think the man in front of you is unable to go two minutes without his face turning red.

“Yeah, I guess it has,” he casts his eyes towards his lap.

“So, Luke, you a local or here on vacation?” you ask him, glancing down at the quickly clearing stools. You know Brady is getting all of your tips right now, but you can’t bring yourself to move from your spot.

“Well, a little bit of both. Technically on vacation because I live in New Jersey now, but my parents have owned a lake house here since I was a kid, so I claim the title of a local,” you finally get him to loosen up a little, his body language relaxing. “Plus I went to U of M for a little while, so I’ve spent quite a bit of time over in Ann Arbor.”

“Ahh, a city boy,” you tease, grabbing a glass to wipe down, making it look like you’re at least partially doing your job. “Why’d you leave Ann Arbor?”

“Got a…uh…job offer in Jersey,” he tells you cryptically, eyes darting around the room.

“‘A uh…job offer?’ What are you, in the mafia?” you ask him, mimicking his words and poking fun at his nervousness at telling you about his job.

“Well, not quite,” he starts, laughing a real laugh this time, causing you to mentally record the sound and store it in your brain. “I…ahhh…I play hockey up there.”

Your eyebrows raise in surprise. “Like, professionally?”

He sinks back into his seat, looking like he wants to hide.

“Yeah. For the New Jersey Devils. My brother, Jack plays for them, too,” He tries to pass some of the attention off of himself.

“Wait, you and your brother both play in the NHL?” the impressed tone of your voice gives Luke a little boost of confidence.

“Well, both of my brothers, actually. But Quinn plays for the Canucks up in Vancouver. Jack and I are both in Jersey, though.”

You let your mouth hang open at him, not being able to hide your shock.

This earns another laugh from Luke.

“What kind of superhuman DNA do your parents possess?” you ask him.

“Not sure. We’re still being studied as we speak,” Luke leans closer, whispering like he’s telling you a secret. “The big wigs in the NHL haven’t found out yet that they grew us in test tubes in their basement.”

You let out a laugh so loud that you gain the attention of several men on the other end of the bar, slapping your hand over your mouth.

Luke leans back in his seat, a fond smile on his face as he sees your embarrassed expression.

“Hey, Y/N, you gonna come help me do your job or what?” you hear Brady yell, annoyed that he’s been working the whole bar alone for the past ten minutes.

You roll your eyes while still facing Luke, removing your hand from your mouth and turning your head to respond. “Yeah, don’t get your club all bent, I’ll be right there.”

Luke’s still smiling at you when you turn back to face him.

“Guess that’s my cue to get back to my job and quit talking to cute boys sitting at the bar, huh?” you spew, realizing what you just said a second too late.

Luke’s eyebrows shoot up, his back straightening in surprise.

You pause all movements, staring at Luke.

“Uhh…anyways, gotta go do my job. Y’know, the thing I come around often for?” you make a call back to Luke’s attempt at a line earlier, hoping it take some of the attention off of what you just said.

Luke chuckles at you. “Yeah, I need to go meet back up with my fellow lab rats, anyways,” he tells you, reaching for his wallet, placing a twenty down on the bar.

“You do realize water is free, right?” you tell him, sliding the bill back to him.

“Yeah. Figured I’d try to make up for the tips I caused you to lose, though,” he shrugs his shoulders, standing from his chair.

“Nope, I’m not taking your money. Feels like you’re just paying me for talking to you,” you tell him, holding the money out towards him and shaking it around, trying to make him take it.

Luke shakes his head at your stubbornness. “C’mon, just take it. Your coworker collected all kinds of tips while you were over here.”

“Nope,” you shake your head, leaning over and grabbing Luke’s arm, placing the money in his hand.

“I need to do something, though. I feel bad causing you to lose out on money that should’ve been yours,” he insists.

“Well, I guess I’ll let you make it up to me,” you start, watching him try to lay the money down again and shooting your arm out, preventing him from doing so. “By giving me your number,” you decide to be bold.

Luke goes still. “Uhh, y-yeah. Sure,” he snaps out of his momentary freeze, fumbling for his phone, handing it over to you.

You put your number in his phone, sending yourself a text before handing it back with a wink.

“I guess I’ll talk to you later?” Luke asks, pushing his stool in.

You nod your head yes, turning to go back to your job duties.

You turn back around after you take a few steps, seeing Luke walking away with his back turned.

“Hey, Curly Q!” you call after him, causing him to turn to look at you. “I get off at five, in case you were wondering,” you shout towards him, flashing a smirk before you walk away.

Luke smiles and shakes his head, making his way towards the other side of the clubhouse.

You watch his figure as he moves across the room, stopping to make small talk with a man, shaking his head before joining his brothers at a small table on the restaurant side of the clubhouse, picking up his menu and browsing the food selection.

You smile to yourself and go back to stacking glasses.

As you’re transferring a new stack of clean glasses to the cooler under the bar, you hear someone call your name from above you.

You stand, rattling off your typical greeting to the new customer.

“Someone named Luke asked me to give this to you,” he tells you, handing you the same twenty-dollar bill Luke had tried to hand you a few minutes prior.

You pick up the bill as the stranger walks away, looking down at it before raising your head and looking for the curly headed culprit.

You meet Luke’s eye, raising a brow at him while lifting the paper money, pointing at it.

Luke shrugs his shoulders and grins from across the room.

Months later, when you’re attending your first ever Devils game in support of your newly titled boyfriend, you watch him skate out on the ice for warm ups, making a bee-line to the seat he provided for you.

He looks at you in his Jersey, a sight he pictured from the moment he first saw you on the golf course last summer, wondering how he managed to impress the pretty cart girl he embarrassed himself with, what feels like so long ago.

Your smile took up your entire face as you waved at him, excited to finally see him play in person. He smiles back, pointing down to the ground, asking if you wanted a puck.

You nodded your head yes, watching him pick up a puck and take the cover off of a small cut out in the plexiglass separating the two of you.

When he slides the puck through the hand sized hole, you grab onto his glove, replacing the puck with a piece of paper before pushing his hand back towards him.

He looks down at his hand, confusion written all over his face. He opens his glove, looking down at his hand, his head snapping up to look at you once he realizes what you had done.

“There’s your tip, hot shot!” you shout at him through the glass, smiling in amusement, seeing the same twenty-dollar bill from the first day you met him resting in his red glove, never imagining that the nervous, bumbling boy sitting in front of you at the bar that day would make you feel like the luckiest girl in all of Michigan, and now New Jersey.

[otomehoneyybearr]

Kagari Amagase

Things I can Only Do With You at Night: Ch1 | Ch2 | Ch3 | Ch4 | Card

When I had finally started getting used to life in Kogyoku, where I’d come for a bookstore restock trip—

Child 1: "Yaaah— Whoa!?"

Kagari: "Too much wasted movement."

Child 2: "You’re wide open— Ugh!"

Kagari: "The one with an opening is you."

Child 3: "Got you— Gah!?"

Kagari: "Your grip is too weak."

(Wow… he’s merciless.)

At a dojo in the neighboring town, Prince Kagari was giving the children a lesson in swordsmanship.

The kids charged at him all at once, swinging their bamboo swords, but Prince Kagari dodged them with ease, his expression unwavering.

He blocked an attack from behind without even looking, sweeping the child’s legs out from under them, and used his hands to grab the hilt of their sword to throw

It was almost like a game, as one after another, the children rolled across the floor.

(He's even being mindful to make sure they don't bump into each other... It's like he has eyes on the back of his head.) ●●●●●● Flashback ●●●●●●

Kagari: “Well, fancy seeing you here, princess. Out on your own?"

Kagari: "Me? I’m on my way to teach swordsmanship to the kids at the dojo."

Kagari: "……Want to come along?"

●●●●●● Flashback End ●●●●●●

(I guess it was good thing I decided to take a walk around the town.)

Despite the intense training, the children didn’t seem to lose their motivation. In fact, their determination seemed to grow stronger.

I couldn't take my eyes off Prince Kagari, admiring how his guidance drew such spirit out of them.

After the training session ended, Prince Kagari sat cross-legged next to me, his face as composed as ever.

Emma: "Great work. Would you like some water?"

Kagari: "No, I’m fine. I was just playing with kittens, after all."

(He dealt with a dozen kids at once and calls it playing… He really is amazing.)

Kagari: "You were watching pretty intently. Was the training that unusual?"

As Prince Kagari propped his chin on his hand, looking at me, I nodded in response.

Emma: "It’s my first time seeing something like that up close. In my country, it’s rare for so many children to be trained in swordsmanship."

Kagari: "Is that so? Here in Kogyoku, there are kendo dojos in every town, so there are plenty of opportunities to learn."

Kagari: "Children are taught to wield a sword and protect themselves from a young age. You could call it a compulsory skill."

(In a war-torn country like Kogyoku, it's commonplace for everyone to carry weapons, regardless of age or gender...)

The children who had been practicing earlier were now running around the dojo, laughing and playing.

(For those kids, dedicating themselves to sword training is not just about pursuing their dreams of becoming warriors,) (But also about protecting themselves and their loved ones from the dangers that threaten their lives.)

Learning this through today’s session, I felt my chest tighten as I reflected on the differences between this country and the one I grew up in.

Emma: "Do you often teach the children, Prince Kagari?"

Kagari: "I usually leave it to my subordinates, but I teach whenever I can make time."

(That makes sense. Prince Kagari is the commander of his unit and a key figure in this region’s defense. It must be hard to find time for things like this.)

I felt lucky to have seen Prince Kagari teaching the children today.

At that moment, several children came over, their eyes sparkling with curiosity.

Child 1: "Teacher, is she your girlfriend?"

Kagari: "No."

Child 2: "Aww, really? You've never brought a woman with you before, so we thought maybe—"

Child 3: "I told you! Teacher only cares about dorayaki and swords!"

Child 2: "Are you seriously planning to stay single forever, Teacher? Or are you marrying a dorayaki?"

Kagari: "Most people die alone anyway. It’s best to remember that."

Kagari: "You all seem to have a lot of energy. Want to go for another set of practice? I’d be happy to oblige."

Children: "Noooo! Teacher, you’re a demon!"

Kagari: "Before that, shouldn’t you greet our guest first?"

Children: "Hello!"

Emma: "H-hello."

Kagari: "Good. Never forget to greet others, no matter the situation."

Children: "Okay!"

(The must feel comfortable around him to speak so freely like this.)

(Still… being mistaken for Prince Kagari’s girlfriend…)

I couldn’t help but feel a little embarrassed at the misunderstanding.

Child 2: "If she’s not your girlfriend, then why’d you bring her here?"

Kagari: "She seemed interested in joining the training, so I invited her."

Emma: "Was that it?"

Kagari: "Yeah.

Kagari: You’re easy to read. That’s something I’ve learned about you."

(Prince Kagari notices everything... It's kind of intimidating but also reassuring.)

Trying to hide a growing smile, I casually covered my mouth with my hand.

Child 1: "Aww, if you were his girlfriend, we could have teased you two during the festival."

Emma: "A festival? There’s a festival happening?"

(Now that they mention it… the streets have felt livelier over the past few days.)

Kagari: "You didn’t know? This town is holding a festival soon."

Kagari: "It’s not a huge one, but there will be fireworks."

Emma: "Really? I’ve never been to a festival in Kogyoku before."

Kagari: "…Is that so? This will be your first, then."

Child 1: "Hey, hey! My family runs a sweets shop, and we’re putting up a stall at the festival!"

Child 3: "The sakura manju are the best. The skin is so chewy, and they taste amazing!"

Child 1: "We’re working super hard to prepare, so Teacher, you and the lady should come check it out!"

Emma: "Sure, I’ll definitely come!"

Child 1: "Yes! One more customer secured!"

Though I agreed in the moment, I was already filled with excitement at the idea of going to the festival. My mind began to fill with images of colorful food stalls lined up in the streets.

(The owner said there would be stalls here that can’t be found in Rhodolite.)

(I hope I’ll be able to see and experience everything during my first foreign festival.)

As I let my imagination run wild like a child, I felt a steady gaze from beside me, sharp yet unreadable.

Emma: "Um… Is something wrong, Prince Kagari?"

Kagari: "No, nothing."

(He says that, but why won’t he look away?)

(Come to think of it… I wonder if Prince Kagari plans to go to the festival.)

Kagari: "…"

Kagari: "………"

Emma: "……..……"

(……This is so unsettling.)

After the children had left, I left the dojo with Prince Kagari.

As the sound of our footsteps echoed in the quiet hallway as we walked side by side, I felt his gaze constantly fixed on me.

(Maybe he wants to say something… Hmm, but I can’t figure out what it could be.)

Kagari: "Princess."

Emma: "Ah! Y-Yes? What is it?"

He suddenly leaned in closer, his sharp features coming near, and I reflexively leaned back.

Kagari: "Among all the regions in Kogyoku, my territory is relatively the safest. It even attracts a fair number of tourists."

Kagari: "Even if this festival is small in scale, it has more liveliness and entertainment than festivals in other territories."

Emma: "I see. That makes me even more excited for the day to come."

(…Why is he suddenly promoting the festival?)

Kagari: "But for someone coming from another country with no familiarity with the area, it might be hard to fully enjoy the festival."

Kagari: "So, that's why—"

(Could this be… No way…)

A different kind of anticipation stirred in my chest, making me unusually nervous.

With a composed yet serious demeanor, Prince Kagari fixed his gaze on me and—

Next

▼・ᴥ・▼

[punkshort]

Chapter warnings: graphic depictions of violence, death, language

Chapter Twelve

Pairing: Joel x F!Reader, pre-outbreak and post outbreak

AU (the only thing I kept was the outbreak, Joel, and Tommy's characters. Joel's backstory is different, and the way he finds Jackson is different. I may include Ellie one day, I just haven't planned that far)

Fic Summary: You worked for Joel and Tommy a few months before the outbreak. The outbreak happens, and you and Joel get stuck traveling the country and keeping each other safe. Neither of you spoke about the feelings you had for one another pre-outbreak, and in a post-apocalyptic world, it seems like survival should be your only focus. But feelings can't be ignored forever.

Fic tags: Explicit Smut (18+ MDNI), Smut, Language, Canon-Typical Violence, Alcohol Use, Age Difference (Reader is 10 years younger than Joel), slow burn, mutual pining, angst, trauma, SA referencing later but I will put a big warning on those chapters

February 2004

Des Moines, IA

You gripped your knife tightly in your fist, the blade pointed towards the ground as you crouched silently forward, choosing your steps very carefully. About 5 feet away from the runner, you stupidly stepped on a piece of glass you didn't notice embedded on the thin carpet. The runner whipped around with a scream, lunging towards you snapping its teeth in the air. You sidestepped it at the last minute, kicking and making it fall face first onto the ground. You jumped on its back and jammed your knife deep into its skull, blood dripping down to absorb into the floor as you panted heavily.

"What the hell was that?!" Joel yelled, whipping the back door open. You felt the cold blast of air hit you, even from all the way across the restaurant. You tugged on your knife, removing it from the runner's head and wiped it on the back of its shirt before putting the knife back on your hip.

"There was one left, must've missed it," you called back to him, brushing yourself off and walking towards the back of the room.

"Shit, I swore I got 'em all. You good?" He said, looking you over with his flashlight as you approached. You held up your hand to your eyes to block the beam of light.

"Yeah, I'm fine, I fucked up," you said, lowering your hand when he aimed his light down, satisfied you were not harmed. "I stepped on some glass, had to get creative. You think we can stay here the night? I think these cushions come off the booths. Not sure we can find any extra blankets here, though."

"We can put on layers, we've been through worse," Joel said, already yanking on some of the booth cushions, pulling a few out on the floor to sleep on.

"I'm gonna go to the bathroom, then check the kitchen. I'll be right back," you dropped your pack on the ground and strolled off towards the women’s room in the corner. Once you were done, you stared at yourself in the mirror over the bathroom sink, shocked to see how different you looked. You hadn't seen a mirror in several weeks. Your face looked more hollow, you definitely had lost some weight. You pulled your hair out of the ponytail you typically kept, realizing that it was the longest you’ve seen it since you were little. You tried running your fingers through it to manage it a bit, but it seemed hopeless. You gathered your hair back behind your head and slid the hair-tie over it once again.

You didn't find much left in the restaurant kitchen, which was a huge disappointment. You were running low on food, having walked through thick forests and then open prairies for the past two weeks, not coming across any shelters to raid. Joel had purposely redirected you to this city in the hopes of restocking your food supplies and taking a short break from sleeping in the freezing cold wilderness. Luckily, your bow and arrows proved very useful, and kept the two of you fed when you had barely anything else to survive. Joel had never used a bow before yours, so you had taught him the basics from what you could remember. He seemed to have a knack for survival. He caught on very quickly and soon became better with it than you.

You sighed as you opened the last cupboard door, finding it just as empty as the rest. You were about to close it when a colorful wrapper caught your eye, shoved all the way in the back behind some pots. You reached your arm in as far as it could go, your fingertips barely grazing the item before you managed to pull it forward a smidge and grab it. You could have cried you were so happy with what you found.

“Joel!” you called out as you walked back into the dining room, heading towards the small lit up area he made for the two of you and your sleeping bag already rolled out on your cushion. “You’ll never believe what I found!”

He turned around from adjusting his own sleeping bag. He immediately spotted the jar in your hand and groaned. “Peanut butter!” he exclaimed with relief, “Fuck yes.” He sat down on his cushion to dig out the spoons from your packs. You both ate in silence, enjoying eating something other than rabbit or squirrel for the first time in weeks. You still had some provisions in your packs that lasted you about a week after you left Chicago, but as you traveled more out west, the options became limited, and the weather slowed you down significantly, causing you to eat through a lot of your food. You had become dependent on the wildlife for sustenance, and you got lucky, but it was getting old.

Joel had been kind enough to bury your parents before you moved on. He didn’t want you to have to help carry their bodies, so he had to make do with burying them where they were killed. He found a broken shovel about half a mile down the road in an abandoned mechanic’s shop, and it took him the rest of the day, but he made sure they were taken care of. He even found some large rocks to mark their graves. He was worried about you for a long time after that. You were distant and didn’t speak much. He didn't know what to do, other than giving you space and time to process your grief, while taking on as many of the responsibilities he could to keep you both alive. He insisted on being the one to hunt as often as possible. He sought out as many safe places indoors to set up camp as he could, even if it meant wasting half the day’s sunlight, he would sacrifice it so you would be more comfortable. He stayed in those places a day or two longer than he wanted, just so you could possibly sleep a little more soundly. It hardly mattered anyway: he wasn’t convinced he would ever find Tommy, or even if he was still alive. There didn’t seem to be much rush to your journey anymore, but it gave you something to fight for, so he kept pushing forward.

Then, one day, he did something to make you laugh. He couldn't even remember what it was, but hearing the sound made him desperate to make you do it again. So, the next day, he tried telling you a shitty joke, and you laughed again. Every time he heard it, he felt his chest loosen and his breathing eased. You seemed like yourself again, but he could tell the deaths of your parents changed you. You became more hardened, more focused, and angrier at the world around you. He noticed the way you took down infected with such ferocity, such disdain. It used to bother you, but now you could kill one without blinking an eye. He knew it was foolish to expect your innocence to remain intact, but every night he still wished he could somehow shield you from it all.

Somewhat full, you laid down on your cushion and wrapped yourself in your sleeping bag, exhaling softly and closing your eyes. Joel gazed at you a little longer than he should have before he leaned over to turn the lanterns off. Tomorrow, he knew you would have to venture back out into the cold and find some more food. He had hoped this restaurant would have had more than enough, but someone before him must have thought the same thing. He turned his head to glance over at you again in the darkness, listening to your steady breathing. He still ached for you, desperately. He hoped he didn't read the signals wrong that morning in your bedroom - there was no way he could have - but the more time that passed, the more unsure of himself he became. He was so close. So close to tasting you again, holding you in his arms, protecting you from the evil surrounding you.

He stared up at the ceiling and focused on falling asleep. He needed to be alert and well rested so you could finally find some food and get back on the road.

The two of you were walking down the street the next morning after having eaten the rest of the peanut butter and not much else. This part of town seemed to be abandoned by people, but you did come across a few infected. Most of the time, you heard them clamoring about in a closed up building you passed, but a few did cross your path that you had to take down. Joel had a theory that the infected slowed down in the colder months, that maybe they went dormant, or it was just harder for them to move. Whatever the reason, he seemed to be right. Even when you did come across one, they seemed a lot slower, making your job much easier.

As you made your way towards the end of the road, the houses and trees cleared and you could see further ahead, smiling when you saw a familiar logo. You turned to Joel, who seemed to notice it, too.

"I don't think I've ever been so excited to see a Walmart before," you said, smiling in his direction. He chuckled, shaking his head.

"It's a big store, we gotta be real careful. Ain't no way we can clear the whole place by ourselves," he told you as you entered the parking lot. "Gotta stay close together and be silent. No guns. Let's just stick to the grocery section, take what we need, and get the hell out." You nodded, looking at the building as you approached it from the outside, trying to listen for any noise coming from within. Joel put his hand out on your arm to stop you, making you twist around and giving him a confused look.

"I mean it," he said, looking serious. "Could be a whole hoard in there. And it'll be dark. It's risky."

"I know, I'll be careful, I promise," you gave him a look just as serious to prove you were paying attention. His eyes shifted back and forth between yours before nodding his head in the direction of the store.

You both stepped quietly inside the store through the broken sliding door, clicking on your flashlights and looking at your surroundings before making a move. Your attention went up to the signs hanging above the aisles, spotting the grocery section was straight ahead past the cash registers. The two of you crept forward, careful not to step on anything that would give away your position. You walked through the bakery, surrounded by moldy bread. So far, the place seemed quiet, but that didn't necessarily mean it was empty.

The store was reasonably picked over but there were a few things left on the shelves you could use. You packed your bag with rice, chicken broth, a few cans of dented soup, and a jar of pasta sauce. For the sake of being extra quiet, you motioned with your finger for Joel to step forward, and you stretched to whisper in his ear.

"We should check out the stock room," you said quietly, your breath tickling his neck. It wasn't the sexiest thing anyone had ever said to him, but that didn't matter. He nodded and suppressed the urge to shudder. He picked up his bag and led you to the end of the aisle, looking both ways before leading you to the swinging doors on the wall. Joel held out a hand for you to stay put while he pushed the door open a crack, sweeping his flashlight across the room. It had aisles, just like the store, but it wasn't as neatly organized. Once he confirmed it was safe, you both entered, scanning the shelves to pinpoint where the groceries were stocked. Your flashlight landed on a corner of the room where you recognized boxes of crackers and cans of vegetables. You nudged him with your elbow, and you both made your way over, checking down every aisle before advancing.

Your jaw dropped at the amount of food that was left. Someone had the same idea as you, it wasn't fully stocked, but it was much more well stocked than the shelves out front. You hurriedly packed your bags with as many useful items as you could carry. You were so hungry, but you had to resist the urge to rip into anything right then and there, afraid the noise of a wrapper would possibly draw attention.

You were just finishing up when Joel wandered towards the end of the aisle, his flashlight settling on something shiny the next aisle over. He squinted and bent down to get a closer look through the shelves. By the time he realized he was looking at blood pooling around a dead clicker, it was too late. A pair of arms reached out behind him, yanking him backwards. A hand covered his mouth and an arm squeezed around his neck, making his vision go fuzzy. His eyes shot over to you in a panic. You were still crouching over your backpacks, facing away from him, and zipping them closed. He brought his hands up and laced them together before driving his elbow behind him, hitting the man right in the diaphragm. The grip on his throat instantly loosened and the man doubled over coughing. You whipped around now, your knife already in your hand. You watched as Joel brought his knee up to the man's face twice, blood bursting from his mouth and nose, staining Joel's pants. Joel drove his knife into the man's eye, his body twitching before slumping on the floor at his feet.

Joel looked up just in time to see you dodging the knife of a second man, kicking him in the groin before shoving your knife between his ribs. He ran down the aisle to you, hearing the man's raspy breaths as blood filled his lungs. You pulled your knife out and stabbed him again, this time closer to the heart. The raspy breathing stopped, and his body relaxed against the linoleum floor. Joel sighed in relief, slowing his pace, his heart pounding.

Then he felt something hard hit the back of his head, causing him to fall forward, his vision narrowing as he fought the urge to pass out. Joel felt the heavy boot of his attacker sticking to his back as he tried to push himself up, but his head was swimming, and he couldn't find the strength. He collapsed back on the floor with a grunt, blinking his eyes frantically trying to clear his vision. He was struggling to breathe with the weight of the man's foot pressed on his back, and once again raised himself up to try and roll over when the pressure on his back was suddenly gone. He gasped for breath, pulling himself into a seated position and shaking his head wildly, his vision finally clearing.

You had tackled and pinned Joel's attacker on the ground, sitting on his chest as you struggled with his knife between the two of you, the blade pointed downwards towards his throat as you gritted your teeth and pushed down with everything you had. His feet kicked wildly underneath you, trying to roll you off, but you weren't budging, your eyes burning into his as the blade scratched at his throat. Joel stumbled to his feet, still dizzy, as he struggled to make his way towards you. With a loud grunt, you put all your weight onto the hilt of the knife, lifting off his chest and finally piercing through his skin until you could feel the tip of the knife make contact with the linoleum. He laid underneath you gurgling as blood poured from his neck, his eyes wild with fear. You panted heavily, letting your muscles relax after the strenuous fight. With your weight off his chest, the man was able to grab a second knife you hadn't noticed from his belt and stabbed frantically at your side, which you tried to swat away before his arm grew weak and he stopped breathing.

Joel's arms wrapped around you and lifted you off the dead man, turning you around to look at you closer with his flashlight. Your face was splattered with blood, your hair wild, covered with sweat and still gasping for air. He aimed his flashlight lower and noticed a big red circle of blood staining the side of your t-shirt. His breath caught in his throat and the adrenaline sharpened his vision as he lifted your shirt up gingerly. You winced when the fabric peeled away from your skin, not realizing you had been hurt until that moment.

"Oh, fuck," Joel whispered and his breathing picked up as he glanced around for something to stop the bleeding. You had been stabbed along your ribs and down your side. He couldn't tell how deep the wound was in the dark, but it was enough to cause you to bleed heavily. He grabbed a used rag from his jeans pocket, pressing on your wound firmly, making you cry out in pain. He wrapped your hands over the rag and instructed you to press as hard as you could. He ran back to grab your packs, slinging both backpacks, the rifle and the bow over his shoulder. When you saw him trying to pull everything onto his back, you held your hand out to him.

"Give me my pack," you rasped. He shook his head, still trying to find a way to carry it all. "Give it to me!" you raised your voice in a harsh whisper now, giving him a look that meant were serious. He relented, gently putting the straps over your shoulders, then pulling out a new rag to wedge between your side wound and the strap of your backpack.

You leaned on Joel as he led you out of the back room, pausing briefly to make sure there weren’t any others, then headed back towards the front door. It began snowing while you were inside, and the wind was picking up, making it difficult to see. He looked around, desperately trying to find a safe place to take you.

Across the street he could make out a strip mall, and one of the buildings looked like it was a dentist's office. It was a long walk across the big parking lot, but he moved as fast as he could while you leaned on him for support. He propped you up against the building to catch your breath as he used his knife to work the lock of the office open.

"Stay here," he instructed. You nodded weakly; your eyes half closed. He pushed the door open and checked to make sure the small office was empty of threats before taking you inside. He helped you sit down in one of the exam chairs, pushing it back so it reclined. You stared up at the ceiling and at the lamp dangling over your face. Joel pushed the curtains open in the room and looked down at the wound on your ribs, noticing the amount of blood increased due to the walk across the street: it was now trailing down past your hips and nearly touching your mid-thigh. He took the soiled rag from your hand and replaced it with a fresh one while he went to work ripping open drawers and cabinets. He finally found a needle and thread and a stack of stainless-steel bowls. He set the needle aside and picked up some of the bowls.

"You keep pressin' as hard as you can, you hear me?" he said, and you nodded as you draped your other arm across your eyes. "I gotta go out and get some snow, I'll be back in a minute. You holler if you need anythin'."

Joel stepped out the door with the bowls in his hand, glancing around to make sure no one had followed you. He scooped up snow into the bowls, grateful it had begun to storm since it would hide your tracks and keep any raiders away.

He came back into the room and saw you had nearly bled through another rag. He set a couple bowls aside to melt into drinkable water and took a handful from another, pressing it against your wound. You hissed at the contact, but after a minute the numbness from the cold made your muscles relax.

Joel dug around in his pack to find some rubbing alcohol he had taken from your apartment months ago. He found another clean rag to drench the alcohol in and removed the snow from your side.

“I ain’t gonna lie to you, this is gonna hurt. You need to hold onto somethin’?” he asked you, trying to hide the tremor in his hand. You shook your head, turning your face away from him and gripped the arm of the chair anyway. He pressed the alcohol-soaked rag onto the stab wound, finally cleaning some of the blood away to get a better look at what he was dealing with. You groaned and your body tensed, but you remained as still as possible while he cleaned you up. He could see a stab wound between two of your ribs. It didn’t look very deep, but it was wide. He made his way down your side, cleaning the blood up as he went with the snow and then the rag, refreshing it with alcohol when he needed to. There was a longer gash down the length of your side, maybe about five inches long. It was wide, but it was shallow. There were a few other scratches as well, but those would be fine to heal on their own. He gauged the main problem would be the wound between your ribs, and the long gash.

He turned around to prep the needle, filling a bowl with some rubbing alcohol and pulled out more rags. Turning back to you, he was startled to find you looking at him. He swallowed, bringing the needle and black thread towards you.

“Are you ready?” he asked you, and you nodded steadily, but he could see the fear in your eyes. He laid a hand on top of one of yours reassuringly. “I got this, I got you,” he said. You turned away from him then, staring at the wall opposite you as you braced for the pain. The first few times he pierced you with the needle hurt the most, then as you got used to the pain and knew what to expect, it got a little easier to handle. He took his time with the stab wound, he wanted to make sure he didn’t have to redo that later, then let you have a break before starting on the long gash. He told you it would only need a few stitches, just where the wound was the widest so it wouldn’t scar too badly. That part ended up hurting the most since it was closer to the bones of your ribs and there was less fat to cushion the pain.

Once the stitches were done, he rinsed everything with the rubbing alcohol from the bowl, his hands and needle included. He made a mental note to keep that needle in his pack in case one of you got hurt again.

“You hungry?” Joel asked you, and you nodded eagerly but then winced at the pain the movement caused. He dug around in his pack for some of the food you had grabbed from Walmart and set you up with a few things to eat, then went to explore the rest of the office in hopes of finding some medicine. He got lucky in the dentist’s actual office, finding a few bottles of antibiotics and some pain killers in his desk drawer. He made sure you took two antibiotics with your food before finding something to eat for himself. He sat hunched over against the wall in the room, looking down at his food and avoiding eye contact. You adjusted yourself in the chair so you could look at him and let out a whimper when the movement was too much. He shot up to help you, but you waved him off.

“What’s going on?” you asked him directly, staring him down. He looked up at you, his eyes filled with grief and anger.

“This was my fault,” he said bluntly, a clipped tone to his voice.  “I wasn’t payin’ attention, I should’ve seen that guy comin’, and it got you hurt. If somethin’ worse woulda happened, I never would’ve forgiven myself,” his voice broke at the end of his sentence, looking away from you so you couldn’t see the emotion in his eyes.

"It wasn't your fault. We got jumped, don't beat yourself up about it. Please," you told him, trying to catch his eye again but failing. "Joel?" you said, but he turned away, rubbing his hands up and down his face like he always does when he's frustrated. "Joel!" you called out again, this time more firmly. He stilled, and slowly turned to face you, dropping his hands to his sides.

"Us or them," you said, staring intently at him, desperately trying to communicate the words you couldn't say.

He let out a shaky sigh, and nodded, breaking eye contact with you and gazed out the window at the snow fall. "Shoulda been me," he said quietly.

"Yeah, well," you grunted as you struggled to sit up in the chair, "I'm glad it wasn't because I couldn't carry all our stuff and you out of there," he turned his head to look back at you, then giving him a smirk, added, "I would've left you for dead."

His lips twitched as he tried to hold back his grin at your joke, not ready to forgive himself yet. He cleared his throat and leaned over to sling your backpacks over his shoulders.

"The dentist had a couch in his office. C'mon, grab my shoulder, lean on me," he said, bending forward so you could get yourself into a standing position. It took a few tries; the pain was worse than you had expected now that you were moving. You slowly ambled down the hall with Joel, and he got you stretched out on the couch before he unzipped your sleeping bag and rested it on top of you like a blanket.

He rolled his own sleeping bag out on the floor next to you, grateful the couch came with two pillows. It had been a long time since either of you slept on one. It was still daylight out, but the blizzard made it darker outside. Joel let you rest while he went around the office to see if there was anything else of use now that he wasn't so frantic. He had completely missed the small break room towards the back of the building. He found some unopened bottles of water, snacks, a couple cans of soup and crackers. He spread all the usable food out on the table but brought the crackers back with him to check on you. You were still laying stiffly on the couch and staring at a stock photo of a beach on the wall, looking uncomfortable.

"Are you in pain? I got some pills from the drawer," Joel dug out the bottle and read the warning label. "They sound pretty strong." You shook your head, not wanting to dull your senses in case of another attack, but now that the stiffness was setting in, the pain was getting worse. You glanced out the window, seeing the storm outside. Deciding it was unlikely anyone would be out in the snow and find you, you changed your mind and stuck your hand out to him. He dropped two pills into your hand and gave you a water bottle.

"Here, have a little somethin’ more to eat with those, don't need you gettin' sick," he said, offering the crackers in your direction. You took the sleeve from him and munched on one slowly as you waited for the pills to kick in. Joel walked around to the desk and collapsed into the leather chair, kicking his feet up on the desktop and mindlessly flipped through open patient charts left on the desk. You shoved another cracker in your mouth and watched the snow coming down outside. You sat up a little more on the couch. The movement made you feel dizzy from the pills, but you hardly felt a thing at your side when you moved. Your eyes drifted lazily to Joel’s broad figure sitting behind the wooden desk. It brought back memories you hadn’t thought about in months. Memories of a different time, when you would sit on the other side of his desk all flustered and nervous.

He looked up and caught you staring at him. “What?” he asked, a bemused expression on his face. You shook your head but couldn’t stop the stupid smile from spreading across your face. Goddamn pills.

“Nothing, it’s just funny…” you started, trailing off and then giggled, causing Joel to raise his eyebrows and grin.

“Those pills must be workin’, huh?” he asked, his grin widening. You nodded, stifling your giggles and took a deep breath.

“I was just thinking, everyone used to be so scared of you in the office, they would warn me to steer clear of you, that you had a horrible temper. And look at us now,” you let out another giggle before continuing. “What the hell happened?”

He smiled at you again and tipped his head back on the top of the leather chair to look up towards the ceiling, remembering life the way it was before.

“Yeah, I was an asshole, wasn’t I?” he said, making you laugh harder now, then you clutched your side with a small wince. “Hey, take it easy, you might not feel anythin’ but you can still pop a stitch.” You quieted your laughter now, knowing he was right, and chewed the inside of your cheek thoughtfully, reminiscing about those days just 6 short months ago. Joel rolled his head to the side to look at you. “I didn’t scare you, though,” he said quietly, not sure why he was encouraging you while you were in this state.

You glanced back at him and shook your head, then held up one finger. “Only once,” you said definitively.

He stared at you and held his breath. He knew exactly what you were referring to: the argument the two of you had that was never brought up again. The day he called you a whore and ruined everything. He was the first to look away, casting his gaze back down on the desk before him. He should have apologized by now, he should have explained himself, but he always found an excuse to avoid it. Today’s excuse was you were too loopy on the pain pills and that conversation needed to happen when you both had a clear head. He pinched the bridge of his nose between his fingers as you waited for him to say something. Anything to take back what he said. 

“I think you should get some sleep,” he finally told you, dropping his hand and looking up at you. You knew he was going to avoid talking about it, but you were still disappointed. The pills had really taken effect now as you felt your eyelids grow heavy. You sighed, scooting down to lay flat on the couch and pulling your sleeping bag over you. You closed your eyes but couldn’t resist saying one more thing.

“I would do anything for you,” you whispered before nodding off. Joel’s breath caught in his throat and his eyes fluttered shut as he tried to hold back the tears that unexpectedly sprung to his eyes.

“Me too, sweetheart,” he whispered back, but you were already asleep.

The storm let up after another day, which was just as well since it allowed you more time to heal. Joel didn’t want to stay long at this place, worried that the attackers had a larger group and would come looking for you. Once the snow stopped and you had replenished your backpacks with more rags, first aid, and the food from the break room, you were off at first light. You both realized quickly that you were making terrible time since the snow was knee deep and you were already struggling to stay balanced due to your injury. After a very slow mile, Joel had found a sturdy fallen branch for you that he broke down into a more manageable size, allowing you to use it like a cane in the snow. You had to admit that it made traveling a lot easier, but you were still fighting to hide the throbbing pain at your side. After another hour, Joel agreed to let you rest. He made sure you took your antibiotic and ate some more crackers. Your feet felt numb, even though you had 3 pairs of socks and thick hiking boots.

"Joel," you whined, looking up at him standing guard as he surveyed the thick forest around you. "How much longer are we going to walk? This snow is so deep, and my side is killing me."

"I gotta find us somewhere safe, then we can stay there til you're all healed up and we'll wait out the rest of winter, I promise," he said, looking down at you now and meeting your gaze, "I'm gonna take care of you."

You sighed and regretted complaining almost immediately. You could tell he was still beating himself up over how you got injured and you didn't want to keep reminding him of it. He was shouldering too many responsibilities and you could see the worry and anxiety behind his eyes.

"Alright, let's get moving, I'm good," you said, using your stick to pull yourself back up into a standing position. Joel glanced over you once more to make sure you were, in fact, 'good' like you claimed. Satisfied, he turned and led you through the woods. The trees were thick, mostly pine trees that kept all their needles in the winter. It was good to keep you hidden but it was also bad because it could keep someone else hidden, too.

After another few miles, Joel paused a moment to examine his map. He had a general idea where you were, but he didn’t exactly have a destination in mind. He just figured he would know it when he saw it, and it turned out, he was right.

His head was down examining the map in his hands as he walked through the forest and approaching a clearing. Now he wasn’t sure he knew where you were, since the location on the map still showed greenery up ahead. He was mumbling to himself about getting turned around when you gasped, and his head shot up.

You had stumbled across a small neighborhood of about ten or twelve houses, all surrounded by the lush forest you had just hiked through. He had to blink a few times, feeling like he was looking at an oasis in the desert. As you approached the neighborhood, you passed a sign that read 'Hidden Springs - lots starting at $200,000'.

"Man, they really knew what they were doing when they named this place," you joked as you walked side by side down the abandoned street. The houses were all finished except for three which were partially constructed, forever frozen in time.

"This must be a new neighborhood, that's why it ain't showing up on the map," Joel said excitedly as he spun around to make sure you were still alone. "I haven't seen any tracks or smoke or nothin', this place is off the grid," he turned to smile at you. "We can work with this."

You grinned happily, so relieved to finally have found a place where you could rest for more than a couple nights.

"Well, which house d'you want?" Joel asked, looking at all the houses up and down. They were mostly two-story houses, but there were a couple of small ranch homes interspersed. You spotted one in the middle of the neighborhood on your right-hand side and pointed to it. it was a white two-story house with blue shutters and a red door.

"I've always wanted a wraparound porch," you said. "What do you think?" He couldn't keep the smile off his face, the whole place seemed too good to be true and best of all, you would be happy and safe.

He made his way up the front porch to peer inside the windows. He didn't see any movement, and fortunately it looked like the previous owners had a chance to move in, spotting the fully furnished living room. He had insisted on making you wait outside until he could be certain the place was abandoned before letting you in. The house was beautiful and practically brand new. You drifted from room to room to get a feel for the layout: the stairs and a hallway leading to the kitchen faced you right as you walked in the front door, a living room to your right and a den to your left, and a half bath attached to the hallway. The kitchen had a small mudroom attached, which led to the backyard. Upstairs there were three bedrooms and a bathroom. The master bedroom was the only room that had windows facing the front of the house, so you chose to stay in that room, both of you slipping into the king size bed without even questioning if you should sleep apart.

Chapter Thirteen

Taglist: @chiogarza, @sparklejumpropequeen-777

[adrealucia]

New Beginnings

tags: post Blood Brothers ending, Sean Diaz x Reader, might contain smut in future chapters, lots of fluff, romantic fluff, overall just fucking wholesome, obviously mentions Daniel quite often, sfw in the beginning, maybe nsfw in the future idk, definitely slow burn chapter summary: Okay, you can't stop thinking about the Diaz brothers and seriously need to figure out a way to go visit them again. Business Plans and Tamales might just be the way to find your way into their hearts.

Chapter Two

After the initial car repair, you drive away from Diaz’s Garage feeling a sense of relief and gratitude. Sean’s kindness and skills had left a positive impression, and Daniel’s lively chatter had brought a smile to your face. It’s not like you have a bunch of friends here anyway, but it’s hard getting to know people when you can’t communicate properly. You couldn’t help but think about them as you settled back into your daily routine in Puerto Lobos.

A few days later, as you are on your way to the grocery store in desperate need to restock your fridge you notice a slight rattle in your car—nothing serious, but definitely enough to remind you of the Diaz brothers. Would it be weird to swing by again? After all, Sean told you to come by if there would be another problem or if you needed anything else. For a moment you are thinking hard… It’s not weird. Especially not if your car has already broken down before and you really cannot risk losing this car. Puerto Lobos is not a big city, but most definitely not small enough that you could just walk everywhere if you have to run some errands. You quickly decided that the grocery store could wait, after all, you can’t reach the store if your car breaks down right? 

Pulling up to the garage, you see Sean working on another car, his focus and dedication evident in his every movement. Daniel is nearby, organizing tools and humming a tune. “Hey, good to see you again,” Sean greets you with a warm smile as you step out of your car. “Everything alright?”

“Mostly,” you reply. “I noticed a slight rattle and thought I’d get it checked out, just in case.” You are convinced that Sean must think that you are some kind of hypochondria… The voices in your head are fighting, because the next second you think, or maybe I am just a woman in a foreign country, who can’t properly communicate with anyone and just wants a well-working car. That is understandable, right? 

Sean nods, wiping his hands on a rag. “Let’s take a look.” All your worries disappear at once, he doesn’t seem to be annoyed with you at all, instead, he gives you a small smile that shows that he definitely appreciates you coming here and seeking out his help. 

As Sean examines your car, you find yourself chatting with Daniel, who is eager to share the latest happenings at school. It’s crazy to you how this boy is not even close to being shy like he barely knows you but that doesn’t keep him from telling you all about his day at school. His enthusiasm is infectious, and you realize you genuinely enjoy these interactions. The Diaz brothers have a way of making you feel welcome, and their garage feels more like a community hub than a place of business.

Once Sean finishes the inspection, he reassures you that the rattle is nothing serious—just a loose bolt that he quickly tightens. “You’re good to go,” he says, handing you the keys. “But if you ever need anything, don’t hesitate to stop by.” There were these words again. If you ever need anything you should just stop by. And then what? Even though these two are making you feel very much welcome here and it feels so good to talk to them and not have to worry about if they can even understand you, but you can’t just come by and be like ‘Oh yeah I was just severely bored and thought hanging out with you two strangers would be totally cool.’ No, because that would actually be very weird. 

You thank him, but instead of leaving immediately, you linger for a moment. There’s something about the garage that feels inviting, almost like you’re drawn to return.

Over the next few days, you find yourself thinking about the Diaz brothers more often. You remember Sean’s calm demeanor and Daniel’s infectious energy, and how they made you feel like you belonged. The next Saturday, you decide to bring over some homemade tamales—a small gesture of gratitude and an excuse to visit the garage again. You worked on these tamales for hours, actually days because you already attempted to make them yesterday and they tasted like absolute garbage and since you were so kind as to not give the two food poisoning you decided to try again today. This time they actually turned out pretty good, your best set of tamales you have made so far. You just hope they like it as well. 

As you approach Diaz’s Garage with the container of tamales, Sean looks up from his work and smiles. “Hey, you’re back! And you brought food?” Yes, you’re back again. You just really couldn’t help yourself and well the food was really just an excuse to come over without any car trouble. 

“Just a little something to say thanks,” you reply, holding up the container. “I hope you like tamales.”

Sean’s eyes light up, and he calls out to Daniel. “Hey, Daniel! Come over here. Our friend brought us some tamales.” You can’t help but smile as he calls you ‘their friend’. As sad as it sounds but you haven’t had a real friend since you decided to move here and this encounter just made you so fucking happy. Daniel jogs over, a wide grin on his face. “Awesome! I love tamales.”

You all sit down on a bench outside the garage, sharing the meal and enjoying the pleasant afternoon. Daniel takes a big bite of a tamale and sighs contentedly. “These are amazing! Where did you learn to make them?” You smile, pleased by his enthusiasm. “Oh, When I moved here my Neighbors welcomed me with these. They were so good so the next day I had to go over and use my poor Spanish skills to ask the family how they made them and I’ve been perfecting the recipe ever since.”

Sean nods appreciatively. “Well, you’ve definitely perfected it. These are some of the best tamales I’ve ever had.” You smile proudly at the praise and continue taking small bites. This was a good idea you thought to yourself as you watched Daniel shoving tamale after tamale into his mouth. As you all eat, the conversation flows easily. You start by talking about the town and how you’ve been settling in.

“I’ve been really loving Puerto Lobos,” you say. “It’s so peaceful here, and the people are all so different back to where I am from. It’s almost as if they are living a completely different life here. How long have you two been here?” Sean glances at Daniel before answering. “We’ve been here for a couple of years now. We needed a fresh start, and our dad used to own this place.” Their reasoning for coming here sounded a tad sad and you decided not to ask about their dad. 

Daniel chimes in, his eyes lighting up. “Yeah, it’s been great. I’ve made some good friends at school, and the beach is awesome. Also, my Spanish has improved so much! Mr. Perez says I sound like a real native.”

You nod, encouraged by their openness. “I can see why you chose it. It’s a beautiful place to start over, but I wish school would have taught me better Spanish, else I wouldn’t be so lost here.”

Sean’s expression becomes more thoughtful. “It wasn’t easy at first, but we’ve found our rhythm. The garage has been a big part of that. It gives us stability. I do have to admit though without me speaking the language relatively well, I don’t think we would have survived that long.”

You can sense there’s more to their story, but you don’t press. Instead, you share a bit more about your own journey. “I moved here to escape some things back home. It was a tough decision, but I needed a change. I always wanted to visit Puerto Lobos. It seemed like the perfect place to find some peace so I decided why not move here for good? It is so different from Washington, but it’s a good difference.”

Daniel listens intently. “What did you do back home?”

“I worked in management for our family business,” you explain. “But it got too stressful. I needed a break from the fast pace of city life.” and from your family, but you didn’t say that out loud. Your family has been one of a kind and you just did not fit into their picture. Once you were a fully grown adult things seemed to change between you and your parents and they treated you more and more like a worker instead of a real family member. 

Sean nods in understanding. “I can relate. Puerto Lobos slows things down and running the garage keeps me busy but in a good way. Of course, sometimes it is hard work, but it’s nothing compared to working back in Seattle.” You nod understanding. This city is different, different from everything you ever experienced. Also since you decided that it is time for you to work full-time on your own as a writer, Puerto Lobos has been giving you more ideas and motivation than you had in years. Your family disapproves of your love for writing and always told you how you would end up on the street because ‘No one is going to read those silly little stories of yours.’ But they are wrong. You wished you could have stayed to prove them wrong, but that wouldn’t have been worth the drama and exhaustion. 

The conversation shifts to lighter topics, and Daniel starts talking about a project he’s working on for school. “I’m building a model of an engine. Sean’s been helping me with the technical stuff.”

“That sounds amazing,” you say. “I’d love to see it when you’re done.”

Daniel beams with pride. “You can help too if you want. It’s always more fun with more people.” You really are not an expert in that field, but how hard can it be to help that boy with his school project? “I’d love to help, but be warned I think there is a good reason why my engine sounds like crap. Though… maybe I can learn some things as well and in zero time I will be able to fix my car on my own.” Sean laughed at your words, shaking his head. Suddenly there comes an idea to your mind. 

“Actually since you guys already helped me out so much, how about I help you out as well sometimes? You know, I could assist with some of the business aspects.” You offer and Sean seems to be thinking about your offer for a second. “Honestly that wouldn’t be too bad, it would help us a lot since usually Daniel helps me keep track of that stuff, though neither of us is expertise in that field and my little brother could focus more on school stuff.” Daniel sighs and almost looks like he is pouting. “I’d rather work my ass off in the garage all day instead of doing homework.” Sean chuckles lightly and pads his brother on his chest. “Yeah well little bro, you can work plenty in the shop once you’re done with school. And we have been on the lookout for help for quite some while now, the shop is getting busier every day and it gets harder doing all of that on our own. I have been focusing on the mechanical side of things way too much, I could definitely use some help with the business side of things.” “Okay, then it is set. If you want to, I can prepare some stuff at home and come back tomorrow so we can go over it together.” Of course that would be way more work for you and maybe you also have to slow down the writing, but honestly, you are allowed to do that and a second job is not doing you any harm. 

The afternoon slips away as you share some more stories and laughter. Sean and Daniel’s openness makes you feel like you’ve found kindred spirits. As the sun starts to set, you realize that you’ve not only enjoyed the food and conversation but also the genuine connection with the Diaz brothers. authors note: Okay, so this was Chapter 2 of New Beginnings! I hope you guys enjoyed it :) Btw. The first few chapters are probably going to be a bit shorter to set the story right! But since I want this to be pretty slow-burn, it's necessary I hope you can forgive me hihi

[alicenpai]

🌟 hi hi ive put up leftovers from da con ! i have a lot of new stuff so please do take a gander ^^ it'll be open from now until june 13 at 10 PM EST. orders will start shipping after it's closed 🌹 preorder & FAQ below!

🌠 SHOP LINK HERE !!!✨

starting on june 4 at 10 AM EST im celebrating my birthday with a discount in my shop!! :3c you can grab 10% off orders $50 or more w code "BIRTHDAY2023" 🎉🎈 it will be up for only 24 hours, until june 5 at 10 AM EST !! 🎂

~

a lil note on leftovers & preorders:

JUST REMEMBER THAT THIS SHOP UPDATE IS PRIMARILY FOR LEFTOVERS I HAD FROM ANIME NORTH THIS PAST WEEKEND. if an item you wanted is sold out dont fret, it will come back!!! this is referring to new artwork i made this summer, NOT about old things from 2022 and before. however, there will be a bit of a wait until i know my con schedule this summer, so that i can order everything in bulk (since shipping costs have gone up.....)

only the bocchi charm will not be restocked, due to the high cost of production. everything else that is sold out will make a comeback, or if it is still in stock, will be sold until it sells out.

as of right now, the only item for preorder is the layton wooden pin since i order them from a separate manufacturer (from the usual ones i make stickers, buttons, charms with). the wait time for this item is 3 MONTHS (NOT including shipping time). if you cannot wait, i would strongly urge you to reconsider buying. thank you for understanding!

someone asked about the witch hat atelier bottle charms i made a while back - like the layton wooden pins, i order them separately from another manu, supplied by my friend who runs the group orders. these products rotate once in a while, and i am currently waiting for my friend to have the bottle charms back in production! it will probably take a while to do so + the production time for this item is 3 months due to its specialty.

~

btw if youre ordering outside of canada/usa i strongly recommend reading the below page to find out if i can ship to your country or not! send me an ask if you want me to check your country! -> LINK HERE

and if anyone wishes to set up a group order lmk, just send me an ask! ✌

thank you guys so much for all the support over the years! 🥹🫶

[loopspoop]

We got the second chapter finished and ready to read!! I’m excited for the next one, things will definitely be taking a turn ;)

TW: medical grossness to a mild degree!!

Two hours later, the stolen car pulled up to an old farmhouse hidden in the French countryside. Thank goodness for Lupin’s stash of ever expanding safe houses in his home country, this was by far the most inconspicuous and the most hidden. Despite the calm of the countryside, Jigen and Fujiko wasted no time in scrambling out of the front seat to help Goemon get Lupin from the back.

“We need to go slowly and we need to move carefully. He freaked out the last time we tried to touch him.” Jigen warned, glancing at Fujiko. He didn’t need a repeat of the panicked screaming from before…

Fujiko nodded, biting her lip hard as she looked her lover over. She had seen Lupin in basically any situation you could think of but..this was a new territory for all of them. She couldn’t even begin to imagine what he had gone through in the last two weeks…

“He’s been stable…but his breathing and his wounds worry me. It could be infection..but I do not know if we has been treated properly during his…procedures…” Goemon mumbled, cringing at his own choice of words.

Jigen nodded, carefully hoisting Lupin out of the back seat with some effort and twisting of his own body. The thief jerked, his breathing picking up in pace as he grimaced and groaned. Goemon climbed out of the backseat, quickly helping Jigen get Lupin into the house while Fujiko worked on getting the lights and water on.

“Lay him down.” Goemon instructed, going to the kitchen to go through the cabinets. “Someone check the bathroom for alcohol or another disinfectant.”

Fujiko quickly went to the bathroom, frowning as she huffed and double checked every cabinet. “The bottle’s basically empty!”

Jigen groaned. “Of all the times to have you not restock the damn hideout, Lupin..” he frowned, looking down at the trembling thief.

Goemon frowned, wetting a rag from the kitchen as he returned to the main room. He carefully laid the rag across Lupin’s forehead, taking a moment to fully look him over and check his injuries. They all had their work cut out for them…and it would be a lot of work with little rest..

Fujiko frowned, gently stroking Lupin’s hair as she looked at Goemon and Jigen. “What’s our plan here? We can’t treat him with basically nothing..”

Goemon nodded. “I have some things I can try for short term treatment, but we need to go to town and get disinfectants and antibiotics if he is to pull through.”

Jigen frowned. “We need to clean those burns..fuck, can we even get these bits wet?” They had so much to consider. “And we have to put the pieces that came off back on…”

Fujiko frowned. “You two do whatever you need to do, okay? I’ll run to town and grab what we need and be back here by nightfall at the latest.” She knew they were stressed and it was a lot easier for her to swindle drugs out of some high strung pharmacists than it was for Jigen or Goemon.

“Thank you, Fujiko.” Jigen looked at her genuinely. They had dealt with some serious shit before but this was…new.

Fujiko smiled softly. “Just take care of him, alright? I’ll be back soon.” She kissed both of their cheeks before doing the same to Lupin’s forehead, exiting soon after.

Jigen sighed softly, regarding Lupin for a moment. They certainly didn’t know everything about the cybernetics..if they could handle any water at all or not. This would be slow, and probably extremely painful for Lupin. This wasn’t something he wanted to even be thinking about, let alone doing. Burns hurt like a bitch, especially infected burns that needed cleaning. Would water even cut it with this? They didn’t know how long he had been dealing with it, it could be advanced and need immediate disinfecting with something stronger…

“Jigen.” Goemon’s hand gently clasped his shoulder. “Breathe.” He could tell he was getting stressed.

Jigen frowned, rubbing his face before he nodded. “It’s fine. What do we need to do until Fuji gets back?” They needed to focus on getting Lupin stabilized.

Goemon glanced back at Lupin, frowning. They would have to deal with their stress at a later time. “Go get a cloth and a bowl of water from the kitchen. I will go to the basement to look for natural remedies.”

Jigen nodded. “Gotcha.” He made his way to the kitchen, parting ways with Goemon at the basement door.

Jigen grabbed a bowl and filled it with warm water, finding a rag and some Dawn dish soap below the sink just in case they needed it. Goemon looked around the basement, searching the shelves of canned food before he reached to the back and found a bag of sugar. Grabbing the first aid kit from the wall by the stairs, he went back to the living room, crouching beside Lupin.

“Okay..why the hell do you have sugar-?” Jigen raised an eyebrow, looking at the jar as he put the bowl down beside Goemon. This was no time for snacks?

“Sugar has been used for centuries to treat wounds and prevent infections. It absorbs moisture in wounds that create bacteria and infections and prevents them. Once we clean his wounds we can put the sugar in them and hopefully fight his infections that way for the time being.” Goemon put the sugar down, reaching for the bowl and rag.

“Huh..” Jigen nodded, eyeing the sugar. “You learn something new everyday.” He shook his head.

“Mhm.” Goemon nodded, wringing the rag out as he dabbed some soap on it. “I will need you to hold Lupin down. Cleaning his wounds will not be pleasant.” He frowned, looking to Jigen seriously.

Jigen sighed softly, nodding as he rolled up his sleeves. “Alright. Just try to avoid the metal bits. We don’t know how much water they can handle.” Zapping Lupin on top of everything wouldn’t be ideal…

Goemon nodded. “Alright. Hold him down. I will try to be quick.”

Jigen nodded, carefully getting a grip on Lupin’s arms. If he needed to he would be able to cover his torso and legs to hold him down..hopefully it wouldn’t have to come to that though…. He glanced at Lupin, setting his jaw as he took a breath.

“Go.”

Goemon began to clean the wounds around Lupin’s eye, one hand against his forehead to keep his head still. Lupin cried out, jerking as he gasped. Goemon moved quickly, getting the rag deep into the burns to clean them out completely. Puss and blood ran from the wounds, infection rampant and draining. Goemon cringed, doing his best to clean it all away. Jigen grunted, holding down Lupin as best he could as he jerked and thrashed. The thief screamed and thrashed, legs kicking and arms punching. Goemon bit the inside of his cheek, moving down to Lupin’s torso as he tried to clean around his injuries. He could tell this was far more painful that he could’ve expected it to be for Lupin…he wanted to get it done right but he didn’t want to put him through too much like this…it was already too much to see him in such a state…

Jigen frowned deeply, taking Lupin’s hand as he squeezed it. They just had to hold out until Goemon cleaned the infection away..burns and cuts with puss running from them..had that fucker even medicated Lupin for the infections? Had he medicated him for anything? The thought of him being butchered without anesthetic made him nauseous as hell…and they had been right down the hall the entire time…

“Let- let me-e-!” Lupin cried, fighting against Jigen to get away. He had to get away..

“Goemon-“ Jigen glanced at him, his hands shaking. He could blame the strain…Goemon might not believe it but he could blame the strain.

“Almost finished. Flip him over, I need to check his backside.” Goemon glanced at Jigen, his own hands shaking faintly.

Jigen grunted, struggling to flip over the thrashing thief. He tensed, his grip on Lupin tightening slightly as he frowned. They had even replaced his spine…God…what had Lupin faced in that hell..

Goemon frowned, cleaning around the wounds on Lupin’s back. Lupin screamed, his back arching in an attempt to get away from the hot pain in his back. Tears streamed from his organic eye as he trembled and thrashed against Goemon and Jigen, gasping and panting through pain and exhaustion. Goemon quickly finished, cleaning away the dirt and dried blood before he readied the bandages. He packed the sugar into the wounds, bandaging them quickly before laying Lupin on his back. Goemon stroked his hair carefully, frowning. They had to calm him down before he hurt himself more or exhausted himself too much.

Lupin whined, trembling and shivering as his eyes opened and closed. “Ji’..” he panted, hands fumbling clumsily around the sofa. “Goem’n..”

“We’re right here.” Jigen took his hand, squeezing it. “Take it easy.” He glanced over at Goemon.

Goemon frowned, continuing to pack Lupin’s wounds with sugar and bandage them carefully. “We are in your safe house, Lupin. You can rest.”

Lupin mumbled incoherently, trying to keep his eyes open as they focused and unfocused with his waning consciousness. He wasn’t ready to let his guard down yet…he needed to know that this was real and that they were actually out and safe. He couldn’t just believe a hallucination..and if they were out were they actually safe? He couldn’t tell and he couldn’t do anything to protect anyone like this either.

“You’re alright to close your eyes. We’ll be right here.” Jigen eased his hold on him, fixing the cool cloth on Lupin’s forehead. “Get some rest.”

Goemon nodded, finishing his bandaging as he sat back and checked his work over. “We should be alright until Fujiko comes back with what we need.” He packed the supplies away, patting Lupin’s shoulder. “Things will be alright.”

Lupin looked between them, closing his eyes as he laid back. It seemed like this was believable…they were safe and he could try to relax.. even if for a little while. He had no energy to try to stay awake anymore anyways. If it was really Jigen and Goemon there with him…he could trust them to handle things.

Jigen sighed softly, sitting with his head between his knees. At least Lupin was resting and they had been able to clean his wounds out.. he hoped it would get easier but..experience told him that wasn’t really going to be the case. Unless luck was on their side, it would get worse before it got better. Hopefully Fujiko was quick and it would be something they could get a grip on before it actually got bad. He raised his head, looking at Goemon.

“Things will be alright.” Goemon looked at him, smiling faintly. He would do his best to reassure Jigen of that..

Jigen nodded slightly, sitting up. “Yeah. This is just…”

“Fucked up.” Goemon supplied, nodding sagely. It was very fucked up.

Jigen snorted, laughing softly. “Better watch your mouth, samurai.” He teased gently.

“Oh, please.” Goemon rolled his eyes, sitting beside Jigen as he looked back at Lupin. “Lupin would completely agree with the statement if he was conscious enough.”

“If he was conscious enough he would be laughing at your foul language.” Jigen snickered, smacking Goemon’s shoulder gently.

Goemon laughed softly. “That too.” He look down at the bowl of dirty water, falling silent for a moment. “I took notebooks from that lab. It seems he was keeping notes on what he was doing to Lupin.”

Jigen frowned, sitting quietly for a moment. “We’ll have to read them..figure out how to attach those little pieces and if we can do something better to hold him together.” He looked down at Lupin, studying the cybernetics.

“Hopefully it will make it easier to repair him in the future as well..waterproofing him will making things much easier.” Goemon nodded, watching Lupin breathe. Hopefully it would become less fast and shallow soon…

Jigen nodded, sighing before he stood. “I’ll go and clean up and see if I can put together something for us to eat. You alright watching him for now?” He would give Goemon a break if he needed it, it had been hell trying to clean those wounds with Lupin like that…

Goemon nodded, patting Lupin’s hand gently. “We will be fine. I will yell if we need you.” He assured gently.

Jigen smiled a little, nodding. “Right.” He grabbed the supplies, walking back into the kitchen.

Hopefully Jigen could scrounge up some food for them to eat. If they didn’t have anything he could use to make something for Goemon he was going to be pissed. Hopefully Fujiko would find some things for him while she was out. Hopefully she would come back soon and Lupin would heal and they could all just move past this. He hoped they could actually move past this..though, he really doubted it. If they could, it wouldn’t be easy.

[aeoki]

Blackjack - Gifts Will Not Arrive: Chapter 10

Location: Underground Family Residence Characters: Shinobu, Mayoi & Hitsugi Season: Autumn

TL Note:

Tokusatsu / 特撮 (lit. special effects) refers to Japanese films and dramas that make use of practical special effects. Examples of these kinds of works include Godzilla, Ultraman and the Power Rangers.

Hitsugi: Have some tea, everyone.

Mayoi: Oh, thank you. My throat is parched after all that screaming in excitement.

Hitsugi: I bet it is. You don’t have an issue with me using the tea leaves and other stuff without asking you first, right?

Mayoi: Please, feel free. I said this to NEGI-san but you can use anything here.

It’ll be automatically restocked once it runs out, anyway – use as much as you like.

Shinobu: This seems like a pretty nice place to live…

I had heard you were captured in a secret place underground, so I imagined you were locked up in a damp place ~de gozaru.

Mayoi: That section certainly exists, though~ No one would ever want to live in such a gloomy place forever.

Hitsugi: That sounds intriguing. I did hold back in asking about the details, but please tell me, Ayase-senpai.

About this place, about you and about the mysteries hidden within Yumenosaki.

I’ll also tell you everything I can.

I don’t want the same thing happening over and over again.

It seems it miraculously went well this time, but I don’t think those reckless things will be possible every time…

I’ll tell you all about the things you want to know. Though, it’ll only be the things I’m allowed to say, of course.

You’ll be alright with that, right, Ayase-senpai?

Mayoi: Yes… There is no other option. In fact, it seems I’ve caused everyone a lot more trouble than I’d thought, so I’d like to apologise.

I see I was more loved and accepted by others than I had expected.

Shinobu: Of course, you are ~de gozaru.

Idols exist to be loved by people. For some reason, everyone might think their companions think differently, though.

Mayoi: Hehe. Our fans only see our good sides, after all.

Shinobu: You’re saying that they’ll come to hate you if you show your true self? It’s natural for a tokusatsu hero[⁎] to look cool after their transformation, but they’re just as cool even before they transform, you know?

Mayoi: That’s different.

Well, it’s alright… Your thoughts made me happy and I’m in a good mood, so I’ll tell you.

But you must never mention what I’m about to say to another soul.

Hitsugi: That applies to the things I say too. There are crazy sorts of information which can get you erased from this world if you know of it.

Mayoi: In my case, the ones disappearing will probably be us – the ones who told you. We’re in unfavourable positions.

We’re lawless people who live in this country illegally, so to speak.

Illegal immigrants, smuggled refugees – that’s the sort of people we are.

Shinobu: Mayoi-dono, you’re from overseas…? There were certainly times where I felt our cultures were different ~de gozaru! No wonder our conversations would feel like they’re not going anywhere sometimes!

Mayoi: I’m not a foreigner. We haven’t exactly smuggled ourselves in from another country.

Just for the record, we did live in this country a long time ago.

We lived underground in this cave which no one knows of – we hid here without making a sound.

But we have no nationality. We don’t belong anywhere.

The laws of this country do not acknowledge us as their citizens, so we exist but we don’t exist.

Shinobu: Exist but don’t exist…? Uhh?

Mayoi: Ahh, Chief looks so cute when he’s trying to understand what I’m saying! I want a job that allows me to pat that crease between his eyebrows!

Shinobu: Please don’t go off the rails out of the blue like that ~de gozaru!

Mayoi: Ehehe.

…But even if that’s what we wish to do, we won’t have the right to find employment.

We exist beyond this country’s laws. So this country has no obligation to protect us.

We don’t even have basic human rights. We don’t exist in this country – that’s how it is, so it’s only natural.

Shinobu: Huh? But you do your idol work normally, right, Mayoi-dono?

Mayoi: I’m just pushing through with what I want… There’s someone who creates fake family registries amongst our brethren.

But once my identity has been revealed, it’s natural that I can no longer continue being an idol. I might even be apprehended.

So that’s why I didn’t want anyone finding out about this.

I always wanted to apologise for pretending to be an idol– no, pretending to be human.

But even when I was about to be laid off in the summer, I thought I was being laid off because my skills as an idol were not sufficient…

But perhaps they were actually suspicious of my identity. 

I’ve been feeling guilty since then.

Under normal circumstances, I’m not a human who can be with you all. 

But I found it difficult to part with everyone.

I knew that I would be chased out like a monster once they found out about my hideous true nature.

But, still, I reached out my hand from within this darkness.

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ← Previous Chapter ᠂ ⚘ ˚⊹˚ ⚘ ᠂  Next Chapter →

[morgansmornings]

If I Gave You My Hand...

Closed Starter for @thebiggestlies

~~~*~~~

It was a new year. One that held infinite possibilities. So many choices that could rewrite the path a person could take. Often, most fell through. Some stuck by it and followed the trail they chose to walk. Yet if effort was taken then that was what mattered.

For Jayden she found herself wrapping up on the last of the major things she was packing. Cloth had been draped over most of the furniture. The piano she kept for her mother moved into the guest bedroom. She had scheduled a technician to come once a week to keep it tuned and maintained. Her library nook was backed and left barren. The pool table was covered and stored. Bills would continue to be paid as she was leaving the shop open. Left in the capable hands of manager’s she had trained and worked with since she opened. 

The kitchen was cleaned out for the most part. Matters had been settled for Jenna after a very long draining argument. One that Jayden was the victor. Her closet was mostly packed up, her bathroom would be left for last. She would need to talk to Beth and make sure that her older sister knew that this was what she wanted. Her truck would be staying behind, her bike was still parked at Eric’s place as she had decided to fly back rather than drive. 

She thought up of all the ways this could go wrong. But that was part of the thrill of moving. Though this wasn’t from one part of New York to another. This was a move that would take her halfway across the country. Away from the place she had made for herself. A new beginning. 

If it didn’t work out in the long run, then she could finish out her lease and move back. Could turn a trip to being closer to her boyfriend into a trip to reconnect with her family. Of helping out Jessica with her new firm. Spending time with her cousin John now that he was back from his tour of Doctors without Borders. 

Yes, even if this wasn’t meant to be with Eric, she was content that this was a needed step. 

All of that was thought as she placed the most recent box of nick nacks that would be living in storage with the rest of her belongings that she wasn’t taking with her. The space felt empty as it had been when she bought the building. Though restored it was almost as if the brickwork was whispering their goodbyes everytime she took another book or picture down. Yes she would miss her home. But she had faith that it would work out as it was meant to. 

Setting the box by the spare bedroom, she made for the fireplace, stoking the logs to keep the loft warm in the early evening winter of the city. Making for the kitchen next she set up a cup of tea to steep for a bit on the coffee table. Shuffling over to the couch she picked up her laptop and busied herself with double checking her restock order until she knew that Eric would be off work, home and fed. Video calls made things a bit easier for them, but it wasn’t the same as when they could be face to face.

When it was time, she started the call, pulling her sweater around her shoulders with a time smile on her face.

“Hey there handsome.” She said after seeing his face light up her screen.

[calypsonightingale]

A Complied List of My Stardew Valley Mods

I’ve recently gotten back into playing Stardew on both my switch and my laptop and it’s so fun! So I thought I’d give a complete list of all the current mods I use in my gameplay <3

Note: These are PC mods. It’s not possible to mod on the switch port and only a few are compatible with android, but none are apple compatible.

Smapi is not included in this list, but is 100% required! These mods will not work without it!

𝓯𝓻𝓪𝓶𝓮𝔀𝓸𝓻𝓴 𝓶𝓸𝓭𝓼 💻

Content Patcher

Content Patcher Animations

Custom NPC Exclusions

Expanded Preconditions Utility

Extra Map Layers

Farm Type Manager (FTM)

Json Assets

SAAT - Audio API and Toolkit

Shop Tile Framework

SpaceCore

NPC Adventures

Event Repeater

Generic Mod Config Menu

Joja Cola Restock

AtraCore

Alternative Textures

DaisyNiko’s TileSheets

Lumisteria Tilesheets (Indoor and Outdoor)

Artisanal Soda Makers

The Grampleton Maker’s Market

Anti-Social NPCs

Better Artisan Good Icons

BugNet

Bush Bloom Mod

PyTK Lite

Champagne Wishes

Child to NPC

Custom Companions

Custom Fixed Dialogue

Custom Furniture

Custom Gift Dialogue

Custom Kissing Mod

Custom Music

Custom NPC Exclusions

Custom NPC Fixes

Destroyable Bushes

Fizzy Drinks

Ginger Island Mainland Adjustments

GNM Tokens

Help For Hire

Happy Birthday Content Pack

Huckleberry Season

Mail Framework Mod

More Mead

More Grass

Multi Yield Crops

Producer Framework Mod

Quest Framework Mod

Shop Tile Framework

Show Birthdays

Sprites in Detail

Stardew Hack

Stardust Core

TMX Loader

Dwarf Expansion

Boarding House

𝓔𝔁𝓹𝓪𝓷𝓼𝓲𝓸𝓷 𝓜𝓸𝓭𝓼 🪴

Stardew Valley Expanded

Ridgeside Village

East Scarp

Love Festival

Emyn’s Pride March

Emyn’s Queer Dialogue Expansion

Canon-Friendly Dialogue Expansion

Emyn’s Diverse Ginger Island

Immersive Festival Dialogue

𝓟𝓸𝓻𝓽𝓻𝓪𝓲𝓽 𝓜𝓸𝓭𝓼 ☀️

Seasonal Diverse Stardew Valley

Diverse Stardew Valley Expanded

Ridgeside Village Seasonal Outfits

East Scarp Seasonal Outfits

𝓐𝓮𝓼𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓽𝓲𝓬 𝓜𝓸𝓭𝓼 🩷

Stardew Foliage Redone

DaisyNiko’s Earthy Recolor

Way Back Pelican Town

Mushroom Mailbox

Idalda’s Gothic Buildings

Idalda’s Furniture Recolor

Idalda’s Craftables

Idalda’s Flooring and Paths

Idalda’s Wallpapers and Floors

Idalda’s Witchy Scarecrows

Aesthetic Garbage

Seasonal Bouquets

Cute / Seasonal Crab Pots

Seasonal Fences

Custom Menu Background

Elle’s Cat Replacements

Elle’s Dog Replacements

Elle’s New Barn Animals

Elle’s New Coop Animals

Elle’s New Horses

Elle’s Town Animals

Hot Spring Farm Cave

Industrial Furniture Set

Industrial Kitchen and Interior

Kelly’s Flower Dance Attire

Lavender Dreams UI Recolor

Rustic Country Town Interior

Seasonal Floral Bus

Seasonal Garden Farmhouse V2

Skell’s Flowery Tools

Skell’s Flowery Weapons

Replacements for Artifacts

Wildflower Grass Field

Calendar Anniversary

Mi and Magimatica Country Furniture

Warm Cozy Fireplace

Winter Grass

𝓝𝓟𝓒 𝓜𝓸𝓭𝓼 🌙

Always Raining in the Valley

Shiko

Juna

Leilani

Jade

Juliet & Jessie

Nonbinary They/Them Maddie

Aspen

Isla

Professor Jasper Thomas

Riley

𝓖𝓪𝓶𝓮𝓹𝓵𝓪𝔂 𝓜𝓸𝓭𝓼 🌈

UI Info Suite 2

NPC Map Locations

Look Up Anything

Gift Taste Helper

Chests Anywhere

Tractor Mod

Better Ranching

Birthday Mod

Ellie’s Ideal Greenhouse

The Love of Cooking

Robin Sells Hardwood

More Rings

Immersive Spouses

Immersive Family

Mail Services Mod

Part of the Community

Yet Another Harvest With Scythe Mod

Capstone Professions

Please Remember My Birthday

Please Remember My Marriage

Babies Take After Spouse

Colored Seeds

Customizable Baby and Children

Don’t Enable Pam

Gender Neutrality Mod

Gender-Neutral Ridgeside Village

Lumisteria Letters from Parents

Lumisteria Villagers React to Marriage

Shane’s New Job

Bigger Backpack

Child Age Up

Community Center Helper

Family Planning

Helpful Spouses

Personal Anvil

Running Late

Social Page Order Button

Town School Mod

Willy Has a Room

𝓡𝓸𝓶𝓪𝓷𝓬𝓮 𝓜𝓸𝓭𝓼 💙

Ridgeside Rival Hearts — Sam and Alissa

Ridgeside Rival Hearts — Jeric and Alex

Date Night

Free Love

Romanceable Rasmodius / Rasmodia

Bolier’s Sam and Sebastian Rival Heart Events

Expanded Proposal Options

MissCoriel’s NPC Unique Courtship Response

Custom Spouse Nicknames

Hugs and Kisses

Platonic Partners and Friendships

Platonic Relationships

Pregnancy Role

𝓞𝓫𝓳𝓮𝓬𝓽𝓼 𝓜𝓸𝓭𝓼 🍒

Farmer to Florist

Kawaii Valley

Witchy Valley

Fresh Meat

Fantasy Crops

Artisan Valley

Even More Recipes

Mizu’s Flowers

Alex’s Frozen Treats

Pride Pastries

Chocolatier

Shaved Ice and Frozen Treats

Christmas Sweets

Fruits and Veggies

More Recipes

More Trees

Starbrew Valley

Khadija’s Recipe Shop

Animal Husbandry Mod

Bonster’s Fruit & Veggies

Bonster’s Trees

Winter Crops

Wildflour’s Faerie Garden

𝓒𝓾𝓼𝓽𝓸𝓶𝓲𝔃𝓪𝓽𝓲𝓸𝓷 𝓜𝓸𝓭𝓼 🫶

Fashion Sense

Rural Outfitters

Asta Cute Rainy Season Outfit

Asta Slumber Party

Starkissed Skin Tones

Coii’s Hair Sets Pack

Coii’s Hats Pack

Hats Won’t Mess Up Hair

Idalda’s Shirts

Cozy Scarves

The Coquette Collection

Wabi’s Wardrobe

Witchy Rustic Looks

Seasonal Hats

Customize Wedding Attire

Paisley’s Bridal Boutique

[solarwynd]

Why you think Jk was more marketable than Jimin? I mean Jimin was always the most popular in the USA overall plus UK, France Korea and Japan.

Also another question is should we be worried about Jimin future career in Hybe? What do you think is gonna go from here? Because they clearly see him as a competition and just want JK to be the most successful.

oh no I definitely agree with you on jimin being more popular in those countries especially in the us, but I meant in terms of image. scooter found jb 2.0 in jk and since jb was super successful, rehashing that for an already popular boy band member should be a walk in the park in theory. jimin, on the other hand, does not fit that at all. he’s not a “bad boy”, has his own artistic vision and identity and he’s not malleable. he’s not the type to sit back and let someone dictate what to do with his music.

regarding jimin’s future in hybe, I don’t think we should be worried necessarily? I respect his decision to renew and staying in bts. I’ve never had an issue with that but I’m not gonna act like I wish he didn’t have another option to go to. realistically though, there’s no other company that’s gonna allow him artistic autonomy or for him to get paid fairly so it is what it is.

hybe is trying to show investors that hybe america is worth it and considering that jk is their first real venture into proving that, they’re gonna have to upkeep on what they managed to pull for his debut or it’s gonna seem like a fluke. it’ll be just as expensive probably even more so, but in the long run it’s gonna end up really crippling them. with their goal to keep jk the most “successful” in the group, Im not gonna bet on them improving his label aid tbh. but even with the negligence, jimin still pulled impressive numbers and he has gained a lot more dedicated fans since face era. that lc cd they restocked yesterday without notice managed to sell out in in just 5 minutes while the other restocks are still available. so the demand is clearly there. we’re just gonna have to work hard for him when pjm2 drops.

[bikepackinguk]

Day Nineteen

And we're back! Hope you had a good weekend!

Spent a couple of nights camped up by the banks if the Eye Water in some idyllic forest, not another soul to be seen whilst there except the birds, bugs, and some red deer roaming the opposite bank.

A very needed rest day yesterday, and one I'd been looking forward to. The muscles have been suffering a bit the past week and giving them some downtime is important to keep the going smooth.

Last night was also the first proper rain of the journey, ehich I've been very lucky with so far. thankfully it was well into the night and the tent was battened down well, so the only inconvenience was being woken a couple of times simply from the sheer noise of the downpour.

Breaking camp and getting back to the road took a little time as I had to get my feet wet carrying my gear back over the river, as well as trekking back to the road, which combined with the luxury if a later start today meant it was nearly noon by the time the road was hit once more, and a stop off in Eyemouth for some supplies meant not being fully underway until around lunchtime.

Given that Edinburgh is coming up and I don't want to be caught inside a big city in the evening, this was absolutely fine by me.

With that done, the route out of Eyemouth is back into another big long climb uphill, which made me very glad for the day's rest! The legs have a bit more go in them now, and the sharper pains have subsided, meaning the ascents were a lot more manageable and good time made across the hills, to be rewarded with a beautiful view of the Forth Estuary and the coastline beyond, ehich I'll be reaching in another day or two!

The hills give way on the other side to a glorious descent over the fields above the coastline, with some sweeping zooming sections that are impossible not to grin loke a loon flying down.

All the way downwards the road runs to Pease Bay, before we head up some more climbs for the path to carry on westwards.

Sole not-so-scenic stretches along here as we pass by a big quarry, landfill, incinerator, and a nuclear power plant, with the noise of the busy A1 in the background, but can't have beauty every step of the way.

After that the route follows into Dunbar where I could restock on water and have a short break, and check how the map looks.

The route around to North Berwick is essentially A roads and the cycle route bypasses it, so I decided to do the same and carry on.

Tracking west, the cycle path again follows the A1 but is a fully segregated path, so was able to make some good time despite riding alongside busy traffic, and past East Linton the route swings to the left of the busy road to climb high back up into the hills once more to take in some lovely country lanes and views past Hailes Castle.

Down again the path runs into the town of Haddington, which I reached bang on 6pm, and had a good dither and bite to eat.

The route sweeps back up to the coast towards Longniddry from here, but with the sun getting low I don't want to get too much closer to Edinburgh this evening, and feel in a pretty good position to be able to get through and across the Forth tomorrow, so it feels like time to find a place to rest the head once more.

Tike for a good cup of tea and to set the tent back up. Catch you all tomorrow!

[literaticat]

On Edelweiss, there's a tab of wholesaler info that says how many cartons are on order or in the warehouse. Is this an early indicator of the planned print run of a book? (Number of cartons x number of books per carton= print run?)

Wow that's a DEEP CUT lmaooooo -- I had to very much hunt around to find that tab. (If you are on Edelweiss, and you pull up a title, and you look at NONE of the masses of info on that first page but rather press the little arrow-burst looking thing next to the title, a pop-up window comes up, and at the bottom of the list of links in that window, there's one that says "wholesaler info".) Is THAT what you are talking about?

If so, I do appreciate your sleuthing, but sadly for you, Nancy Drew, you've got the wrong end of the stick.

Wholesaler info has nothing to do with print run, and the number of books on order at a given warehouse has nothing to do with cartons. I've pulled up the wholesaler info for a book (which is not out yet) so you can see what I mean:

First of all: What is a wholesaler? Wholesalers/Distributors such as Ingram, Baker+Taylor, Bookazine, etc, are kinda "middlemen" -- they warehouse a ton of books (like, literal airplane-hangars full of millions of titles), and bookstores and other accounts can buy basically any in-print book through them.

However! Most bookstores get their initial front list orders (like, all the books they are getting for the upcoming season from, say, PRH or Harper or whatever) through the publisher, because the discounts are better than through the wholesaler. Additionally, most regular restocks of backlist from publishers go through the publisher for the same reason.

Ingram and other wholesalers are important for what you might call "mixed orders" -- the store has special orders to fulfill or just needs some random backup copies of books and wants, say, three copies of a Harper book and two copies of a Chronicle book and one copy of a PRH book, and they need them sooner rather than later. So instead of waiting until they have enough to fill a single publisher order, they'll do an order from Ingram (or another wholesaler) for those books, because Ingram stocks ALL of them in one place. The discount is a little less optimal, but the books will get their faster and without having to wait to fill a minimum order. (This is also how a tiny store or a gift shop who doesn't regularly order enough from individual publishers may get their books, or how a school or library will get orders of mixed books from many publishers, etc etc. Additionally, bookstores like Amazon who DO have warehouses still use Ingram to fulfill orders for books they don't have in stock and may not be able to get in a timely manner.)

So now you know what this even IS, I will tell you that this graphic shows how many books (BOOKS, not cartons of books) are on order at Ingram warehouses across the country. There are four main Ingram warehouses -- Chambersburg is east coast, Ft Wayne is midwest, Roseburg is West Coast. LaVerne TN is the main one, and covers the south and anything the other regional ones can't get to.

But Ingram -- though a very large distributor/wholesaler -- is NOT the ONLY distributor/wholesaler. How many books they have on hand or on order does NOT show you how many copies of the book the PUBLISHER has on hand in their warehouses, or how many copies any OTHER warehouse might have on hand or on order.

So... no, is the answer. (Unless you were actually looking at some other piece of info I couldn't see on Edelweiss that was NOT the "wholesaler info" tab!)

[ritik2]

Best Vending Machine Companies Near me in Miami

In a vibrant and bustling city like Miami, convenience and accessibility are key, especially when it comes to refreshments and snacks. Whether you're managing an office building, running a gym, or overseeing a school or hospital, vending machines provide a practical solution to ensure employees, students, and visitors have quick access to their favourite drinks and snacks. To meet these demands, the top vending machine companies in Miami offer a variety of services that cater to different needs, from stocking up with snacks to maintaining coffee machines. vending machine vendors Miami If you’re searching for the best vending machine companies near you in Miami, this article will guide you through the top vendors and services that are trusted to deliver high-quality vending solutions. We’ll look at what to consider when choosing a vending partner and highlight the top companies that excel in providing vending machine services in Miami.

The Role of Vending Machines in Miami

Miami is a diverse and fast-paced city where time is precious. People want quick access to food, drinks, and snacks throughout the day, and vending machines are the perfect solution. From office break rooms and hospitals to gyms and universities, vending machines provide much-needed convenience. They offer an immediate solution for those seeking refreshments on the go. If you're wondering where to find the best vending machine companies near me in Miami, you're in the right place. Let’s explore some of the top vending machine vendors and companies in the area.

Top Vending Machine Companies in Miami

When it comes to vending machine vendors Miami businesses trust, Gilly Vending is one of the top names in the industry. Gilly Vending has been serving Miami and other parts of the country for over 30 years, making them a reliable and experienced choice for all types of vending machine services.

VendPro Miami

Another highly recommended option for vending companies Miami residents and businesses can trust is VendPro Miami. Known for its high level of customer service and quality machines, VendPro offers a variety of vending machine solutions suitable for businesses of all sizes. Services Offered: VendPro Miami specializes in the installation and maintenance of snack and beverage vending machines, coffee machines, and combo vending machines. They offer both leasing and purchasing options to fit different business needs. Why Choose VendPro Miami: VendPro offers quick and efficient restocking services, ensuring that their machines are always full and functional. They are also known for their advanced vending machines equipped with cashless payment options, making transactions smooth and convenient for users.

Southeast Vending Services

Southeast Vending Services is another top contender when it comes to vending machine companies in Miami. They pride themselves on offering customized vending solutions that cater to the unique needs of their clients. With a strong focus on customer satisfaction, Southeast Vending Services is a go-to option for businesses in Miami looking for reliable vending machine services. Services Offered: They provide snack vending machines, beverage vending machines, and combo machines. Southeast Vending Services also offers tailored vending solutions, such as healthy vending options, depending on the specific preferences of their customers. Why Choose Southeast Vending Services: Their focus on customization sets them apart. They work closely with their clients to understand their preferences and provide a variety of products that meet different tastes and dietary needs. Regular maintenance and refilling services are also part of their offerings.

NextGen Vending

For businesses looking for modern, high-tech vending machines, NextGen Vending offers some of the most advanced solutions available in Miami. NextGen specializes in vending machines that come equipped with digital interfaces, cashless payment systems, and real-time tracking for inventory management. Services Offered: NextGen Vending offers soda and beverage vending machines, snack machines, and coffee vending machines. They also provide combo vending machines that offer both snacks and drinks in one unit. Why Choose NextGen Vending: Their focus on technology ensures that businesses get the most efficient vending solutions possible. From touchless payment options to real-time monitoring, their vending machines offer a seamless experience. Additionally, their eco-friendly vending machines are ideal for businesses looking to reduce their carbon footprint.

All Star Vending

All Star Vending is another Miami-based vending company that provides comprehensive vending solutions. They are well-regarded for their excellent customer service and commitment to delivering high-quality vending products. Services Offered: All Star Vending provides snack and beverage vending machines, coffee vending machines, and healthier snack options. They also offer machines with modern payment systems, including credit cards and mobile payments.

Conclusion

Whether you're looking to provide snacks for employees at your office, offer beverages at your gym, or keep your school's students refreshed, the right vending machine solution can make all the difference. By partnering with one of the best vending companies in Miami, you can ensure that your vending machines are always stocked, well-maintained, and equipped with modern conveniences like cashless payments. From top vendors like Gilly Vending and VendPro Miami to Southeast Vending Services and NextGen Vending, there are many reliable options to choose from. These companies provide a variety of services, including snack machines, beverage vending machines, and coffee vending solutions that can be customized to your specific needs. So, if you’re searching for the best vending machine companies near me or looking to enhance your vending Miami experience, consider these top providers to deliver high-quality, convenient vending solutions that cater to your business. Contact one of these trusted vending machine vendors in Miami today to get started!

[shivlabs]

Comprehensive Guide on The Benefits of Grocery App Development Services

As technology evolves, users are discovering that things are becoming more accessible. A simple tap is all it takes to get what they want. As more people buy online, their changing buying patterns impact the food business. 

Traditional grocery stores were the go-to for everyone's daily needs, but now more than ever, people order their food online and have it delivered whenever they want with the help of shopping apps. As the pandemic spreads throughout several countries, developing food delivery apps is becoming increasingly complicated. The market value of online grocery across India was over 669 billion Indian rupees in 2023.

The future of grocery app development services is bright, with plenty of room for expansion. The advantages of a cloning strategy outweigh the costs.

Among the several advantages of developing the grocery delivery app are:

1. Seamless implementation

Computer programs are impervious to human error, according to a well-known figure. Consequently, a company may be certain that their app for grocery delivery will be devoid of errors. With only one click, customers may browse the whole collection and buy everything they see.

2. Methods of receiving financial transactions

Using the online grocery app, a company may provide customers more payment alternatives that are both easy and versatile. They may choose the pay-on-delivery option, and the majority of online payments are secure.

Managing the whole inventory and processing orders is made simpler with the help of the admin panel. These days, it doesn't take much effort or time to develop an app that delivers groceries.

3. Work from anywhere at any time

The idea behind creating a grocery shop app is to make it easier for customers to place orders from any store. A time-slot booking feature that simplifies the pickup and delivery operations in real time is available to both customers and businesses.

4. Compensation plans

A company's success is heavily dependent on client loyalty. It has shown to be rather long-lasting over the last several years. Connecting with consumers is an arduous process.

Using the supermarket app to promote sales and loyalty programs can be a smart move for companies looking to expand their customer base. Customers may use them to redeem points when they make an online purchase in the future.

5. Rise in monetary profit

The grocery delivery app can't function without this feature, as it allows all businesses to increase their profits. It isn't very noteworthy when compared to other grocery shopping applications. If the grocery delivery system runs well with the aid of thebest grocery app development company, it may be good for the bottom line.

Businesses may be able to increase their profit margin by attracting more users and investing more money on apps with tailored designs and features. A company's financial line may benefit from developing an app, and skilled programmers might help them achieve this goal.

6. Improving inventory management

Sometimes people either don't notice the merchandise or just neglect to restock it. This allows us to look at potential technology answers to these difficulties. Because of its unique features, an on-demand grocery delivery app is a boon to the company in this regard.

Businesses often integrate third-party applications into their inventory management systems; one example is grocery delivery apps. This means the app may automatically replenish the things that run low. An organization should designate a certain person to handle such a task.

With the help of a grocery delivery app, businesses can easily share all the essential details with clients via picture galleries and virtual stores. Customers couldn' care less where things come from when they make a buy.

7. Enhanced the standard for mobile advertisements

Another advantage of making a shopping app is that you may enhance future mobile ads. While many people currently use their smartphones to access the internet, the number of people using them to search for local companies is growing rapidly.

Contact a seasoned app development company to develop a grocery shopping app if you want to attract a large user base. Companies that provide grocery shopping apps, for instance, can work to improve their products' usability by adding features that customers find interesting and practical. The app would also be updated and advertised differently via push notifications.

Conclusion 

Due to the reliability of grocery delivery apps, users expect their orders to be at their doorsteps promptly. With its help, users may achieve their goals, including reaching the largest potential audience and making more transactions.

[onlinemagazinecz]

Reviews of E-Shops in Czech Republic

Online shopping in the Czech Republic is booming. The country spent the second largest amount on the internet in Central and Eastern Europe in 2022, with a lot of that spending going to e-shops. Two new international trends are making their way into Prague – dark stores and cloud kitchens, retail establishments primarily aimed at delivery rather than walk-in sales traffic. These businesses often operate at much lower overhead than traditional stores. They can be found in areas where real estate prices are cheap but with good transport connections for delivery couriers and restocking. Check their site to know more details recenze e-shopů.

The most popular product categories for online shoppers in the Czech Republic are electronics and media, clothing, textiles and accessories and home & garden products. Last year the fastest growing category was health & beauty and disinfectants. The top payment methods for Czech ecommerce buyers were credit cards and prepaid cards. Cash on delivery purchases were discouraged due to Covid, but still made up a significant share of the total market.

With these developments in mind, merchants selling to the Czech Republic should ensure that their checkout is optimized for mobile users and local payment methods are supported. In addition, mobile ecommerce will soon overtake desktop usage and so providing a great mobile buying experience is key to increasing conversions.

In a similar vein, it is also important to offer a variety of local shipping options for Czech customers. These include express and economy shipping as well as a wide range of pickup points. The latter can be especially attractive for customers who are not comfortable with the idea of giving their personal information to an online store.

Another important factor to consider is displaying and calculating the applicable taxes and duties for Czech customers. This can be a manual process, but can be simplified using Glopal’s HS classification tool. Taking the time to assign and display correct local taxes and duties will ensure that your Czech customers get an accurate, seamless purchasing experience.

If you’re looking to launch an e-shop in the Czech Republic or would like to improve your existing one, our team of experts can help. We have extensive knowledge of the Czech ecommerce market and can help you get up and running with your online business quickly. We can help with everything from product feed optimization to international SEO and local marketing.

Ready to take your ecommerce business to the next level? Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you.