#Wave One Retail Space

[noidacommercial9]

What Makes Wave One Noida Special for a New Commercial Business Zone?

What Makes Wave One Noida Special for a New Commercial Business Zone?

If you’re inclined to installation business in a favorable commercial area in Noida, you have to be looking for the quality industrial projects within the city to e-book office areas, retail stores, food courts, and other enterprise areas too. For betterment, you can take a look at the information of Wave One Noida, that’s one of the sought-after commercial tasks inside the town. The project…

[sp0o0kylights]

Adopt a Jock Part 1 

Part 2 

Part 4

Shoutout to @bloomingconflagration for the title!!! And a HUGE thank you to everyone who left comments or gave suggestions!! I love you all you amazing, silly humans <3 <3 

There comes a time during a long work shift were your average overworked and underpaid employee starts to think they’re hallucinating. 

In Gareth’s case, it was when Steve Harrington walked through the doors of Palace Arcade, making a beeline right for him. 

“Gareth?” Steve asked, like he was the one out of place. “What are you doing here?” 

As if people just randomly stood behind the counter of retail and entertainment spaces with a nametag on. 

You know, for fun.

With a great deal of restraint, Gareth managed to hold the sass back, instead opting for a far more polite; ‘I work here, Harrington. What are you doing here?” 

Because no matter how much Hellfire had adopted Steve into its fold, Gareth could just not see the guy choosing to spend his free time at the local arcade. 

Not of his own free will, anyway. 

“Pick up duty.” Steve said, proving him right not even a second later. 

“Of what?” Gareth asked, puzzled, right before Steve’s name was shouted in stereo.

A miniature stampede took place as several children proceeded to swarm him like oversized puppies, most of them trying to talk at once. 

“One at a time, we talked about this!” Steve barked, loud enough to be heard over the commotion. “You’re giving me and Gareth here a headache!” 

He waved his hands in a “calm down” gesture, shaking his head and looking at Gareth in exasperation. “Probably giving the people in the video store next door one too, lord.”  

“Wait.” A curly-haired kid said, looking between the two older teens like he was watching the laws of the universe rewrite themselves in front of him. “You know Gary? How?”

“We are not close enough for you to call me Gary.” Gareth said dryly, for what felt like the fifteenth time that day. 

This was a regular battle between him and the kids who haunted the arcade.

(One had overheard Grant call him Gary the last time he was in, and ever since, every single child that graced this fine establishment with Cheeto-dusted fingers and candy-induced sugar rushes had decided to replace his actual name with his nickname.

The fact it clearly frustrated him only egged them on. )

“We go to school together Dustin,” Steve said, as if he were talking to someone particularly dense. 

“Yeah? You go to school with lots of people. You bitch about most of them.” Dustin fired back.”Plus Gary’s a total nerd. I bet you call him names.” 

"Hey, language!" 

Gareth’s eyes narrowed as he glared down at the little fucker. He was definitely going to remember Dustin (and equally going to watch and see what arcade games the younger teen played-- and top the score chart of every single fucking one.

He might be a nerd but he wasn’t gonna take that shit from a middle schooler.) 

“Hate to break it to you brats, but your babysitter here just joined our D&D club.” Gareth replied, if only to finally one-up the little bastards. “Our DM is building him a character as we speak.” 

(Which wasn't even a lie. Eddie was building a character for Steve. The guy just refused to give any input on grounds that he "wasn't going to play anyways." )

Abrupt and sudden silence, as several stunned faces stared at him. 

“Oh goddammit.” Harrington cursed, as the entire herd of children turned on him in unison like some kind of hivemind horror monster. 

“You joined the D&D club,” Dustin said slowly, outraged. “And you let them make you a character sheet, but you won’t play with us!?” 

“What the hell Steve!” The sporty-looking one whined, clearly hurt. “You won’t sit in on our games! You said they were lame!” 

“They are lame.” Steve defended immediately, pushing at sporty-kids head. It was fond though, the kind of gentle shove an elder brother gave to a younger one. It caused the kid's camo banana to fall into his eyes, which he adjusted quickly with a grumble. “Turns out the high school version’s cooler.” 

“He’s lying.” That from the bitchy one, whose arms were crossed over his chest, a glare on his face. “Steve probably paid Gary to say that” 

Gareth had seen that exact same stance on Steve at lunch that day, and wondered if the little asshole knew who he was copying when he did it. 

“Who cares about D&D?” This from the redhead, standing with another girl giggling in her ear. “I’m just amazed Steve has friends.” 

“Really Mayfield?” Steve said, looking almost betrayed. As if he thought she was going to be the one to defend him in this weird little showdown.

The girl leaning on her giggled harder, making Mayfield grin (even if she tried to hide it.)  She whispered something, which the redhead outright laughed at before repeating; “Adult friends even!” 

“Okay.” Steve said, clearly cutting the kids off before they could embarrass him further. “Thank you, unwanted peanut gallery, for all of that lovely commentary. Now go back to playing the games you little shits robbed me of all my quarters for, or we’re leaving.” 

Henderson’s eyes narrowed. “I thought you were here to pick us up?” 

“Oh I’m sorry, did Jonathan magically appear behind me in the last five seconds?” Steve turned around pretending to search the parking lot through the windows. “No? Then I guess we’re still waiting. Unless you, Lucas and Max want to leave first.” 

“You’re such an ass.” Dustin huffed, rolling his eyes. “Why aren’t you waiting in the car anyway?” 

“It’s raining, it’s cold, and I thought I’d come in to say hi to my friend.” Steve replied, so quickly it took Gareth a moment to realize what Steve referred to him as. 

He'd gotten the friend title before Eddie. 

His best friend was going to fucking freak. 

“Are you done drilling me or are you going to let Max kick your ass at DigDug again?” 

“Shit!” Henderson cursed, spinning to intercept the redhead as she bent to put a coin in said arcade machine. “Max, you said you’d let me keep my leaderboard score today! Max!” 

“I know you said you watched kids, but this wasn’t exactly what I was imagining.” Gareth said, slumping against the counter.  

(He'd been thinking of Steve watching much younger kids for one, and two, he was starting to get the idea the babysitter thing was used as an insult. 

Gareth knew a big brother vibe when he saw it.) 

Steve gave him a tired look. “Me neither man. Me neither.”

 Then; “You fucking owe me for that D&D comment, they’re never going to shut up about it now.”

Gareth winced. “Sorry. I was trying to help.” 

Steve blew out a breath. “I know. I appreciate the attempt.” 

Which was better than Steve bitching at him for it, not that he’d really ever done that to Gareth. 

The two of them hadn’t quite worked up the nerve to be playful like that with each other, though they had occasionally jumped in on opposing sides to arguments Eddie caused. Gareth figured they’d get there in time, but even with all the progress Steve made, he still had more off days than on. 

It was a fragile line to walk with him. Especially when there wasn’t a single member of Hellfire who wanted to ruin the progress they made. 

(Even if half of them would never admit to it.) 

“Steve?” A voice interrupted, quiet in a way that contrasted directly with how loud the rest of the brat pack was. 

Steve closed his eyes for a moment, pinching the bridge of his nose with his hand as if to starve off a headache. 

“Yes, Baby Byers?” He asked after a long, painful pause, turning to look at the saddest looking kid in the bunch. 

“Is there actually a D&D club at the high school?” 

The kid looked at Steve like he wasn’t entirely certain he wanted to hear the answer, but was hopeful for the outcome he wanted anyway. 

It was the kind of thing that pulled even on Gareth’s heartstrings, and he was almost immune to anything involving giant, sad eyes after a solid year of working at the arcade. 

(Never mind Eddie’s own puppy dog looks.)

Steve’s voice gentled, in a way Gareth had never quite heard him use before. “There is. You’d love it, it’s called Hellfire. I’m sure it’ll still be there next year when you come in as a freshman.” 

He nudged him with his shoulder playfully, smiling when the younger boy perked up. “If you’re nice, Garebear here might even put in a good word for you.” 

“Garebear?” Max repeated with a burst of laughter, appearing behind Steve like a fucking ghost. “Oh my god.” 

“No.” Gareth said, bolting upright from his slouch as he stared at her in horror. “Do not call me that.” 

“Sure thing, Garebear.” She outright cackled, as Steve sent him a wide-eyed, apologetic face. 

“What did you just call Gary?” The sporty one--Lucas, asked, a wide grin overtaking his face. 

“I swear to God.” Gareth threatened, as Steve took another dramatic look over his shoulder. 

“Hey look Jonathan’s here!” He yelled, jerking a thumb over his shoulder as he started quickly walking backwards. “Come on, dipshits, we're leaving!” 

“Bye Garebear!” Lucas and Max sang together, following after him. 

“Harrington!” Gareth howled, as Steve mouthed ‘Sorry’ over his shoulder, all but bolting out the door. 

“I like Garebear a lot better than Gary.” Another, random child informed him with a grin as he sauntered past, arcade tickets in hand. 

Steve Harrington, Gareth decided, was a dead man. 

Not even Eddie’s fucking crush on the guy could save him now. 

xXx

“Did you know Harrington has a literal pack of kids he watches?” Gareth asked a few hours later, messing with his drum kit as he set up for band practice. "He even drives them around." 

More than that though--he’d seemed almost normal around them. That was the most Gareth had seen the guy banter or act relaxed since Eddie had dragged him over. 

“He’s mentioned it multiple times.” Grant replied, tuning his bass. “You have ears Gareth, use them.” 

“Gareth? Listen?” Jeff teased as he dragged an amp into the garage. “I don’t think I’ll live to see the day.” 

"Oh screw you guys.” Gareth growled, winging a drumstick toward his friends for the insult.

Grant, long used to Gareth's tantrums (and Eddie's dramatics)  didn't look up from his bass.

Not even when the drumstick hit the wall with a bang!-- allll the way near the opposite end of the couch, entirely opposite of either him or Jeff. 

"As usual, your aim is dead on." Jeff appraised sarcastically. 

"Like I'd ever actually hit you." Gareth grumbled with a pout. "I was gonna say the kids are older than I expected."

He reached down, blindly fishing for another drumstick from the bucket of them next to his kit. 

He came up empty. 

"Hey Grantman." Gareth asked, tone changing to something mildly embarrassed. "Could I uh, could I get the drumstick back?" 

He got a flat stare back. "No." 

"What did I do to get stuck with such dramatic friends?" Jeff joked as he began moving all the amps he’d pulled in back into their usual places. 

They hadn't had time to unload anything other than the drums after their last show and the regret was real. 

"Eddie’s been standing on tables since seventh grade, you knew what you were getting into." Gareth fired back, making grabby hands for his drumstick. 

"And you never grew out of being that dorky middle schooler who snuck into Hellfire games and screamed we were all going to die every time anyone made a bad play." Jeff shot back. "Yet here I am, once again wondering if I should just permanently confiscate Eddie's snacks, your drumsticks, and now Harrington's fricken spatula." 

"One year. I am one year younger than you and you act like it's an entire century!" Gareth muttered, as Grant relented and leaned over to fetch said drumstick. 

"We all know Eddie chucks food at people, but what'd Steve do with a spatula?"  Grant asked as he tossed it back to Gareth.

He missed and nearly took out a cymbal in the process. 

"He had a snit while we were making chocolate roulade cause it wouldn’t roll right. Flung the spatula around so much it splattered whip cream on his ceiling." Jeff shook his head as he finished hooking an amp up to his guitar. "I had to rescue it from him." 

"His ceiling?" Gareth said in disbelief. "Wait, you were in Harrington’s kitchen?" 

"Yeah?" Jeff looked up to find his friends staring at him. 

Grant blinked. "The fuck?" 

“Can we just play?” Jeff complained, just as embarrassed as Gareth had been.

“No.” Gareth said, retrieved drumstick nearly falling from his hands in shock. “You don’t get to casually drop that you went to Harrington’s house to help him bake and then try to get us to play right after!” 

Jeff, who had done exactly that, blushed, skin darkening as he fiddled with his guitar.

“It wasn’t a big deal.” He said finally with a shrug, as if this was something he did all the time and not the groundbreaking revelation that it was.

“Did you meet his parents?” Grant said, sitting up from the couch. “What did his house look like?”

Jeff finally gave up the pretense of playing his instrument.

“I didn't, and it was kinda sad, actually.” He said, as if he didn’t live for this kind of shit. 

Gareth knew better than anyone how much of a fricken gossip Jeff could be. 

“His house was enormous. I only saw the first floor, and his kitchen is huge.” He set his hands apart at a good distance, showcasing just how large “huge” was, before continuing. 

“But it was weird. It was like a model home. No pictures on the walls, no art, no personality to the place at all.” 

“What are we talking about?” Eddie asked, finally returning to Gareth’s garage from where he’d been gathering up all the wires they’d thrown haphazardly into his van. 

“Jeff went to Harrington’s house.” Grant and Gareth tattled as one. 

“To help bake stuff for this Friday!” Jeff defended, the blush creeping back onto his face. “I was curious about his chocolate roulade recipe and he invited me over!” 

“When was this?” Eddie asked, staring at Jeff like he’d grown a second head. 

Or more likely, Gareth knew, in jealousy. But he wasn’t going to call Eddie out on that just yet. 

“Yesterday. We got to talking about it in the parking lot after school.” Jeff said with an embarrassed shrug. “He said he wasn’t the best at explaining how to do things and that he’d rather show me instead.” 

“Kinky.” Grant deadpanned, making Jeff sputter. 

“You sure you didn’t see his bedroom, Jeff? It’s okay if you fell for the ‘wanna see my music collection’ line. We won’t judge you.” Gareth waggled his eyebrows, ducking with a laugh when Jeff went to whack him. 

“Shut up, we just made the chocolate roulade!” Jeff’s ears were red now, and huh, maybe Eddie wasn’t the only person with a crush.  

“Guys.” Eddie reprimanded, tone warning. 

“Sorry Eds, you know we don’t mean it.” Gareth soothed. Of course, his best friend's anger was less about the gay comments or Steve’s reputation as Hawkin’s man whore than it was about Steve fucking Jeff (and not Eddie) but he had a feeling it wouldn’t be appreciated if he pointed that out either. 

Eddie didn’t respond, eyes already back on Jeff. "Details, Jeffery, give us the details!"  

He dropped onto the couch, flapping his hands at Jeff in his version of a "sit down" gesture. 

Jeff sighed, but repeated what he'd just said for Eddie as he took a seat on the edge of an amp, placing his guitar down gently. 

 "I think Wayne was right. I don't think anyone else lives there but Steve. Not full-time anyway." He finished. 

Which sounded like the best fucking thing ever until Gareth thought about it for more than two seconds. 

Tried to imagine what his life would be like if his parents and siblings were gone. Not for a day, or even a weekend, but always. 

How silent his normally loud house would be. 

Thought instantly that he'd be inviting Eddie, his friends, and hell, l even Wayne, over as often as they could handle. 

"The way he looked when I showed up, and how quiet he got when I left I just…" Jeff fiddled with his guitar’s strap. "I think he's lonely." 

The four of them sat in silence for a long moment as they digested that. 

“Hargrove kicked his ass right? And Byers?” Grant said finally, breaking the silence ad he stared up at the ceiling. 

“Old news.” Eddie replied absently, jiggling his leg.

“You think his parents were around for that?” Grant continued, slowly.

No one answered outside of Eddie's leg loudly jiggling faster. 

 "Did you see the kids hug him or anything?"

"They're like thirteen. I seriously doubt they're pestering Steve for hugs." Gareth answered flatly.  

 "So he got his ass kicked, his parents are gone, he was supposed involved in that whole has leak thing…" Grant trailed off with an air of someone who expected the end of his sentence to be obvious. 

“You’re doing that thing again where you think what you’re saying is obvious and its fucking not.” Eddie grumped. "Just spit it out." 

His friend's head finally tipped back down from the ceiling, to face the rest of them. “Maybe the flinching is because no one ever touches him anymore unless it’s to kick his ass.” 

“Oh.” Eddie blinked, body going rigid. “Oh shit.” 

“That…would make sense. A lot of sense.” Jeff said slowly. 

Grant put on a face that read “Duh” loud and clear. 

“So what do we do about it?" Gareth asked after a moment. 

"Touch him, obviously." Grant replied, like he couldn't believe the drummer was even asking.

Gareth and Eddie shared a look while Eddie rolled his eyes.  

"The guy almost fell down the stairs last time I tried that." Gareth pointed out. 

Never mind any other time Steve got weird over the lightest of touches. Eddie couldn't even clap the guy on the shoulder without getting major side-eye. 

"No."  Eddie cut in, sitting up suddenly. His eyes had gone bright, "We're going to trick him into it." 

"We're going to trick Harrington into being okay with, what? Shoulder pats?"  Gareth echoed, like Eddie might hear himself if his words were repeated back to him. “You realize how stupid that sounds right?" 

"Shut up, listen. It's like getting a stray to trust you. You just gotta be calm and so obvious about it that they get confused and let it happen." Eddie had begun practically vibrating, causing his friends to trade uneasy glances. 

They knew that look. Eddie only got it when he thought up a plan that was going to cause problems. 

"Eddie, that makes zero sense." Jeff told him.

Gareth just shook his head, because only Eddie Munson could compare Hawkins golden boy with a fucking stray animal. 

Even if the guy kinda acted like one sometimes. 

"I just need an opening." Eddie continued, the little hamster wheel spinning in his head so fast the rest of the band could almost hear it. 

If Gareth had been told two months ago he was going to be sitting in his garage, discussing the best way to acclimate Steve Harrington to casual touch, he’d have actually smacked whatever idiot dared spew such nonsense with his drumsticks. 

"I did tell tell the kids today you were making him a D&D character." He said, before his best friend could truly go off on some half cocked plot. 

Eddie lit up like a kid on Christmas. "Gary, I could kiss you."

Gareth made a face. "Please don't."

He clapped hard before springing to his feet. "Huddle up boys, I've got a plan." 

"God help us all." Jeff muttered. 

(He huddled up anyway, any thoughts of playing guitar that night fully forgotten.) 

Bonus: 

"Why don't you just get high and watch a movie with Steve? You're a fucking cling-on when you're high." Gareth complained the next morning, when Eddie swung by to pick him up for school. 

Mostly because the plan Eddie had come up with was ridiculous.

 Eddie took both hands off the wheel, pressing them against his chest in mock offense while he stared at Gareth and not at the street. “That would be taking advantage of him and I, as a gentleman, would never." He gasped, dramatically. 

In his normal voice, he added: "Plus it doesn't count." 

“Eyes on the road!” Gareth yelped, swatting an arm. “And you know I didn’t mean it like that. People relax more when they're high and maybe Steve needs something like that as an excuse to allow it. Hell he doesn’t even need to be high, just you.”

Which Gareth personally thought was a very insightful thing to say, so of course he had to ruin it with; “or whatever.” 

"Do you recall how you kissed Jeff on the cheek when you were high and then spent the entire next month swearing up and down that you weren't attracted to men last summer?" 

"That was different. I was discovering myself." 

Eddie outright cackled. "Discovering yourself? What self help book did you pick that gem out of?"

"I was quoting you, you moron!" Gareth sputtered. 

"If I said anything like that then I was definitely high and it just proves my point. Steve would just be uncomfortable."Eddie stuck his tongue out. "So there." 

"Fine." Gareth sighed. "If we ever get high with Harrington, I'll sit in his lap."

Eddie's eye twitched. "No you will not."

Thrilled to have something to tease the elder metalhead about, a smile graced Gareth's face. "In fact, I'm calling dibs." 

"You can't call dibs on a lap! And besides, you don't even like him like that!" 

"So?" Gareth retorted. "It's a nice lap, looks comfortable. You don't want it, so I'll take it."

Eddie grit his teeth, grasping the steering wheel so hard his knuckles went white. 

"I know what you're doing Gary. This is some bullshit reverse psychology shit and I will not be falling for it." 

"Oh contraire, this is sibling bullshit, Munson. You want it, so I want it." Gareth crossed his arms and looked at Eddie smugly. "And unless you do something about it, I'm getting it." 

"I hate you." 

Gareth grinned, delighted. "I know." 

[eldritch-spouse]

Just when you thought taking a day off from retail when you're sick would be paradise away from the retail hell boys when your door suddenly explodes and the retail hell boys enter your room when they heard you got sick. You can't win.

TW: Reader has a dark mindset, their suffering is not treated seriously.

It's kind of ridiculous that your only respite is sickness, isn't it?

Does it count as self-harm to deliberately let yourself get sick just so you can miss a day or two of work? Does... Does not caring about a twisted ankle that much because you know you won't have to work for a while count as mental illness? If only you could afford a psychologist right now.

What you do know, is that in spite of your physical pain, you haven't felt this at peace in a while. You can even ignore the fact that your pay is getting damaged from this, it's worth it. It's calm.

No weird coworkers, no pressure from a shitty boss, no creepy clients-

CRASH

There's no mistaking it. That was the front door of your rackety little apartment.

Fear has you flatten to the wall of your bedroom, ankle squealing with pain. Deep down, you've always dreaded this would happen since moving to Hell. That some nutjob would just break into your place and butcher you like a pig. Because they feel like it, because some demons are just like that, because humans are easy targets.

Humans are like gazelles to them. And amidst all those grazing bodies, a tired and beaten down one like you is the gazelle with the limp, the one that's getting picked first.

Fucking damn it, you should have bought the domestic defense bat that tall butch tried to sell you when you moved in. You wondered why she was pricing it so high until she revealed it was some kind of hellish beast, as opposed to a barbed wire bat.

As is, you can only grab the bedside lamp and hope, with every fiber of your being, that the thing you're up against has a skull soft enough to allow brain damage.

Hearing hushed voices, your plan is to turn the corner and possibly run outside before you have to hit anyone.

A plan easily thwarted when a meaty hand swipes the bedside lamp right out of your hands.

Alright. You didn't think that far ahead.

" YEAH, THAT'S IT SMALL FRY! " The meathead you've come to recognize as one of the creepy regulars beams. He smashes the bulb out of the lamp, and jams some kind of blade in the hollowed space, using fabric to tie it all together. Is that... Part of your curtains?

" Moz, you ruined the door, you oaf... Isn't that essential to keep the house safe? " The other one, the incubus, points out, feeling the dents left in your wall.

Said wrathful demon pauses to gouge the extent of the damage for several seconds, then waves. " Huh. I'LL DO YA ONE BETTER- WHO NEEDS DOORS?! By the time I'm done, no one will even think of trying to get in. "

Babesley turns around. " Well, she does- Oh! Oh there she is, our tasty workaholic. " The incubus gets a glimpse at your injured limb and gasps. " My sweet hardworking princess, what are you doing out of bed?! Come on, let's go lie down, I'll give you a wonderful massage and you can tell me all about the awful people you work with! "

The awful people being them both, mostly. On a good day.

Babesley has started pulling you along gently, and frankly, you know there's nothing you can do to get them out of your home now, so you might as well just bide your time and see what comes next.

He openly evaluates the state of your room before cautiously helping you lay down, starting to work on your back muscles with surprising competence. You didn't know he was a masseuse! Out of spite, you don't allow the shock to show on your face, keeping noises to a minimum.

" Come now, it's no fun if I don't get to hear it. " He huffs. " You're being difficult when we're just trying to keep you safe! Tsk tsk, brats these days. "

" Get- Hnnh- " Oh he popped something ancient in there. The smug brow raise is his display of victory. " Get out of my home. "

" Mhm, not happening. I was thinking of getting a pizza from that cozy nook downtown. "

Pizza does sound good.

You ponder on it to the sounds of Moz breaking your house apart in a nightmare DIY session.

" ... I want the pepperoni one. " It was a moment of weakness. And most importantly, free food.

" Say please. " He sing-songs, clawtips flirting with the fat of your rump through your pajama shorts.

" Cunt. "

" Yes, I bet yours is heavenly. "

Before things can get any more awkward, the other demon bulldozes in with a cup, slapping your ass with a force so great it has you barking every curse under the sun.

" Spit on this, jizzbrains. " He angles the glass at Babes, who easily 'ptoo's in.

You think that one slap just undid all of the incubus' work on your accumulated tension. " What are you even doing? Ruining my house for the fuck of it?! "

" HAH. " Moz grunts. " I'm making it IMPENETRABLE. This here is for a booby trap. IMAGINE DYING WITH A BONER. "

You and Babesley look at him blankly.

" They walk in, right?! They STEP on the plate, they ACTIVATE THE TRAP, THEN BOOM- GET A SPRAY OF THIS NASTY SHIT AND THEN THE FUCKIN' LAMP COMES SWINGING DOWN JAMMING RIGHT BETWEEN THE EYES! Either that or the throat... Actually, I need a plan B for a shortstack. "

You decide you'll mourn your furniture later.

" What about the pizza guy? "

" WHAT PIZZA GUY?! "

Babesley waves Moz away, continuing his earlier work above you. " Think about it this way, if it works, we won't have to pay for it. "

You want to go back to work.

[bekaroth-reads]

Stardew Valley Shane x Reader

[based on the fact that most of the time when he asks why you’re bothering him, his avatar is still smiling.]

Pelican Town was a pretty nice place to live. There weren’t too many other people living here, and your farm was far enough from the actual town that you didn’t get to see the other residents too often. But, you did still see them enough that you were friendly with all of them and actually starting to be friends with some of them. Everyone here seemed to be naturally friendly, even if they were on the more quiet side personality-wise.

And, then there was Shane.

He always looked like he was about to keel over any minute, and half of the time that keeling looked to be by choice. Not that you could really blame him seeing as he was working at the Joja Mart. You had worked for that company long enough yourself to know how much of the life it can suck out of someone. Not to mention he was dealing with a retail job, which was difficult to stomach even if it was somewhere other than Joja. Not that there were too many other people outside of Pelican that went there and would treat him poorly. Shane did have the advantage of living in a smaller town so that even if someone had a problem with him, it would be less likely for it to be blown to a large proportion as that would cause a ripple through the whole population; not to mention that everyone respected Marnie too much to ever do something to cause her grief. No, what most people felt about Shane was pity. They all gave him space though and he seemed to like that.

Regardless, you were always sure to at least wave at Shane when you saw him. For the first month or so you would simply wave or maybe give a, “Good morning,” as when you usually saw him as you were passing each other in the town square on mornings you had to stop at Pierre’s. This was usually met with complete silence or an annoyed grunt. It didn’t bother you too much. You weren’t much of a morning person yourself and understood not wanting to have a full conversation that early in the day. Things changed a little bit once the two of you were properly introduced; perhaps not properly, but there was an introduction. You were over checking prices on things with Marnie as you wanted to be sure you could afford everything you needed if you bought some chickens when Shane came walking in from the other room. “Oh, this is my nephew Shane. I’m sure the two of you have seen each other before.” She offered when he didn’t say anything to you. “Oh, we’ve met before.” You offered as an explication to ease the scolding tone that she was giving Shane. “I don’t know you,” was all that Shane said before walking out the door before Marnie could say anything about it.

After that, you would be a bit more forward about talking to him. Nothing too much past what you were already doing, but instead of just, “Good morning,” you would ask, “How are you?” Or, you would even do something as simple as addressing him by name. Shane in turn, evolved from ignoring or grunting at you to talking back. Of course, it was things like, “Why are you talking to me,” or, “I’m busy.” It was still talking though, and when you talked to Marnie about it to make sure you weren’t making him uncomfortable, she first apologized for how curt he was being, but then seemed floored that he even said that much to you. She said the most he ever talked to anyone that wasn’t her or Jas was when he ordered a drink at the pub or when he was forced to give one to two-word answers at work. There was still a feeling that he was a bit out of his comfort zone, but Marnie assured you if there was a real problem you would know about it; that or she would, and seeing as she didn’t want her nephew to be any more unhappy than he already was she would tell you herself.

Things were really changed last night. It was Friday night, and you decided to go to the pub. It would be nice to just relax for an evening and since that was the night that most of everyone else went to the pub as well it would be nice to catch up with some people you hadn’t seen in a while. When you got there, the usual crowd was there as well, some of them waving as you walked in the door. You ended up spending most of the night talking with Leah with Emily popping in from time to time when she wasn’t helping Gus. You noticed Shane standing in a corner by himself. It seemed that Leah saw you glance in that direction, and commented, “Poor guy. Everyone hates to see him feel so down and out all the time. But, there’s not much anyone can do to help him. He’ll choose beer over help anytime.” There was a bit of derision in her voice, but nothing too uncalled for as it did look like he was at least partially doing this to himself. Before the conversation could continue Emily stopped by on her break and started talking about something completely different.

As the night went on more and more people made their way home. Eventually, there was only a fraction of the people left in the bar. This led to you sitting at the bar. And, only a chair away from Shane. The positioning wasn’t planned, simply from you both taking what seats were available at the time and not moving when others opened up. You were drinking your last drink for the night while Shane was halfway through his third tankard of beer. Not that it should have been impressive, but you found it morbidly amazing that he could have had that much and still be as relatively sober as he was; Gus’s tankards were by no means small. You looked at him from the corner of your eye as you took another drink. “Hey,” you greeted and you saw his tense shoulders slump, seeming deflating because you were bothering him. But, with a few drinks in him, Shane found his tongue loosened more than usual.

“Why do you talk to me?” He asked.

“Why wouldn’t I?” You respond.

This made Shane stop and think for a minute. “It…” he huffed and mumbled so quietly that you almost missed it, “People just don’t.” There was another pause of neither of you talking. Finally, Shane broke the silence again. “Look, if you really want to impress me then buy me another drink.” It surprised everyone, who neither of you noticed were at least glancing at you both frequently because of how odd it was to see Shane out of his corner and talking to someone. It surprised Shane as well when you looked up from your drink and called, “Hey, Gus.” He came walking over, pretending to not have just been talking about the two of you with Emily. You nodded toward Shane and requested, “Get this man a water, if you don’t mind.” Gus did his best to hide a laugh, relieved that he didn’t have to explain to you that he had already cut Shane off for the night. Shane’s face scrunched up moments before he hid it under his hood, and hissed, “Are you serious?”

“Hey, you said a drink. Never said which one.” You chuckle as you catch the glass Gus slid at you. “Besides, you could use it before you walk home.” You gave his shoulder a few pats before standing up to leave. Even though most of his face was covered, you could see the slight twitch of a starting smile threaten to make its way onto his face. You paid Gus and said goodbye to Shane. Everyone sat there like they were witnessing an impossibility when he waved back.

This morning while you were waiting for Pierre’s to open for the day, you saw a certain Joja Mart employee making his way to work. “Good morning, Shane. How are you?” You greeted as he walked by you. He paused a moment like he was thinking about saying something else but eventually grumbled out, “Busy. Why are you talking to me…” as he kept walking past. However, you noticed that little smile start to invade his dower face once again. Maybe Shane didn’t mind you talking to him as much as he acted like he did.

[amiharana]

revalink flower shop x tattoo shop omgg... who runs which shop how do they meet are they competitive with their businesses do they give each other cute things from their shops 👁

god it would work either way, but ultimately i think link would own the tattoo shop and revali would own the flower shop. i only decided it because revali seems like the type to have to do multiple sessions for the tiniest tattoo because his pain tolerance is low for tattoos LMAO bro is sitting there like "it doesn't hurt i swear" meanwhile his face is red and he's sucking in his lips trying not to burst into tears ready to shit his pants, but the needle hasn't even touched his skin yet ✋😭

this au could go in a couple different ways: (1) link and revali hate each other and fight all the time about being the better store (boring!), (2) there's no rivalry and link and revali are mutually interested in each other (better, but a bit ooc i feel), or (3) link moves in and becomes more and more curious as he catches glimpses of his (((attractive))) store-neighbor while secretly hopeless romantic revali is grumpy and annoyed about how off-putting a tattoo shop will look next to his flower shop and there's a very mild one-sided rivalry mentality on his end, but as link tries to get to know revali better, revali thinks, perhaps this wouldn't be so bad. you already know what i'm about to write about rn lmfao.

revali's flower shop "the meadow" has been open on tabantha street for a couple years now. he thinks of himself as a very good florist, probably the best in the entire city of hyrule, and he's actually won a couple floral design competitions??? revali inherited the shop from his parents after they passed and he gets fairly good business, especially because everyone who lives on this street are hopeless romantics who are always buying bouquets for dates or to bring home to their spouses. revali will roll his eyes and scoff lightheartedly to his customers about how mushy it all is (but inside, he wants the same for himself; to go home to someone he loves with a bouquet of flowers. revali wonders sometimes, when he watches customers leave with red roses in hand, if he was meant to ever find love. he looks over at the vase of forget-me-nots on the counter; perhaps, one day).

the retail space next to revali's shop has been empty for a couple years and revali is thinking about expanding into the space when suddenly, the space gets rented out and in moves some blond twink with a fully tatted up arm with his dumb little tattoo shop called "master ink zero" or some shit. revali comes in to work one day only for there to be construction going on in the empty space he's been eyeing for a while, and that cute blond twink is standing in front of it talking to one of the workers. what the fuck. all this construction noise is going to scare revali's soft-hearted hopeless romantic customers away! the blond notices him and holds a hand up to wave a little, but revali just glares and turns away to unlock the door to his shop. he could really let that kid have it, but he holds his tongue because he needs to open the store. (he is kind of cute though... stop it, bad revali!)

the day continues as smoothly as it can with construction noise muffled through one of the shop's walls giving revali a migraine. fortunately, his regulars still come but unfortunately, every single one of them comments on the construction.

"you're going to get a new neighbor!" amali says as revali rings up the regular bouquet for her husband kass. "how exciting! you won't be lonely anymore."

"what a curious mix," muses saki when she enters the shop. "a flower shop and a tattoo parlor next to each other. you know, my teba and i are quite the opposites ourselves and they say opposites attract, so—" and revali flushes, squawking and ushering her out. she only laughs at him and bids him well.

the moment his friend urbosa steps into the store to visit, revali knows that she knows and immediately regrets his entire life. "have you proposed marriage to him yet?" she asks, smirking and sits on the counter.

"get off of my counter, i just wiped that down," revali snipes at her, frowning. "whatever do you mean, propose?"

"to blondie next door," she says, cocking her head to the side towards the construction. revali rolls his eyes but she continues. "he's your type down to a T."

"and he's going to scare off my customers," he replies and returns to spraying his vase of forget-me-nots. "i could care less whether or not he's my type."

urbosa hums. "well he's cute and he seems like a nice kid." suddenly, her gaze shifts into something more serious and revali's shoulders tense. "revali... forgive me if i overstep, but i know you've been alone for a while. you've been running this shop for years, working nonstop. i don't think you've ever had a moment to yourself. it might be nice to take a leap of faith on this one, you know?"

revali reverts his attention back to the forget-me-nots and doesn't say anything else, touching the petals with gentle fingers. urbosa sighs. "just consider it, okay? i care about you and i want you to be happy."

"i know," he murmurs. "i know. i'll think about it. only because you asked me to, though. not because he's my type." urbosa smiles and punches his shoulder lightly, to which revali wrinkles his nose at her. he'll think about it.

somehow, the tattoo shop finishes construction in the next week (that bolson construction company sure is efficient...) and opens. revali should probably go over to congratulate his new neighbor with a bouquet of daffodils and white carnations, but he's already glared them down the first time he saw them. with an oddly uncomfortable feeling in his chest, he keeps to himself in his little flower shop, tending to his vase of forget-me-nots and all his other flowers.

(but just because revali doesn't want to visit doesn't mean that link won't 👁️)

the soft chime of a bell alerts revali that a customer has stepped into the store. "welcome to the meadow," he starts, looking up from his computer to the door, "what can i help you with—?" and the rest of his words are stuck in his throat. there, in the threshold of his store, is the blond twink with the fully tatted arm staring at revali with wide, bright blue eyes.

revali never actually got a good look at him when they saw each other the first time. the blond is wearing a loose green tank top, black leather jeans, and combat boots, and his tatted arm is fully on display, swirling with deliberate strokes of ink. he's quite toned and lean, now that revali has gotten a closer look. definitely not his type. he's not!

"hi," the blond says, his voice as soft as the doorbell. "i'm link. i'm the... owner of the tattoo shop next door." he's got freckles, revali thinks faintly before he can actually process any other words.

"really? i wouldn't have ever known with your entire arm covered in tattoos," he says instead. "perhaps you were actually a receptionist or a dog walker who stumbled upon my humble shop." revali cringes internally after the words leave his mouth; he didn't mean to come off that rude for their first proper interaction. he just wanted to be a little rude.

but link only smiles at him, small but genuine, and a feeling grows in revali's chest that he can't quite name. "i'm not sure i'd be very good at either of those things," he says and steps a little closer to the counter, hands in his pockets.

"and who's to say you're any good at tattooing either?" revali mutters, and he doesn't mean for link to actually hear it, but he does, much to revali's chagrin.

link cocks his head, still smiling. "you could come by and find out," he says, and revali blinks at him. they maintain each other's gaze for a couple moments, link's eyes bright and wide, until revali finally tears his gaze away back to his computer. he can't read a single word on the screen.

"revali," he says instead, still keeping his eyes on the screen. it's almost feels difficult to get the words out. "my name is revali."

"hi revali," link says, leaning against the counter now. "it's nice to meet you." then, he glances up at the clock mounted above revali's head. "i have to get back now, i just wanted to properly introduce myself to you now that we'll be working next door to each other. i hope to see you around." with that, link stands up, bows his head a little, and gives revali another smile before leaving.

(and if revali stared after him and the way those leather jeans hugged his figure quite nicely, no he didn't.)

and that's how it starts 😳 at first i considered having link also keep to his own shop at first, but i don't think that does his "character" justice in the game. if you consider us as players to be equivalent to botw link's character (i.e. how we maneuver link in-game, what dialogue options we choose, etc), then link has this natural curiosity about the world around him and wants to explore and talk to new people. so of COURSE if he sees that his neighbor is hot, he's going to want to come over and say hiiiii *twirls his hair*

revalink shenanigans ensue <3 in the beginning, link would randomly drop by during the week for a minute or two, to say hi and make small talk with revali and at first, revali wouldn't say much eyeing the blond. but his short responses and cold demeanor don't deter link; it seems to spur him on, the blond smiling brightly at him with every greeting and with every goodbye.

one day, link comes in and after he says hello, he starts walking around the store looking at the flowers like he's a customer. revali blinks and watches link walk around, dumbfounded.

"what are you doing?" revali says.

"looking at the flowers," link says. he gently touches the edges of the flowers' petals as he moves between the aisles, the same way that revali treats the flowers. "i want to put some on our reception desk. i think it would look really nice." he stops before a cluster of sunflowers and then looks at revali. "can i get some of these?"

revali faintly notes how well link resembles the bright flowers, before scoffing. "if you're going to get flowers to greet your customers, you might as well put some effort into it!" he snips, crossing his arms. "sunflowers are a good choice, but sunflowers only are bland. here, if you were to add some of these—"

he ends up walking link around the entire adding flowers to the ones in link's hand and talking about the different meanings and nuances of flowers, until the arrangement has become a bouquet of sunflowers, gladiolus flowers, jasmine flowers, and calendulas, surrounded by a bunch of little white chamomiles.

"there," revali says, putting his hands on his hips and puffing up proudly. "now that is a bouquet worthy to greet customers."

"it's very beautiful," link comments. he gazes at the bouquet and touches the flowers with those ever so gentle fingers skirting the edges of the petals. "thank you for helping me put it together. how much does it cost?"

and that stops revali in his tracks, his hands dropping to his sides. he totally forgot that link wanted to get flowers for his own store and came here acting like a customer. "yes, the matter of payment," revali starts, blinking and brain scrambling, "well, then, just think of it as a welcoming gift."

"a welcoming gift?" link echoes, cocking his head at revali with those wide blue eyes.

"yes!" revali says, his face beginning to flush. "because your store is still brand new and i hadn't welcomed you properly either..." revali looks away, feeling his cheeks burn. "it's the least i can do..."

when he looks back at link, that familiar smile has returned to his face, eyes sparkling. "thank you, revali," link says, voice soft. "that's really nice of you." and revali's heart flutters.

"well, of course!" he stammers, willing his face not to burn brighter than it already is. "you're fortunate enough to be neighbors with me, the kindest, most benevolent, and gentlemanly florist in all of hyrule." link smiles brighter at him, holding the flowers to his chest and revali looks away, the pounding in his heart so intense he wonders if it will punch through his ribcage out onto the floor.

link starts coming in on mondays and wednesdays during his lunch break just to talk to revali, and gets him to talk more about the meanings of the flowers and the nuances of different colors, the best way to arrange flowers, etc., link happily listening along. it takes some time for revali to get used to, the sound of their voices filling the usually quiet shop for that sacred half hour but once it's set into place, revali looks forward to it every week (though he'll never admit it out loud).

"don't you eat during a lunch break?" revali comments once, after finishing a spiel about invasive flowers to never plant. link hums questioningly at him. "it's a lunch break. aren't you hungry?"

"oh," link says. "i guess?" and right on cue, a rumble comes from the blond's stomach and he looks up at revali with a sheepish smile. "ahah... i got so caught up talking to you i forgot i had to eat."

revali rolls his eyes, then sighs looking up at the clock. "we still have 20 minutes," he says. "come on, let's go to the cafe."

"cafe?" link repeats, as revali grabs his phone, wallet, and keys. "there's a cafe here?"

"had you paid much more attention to anywhere else but me, you'd have known," revali says, but link still stares at him with his head tilted, waiting for an answer. "one of my regulars, amali, runs the 'birdbath' cafe just down the street. she has an assortment of meals for you to choose from, you can just get one to-go."

they enter the cafe and amali starts greeting them until she realizes it's revali and then realizes it's revali with a guest and she's like IS THIS YOUR NEW NEIGHBOR??? and he's reservedly like Yeah... and now amali is fussing all over link and asking him about how he's settling in, is everything going okay, is revali nice to you, you can come in anytime you'd like! revali is like Pls....... we have 15 minutes until link has to go back to work just give him food girl

link is very excited about the entire menu because everything looks really good. "i'll have to come back here to try everything!" he tells amali and she's ecstatic. "i'm telling you, come back anytime! you're always welcome here," she says warmly.

and when link gets ready to pay, revali brushes him aside and offers his card to amali. amali gives revali a knowing look and accepts the card, but link looks up at him confused. "you don't have to..." he starts.

"i'll pay for you this time," revali mutters, averting his eyes. "i'm the one who dragged you out here after all." and link stares with those huge blue eyes.

"thank you," he says softly. "you're so kind, revali."

"that's our revali!" amali chuckles, handing revali his card back. "he might seem like all high and mighty, but he's really just a softie inside. why do you think he runs a flower shop?"

"amali!" revali gripes, flushing. "please just get link his food." he glances back at link, who's still gazing at him with an expression that revali doesn't know how to read. he looks at revali so softly, so tenderly, and... fond. revali swallows and adjusts his collar. is it hot in here or is it just him?

god this post is already so long but there is so much potential for so many revalink shenanigans in this au 🥺

link coming to get bouquets every week for his own store and learning how to make bouquets with revali

link showing revali his portfolio of tattoos and offering to give revali a tattoo for a discounted price only for revali to decline and link gets sad, until revali quickly says that he's scared of needles and link is like ohhh (but he's still kind of disappointed because he likes the idea of tattooing revali)

link secretly sketching and designing tattoos in his off-time that he think would look really beautiful and fit revali really well. and fantasizing about touching revali's biceps to tattoo him LOL

what if link had a tramp stamp. link with a tattoos on his ribcage and groin. tattoos behind his ear. he shows revali all of these irl in the shop and revali's face is so red he's just like Um. Yes Those Are All Very Nice. Yes. Please Put Your Clothes Back On.

link coming in to buy a bouquet of lilies for zelda and revali goes all tense and upset and is like. is that your gf. and link is like GOD NO that's my twin sister and lilies are her favorite flower and revali relaxes and is like oh. that's nice of you to get her some (but is secretly pleased that link doesn't have a significant other)

urbosa coming to visit the store at a time when link is there on his lunch break, and they get to introduce themselves to each other properly. revali is sitting there sweating the entire time and when link tells urbosa about how he comes here to spend his lunch breaks, urbosa smirks at revali, who's ready to shit himself

(urbosa texting revali later congratulating him on tapping that ass. revali screams at her that he has NOT done that. and she replies with "yet?". he threatens to block her)

everyone else on tabantha street realizing that link and revali are kind of having a Thing™ going on between them. and they all start planning to try to get them together. there's a reason why i have "i won't say i'm in love" from disney's hercules on my revalink playlist because everyone is getting in on Operation: Revalink trying to push revali into asking link out and he's like no nothing is going on between us i swear except he's spends all his breaks and off-time with link, taking him to cafes and paying for everything link orders, sitting in on tattoo sessions because link invites him over, teaching link how to make bouquets... ok so maybe they have something going on, leave me alone saki, i'm not going to ask him out

THIS WILL BE THE LAST SCENARIO I TALK ABOUT bc this post is so damn long now, but i imagine a scene where link asks revali about the vase of flowers on the counter and what kind of flowers they are. revali looks over at the forget-me-nots he's been carefully tending to and inhales, and tells link.

"those are forget-me-nots," revali says, in a voice that's uncharacteristically soft and vulnerable. it makes link sit up, becoming much more attentive to revali's demeanor. "they're perennial hardy flowers that die in the winter but regrow again during the spring. there's an old story about these little ones, where a knight and his lover were walking alongside a river. the knight reached down to pick the flowers that were growing near the river, but his armor was too heavy and he ended up falling in, only to be swept away by the river's current. if you ask me, it's a foolish way to go; why was he wearing such heavy armor anyway? but as he floated away, he threw the flowers he picked to his lover and shouted, 'forget me not!' and the flower was named as such."

revali reaches over to pull the vase closer and places it in between him and link. the flowers are small and delicate little things, a sweet shade of blue with a yellow center. both he and link touch the flowers as they do, with gentle fingers against the edges of the petals.

"these were the flowers that my father offered when he was courting my mother," revali says, gaze faraway. "as you can see, it worked out." he gestures to himself and link smiles. "they're supposed to represent everlasting love, a love so true and strong that it can't be forgotten." he pauses, rubbing a petal in between his fingers before continuing. "i've always wanted to offer a bouquet of these to someone that i love, in the same way my father did for my mother. as sentimental as it is, it's... romantic and meaningful."

"it is," link agrees softly. "whoever you give these flowers to will be very lucky to have someone like you." and revali makes the mistake of looking up to meet link's gaze, because that's where everything about him changes.

when he looks at link, the sun is shining through the windows of the shop, casting a golden glow over the blond. he gazes at revali with those wide blue eyes, the ones that revali has become increasingly enamored with in the time they've spent together, the same color as the forget-me-nots. beautiful, revali thinks and this time he doesn't shy away from the thought because it's true.

then, he takes a flower from the vase and reaches over the counter to slip it behind link's ear, tucking his hair as he goes. link stills, his eyes growing wider and his cheeks turning a faint shade of pink as revali's fingers touch his skin, gentle and featherlight, and for a moment in time, they're the closest they've ever been to each other since they've met. revali could probably count all of the freckles on spread across link's nose and cheeks. in this moment, revali wouldn't mind if they got closer than this. he'd like it a lot, actually.

but he pulls away and sits back down, admiring the way the flower sits prettily behind his ear, contrasting against link's golden hair and tan skin in the sunlight. link is still wide-eyed and pink-faced and it makes revali smile (just a little!). "yes, they'd be very lucky," he murmurs. "blue is definitely your color, by the way. you should wear it more often."

"th-thanks," link whispers, reaching up to touch the flower in his hair. "i'll keep that in mind."

yes, they could be closer than this. revali hopes that one day they could.

[satoshi-mochida]

Yars Rising launches September 10 - Gematsu

Yars Rising will launch for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC via Steam and Epic Games Store), and Atari VCS on September 10, publisher Atari and developer WayForward announced. Physical editions will also be available at retail in both standard and deluxe editions for PlayStation 5 and Switch, with pre-orders available now.

Get the latest details below.

The World of Yars Rising

In Yars Rising, players take control of Emi Kimura, a young hacker who’s been hired by a mysterious entity to infiltrate the shadowy Qotech corporation. Run, jump, sneak, and hack your way through challenges and retro-inspired mini-games to unravel layers of intrigue in this vast sci-fi mystery. Embark on Emi’s journey to decipher the mystery of the corporation’s closely guarded secret and uncover her inexplicable bond to a far-off alien race. In true Metroidvania fashion, Emi grows in power throughout her adventure, allowing her to retrace her steps and reach previously inaccessible and secret areas. Her evolving hacking skills are critical to solving stimulating minigames that reference the innovative gameplay from the Atari 2600 title Yars’ Revenge. Emi will also face challenging boss battles at the end of each level, each with its own unique quirks utilizing all of her diverse skills. The all-new gameplay trailer shows off the vivid world of Yars Rising, punctuated by anime-inspired cyberpunk character designs, an energetic soundtrack, and a look at the game’s stealth mechanics and enemy encounters. What starts off as a simple “get in, get out” mission quickly turns into more than what the young hacker Emi bargains for—from blasting robots to dodging lasers, to hacking complex systems and acquiring bio-hacks that grant unexpected abilities.

Key Features

Otherworldly Abilities – Emi must jump, blast, and sneak her way past waves of robotic and alien enemies. Her latent powers are revealed as she progresses, granting her wild augments and biohacks to reach inaccessible areas.

Stealth Traversal – Emi can’t always shoot or jump her way out of a jam — tense sections of stealth gameplay force her to skillfully duck into the shadows to hide from relentless security bots.

Science-Fiction Intrigue – A seemingly bottomless mystery takes Emi from drab office buildings into underground labs, and even to the farthest reaches of space as she uncovers the dark truth behind the Qotech corporation. A sprawling, interconnected map allows for hours upon hours of gameplay.

Genre Bender – A Metroidvania at its core, Yars Rising progresses the story with a series of hacking minigames paying homage to the original Yars’ Revenge, along with other levels and boss battles that take Emi far and beyond her “normal” adventure, like fight scenes and turn-based battles.

[foxnangelseo]

Investment Options in India: Diversify Your Portfolio in 2024

Diversification is a fundamental principle of investing, essential for managing risk and optimizing returns. In 2024, as investors navigate an ever-changing economic landscape, diversifying their portfolios becomes even more critical. India, with its vibrant economy, diverse markets, and growth potential, offers a plethora of investment options for both domestic and international investors. In this comprehensive guide, we explore various investment avenues in India in 2024, from traditional options like stocks and real estate to emerging opportunities in startups and alternative assets.

1. Equities: Investing in the Stock Market

Investing in equities remains one of the most popular ways to participate in India's economic growth story. The Indian stock market, represented by indices such as the Nifty 50 and Sensex, offers ample opportunities for investors to capitalize on the country's booming sectors and emerging companies.

- Blue-Chip Stocks: Invest in established companies with a proven track record of performance and stability.

- Mid and Small-Cap Stocks: Explore growth opportunities by investing in mid and small-cap companies with high growth potential.

- Sectoral Funds: Diversify your portfolio by investing in sector-specific mutual funds or exchange-traded funds (ETFs) targeting industries such as technology, healthcare, and finance.

2. Mutual Funds: Professional Fund Management

Mutual funds provide an excellent avenue for investors to access a diversified portfolio managed by professional fund managers. In India, mutual funds offer a range of options catering to different risk profiles and investment objectives.

- Equity Funds: Invest in a diversified portfolio of stocks, including large-cap, mid-cap, and small-cap companies.

- Debt Funds: Generate stable returns by investing in fixed-income securities such as government bonds, corporate bonds, and treasury bills.

- Hybrid Funds: Combine the benefits of equity and debt investments to achieve a balanced risk-return profile.

- Index Funds and ETFs: Track benchmark indices like the Nifty 50 and Sensex at a lower cost compared to actively managed funds.

3. Real Estate: Tangible Assets for Long-Term Growth

Real estate continues to be a popular investment option in India, offering the dual benefits of capital appreciation and rental income. While traditional residential and commercial properties remain attractive, investors can also explore alternative avenues such as real estate investment trusts (REITs) and real estate crowdfunding platforms.

- Residential Properties: Invest in apartments, villas, or plots of land in prime locations with high demand and potential for appreciation.

- Commercial Properties: Generate rental income by investing in office spaces, retail outlets, warehouses, and industrial properties.

- REITs: Gain exposure to a diversified portfolio of income-generating real estate assets without the hassle of direct ownership.

- Real Estate Crowdfunding: Participate in real estate projects through online platforms, pooling funds with other investors to access lucrative opportunities.

4. Startups and Venture Capital: Betting on Innovation and Entrepreneurship

India's startup ecosystem has witnessed exponential growth in recent years, fueled by a wave of innovation, entrepreneurial talent, and supportive government policies. Investing in startups and venture capital funds allows investors to participate in this dynamic ecosystem and potentially earn high returns.

- Angel Investing: Provide early-stage funding to promising startups in exchange for equity ownership, betting on their growth potential.

- Venture Capital Funds: Invest in professionally managed funds that provide capital to startups and emerging companies in exchange for equity stakes.

- Startup Accelerators and Incubators: Partner with organizations that support early-stage startups through mentorship, networking, and access to resources.

5. Alternative Assets: Diversification Beyond Traditional Investments

In addition to stocks, bonds, and real estate, investors can diversify their portfolios further by allocating capital to alternative assets. These assets offer unique risk-return profiles and can act as a hedge against market volatility.

- Gold and Precious Metals: Hedge against inflation and currency fluctuations by investing in physical gold, gold ETFs, or gold savings funds.

- Commodities: Gain exposure to commodities such as crude oil, natural gas, metals, and agricultural products through commodity futures and exchange-traded funds.

- Cryptocurrencies: Explore the emerging asset class of digital currencies like Bitcoin, Ethereum, and others, which offer the potential for high returns but come with higher volatility and risk.

Conclusion

Diversifying your investment portfolio is essential for mitigating risk, maximizing returns, and achieving long-term financial goals. In 2024, India offers a myriad of investment options across various asset classes, catering to the preferences and risk profiles of different investors.

Whether you prefer the stability of blue-chip stocks, the growth potential of startups, or the tangible assets of real estate, India provides ample opportunities to diversify your portfolio and capitalize on the country's economic growth story. By carefully assessing your investment objectives, risk tolerance, and time horizon, you can construct a well-diversified portfolio that withstands market fluctuations and delivers sustainable returns in the years to come.

This post was originally published on: Foxnangel

[hierba-picante]

A bit of a vent below heheeee- nothing major just work stuff grrr

Trader Joe's dropped some mini canvas tote bags- which-- don't get me wrong they're cute! I have one cause an employee saved me and my coworkers one each! But... these people stood in line for HOURS to get 4 bags, the limit was 4. For a small 2.99 tote bag. AN ELDERLY WOMAN COULDN'T GET BY- SHE WAS IN ONE OF THOSE MOTORIZED WHEELCHAIRS- SHE HAD TO DO A U TURN AND TRY A DIFFERENT ROUTE!! CAUSE PEOPLE IN LINE WERE BEING DUMBASSES AND NOT MAKING WAY FOR ANYBODY!! OVER A TOTE BAG???? I work right next door to a trader joes- and these people didn't make space for my store or other retailers?? They blocked off all of our doors>:0- The store I work at is a pet store- so some people left with big bags of food! But nope! Had to go all the way around!!! Some workers couldnt even take their lunch in peace cause this stupid bitch ass customers YOINKED the chairs from the outside tables!! To sit in while waiting for the TOTE BAGS!!!!! CAUSE OF A FUCKING TOTE BAG!!!! WE HAD SIGNS UP TO LEAVE A GAP FOR OUR DOORS- SO CUSTOMERS COULD PASS THROUGH- AND MY MANAGER KEPT TELLING THEM TO LEAVE A SPACE FREE FOR THAT REASON- BUT NOBODY FUCKINGNSJAJCNDIZJC LISTEEEENNNEDD :'[

I did grab mine before they released it to the public tho-- and I waved that bag around once I was back inside at the store I work at. I popped open that paper trader joes bag and waved THE TINY ASS TOTE BAG AROUND-- though I'm not that brave and had my back turned-- IT WAS SATISFYING TO WAVE IT AROUND WHILE PEOPLE STOOD IN LINE WAITING FOR THEIR'S- AND TO JUST TURN BACK AND WATCH THEM DO A DEEP HEAVY SIGH BE ALL IRRITATED- AUGH MADE MY DAAAAAAYYYYYY!!!!! >:D

[undress-baby]

Exploring the Capabilities of Clothes Remover AI in Modern Fashion

The fashion industry has always been at the forefront of innovation, constantly adapting to new technologies to enhance design, production, and marketing. One of the latest advancements making waves is Clothes Remover AI, a technology that’s transforming the way we interact with fashion digitally. This tool has sparked significant interest, especially in the realms of virtual fitting rooms and digital fashion design.

What is Clothes Remover AI?

Clothes Remover AI is an artificial intelligence-based tool designed to digitally remove clothing from images. While the concept may sound controversial, its applications in the fashion industry are quite practical and forward-thinking. This technology allows designers, retailers, and consumers to visualize clothing fits and styles on digital models without the need for physical prototypes. Essentially, it helps in digitally removing one layer of clothing to visualize another, aiding in mix-and-match scenarios or virtual fittings.

The Role of Clothes Remove Technology in Fashion

The ability to remove clothes digitally has significant implications for the fashion industry. For designers, this technology allows for more efficient prototype creation. Instead of producing multiple physical samples, designers can now create and test their ideas in a digital space. This not only speeds up the design process but also reduces waste, making fashion more sustainable.

Retailers are also leveraging Clothes Remover AI to enhance the online shopping experience. Virtual fitting rooms powered by this technology allow customers to try on clothes digitally before making a purchase. This reduces the number of returns due to incorrect sizing or dissatisfaction with the fit, saving both the retailer and the customer time and money.

Ethical Considerations

Despite its benefits, the use of Clothes Remove AI raises ethical concerns. It’s crucial that this technology is used responsibly, with strict guidelines to ensure it’s not exploited for inappropriate or non-consensual purposes. The fashion industry must lead the way in setting these standards to ensure that technology enhances, rather than harms, the user experience.

Conclusion

Clothes Remover AI is revolutionizing the fashion industry by making design processes more efficient and shopping experiences more immersive. As this technology continues to evolve, it will be exciting to see how it further shapes the future of fashion, provided it is used ethically and responsibly.

[rnoonpie]

For almost a month, I've been working retail for the first time as an electronics department sales assistant in a popular bulk warehouse chain. I was so afraid I was going to hate it, that customers were going to make me lose my faith in humanity, that children were gonna be unbearable.

But I don't. They didn't, they aren't.

I love meeting people and talking to people and I love knowing about the products I help sell. I love helping a customer figure out what's best for their needs, not just directing them to the biggest and flashiest, most expensive phones or laptops.

But most surprising to me, I think, is a reminder that I do really get along with children and love talking to them, even little babies. They're so funny and just make me smile. I love little babies in carriers with stout little fat frog legs dangling in the air, with so much fat on their faces they look like a bulldog when they close their eyes. I love the ones who don't have enough hair to style but they've got one little tuft sticking straight up in a bow anyway. I love waving to the ones who stare very intently while they're figuring out how their eyes work.

But most of all, I think I really love getting to be someone I never had for me in public spaces as a child, and that's treating them like a customer just as much as their parents, asking them what they're looking for, if they have any questions.

The transformation is so complete every time. I see how braced they are for an adult approaching them while they're using the display iPads, expecting to be scolded or told to leave it alone. But when I ask with a smile how they're doing and if they're looking for anything in particular, if they have any questions, they transform into such excited and curious things.

"Um! Um, I was wondering, um, what the difference is between the iPad Pro and the others!" this little girl said nervously, her voice high and thin.

So I told her, in simpler terms, but with the same cadence I would have used with her mother.

"So the Pro line tends to have a better processor, which means it's going to be able to handle a lot more apps at the same time. They're really good for games and I know a lot of artists who like to use this app here — " I tapped the demo Procreate icon and opened it up " — to make art! The Pro also has a very clear and bright screen with a pretty huge amount of colours it can display, which is why a lot of artists like it so much. So the Pro does all these things more efficiently than the other iPads do."

Her eyes were enormous. "That's so cool," she whispered in breathless awe. "That's so cool."

"Isn't it?" I agreed. "This stuff amazes me every day."

Her parents came and collected her not long after that and apologised for the trouble.

"Not at all," I said in deep surprise.

Like her parents were afraid their child's mere presence was annoying or bothersome to employees? Like… nah, man. Kids want to know what the electronics can do, too. They're just people learning how to people.

Adults are the ones who annoy me on a daily basis more than children. You know who love to connect to our demo Bluetooth speakers to blast rude music as loudly as they can? Grown ass men, every single time, without fail.

Children are generally very reserved and polite when they need my help with something, saying "excuse me".

It was another grown ass man who saw me counting inventory, decided it would be hilarious to go "forty-nine, twenty-two, eighty-six…" as he passed by.

The stare that I gave him must have been completely dead-eyed because he immediately flushed and mumbled an apology before hurrying away.

But, as a disclaimer, that's not to say that all the adult men who come into the store are annoying or rude. In fact, the vast majority of them are lively and polite and friendly! Even the ones that fuck around with the speakers haven't given me direct trouble (I deal with the speaker issue by just muting it via the laptop it's actually connected to) and no one has ever been overtly aggressive or abusive to me.

I know it's only been a month. I know that getting a Karen is going to be inevitable — people will always be people, after all — but I know that, broadly, people are good and I love them. I love watching them and talking to them, of all ages, gender, background.

People are fundamentally good.

[noidacommercial9]

Wave One Noida Sector 18 Office Space at Best Price List

Wave One Noida Sector 18 Office Space at Best Price List

Wave One Noida Sector 18 Commercial project is an excellent mission to invest in. The venture site is simple to commute via street and gives connectivity to the one-of-a-kind elements of Delhi/NCR i.E. Gurgaon, Greater Noida, Delhi, and different sectors in Noida via avenue. Moreover, zone-18 Noida is also prepared with local stores and has a totally industrial surroundings that facilitates…

[autisticsupervillain]

Welcome, Ladies and Gentlemen, to Stats Equalized!

The show where we equalize strength, speed, and durability to decide who would win a battle of hax, skill, and versatility.

This Month's Fighters...

Isaac Clarke vs Jacob Lee!

Conditions:

No Restrictions.

Jackb has his Final Transmission weapons

Scenario:

The illegal cargo that Jacob was smuggling to Callisto included detailed instructions on how to construct a Necromorph Marker. This results in Isaac tracking him to Black Iron prison to kill him and destroy the Marker's instructions.

Analysis: Isaac

I feel like every job becomes a lot cooler when you do them in Space. Tax Accountant... IN SPACE! Retail Worker... IN SPACE! Maintenance Engineer... IN SPACE! Sure, there's an increased chance that you might get devoured by a bloodthirsty hive mind that's hellbent on devouring all life in the galaxy, but for some unlucky space engineers, that's just an occupational hazard.

Meet Isaac Clarke, a lowly systems engineer employeed by the Concordance Extraction Corporation who gets called in to repair the "planet cracker" USG Ishimura when they send out a distress signal. Rather than, say, a broken antenna or an overloaded reactor core, the Ishimura has come down with a rather more unusual case of man eating space monsters.

Meet the Necromorphs, undead hive mind abominations intent on devouring, assimilating, or just out right killing all life that isn't them. They're none too picky with how they kill you and none too picky with what you do to them. They just don't die no matter what you do to them. Blow their heads off, cut them in half, pump them full of lead, it doesn’t matter. They will rush you down with zero hesitation regardless. And what's worse that they can get humans to do their job for them, using their "Markers" to not only organize the Necromorphs like one organize, but also corrupt the minds of humans into forming an cult around the Necromorphs, serving the Marker's whims.

Luckily for Isaac, he's a bit of a master of improvised weaponry, meaning he has all the tools he needs to clear these Markers out. Firstly, he's decked out head to toe in a fancy RIG suit. This Resource Integration Gear comes equipped with all the tools necessary to help its user survive on the job hazards, even if Space Aliens probably weren't what the makers had in mind for it. His RIG suit can vacuum seal when exposed to suboptimal breathing conditions, be that poisonous gas or the vacuum of space, forcing Isaac to rely on an internal oxygen supply. However, this supply is limited and only lasts for about a minute and a half. Furthermore, his RIG is equipped with thrusters that allow to freely fly around in zero g or low g environments like Iron Man.... IN SPACE! ...Ahem. Sorry. I'll stop.

Furthermore, his suit can come equipped with several Modules that can modify its performance and abilities. The Kinesis Module can allow him to telekinetically lift and throw heavy objects from several meters away with just the wave of his hand, while the Stasis Module temporarily slows down time for whatever object he waves his hand at, allowing him to dodge super fast projectiles, freeze enemies in place, or catch Necromorphs that are glitching through time thanks to their damages Stasis RIGs.

In terms of fire arms, Isaac has fire power to spare. His improvised plasma cutter, original designed to cut up large boulders, is equipped with a rotating blade, allowing for long horizontal and diagonal shots that are just perfect for cutting the limbs off Necromorphs. Even if you can't kill them, they can't chase you down without limbs.

The pulse rifle is a powerful motorized gun with a secondary fire the shoots bullets in a 360 degree radius, while the Disc Ripper shoots out a powerful romote control buzz saw that cuts through anything in its path, with a secondary fire that makes the spinning blades bounce all over the damn place. The torch flame thrower spews out fire that burns at 4000 degrees Celsius with a secondary fire that shoots a big napalm grenade, while the Cutter Line Gun is a more powerful Plasma Cutter that shoots out landmines with its secondary fire.

The contact beam is an energy jackhammer meant to blast apart rock that can create shockwaves across the ground to dispatch swarms. The Javelin Gun fires electric titanium spikes that can explode, the Seeker Rifle is a futuristic sniper rifle, and the Force Gun obliterates everything in front of it by firing pure kinetic energy. Finally, the Hand Cannon is a large foam sports hand that kills everything Isaac points at with it. Without exception.

Isaac in an experienced technological genius, capable of throwing together a good chunk of his weapons by himself on the spot. Hell, he's smart enough to build a Marker on his own... while under a Marker's mind control, granted, but still. You can't really hold that against him. As time gas gone on, Isaac has grown more and more resilient to the influence of Markers, capable of resisting their control and effects through sheer will power alone. This is impressive when you realize the Marker's mind control is collectively powerful to formulate one of the most dominant and wide spread religions in human history, with a mental influence that can span planets or even the entire solar system. Moreover, Isaac's suit is resilient against extreme temperatures, radiation, and acid and can pump him full of stimulants to keep him from being drugged unconscious.

One man, one lowly engineer has done what an entire army could not and, by himself, destroyed three Markers over the course of his life. Hell, those first two might as well have happened the exact same day from his perspective. Isaac Clarke, ladies and gentlemen. The man the dead fear.

Analysis: Jacob

Space. The Final Frontier. A place only fit to be explored when all other options are exhausted. When the Earth has no more life left in it and humanity has no other place to go. It is a hellish, lifeless void incapable of even carrying your screams. It is the graveyard of the universe and in no other world is this fact more apparent than the hellish world.... of PUBG.

....What's that? That got retconned? The Callisto Protocol isn't canon to PUBG anymore? Fuck. Alright, fine. In no other universe is this fact more apparent than the hellish world of The Callisto Protocol.

Humanity is struggling to survive in space after all other options have been extinguished and Earth's resources have been used up. Without the means to leave the solar system, crime and poverty are rampant across human society, forcing down on his luck space trader Jacob Lee to turn to some ethically questionable lines of work. He strikes up a deal with the United Jupiter Company to smuggle some illegal cargo to Jupiter's moon Callisto. This results in him getting hijacked by The Outer Way, a terrorist group fighting against the UJC, which then results in him crash landing on Callisto. This gets him thrown into the supermax prison Black Iron for illegal smuggling.

Thankfully, he isn't there long, as a riot begins not long after he's thrown into his cell. Unfortunately, the riot was caused by a zombie outbreak. The warden had discovered a super virus called the Biophage deep within Callisto and, believing it's adaptive properties would allow humans to better survive in space, unleashed the virus on all the inmates and ordered the security drones to kill everyone as a way of testing it. Now, Jacob must desperately fight for his survival in a prison where everyone and everything wants him dead.

Luckily, he stumbles across quite a few useful gadgets while on his way out. His armored space suit allows him survive the hellish conditions of Callisto's surface, where the temperatures can get as low as -139.2 C°. His prison shiv, crowbar, and electric stun baton allow him to pummel the infected up close, even against monsters strong enough to rip off heads, crush skulls, and rip human beings in half. Final Transmission gives him the Kinetic Hanmer, a massive hammer that can store and charge up kinetic energy to make his swings hit even harder. His Hand Cannon is a nifty side arm with an alt fire that fires explosive rounds, while his tactical pistol comes with a burst fire mode. His skunk gun shotgun fires homing rounds, his riot gun shotgun fires explosive rounds, and his assault rife fires smart bullets, advanced homing rounds that can maneuvers themselves around obstacles while tracking down their targets. And each of these guns is powerful enough to pierce the metal alloy of Black Iron's security drones, who are strong enough to effortlessly rip the titanium doors off spaceships. But Jacob's most advanced weapon is his Gravity Restraint Projector, a drvice on his arm that manipulates gravity to allow Jacob to effortlessly lift heavy objects and even people. He can throw you off a cliff or into a wall of spikes with just a wave of his hand.

His arsenal isn't entire good, though. Jacob suffers from what I like to call Gordon Freeman Syndrome, where his perfectly serviceable space suit and armor doesn't have a helmet. Only Jacob's is worse because he DID have a perfectly good helmet, he just took it off for no reason. And secondly, there's the CORE device strapped into the back of his neck. While it does monitor the health status of all prisoners at Black Iron and make him compatible with their Health Injectors, which Jacob can use to rececitate himself even while his heart is stopping, it also exists to monitor his memories. Meaning Jacob is frequently getting flashbacks and suffering from severe hallucinations as a result of his CORE device fucking with his head.

Despite all of that, Jacob is still a survivor. Even as the Biophage zombies evolved to match his tactics, Jacob powered through. Sneaking past blind zombies who had developed echo location and shooting out the weak spots of Zombies who grew hardened skin to resist his bludgeoning. For better and for worse, he's willing to do whatever he has to ensure his own safety. To the point that the breakout at Black Iron was actually his fault, as the illegal cargo he was carrying for the UJC turned out to be the Biophage pathogen. Realizing that he's indirectly killed thousands in his selfishness, Jacob works to undo the harm he's done, working with The Outer Way to reveal the Warden's corruption and ultimately giving his life to ensure the solar system knows about all that happened at Black Iron.

Throwdown Theme:

Throwdown Breakdown:

What's interesting about the dynamic of this matchup is that their advantages are flipped relative to their gameplay. The gameplay of Dead Space prioritizes keeping your distance and carving Necromorphs to bits before they get you, but here Issac's wide variety of weapons gives him an edge in close quarters combat. Jacob has no counter to something like the flamethrower up close and melee range would make it easier for Isaac to land Stasis on him for an easy win. Meanwhile, the gameplay of Callisto focuses strongly on melee combat, while here Jacob's guns give him an advantage over Clarke at a distance. Especially with homing bullets. And, of course, both have what is essentially sci-fi telekinesis.

However, Issac has a few distinct advantages here that make this his game. While Jacob's weapons are better suited to ranged combat, Issac's wider variety of weapons gives him a lot of answers to Jacob's tricks, leaving Lee struggling to adapt. The Disc Ripper and the Plasma Cutter's give Isaac a control over the environment that Jacob would struggle to adapt to, while the Pulse Rifle's secondary fire makes getting near him a death sentence. And Isaac's just plain and simply smarter and more experienced, with three games of monster killing under his belt to fall back. Jacob is determined, but Isaac's been pushed past the point of madness more than once, and most of his arsenal is stuff he's made himself. Isaac would almost certainly understand how stuff like the Kinetic Hammer works just by seeing Jacob charge it up.

Jacob is a tough bastard to kill, but against someone who's just as tough to out down, but much smarter and more versatile than he is, he can only do so much.

This Throwdown's Winner is...

Isaac Clarke!

[bright-and-burning]

6, 7, 8 for the music ask!!

6. three songs you wish you could erase from history (because they’re terrible)

this was impossible bc i don’t really think about/remember music i hate without it being played right that second. also usually when i hate something it’s about the overplayed ness not the song itself

that dance monkey song that was fun for two seconds and then became retail worker hell

oh blurred lines . that was not it. i can’t think of a third off the top of my head tbh

7. three songs you didn’t expect to like but eventually loved

chaos space marine by black country, new road (album sent to me by a friend and i wasn’t sure abt this one at first esp w the intro but now i love it lol)

pink pony club by chappell roan (i got into her in her school nights/bitter era and this was the first i had heard of her new stuff. it was a Massive departure from the older stuff so it took me a year to revisit but now i think it FUCKS)

don’t hurt yourself by beyonce ft jack white (was kinda 🤨 at the combo of two artists i liked for vastly different reasons but then the “you just gotta let it be let it be let it be let it be babe” hit and i was with it)

8. three songs that remind you most of summer and vacation

sunflower seeds by bryce vine

t-shirt weather by circa waves

3 nights by dominic fike

three songs asks

[supervillainny]

I started writing ST fic and then I lost all energy and confidence in it aheh no one is surprised. What it is with me and the linear narrative and how BAD i am at it

Hawkins, Indiana, is just like every other rural town. Hell, Eddie’s probably driven through it three times already this morning, rolling past the same wood-paneled station wagons, the same Mom and Pop stores with the same discounts, the same wind in his hair and his tyres kicking up the same late summer dust. They’ve been on the road since the sun was barely risen, and Eddie lost the convoy somewhere just off the interstate when he’d stopped off for a smoke and a piss. Wayne had warned him that they wouldn’t wait, that he’d have to find his own way to the new pitch, but he’s got a cherry slurpee sluicing the road dust from his throat and it’s hard to feel worried about getting lost when the town’s exactly the same as everywhere else. 

At a stop light just inside of city limits he wrestles a map flat over his steering wheel, Brian Johnson wailing in his ears as he traces the messy red line he’d drawn from the outskirts all through the centre of town, and then most of the way back out. He leans out of the window, craning around to look for a street sign, ignoring the asshole in the truck behind him who’s leaning on their horn.  

He’s in some kind of run-down retail zone, with a cut-rate PetSmart, a Family Video, and an arcade with a bunch of teenagers hanging around outside in the shade of one of the struggling trees. Closer to the road there are a couple of women with strollers, and Eddie clears his throat and gives them a winning smile, holding it steady even as the truck blasts past him on the right and a half-full beer can clangs against the side of his van. 

“Ladies,” he begins, and can’t help the way his grin spreads as they eye him sidelong and step a little further away. “Ladies, fair maidens, can you help a lowly traveler in need?” 

One of them, short and solid and with her arms folded comfortably across her chest, opens her mouth, but chokes off the word she started when the other - taller, dressed expensively, sour-faced - elbows her in the side. 

“I think you should keep right on traveling,” the sour-faced one says, and Eddie rolls his eyes and throws up the horns, stepping on the gas just before the light flicks to red and spinning his steering wheel, tyres squealing, so he can pull into the parking lot and stop his van across three spaces. 

He swings out of the driving seat and strolls over to the arcade, but his attention is entirely distracted by a guy wrestling with a cardboard cut-out of Harrison Ford in the window of the Family Video. Eddie tucks his hands into his pockets and watches with a smirk as the oversized cardboard figure fights back, toppling over and smacking the guy in the head. Squinting into the relative darkness of the store, Eddie can just about make out another employee collapsed over the desk, clearly enjoying the hell out of the guy’s misfortune, and he can’t resist barking out a laugh when the guy flips her the bird and then trips over the damn cut-out. 

Apparently his presence finally catches the guy’s attention, though, and Eddie is confronted with a sprawled out guy about his own age who is pushed up on his elbows and staring right at him through the smeared window of the Family Video. He’s got soulful deep-brown eyes and swooping brown hair that he flicks back out of his eyes, flushed and kind of goofy and with a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. Eddie hunches his shoulders, embarrassed, flushed and inexplicably dry-mouthed, as the guy lifts a hand and twiddles his fingers in a dorky little wave. 

[scarletwritesshit]

Yosuke Hanamura x F!Reader ❀ Town of Blossoms ❀ June 12th, 2013

Yosuke looked to his left. Then to his right. Then left again. He peeked his head around the end of the aisle to look down the others, as if he was scouting out the area with great focus.

"What are you even doing?" you asked.

"Shhh. Just wait and see," he said, which only confused you further.

Junes was relatively free of customers today. Perhaps everyone had already finished their heat wave preparations and were doing the right thing by avoiding stepping outside altogether. The store was populated with a few residents shopping, which was to be expected, but it was rather empty for a business as sizable as Junes.

The floor workers seemed to be lazily wandering around attempting to look busy, as the shelves had been fully stocked a few days prior. On the contrary, Yosuke was clearly up to something, and that devious look on his face indicated that it was no good. He poked his head around to scan the surrounding aisles one more time.

"I think we're clear," he said, "Follow me."

While the other employees were either distracted or out of sight, he lead you to the back of Junes, where a rather thick, heavy looking door was located. He pushed down the handle and struggled to pull the door forward and open it. Once he finally dragged it open, you were blasted in the face with frigid air.

"Are you going in or what? Hurry up!" he said, pushing you inside.

As you stumbled inside, you managed to avoid falling directly onto your face. He followed behind you and used all of his strength to try and quickly pull the door shut. The freezer was quite cold, which was to be expected, yet it wasn’t intolerably freezing like you expected it to be. It was a comfortable sort of chill, soothing your heat exhausted body without the risk of frostbite. Boxes of various frozen products in bulk lined the walls, with some being stacked as high as the ceiling. Though it was packed quite full, there was still a considerably large amount of free space.

Yosuke led you through a maze of boxes that were stacked in the center and around the floor. He seemed well acquainted with the space, as he confidently guided you through the stacks of boxes. In a dead-end corner of the small, maze-like spread of the boxes, Yosuke finally stopped in his tracks.

“This should work. Nobody really frequents this deep into the storage,” he said, taking one last look around.

“What makes you so sure of that?” you asked, skeptical.

“I usually hide back here myself, and so far, I haven’t been caught. Not once.”

“Yet.”

“Yet? You’d really doubt me on this kind of thing?”

You didn’t want to say it, but Yosuke’s so-called genius plans often had their faults. And bringing a customer to a dead end of a freezer storage wasn’t exactly among his most flawless ideas.

“I mean…never mind.”

“Exactly,” he said, sitting down in a corner of boxes.

You sat close to him, leaving a bit of distance between you two as to not intrude on his personal space. The floor itself was cold, as the concrete retained the chill quite well. The boxes themselves were strangely pleasant to lay up against, providing relief from the agonizing temperatures that had yet to show any signs of letting up. The boxes were also vital in keeping your cool, literally, as your nerves were ever so slightly on edge from being this close to Yosuke in a confined space.

There wasn’t really anything to keep you preoccupied in this secluded space, other than observing the stacks upon stacks of bulk merchandise stashed away to be set out at a later date. The organization seemed rather inconsistent to you, with boxes of noodles stacked beside frozen meats and so on. Did the employees have this arrangement miraculously memorized? It seemed more likely that they would have to search high and low for whatever it is that they were looking for, but the power of a retail worker was never to be underestimated.

Yosuke slipped his phone out of his pocket and turned the screen on for a second. He glanced at it, then slipped it back into his pocket.

“We have plenty of time to sit in here undisturbed. Some other workers go on break the same time as me, so we should be relatively safe,” he said.

“Relatively doesn’t cut it when a customer is in an off-limit location.”

“Well, okay. It’s impossible for anybody to have a reason to come in here at this time. I’m sure we will be fine.”

You didn’t have any choice but to believe him now, as attempting to slip out on your own would only prove to have disastrous results. Instead of worrying about it, you focused more on taking in the sweet relief of the cold air engulfing your entire body. Other than sitting back and enjoying the therapeutic chill, there really wasn’t too much available to pass the time. Looking at the stacks of cheese stick and instant noodle boxes wasn’t providing much entertainment either.

“So uh, what do you even do in here?” you asked.

“I usually just play around on my phone or take a nap. This isn’t really a place for recreation.”

“A nap? And you wake up on time?”

“Hell no. It’s easy to get away with though since no one notices my absence.”

“One of these days, you’re going to get caught,” you said, shaking your head.

“But I haven’t yet.”

It was rather quiet in the freezer, as the only sounds that could be heard were from the considerably powerful air conditioner running. The walls were thick enough that you could not hear anything from outside. You looked at Yosuke to see what he was up to, though he seemed to be simply taking in the cold air, just as you were currently doing. It was a little dull sitting in the freezer, but it was the most relieving frosty air that you had felt in a long time.

All things considered, it was a cooler, with the intention of keeping frozen goods at safe temperatures, and you weren’t exactly dressed for this environment. The stone-cold floor felt like ice on your exposed legs, and the bitter air nipped at your arms and face. A bit of a chill was far less dangerous than inevitable heat stroke, though.

“Getting cold yet?” Yosuke asked.

He was a bit better protected from the cold than you were. A Junes apron and pants made him less susceptible to freezing so quickly. You, on the other hand, were wearing only a t-shirt and shorts.

“A little,” you said, rubbing your hands to keep them warm.

“Well uh…you…really don’t have to sit so far away from me, then.”

You weren’t sitting far away from him in the first place. The distance between the two of you probably amounted to only a few centimeters, spanning not even the entire length of a box. It was a very indirect way of him inviting you to sit closer, but nevertheless, you slid yourself over a bit.

Now, you can enjoy the scenic view of frozen bulk noodle boxes together. It was just like watching a sunset, except there was no sun and you were sitting in a 0°C cooler.

That was one way to pass the time while sitting in a warehouse freezer.

And there was no denying that it was, indeed, quite cold. It didn’t affect you much at first, as the warmth from the outside was still lingering within your body. Now that you had taken the time to relax and cool down, the chill was starting to sink it. You should’ve dressed better for this, but you genuinely had no clue that you were going to be slipped into the freezer today, let alone that Yosuke was actually serious about the prospect.

You slid just a bit closer to Yosuke, hoping to sneak a bit of his warmth. He still felt a bit cold, but not quite as deathly freezing as you did. He always managed to be a herald of the sun, warming your soul both physically and metaphorically when you needed it most. As much as he drew you in, however, you forced yourself away from him slowly, to allow for a bit more personal space between the two of you. As you were pushing your body away, he grabbed onto the bottom of your shirt, as if to keep you from leaving.

“…Where are you going?” he asked.

He seemed to not want you to move away, despite how awkwardly close you were sitting to him. If he was fine with this, then there really was no reason for you to move back.

“Nowhere. Just…readjusting myself,” you said.

Instead of forcing yourself away, you shifted your body to sit more comfortably next to him. If he truly did object to it, he has had plenty of chances to tell you off. This isn’t the first time that the two of you shared a little bit of unintentional close contact. Of course, you two were most excellent friends, but wasn’t it a little odd for him to be so clingy in these subtle ways?

You shouldn’t misjudge him, as you knew him to be quite clingy to those he was close to. Something just felt a bit odd, as he was far more unusually attached to you than the majority of the Investigation Team.

You looked at Yosuke, seeing him with his head turned to the side and avoiding eye contact. It was only now, that you had noticed the dye fading from the tips of his hair. It was bleached white, paler than the white hydrangeas he always found himself in a tangle with. You couldn’t help but gently caress a few strands, closely observing the brown fading into the white.

“You ever going to redye your hair?” you asked, letting those few strands slide out of your fingers.

“Oh, that. I haven’t done anything to it yet as I was planning on getting it trimmed,” he said, turning to look at you.

“Is it just a summer thing? I think this look of yours suits you just fine.”

“Y-you do? I mean-well, not exactly. More like, a change of style or something.”

“If you want to trim it, then trim it. Don’t let me influence your decisions like that.”

“That’s crazy, man. Why would I let you influence me?”

Confused by his unusual phrasing, you asked him, “What do you mean?”

“I-I mean like I can make my own decisions. Without you. Not deliberately excluding you, or anything.”

“The more you speak, the deeper hole you dig yourself. Sometimes, you just need to learn when to shut up.”

“Shut up? I guess you’re not wrong, but…”

He trailed off and you two were left in an awkward silence. You moved closer towards his face, staring directly into his eyes waiting for a continuation of his statement.

“Well? But what?” you said.

“You said I needed to shut up. So I did.”

“Not like that, you idiot.”

“But how? You can’t possibly be suggesting that you-“

The sound of the freezer door being pushed open interrupted Yosuke. Both of you, despite being uncomfortably close to each other, froze on the spot.

“Yosuke…” you whispered, “what was that about not having anything to worry about?”

“Ahaha…uh…this is baaad.”

“No shit. I’d like to see you try to get out of this one.”

“Wait. I have an idea It’s dumb enough that it might just work.”

He quickly pushed himself up from the ground and walked around the corner of boxes. So much for not being seen. You cautiously and quietly slid over to listen to what Yosuke was attempting to do in order to bullshit his way out of this situation. Revealing yourself to those you were trying to hide from wasn’t a good idea, so you could only begin to imagine all of the ways this could go wrong.

“Hanamura? I thought you were at lunch,” you heard a male voice say.

Thankfully, it was a different worker than the one who tormented you days prior.

“Huh? That late already?”

“Yes. By at least twenty minutes.”

“Oh. Whoops. Well since I’m already shoved in here, what can I get for you?”

For the love of God, please don’t lead him around the corner. What are you even thinking, anyways? you thought, expecting the worst.

“Manager wanted me to check the stocks on these.”

“Oh. Just on checked them. We’re all good until the next shipment.”

“Very well. I will let him know.”

You heard the freezer door open and shut again. Yosuke didn’t come back around the corner, so you maneuvered your way to the exit only to be greeted by him with his back up against the door and arms spread out, as if it would make any difference keeping anyone out. You were presumably in the clear again, so you revealed yourself fully and walked up to him.

“Never...again,” he huffed, still in a state of shock.

“Agreed,” you said, likely just as freaked out as he was.

He really was awful at hiding things.

[customblindsmelb]

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