#and all the recycling and trash should be ready to go out

[fiona-fififi]

...

[shuahoonie]

unspoken words | jeon wonwoo

pairing: non-idol!wonwoo (svt) x fem!reader

notes: office!au (kinda?), fluff, suggestive jokes, swearing, idiots 2 lovers. alcohol consumption, jeonghan the matchmaker. the one where reader and wonwoo’s paths kept missing each other until they didn’t. loosely based on the song unspoken words by mxmtoon.

word count: 5.1k

summary: you and wonwoo always had a complicated relationship— no matter how hard you two tried, your lives had a funny way of getting intertwined.

and stubborn may you both be, wonwoo will always admit his feat when it comes to you.

part of the to x, with love mini series

shuahoonie's masterlist | to x, with love masterlist

“i never asked you to stay,” wonwoo muttered as you helped him clean up after the info session that your work had conducted for a group of students.

“this is ridiculous,” you sighed more so to yourself “there’s no way you could’ve done this by yourself.” you said while you held the blue recycling bin, gathering all of the leftover flyers and other papers that had writing on them. you also had a separate bin for the coffee lids and cup sleeves to put in the recycling as well.

“you could’ve just left,” wonwoo was watching you the entire time, making a mental note that you were serious about putting away your trash. “i know seokmin is waiting for you in the lobby.”

“it’s okay.” you replied, not even bothering to look him in the eye. instead, you gathered everything in a neat pile.

“you shouldn’t keep him waiting,” the words came out so harsh when he said it. even wonwoo was surprised, he wasn’t usually like this.

“he’ll be fine,” you said dismissively, not really in the mood to argue with him.

“yn,” wonwoo calls your name as if he hated doing it. “go.”

it took everything within you to stop yourself from yelling at him. “your anger will mean nothing,” seokmin’s words would ring in your ear. so you took a deep breath, dropped what you were doing and left without another word.

“oh, seok, i was ready to pounce him.” you grumbled, stabbing the lettuce on your salad a little too aggressively.

"what, like sexually?" seokmin realized it was a bad joke. the way you were practically throwing daggers at him made it painfully obvious that you were not in the mood to kid around. "i'm sorry, yn, but you really need to lighten up."

"if there's anyone who needs to lighten up, it's him," you argued, munching on your greens. "in fact, maybe i should light him up."

"i still don't understand how you two got off on the wrong foot," seokmin points out, hoping a proper explanation will emit from you.

you shrugged because you didn’t know what to tell your friend. the first time you properly met wonwoo was at your workplace. you even thought he was cute— quiet, had the nicest smile. your other coworkers were even raving about how polite and kind he was.

imagine your surprise when the ‘polite’ cutie from the editorial floor practically threw daggers at you as soon as you stepped into the office with the cerulean blue folders. this threw off wonwoo as he did the preparation for the meeting.

“in my defence, i saved both our asses when i replaced the folders during that important meeting with the new york office,” you grumbled.

unbeknownst to you, wonwoo kept a close track of your encounters. the first time wonwoo met you was through university.

you were the president of the school’s undergraduate publication journal and you were only in your second year. wonwoo was one of the new student recruits, he was a third year. he actually thought you were cute until you had assigned him to deal with international relations— wonwoo had applied for the editorial layout section. wonwoo was not happy.

you probably don’t remember him, wonwoo knew it. how could you? you were running around, trying to figure out the logistics, gather and have people review these submissions, edit and have it all printed before the next term starts. meanwhile, wonwoo was stuck somewhere, trying to solve things on his end. you only left notes on his work, you two barely met during meetings. you two had no direct contact.

once you were in your third year, you had to step down as president and become a casual editor instead. wonwoo became the publication journal’s president that year. you two still had no direct contact.

you unintentionally beat him for that librarian assistant position that wonwoo was gunning for as it'll boost his resume.

somehow, for wonwoo, you were always one step ahead of him and he doesn't like that one bit.

so the day you pranced into the office with your signature bright smile, wonwoo felt territorial over a place where he felt like he finally was one step ahead of you.

wonwoo didn't even like that seungcheol served you the last chocolate cake the day he stopped by at heaven's cloud cafe.

"how could you, cheol?" wonwoo huffed, his arms crossed, as cheol placed the iced americano and a slice of strawberry cake on wonwoo's table.

"it's just a slice, dude," seungcheol looked at him weirdly. "and you don't even like chocolate.”

“yeah, but i wanted a chocolate cake today.”

“jeon wonwoo, quit being weird and eat your cake,” jun comments as he appears behind seungcheol, dropping his things on the floor and sitting on the opposite of wonwoo.

while jun waits for his order to arrive, he worked on the monthly report that his boss has been pressuring him to do. as jun went on rambling about how much he hates his job, wonwoo is occupied with the idea of you. how you were always a step ahead of him.

from then, jeon wonwoo declared a one-sided competition against you.

your idea of jeon wonwoo was simple— he was the cute guy from the editorial team who hates your guts. why? surely, you don’t know.

one rainy afternoon, seokmin made sure to tell you that he won’t be able to give you a ride home, so he gave you the spare umbrella that he had.

“please be kind, ynnie, and let someone stand under your umbrella if they don’t have theirs,” seok reminded you.

“you know damn well i’m always kind,” you huffed with a pout— in which seok just gave you a pointed look before he handed you an umbrella and your lunch.

it seemed that your words had come to haunt you because here you were, walking under the rain using seok’s tiny umbrella, passing by wonwoo who was waiting in front of the office building— probably waiting for the rain to stop as he had no umbrella.

“he’d be waiting all night,” you thought to yourself. you had a long internal battle whether you’d just ignore him but seok’s words were ringing in your ear.

taking a deep breath, you asked “do you want to share an umbrella?”

wonwoo’s startled eyes looked at you and your umbrella. “i’m calling a cab,” he answered. wonwoo wasn’t exactly lying, he’s been trying to get one but the rain has made it extremely difficult to find one.

“well, you’d be calling all night. cabs are extremely hard to find especially at times like these,” you answered. wonwoo hated that you were right. again, always one step ahead of him. “subways are still running, do you want to walk together?”

wonwoo stared at you for what felt like an eternity before you rolled your eyes and pulled him under your umbrella. “we’re walking, stop overthinking it.”

you two were walking quietly in the rain. you’ve been coworkers for almost a year now and you can’t remember the time you and wonwoo had a proper conversation— one that you two didn’t end up bickering about senseless things. you didn’t even know why you two were always butting heads when you two were always working closely together. 

as you tried to squeeze the two of you under seok’s tiny umbrella, you noticed that his shoulder was practically soaking wet. of all the umbrellas that he’d give you, he had to choose the tiniest one he owned. this prompted you to hover the umbrella more on his side, allowing the rain to soak your exposed shoulder instead. 

wonwoo noticed how you moved the umbrella towards him, making him raise an eyebrow. you were wonwoo’s greatest puzzle— he can’t guess your next move and what’s worse is that you’re always one step ahead of him. “what are you doing?” he asked with furrowed brows. 

you looked up at him, suddenly aware of how tall he is. no wonder your arms were getting tired from holding that damn umbrella up. “what do you mean?” you asked, confused by his question.

wonwoo grabbed the umbrella from you— your hands touching for a brief moment. you ignored whatever was forming in the pit of your stomach. maybe you’re just hungry? wonwoo hovered the umbrella closer to you, fully aware of the fact that his shoulder was getting wet from the rain. “you’re getting soaked,” wonwoo replied curtly. 

“so are you,” you pointed out as you held the umbrella and tried to move it closer to him. however, wonwoo resisted it. 

“i’m fine,” he says. 

“whatever you say,” you huffed “it’s not like you intended to have annoyingly broad shoulders anyway,” you grumbled more to yourself, hoping he didn’t hear it. however, wonwoo heard your frustration over his shoulders and he couldn’t fight off the smile on his face. 

it was the first time he could openly admit to himself that you made him smile. it was also the first time you caught him smiling.

“oh, how adorable,” mingyu grinned upon hearing the umbrella-sharing story from wonwoo. “and you said you weren’t one for office romances,” he teased earning a glare from wonwoo. 

"because i'm not," wonwoo rolled his eyes "and i don't like her," he said almost defensively.

mingyu snorted "yeah, as if i haven't heard that line before." he said while setting up the living room for a movie night between him, wonu, jun, and chan. jun and ichan were running a little late as they were buying drinks.

"well, it's true," wonwoo crossed his arms "there's something about her that makes me feel like..." wonwoo trailed off, finding the right words to say.

"like?" mingyu sat on the couch, turning towards wonwoo— clearly invested.

"like... fuck, i don't know..."

mingyu lets out a dramatic gasp. "dude," he stares at wonwoo in complete awe. "you swore..."

"and?"

"you never swear unless you're completely frustrated," mingyu pointed out, a teasing look glimmering in his eyes. "you like yn, huh?!"

before wonwoo could even answer, mingyu's doorbell rang. saved by the bell, wonwoo thought.

"oh, this is not over, jeon wonwoo." mingyu said with a smirk, making wonwoo groan.

"seok, quit looking at me like that," you whined as you hugged the pillow tighter, placing your chin on top of the pillow.

"what?" seok grinned "it's nice to know that your beef with your coworker is slowly coming to an end."

"he was probably thinking how ridiculous i sounded for mentioning his shoulders," you grumbled. "why did i even mention his shoulders?!" you groaned.

seokmin couldn't help but laugh at how adorable you were being. "oh my sweet, ynnie," he cooed, ruffling your hair.

"here you go, yn," vernon said as he handed you a pint of ice cream. you were hosting a sleepover with seok, vern, and kwan. you three were waiting for seungkwan to arrive with the rest of the snacks.

you initially thought that you'd have the ice cream later but vernon thought that you might need it sooner than later. "thanks, nonie," you smiled at him.

"for what it's worth ynnie, he finally smiled at what you said." vernon said before taking a bite of his ice cream.

"and now yn is acting up because she thought he was cute," seokmin said teasingly, making vernon laugh.

wonwoo believes that the universe is out to get him. he kept complaining that you were always one step ahead of him and now, the universe is starting to retaliate.

"take yn," his manager tells him, making wonwoo clutch tighter on his notebook.

"sir?" wonwoo must be hearing things. there's no way that his manager actually asked him to take yn, right?

"take yn ln," his manager stresses your name. "didn't you two work on the last summit?"

"yes, but sir—"

"then it's final," his manager dismisses wonwoo "you two did a wonderful job with the last summit, i'd like you two to work on this year's professional development sessions."

"you two make a wonderful team," was the final thing that his manager said. without another word, wonwoo left the office feeling defeated. how can wonwoo be one step ahead of you if the universe is making him walk alongside you?

it was no surprise that wonwoo was everyone's office crush in the editorial department. people would often turn their heads whenever he walked by. this time was no exception.

the people on your floor knew the budding tension between you two. so when wonwoo was walking towards your desk with two coffees and a bag of dessert in hand, heads definitely turned and people were bound to talk.

"here," wonwoo hands you an iced americano and a bag of what you assumed was a slice of chocolate cake, catching you off-guard. your desk computer was showing the available job listings in the other departments. "are you thinking of transferring?" he asked as he leaned closer to your monitor— closer to you. his cologne was easily filling your nostrils. you hate that he smells good. how are you supposed to despise a man who smells good?! you thought. wow, the bar is literally on the floor.

"i'm keeping my options open," you answered as you crossed your arms, snapping yourself to reality. "it's not like you're making my life any easier here," you muttered the latter sentence, though you did hope that he heard it.

it's been a month since you and wonwoo started working on the company's professional development sessions. it's also been a month of torture. you've gotten frequent migraines that you started looking up if taking tylenol frequently will kill you. you didn't like the results.

wonwoo heard the latter sentence. while the month has been torture for you, wonwoo didn't mind your company at all. sure you were butting heads most of the time, but he noticed how much you were willing to compromise just to settle a conclusion between you two. wonwoo liked pushing your buttons. he found you cute even if you wanted to bite his head off.

"is this a peace offering?" you motioned to the coffee and the cake that was sitting on your desk.

"for what?" wonwoo smirked, playing coy. "you agreed to the after-session event, fair and square."

"bitch?!" you stared at him as if he's gone mad "if anything, you made it your life's mission to annoy me into agreeing that going to an escape room is what we need after overloading our brains from the sessions."

"yn ln, you know i can go to HR because you cursed at me, right?"

"jeon wonwoo, you know we're banned from that floor unless there's a serious allegation," you said, massaging your temples. "now humour me, what's with the coffee and cake?"

"oh, i stopped by at heaven's cloud café earlier and jeonghan practically insisted that you have these," wonwoo said casually, looking away.

you stared at him suspiciously, "thanks, i guess." you haven't spoken to jeonghan in a while since you've always been swamped with work. but maybe that's why you got free coffee and desserts?

before you could even ask wonwoo another question, he quickly left without even looking back at you. deciding to ignore it, you snapped a quick picture of the coffee and the cake, shooting jeonghan a quick text, "thanks for the coffee & cake, hannie! miss u! ♡"

"jeon wonwoo, is there a reason why yn sent me a text earlier, thanking me for the coffee and cake that i didn't give her?" jeonghan asked wonwoo, who was busy typing away on his laptop. wonwoo stopped at jeonghan's place after work as their other friends will be dropping by later as well.

"i don't know what you're talking about," wonwoo mumbled, not looking at han in the eye.

jeonghan was having none of it. "i'm texting yn that you gave those things to her," he threatened, pulling out his phone.

knowing jeonghan is probably going to commit to it, wonwoo sighed and threw his hands in defeat. "fine."

“and so the plot thickens,” jeonghan smirked, crossing his arms. “so is there a reason why?"

"she was having a rough day," wonwoo explained, closing his laptop. that report will be dealt with tomorrow. "i felt bad."

jeonghan raised an eyebrow at him. "i thought you didn't like her?"

"i don't."

"funny, because that's an odd way of expressing how you dislike her," jeonghan said, making wonwoo roll his eyes.

“i can at least recognize all the work she’s been doing in planning the pd session,” wonwoo replied, defensive.

jeonghan smirked because he knew. he knew that wonwoo was walking on a thin line. in fact, jeonghan was 100% sure that his friend has gone soft for you. “okay, whatever you say.”

“ynnie!” seungcheol calls your name as he spots you, busy choosing what kind of juice you are going to buy. you decided to stop by at the grocery to grab a couple of things for the fridge.

you gave him a small wave, smiling. seungcheol, however, was eager to give you a hug. you, cheol, and han shared a couple of classes back when you three were in university. you were always supportive of their endeavours that’s why cheol & han always had a soft spot for you— they considered you like a little sister that they always had to take care of.

“how was the cake from earlier? you know i’ve been taking a lot of baking lessons recently,” cheol said with a proud smile.

“oh, it was great, cheol!” you said sincerely “i sent jeonghan a text earlier, saying thanks.”

“thanks for what?”

“for the cake…?” you trailed off, a bit off-guard by the confusion plastered on seungcheol’s face.

“why would you thank jeonghan?” seungcheol asked, even more confused.

“jeonghan wasn’t there?”

cheol shook his head no. “unless jeonghan told wonwoo, but i assumed wonwoo bought it for you. i was teasing him about it too, since he doesn’t like chocolate that much.”

“ah,” was all you could say as you felt your cheeks burning, surprised by cheol’s sudden information. is that why jeonghan hasn't replied to your text at all?

cheol suddenly felt like he just triggered a bomb. oh, he fucked up. as if on cue, his phone started ringing. mingyu was calling. "okay, i'm heading off, ynnie."

you just nodded and waved goodbye, feeling confused. it was a good thing that you won't be seeing wonwoo during the weekend otherwise you would've gone mad.

heaven's cloud café was buzzing with people when you came in.

you spent a lot of time debating if you had to improvise how you would spend your sunday morning. you would usually stop by the heaven's cloud café and spend a good chunk of your time there— reading or chatting with jeonghan and seungcheol.

however, knowing that wonwoo might stop by at the cafe, it left you questioning if you wanted to derail your usual sunday routine.

and yet, your pride got the best of you. no matter how much you didn't want to see wonwoo, you weren't going to derail your sunday routine especially if it involved coffee.

although the café was usually busy on the weekends, today was unusually busy— you wondered if there was a special promotion taking place. jeonghan hasn't even acknowledged your presence yet as han is busy manning the till while also preparing the drinks. cheol is probably in the kitchen, preparing food.

you settled on the last empty table at the very back— dropping off your things, deciding to order a bit later once the line from the till calms down.

while you were busy scrolling on your phone, someone placed a tall glass of iced americano and a slice of strawberry cake on your table.

"you should try this, it's a house favourite," someone with a deep voice said. you looked up and saw jeon wonwoo with slightly messy hair, wearing your favourite black specs and a white button-up, smiling at you. fuck, he looks good. is hell officially frozen?

"are you perhaps a twin of jeon wonwoo?" you asked, completely boggled.

"yn, what the hell?" wonwoo laughs at your incredulous take, making you even more confused. why is this wonwoo variant laughing and smiling at you? most of all, why are they bringing you food when you haven't even ordered?! "what made you say that?"

you reached out your hand and poked his cheek, making him laugh. "are you really wonwoo from sector17 press?"

"yn, seriously, what makes you think that it's not me?"

"why are you so smiley all of a sudden," you cried, weirded out. "and why are you serving me food?"

"my, do you like it when i give you a hard time?" wonwoo said, teasingly "is that a kink of yours?"

"you're fucking weird, jeon wonwoo," you smacked his arm. "i've never met the weekend version of wonwoo and i don't think i like it," you cried quietly to yourself.

"cute," wonwoo says quietly, still smiling at you. "i'll talk to you later, okay? i'm helping cheol and han for the day and i feel like they'll beat my ass if they see me slacking off." wonwoo gently ruffled your hair and walked away, leaving you flabbergasted.

you felt that familiar feeling in the pit of your stomach. oh god, what the fuck just happened?

the friday night that jeonghan found out that wonwoo used jeonghan’s good name to protect his image, was the same night that seungcheol bumped into you at the grocery store.

drinks were getting passed rather at a rapid speed. for them, this night was a gem among other nights. most of jeonghan’s friends were at his place, enjoying the night away.

“ya, wonwoo,” cheol suddenly calls wonwoo, who was barely drinking— as per cheol’s opinion. “i thought tonight was the night that you were going to get loose.”

wonwoo chuckled, “i’m pacing myself.”

jeonghan snorted. “cheol, you’re talking to the guy who still cannot admit his high school crush on our ynnie.”

this earned a couple of laughs from the group, mainly from mingyu and jun.

“yoon jeonghan, just because you’re in a happy relationship—” wonwoo threw a balled up napkin at him, obviously not knowing how to reply.

“oh, wons, that reminds me…” cheol started rubbing the back of his head “i told yn that it was you who gave her the food and not jeonghan.”

as soon as the words left cheol’s mouth, it’s as if wonwoo felt annoyingly sober. he downed the tall shot of bacardi that was supposed to be mingyu’s shot.

“i don’t get why you’re tiptoeing around your feelings for her,” mingyu pointed out, filling the shot glass again. “it’s not like there’s a company policy against dating your coworkers.”

“isn’t there?” joshua asked. wonwoo shook his head no. “lucky bastard.” shua muttered, taking mingyu’s shot.

“you guys, what’s the point of doing rounds when you’re taking the shots as you please?” mingyu whines.

“i thought you didn’t like yn?” jun asked wonwoo, taking a bite of the kimchi jeon. “or is that like a weird defence mechanism against your feelings?”

"oh please," mingyu rolled his eyes "wonwoo had a huge crush on yn ever since our uni days," he pointed out, prompting wonwoo to hit him.

"weren't you two in like a school publication together?" jeonghan asked, taking the shot from mingyu.

"oh, right! you had like a one-sided beef with yn," jun's eyes lit up briefly, then proceeded to smirk at wonwoo, "ya! is that how you show your affection?"

"obviously not," cheol grins "our wonwoo is the type to show his affection through actions, not words."

"what are the chances that they'd end up working under the same company though," joshua commented with a fond smile.

"and in the same department too," jeonghan added.

wonwoo groans, before taking a shot, "i hate all of you."

"you two have a deep history, have you two never talked?" joshua asked, now invested.

wonwoo shakes his head, "we only talk about work."

"if they talk about work," mingyu laughs, "all they do is argue."

"how do you know all of this, gyu?" cheol asked in disbelief, laughing, "you work at a different company."

"i work with seokmin," mingyu replied "and seok likes to tell stories about yn."

"ya, didn't we invite him tonight?" cheol suddenly remembers, looking at his phone to check his message thread with seok.

"he's probably with yn," wonwoo muttered before taking another shot. this gets attention from the rest of the group— a series of teasing smirks and playful looks being exchanged.

like a kid on christmas morning, a bright smile appears on mingyu's face. "won, are you perhaps jealous?" he teased, with the new-found information.

wonwoo scoffed but didn't answer the question. wonwoo swore he wasn't the jealous type. but for some reason, he can't get over the fact that his friend was closer to you.

wonwoo knew that there was nothing going on with you and seok.

however, seok was your person, wonwoo would always think. you felt happier around seok. if wonwoo didn't know any better, he would assume that you liked seok. maybe she does, wonwoo can't help but think.

"you know they're just friends, right?" mingyu reminded wonwoo.

wonwoo doesn't say anything. he was just waiting for his friends to butt into the conversation. wonwoo's eyes caught jeonghan's. jeonghan smiles, that mischievous smile of his, leaving wonwoo confused.

"won, do you wanna know who she likes?" jeonghan instigates, leaning forward.

wonwoo waits, does he really wanna know?

jeonghan smiles, then says "you."

wonwoo didn't believe in signs— for him, every little decision a person makes is pulled by the desired outcome. however, you were his only exception.

"if ynnie stops by at the café on sunday, will you finally talk to her like civilized beings?" jeonghan's words rang loudly in wonwoo's ear.

"i don't believe in signs," wonwoo states simply.

"and you can't make an exception for yn?" jeonghan knew how to play the game. he's just waiting for wonwoo to swallow his pride and address his suppressed feelings.

"maybe." wonwoo answers, making jeonghan smile mischievously. and so, it begins, jeonghan thinks.

it was ridiculous— waiting for something to happen when he could've just started a conversation with you. but it's so hard when it's you. god, it's so hard for wonwoo when it's you because you make him feel things that he thought were only exaggerated by films.

wonwoo didn't know if jeonghan's revelation about you was a lie, but he'd be lying if he said that it didn't affect him— because it did. it felt like he was back in high school and he's not sure if that's something he liked.

jeonghan and seungcheol were very much aware of your routine. every now and then, you would visit the café every sunday— even during the morning rush. they were most definitely aware of what's waiting for you and wonwoo.

the two owners had tasked wonwoo to help with serving the orders as more people flooded the café. "make yourself useful while you wait for your girlfriend!" was all jeonghan said as he handed wonwoo an apron.

and so when you entered the café, wonwoo gathered all his strength to talk to you casually, even if it sent him through an overdrive.

while you were walking towards the washroom, you bumped into jeonghan who was grinning at you. you knew that man long enough to know that he's hiding something when he's smiling like that.

"ya," you pulled jeonghan to the side. "what are you hiding?"

"what do you mean?" han answers, blinking at you innocently.

"why is wonwoo being nice and smiley," you asked him with a huff, crossing your arms. wonwoo being smiley was something you didn't know would affect you this bad. "he's being too cute for my liking," you muttered the latter part.

jeonghan laughs at your dilemma. "isn't that what you wanted?"

"what do you mean—" you were confused with jeonghan's comment until it dawned on you. you remembered the time you went out for drinks with jeonghan and seungkwan. "yoon jeonghan!" you slapped his arm, making him yelp but he was still laughing.

"what?" he looks at you, acting confused as he rubs his arm. "i'm being supportive here!"

"you promised me you wouldn't tell him," you pouted.

"oh please, he was jealous of seok, i had to throw him something."

"so you told wonwoo about the time i got drunk with you and professed my undying feelings for him instead?!"

"no," jeonghan replies. his eyes moved past yours, looking past your shoulders, and smiled. "but i think you already did." jeonghan says, patting your shoulder before he left.

wonwoo was sitting across from you with a smile on his face. you've never seen this man smile at you this much, it was starting to freak you out.

"don't look at me like that," you grumbled, glaring at wonwoo.

"i can't help it," he looks at you almost tenderly. "you look adorable even when you're sulking like that."

you felt the familiar sensation in your stomach. how can jeon wonwoo just say things like these to you? does he not care about your well-being?! how you'd feel?

"that was a long time ago, by the way," you said in defence— as if the damage hadn't been done. wonwoo waits for you to continue your sentence. "you know, me having a crush on you," you continued, your tone getting quieter after each word.

"i'm sorry, what was that?" wonwoo leans closer, as if he didn't hear what you just said. you knew he was just teasing you as you noticed that he was trying to fight off a smirk.

"i don't like you, jeon wonwoo," you whispered, prompting wonwoo to only focus on your lips.

"that's too bad because," wonwoo paused briefly and leaned even more, "i like you."

his face was dangerously close to yours— wonwoo didn't care if half of his body was practically hovering over the table. he wanted to lean closer to you.

you felt frozen in your place. a part of you wanted to lean back and smack him, but there's also a part of you that just wanted to grab his stupid face and kiss it.

"ya!" jeonghan suddenly appeared beside your table "if you two are going to make out in my café, can you move to cheol's office? i'm planning to keep this place family-friendly," jeonghan snickered.

maybe you should just kiss wonwoo and smack jeonghan instead.

hello hello friends! i wrote this while i was sick in bed & was high on buckley's flu meds, so this is v cheesy. i hope you are all well & healthy! ♡

[mariacallous]

A new report by environmental groups lays out a case for banning deep sea mining—and explains why the real solution to humanity’s energy crisis might just be sitting in the trash.

Deep sea mining is the pursuit of rare, valuable minerals that lie undisturbed upon the ocean floor—metals like nickel, cobalt, lithium, and rare earth elements. These so-called critical minerals are instrumental in the manufacture of everything from electric vehicle batteries and MRI machines to laptops and disposable vape cartridges—including, crucially, much of what’s needed to transition away from fossil fuels. Political leaders and the companies eager to dredge up critical minerals from the seafloor tend to focus on the feel-good, climate-friendly uses of the minerals, like EV batteries and solar panels. They’ll proclaim that the metals on the deep seafloor are an abundant resource that could help usher in a new golden age of renewable energy technology.

But deep sea mining has also been roundly criticized by environmentalists and scientists, who caution that the practice (which has not yet kicked off in earnest) could create a uniquely terrible environmental travesty and annihilate one of the most remote and least understood ecosystems on the planet.

There has been a wave of backlash from environmentalists, scientists, and even comedians like John Oliver, who devoted a recent segment of Last Week Tonight to lambasting deep sea mining. Some companies that use these materials in their products—Volvo, Volkswagen, BMW, and Rivian among them—have come out against deep sea mining and pledged not to use any metals that come from those abyssal operations. (Some prominent companies have done the exact opposite; last week, Tesla shareholders voted against a moratorium on using minerals sourced from deep sea mining.)

Even if you can wave away that ecological threat, mining the sea might simply be wholly unnecessary if the goal is to bring about a new era of global renewable energy. A new report, aptly titled “We Don’t Need Deep-Sea Mining,” aims to lay out why.

The report is a collaboration between the advocacy group US PIRG, Environment America Policy Center, and the nonprofit think tank Frontier Group. Nathan Proctor, senior director of the Campaign for the Right to Repair at PIRG and one of the authors of the new report, says the solution to sourcing these materials should be blindingly obvious. There are critical minerals all around us that don’t require diving deep into the sea. You’re probably holding some right now—they’re in nearly all our devices, including the billions of pounds of them sitting in the dump.

The secret to saving the deep sea, Proctor says, is to prioritize systems that focus on the materials we already have—establishing right to repair laws, improving recycling capabilities, and rethinking how we use tech after the end of its useful life cycle. These are all systems we have in place now that don’t require tearing up new lands thousands of feet below the ocean.

“We don't need to mine the deep sea,” Proctor reiterates. “It's about the dumbest way to get these materials. There's way better ways to address the needs for those metals like cobalt, nickel, copper, and the rest.”

Into the Abyss

Schemes for delving into the deep ocean have been on the boards for years. While the practice is not currently underway, mining companies are getting ready to dive in as soon as they can.

In January 2024, the Norwegian Parliament opened up its waters to companies looking to mine resources. The Metals Company is a Canadian mining operation that has been at the forefront of attempts to mine in the Pacific Ocean’s Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ)—an area of seabed that spans 3,100 miles between Mexico and Hawaii.

The proposed mining in the CCZ has gotten the most attention lately because the Metals Company secured rights to access key areas of the CCZ for mining in 2022, and its efforts are ramping up. The process involves gathering critical minerals from small rock-like formations called polymetallic nodules. Billions of these nodules rest along the seabed, seemingly sitting there ripe for the taking (if you can get down to them). The plan—one put forth by several mining companies, anyway—is to scrape the ocean floor with deep sea trawling systems and bring these nodules to the surface, where they can be broken down to extract the shiny special metals inside. Environmentalists say this poses a host of ecological problems for everything that lives in the vicinity.

Gerard Barron, the CEO of the Metals Company, contends that his efforts are misunderstood by activists and the media (especially, say, John Oliver).

“We're committed to circularity,” Barron says. “We have to drive towards circularity. We have to stop extracting from our planet. But the question is, how can you recycle what you don’t have?”

Both Barron and the authors of the activist report acknowledge that there aren’t perfect means of resource extraction anywhere—and there’s always going to be some environmental toll. Barron argues that it is better for this toll to play out in one of the most remote parts of the ocean.

“No matter what, you will be disrupting an ecosystem,” says Kelsey Lamp, ocean campaign director with the Environment America Research and Policy Center and an author of the report. “This is an ecosystem that evolved over millions of years without light, without human noise, and with incredibly clear water. If you disrupt it, the likelihood of it coming back is pretty low.”

For many of the life-forms down in the great deep, the nodules are the ecosystem. Removing the nodules from the seabed would remove all the life attached to them.

“This is a very disruptive process with ecosystems that may never recover,” says Tony Dutzik, associate director and senior policy analyst at the nonprofit think tank Frontier Group and another author of the report. “This is a great wilderness that is linked to the health of the ocean at large and that has wonders that we’re barely even beginning to recognize what they are.”

Barron counters that the life in the abyssal zone is less abundant than in an ecosystem like rainforests in Indonesia, where a great deal of nickel mines operate—although scientists discovered 5,000 new species in the CCZ in 2023 alone. He considers that the lesser of two evils.

“At the end of the day, it's not that easy,” You can't just say no to something. If you say no to this, you're saying yes to something else.”

The Circular Economy

Barron and others make the case that this ecosystem disruption is the only way to access the minerals needed to fuel the clean-tech revolution, and is therefore worth the cost in the long run. But Proctor and the others behind the report aren't convinced. They say that without fully investing in a circular economy that thinks more carefully about the resources we use, we will continue to burn through the minerals needed for renewable tech the same way we've burned through fossil fuels.

“I just had this initial reaction when I heard about deep sea mining,” Proctor says. “Like, ‘Oh, really? You want to strip mine the ocean floor to build electronic devices that manufacturers say we should all throw away?’”

While mining companies may wax poetic about using critical minerals for building clean tech, there's no guarantee that's where the minerals will actually wind up. They are also commonly used in much more consumer-facing devices, like phones, laptops, headphones, and those aforementioned disposable vape cartridges. Many of these devices are not designed to be long lasting, or repairable. In many cases, big companies like Apple and Microsoft have actively lobbied to make repairing their devices more difficult, all but guaranteeing more of them will end up in the landfill.

“I spend every day throwing my hands up in frustration by just how much disposable, unfixable, ridiculous electronics are being shoveled on people with active measures to prevent them from being able to reuse them,” Proctor says. “If these are really critical materials, why are they ending up in stuff that we're told is instantly trash?”

The report aims to position critical minerals in products and e-waste as an “abundant domestic resource.” The way to tap into that is to recommit to the old mantra of reduce, reuse, recycle—with a couple of additions. The report adds the concept of repairing and reimagining products to the list, calling them the five Rs. It calls for making active efforts to extend product lifetimes and invest in “second life” opportunities for tech like solar panels and battery recycling that have reached the end of their useful lifespan. (EV batteries used to be difficult to recycle, but more cutting-edge battery materials can often work just as well as new ones, if you recycle them right.)

Treasures in the Trash

The problem is thinking of these deep sea rocks in the same framework of fossil fuels. What may seem like an abundant resource now is going to feel much more finite later.

“There is a little bit of the irony, right, that we think it's easier to go out and mine and potentially destroy one of the most mysterious remote wildernesses left on this planet just to get more of the metals we're throwing in the trash every day,” Lamp says.

And in the trash is where the resources remain. Electronics manufacturing is growing five times faster than e-waste recycling, so without investment to disassemble those products for their critical bits, all the metals will go to waste. Like deep sea mining, the infrastructure needed to make this a worthwhile path forward will be tremendous, but committing to it means sourcing critical minerals from places nearby, and reducing some waste in the process.

Barron says he isn't convinced these efforts will be enough. “We need to do all of that,” Barron says, “You know, it's not one or the other. We have to do all of that, but what we have to do is slow down destroying those tropical rainforests.” He adds, “If you take a vote against ocean metals, it is a vote for something else. And that something else is what we’ve got right now.”

Proctor argues that commonsense measures, implemented broadly and forcefully across society to further the goal of creating a circular economy, including energy transition minerals, will ultimately reduce the need for all forms of extraction, including land and deep-sea mining.

“We built this system that knows how to do one thing, which is take stuff out of the earth, put it into products and sell them, and then plug our ears and forget that they exist,” Proctor says. “That’s not the reality we live in. The sooner that we can disentangle that kind of paradigm from the way we think about consumption and industrial policy the better, because we're going to kill everybody with that kind of thinking.”

Just like mining the deep sea, investing in a circular economy is not going to be an easy task. There is an allure of deep sea mining when it is presented as a one-stop shop for all the materials needed for the great energy transition. But as the authors of the report contend, the idea of exploiting a vast deposit of resources is the same relationship society has had with fossil fuels—they’re seemingly abundant resources ripe for the picking, but also they are ultimately finite.

“If we treat these things as disposable, as we have, we’re going to need to continually refill that bucket,” Dutzik says. “If we can build an economy in which we’re getting the most out of every bit of what we mine, reusing things when we can, and then recycling the material at the end of their lives, we can get off of that infinite extraction treadmill that we’ve been on for a really long time.”

[raisingcain7433]

Incorrect Quotes

Harry: Guys, there’s a monster under my bed and it’s really ugly. Valkyrie, on the bottom bunk: Honestly, fuck you.

Valkyrie: I refuse to apologize for being weird or off-putting. That’s actually your problem. I’m having a fantastic time!

Harry: WHY DID YOU KILL HIM?! HE COULD HAVE HAD HOPES AND DREAMS, HE COULD HAVE HAD A FAMILY!!! Valkyrie: Harry- Valkyrie: It- it was just an ant-

Valkyrie: I eat cheerios because they’re heart healthy. Valkyrie: And my heart has been severely damaged, so Militsa, if you’re out there—

Harry: I wanna be a knight! Valkyrie, a knight: What the fuck do you want this shit for? I kill people, all right? Their blood is on my hands! Every night, when I go to sleep, I see their FUCKING faces staring at me! Their families weep, and I FEEL NOTHING! I’M DEAD INSIDE! Harry: Man, I want some of that in my life!

Valkyrie: Do you want some tea? Fletcher: What are the options? Valkyrie: Yes or no.

Harry: Do you feel any better? Valkyrie: I feel much better now that you here with me. Fletcher walks in Valkyrie: I feel half better.

Fletcher: I’m so excited! Valkyrie: We’re gonna have the best costumes, get the most candy… Fletcher: And have the biggest stomach aches ever! Valkyrie: Yeah!

Fletcher: What do you three have to say for yourself? Nefarian: Skulduggery: Valkyrie: Oops?

Valkyrie: What’s wrong? Harry: I have to write a whole paragraph for school. Valkyrie: That’s not so bad; I write entire books. Harry: Yeah, but this has to be good.

Nefarian: Dude, I will never forgive Craigslist for banning me after I wrote a post seeking a sworn nemesis. Whoever reported that is obviously my nemesis but I was so pissed.

Skulduggery: Just trust me. Have I ever put you in an unsafe or uncomfortable situation? Fletcher: All the time. Skulduggery: Then you should be used to it by now.

Harry: Last night I found out Valkyrie is a sleep talker. Skulduggery: Oh, really? Harry: "The mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell." Right. In. My. Ear. At 3am.

Nefarian: cooking Fletcher: kicks down door Fletcher: grabs knife from Nefarian's hand Fletcher: WHAT DID I TELL YOU ABOUT DESTRUCTIVE BEHAVIOR? Nefarian: Nefarian: What. Harry: He's trying to tell you he wants to cook.

Nefarian: Wow, left handed AND British? You really are an illusion.

Fletcher: How do Valkyrie and Harry usually get out of these messes? Skulduggery: They don't. They just make a bigger mess that cancels the first one out.

Nefarian: Help! I’m drowning! Valkyrie: Calm down. We’re only in six feet of water! Nefarian: NOT ALL OF US ARE TALL!

Skulduggery: Come on, you need to go to bed. Harry Snuffles says that I can stay up as long as I want. And that you need to die! Skulduggery: … Skulduggery: What the hell, Sirius—

Skulduggery: So what’s the plan? Harry: I don’t know. You’re smart, points at Valkyrie they’re mean, come up with something.

Skulduggery: I dunno if I'm ready to process the ramifications of this bullshit.

Harry: So anyways have y'all seen Skulduggery? Valkyrie: I think they went in Nefarian's room 'studying'. Fletcher: Doubt that. I heard groans there. Meanwhile in Nefarian's room Skulduggery & Nefarian, fighting:

Harry, looking at a selfie of Valkyrie’s: I hate this photo. Valkyrie: I’m cute as fuck in that photo! I’m smiling kindly. Harry: You’re not smiling kindly; you look like you’re up to something. Valkyrie: Up to kindness.

Nefarian: Sometimes, I don’t realize an event was traumatic until I tell it as a funny story and notice everyone is staring at me weird.

Valkyrie: Stands in trash can. Skulduggery: Valkyrie, not again! You're not trash, you're at least recycling!

Valkyrie: Nefarian always accuses me of having a favourite but that’s not true. Valkyrie: I love Harry and all the not-Harrys equally.

Skulduggery, at the slightest provocation: I came into this earth screaming and covered in someone else's blood and and I'm not afraid to leave the same way.

Fletcher: Nefarian, you need to react when people cry! Nefarian: I did. I rolled my eyes.

Nefarian, shooing Skulduggery away: Can you go be depressed over there? You’re bumming out my whole area.

Nefarian: It smells like henway in here. Skulduggery: Harry: Skulduggery. Harry, forcefully: Doesn't it smell like henway in here? Skulduggery: sigh Skulduggery: What's a henway? Nefarian: OH ABOUT TEN POUNDS!

Valkyrie: I think I need a hug… Fletcher: Good thing I'm hug shaped! 45 minutes later Valkyrie: You… you can let go now. Fletcher: No, I absolutely cannot.

Valkyrie: Fletcher won’t wake up, what do I do? Nefarian: Did you try kicking him? Valkyrie: Yes. Nefarian: I’m out of ideas.

[sparklyeevee]

If you're nocturnal and live with diurnal people, I strongly recommend taking on as many kitchen chores as your time and capacities reasonably allow. Washing and putting away dishes, wiping down counters, prep the coffee maker/make sure Keurig is filled and doesn't have an old pod in/rinse out and fill the kettle, getting leftovers thrown away or put in the fridge, heck, maybe even making some lunches, if that's something any of your cohabitants would find helpful and be comfortable with. You do want to ask about lunches though, whereas the rest of this you can just quietly... do. Check levels of staple items (flour, sugar, tea and coffee, condiments, pet food, dish soap, trash bags, zip locs) and add them to wherever you keep track of groceries. Take out kitchen trash, recycling, and critically, if you have municipal food waste collection (or an outdoor compost bin), food waste. Check and replace fly paper and bug traps, if you have them.

This is mostly for if you don't have an out of the house job, but even if you do, cohabitants who have Feelings about you "sleeping all day" may have fewer of them if there's tangible evidence of your making yourself useful.

Tasks that would ideally get done every day can maybe actually get done every day, or at least more often.

No one has to be weird about whose "fault" dishes in the sink are if you just deal with them. And your housemate who can't stand there being anything dirty in the sink won't resentfully, noisily wash them while muttering imprecations at 7am when you're trying to sleep and they should be getting ready for work. And everyone else can just get their dishes to the kitchen and not have to feel weird about that either, which may reduce the amount of hiding six gross coffee mugs in their room going on.

Get you standing (if that's a thing you do), off the computer, and doing tasks with your hands for a little bit every day. Good time to listen to audiobooks, podcasts, or music too.

Now if you ask everyone to please check their rooms for forks, teaspoons, cereal bowls, whatever dish type you are somehow always out of, it's very obviously "so I can wash them" and maybe it feels less accusatory.

The kitchen is the first or second place most people go when they wake up, and if it's clean, tidy, and usable, they'll be happier and less stressed and then everyone is less cranky. Serious benefit for domestic tranquility.

You can gradually impose your own notions of how the dishes should be organized in the cupboards.

Stealth cleaning! You're like a brownie!

No one will "while you're at it" you, get up in your business, or try to turn just doing the damn dishes into "Oooh, let's do a big clean and reorganize the house!" if they're asleep.

Hey, you're in the kitchen anyway, may as well eat, hydrate, wash your water bottle, or whichever kitchen-based self care task you struggle with.

Doesn't always work, but claims that you're making "too much noise" by just existing while people are asleep may clear up if you're doing something of obvious benefit to the complainers.

You can deal with your own Gross Bedroom Mugs and Questionable Leftovers unobserved.

[victorluvsalice]

-->A process annoyingly interrupted by a specter, who caused them to drop their trash in favor of getting sprinkled. From across the damn front walkway, no less. *grumbles* Darn distracting blob-ghosts... I had Smiler loot the resultant pile for parts, then dropped it in the trash can for them and had them go sort out all the recyclables so the gang didn’t have to worry about anything overflowing any time soon. While they were doing that (and I knocked Victor out of a perma-weeding loop on a bugged plant so he would tend the rest of the garden), Alice finished her breakfast, cleaned MORE spoiled food out of the fridge (in fact, cleaning spoiled things out of fridges was going to become a theme of the day, as you will find out), then went and fed Toothy the cowplant before going to give the chickens a bit more feed (as at least one hen was still starving, as per the tooltips). As she took care of that, I decided that Smiler should probably clear that specter that was lurking by the front path and being a distraction on the way to the trash can and had them present them with a dark red chatterbot of their own design. To my relief, the specter appreciated the gift, and gave Smiler a glob of wraith wax! :D We do love our sacred candles around here...

-->With the specter no more, farm chores could continue – Alice collected the eggs from the chicken coop and chatted with all the chickens (who were glad to talk to her today, hooray), while Smiler went to check on Moory and see how she was doing. The cow wasn’t impressed with Smiler’s initial attempts at conversation, but cheerfully accepted a tipping. Smiler was thus able to successfully milk her for both the standard six regular milk and one enriched milk. :) Good use of 25 simoleons! As I continually state, it’s not like the gang can’t afford it. XD Victor, meanwhile, finished up tending all the non-bugged-plants, got the beeswax and the honey out of the beehive, and grabbed himself some banana split waffles to eat before running out to have a quick flirt with Smiler in the cow paddock. :) Poor Alice, meanwhile, was once again put on “get all this spoiled food out of the fridge, please” duty (seriously, so much stuff went bad today! This is what happens when you have a lot of produce and dairy products and such and Sims who don’t eat much if at all). I then sent everyone into the greenhouse to harvest a few key plants – Alice got the soy and black beans, bell peppers, and strawberries (the latter just because I know she likes them); Victor got the emotional berries off the Tree of Emotions (a full set of all the different ones this time) and some pineapples; and Smiler got their poison fireleaf and noxious elderberries (unfortunately getting a slight rash in the process) – before having Victor super-sell everything else. While waiting for him to finish up, I had Alice do a little scavenge in the yard (unearthing an emerald, nice) and sell a painting, and had Smiler brush off Shadow (still hanging out in the front entrance for some reason). Finally, once everyone was ready, I dumped the day’s milk and eggs into the fridge, gathered them all up –

[ranger-rai]

Hey there, Campers!

Ranger Rai here, and thanks to @adventures-on-foster-island for the opportunity to talk to everyone about some important topics.

If you know me, you know that I speak and advocate for the wellbeing as well as closer relationships between Pokemon and People.

It’s a little hard for me to talk about one topic but I did want to discuss a little bit of life as a ranger and what you can do to help the many pokemon out there. 

I also thought I would give some advice for any new trainers on what you can do to be safe out there on your first journey.

Now every region is a bit different with their trainer assistance, but us here in Sinnoh go out of our way to make sure trainers and pokemon are well taken care of.

We as rangers are always out patrolling for anything unusual and potentially harmful to the environment. Whether it's trash, natural disasters or dangerous people, we are always on the lookout.

When it comes to natural disasters, the Field Rangers like myself are usually some of the first people out there, responding to any destruction that needs to be cleaned up or calls for help. It can be extremely dangerous, even for small emergencies which is why we treat all of them as serious.

Rock Slides, Snowstorms, and occasional floods are our most common threats, so we prepare pretty regularly for them, and we prepare sites and get people ready whenever the seasons come.

We help people a good bit, but we spend just as much time helping pokemon who get displaced and make sure their natural habitats are well preserved as well. After all they're just as vulnerable if not more so than people when danger comes.

Speaking of danger, we need to be on the lookout for Dangerous People when we do our jobs. I know a lot of cartoons and movies have made these “Bad Guys” out to be big and goofy or very easy to spot, but we don't get many people like that who are real bad guys.

The people we need to watch out for are much more sneaky and hidden than you would expect, a lot of them looking like everyday people. Most of these bad guys like to take pokemon and ship them to buyers in other regions where they wouldn't do well, usually as “exotic pets” with many of them using them for their abilities or other things.

While we are good at stopping a good amount of the people who pop up, there are sometimes really difficult to track down groups that we could easily miss, which is where our “Special Ops” rangers come in. 

Unlike Rangers like myself and my team back at my base, Special Ops rangers travel around quite a lot and almost never have pokeballs on them, instead they use incredibly special devices called “Capture Stylers”.

Only a small number of people can use them, but these tools are super impressive, because they can catch most pokemon quickly, but they are released almost immediately after helping.

Special Ops are very cool, and are known for infiltrating nefarious groups often and destroying them from the inside.

Now while we usually will deal with groups like this, you all can be extremely helpful to pokemon by doing some simple things.

One of the best things you can do is to take sure you're picking up trash and recycling whenever you can.

When you're out on your journey, please dispose of candy wrappers and any trash you build up properly. Hundreds of thousands of pounds of trash get left on the ground every year and it affects many pokemon negatively.

Flying, Water and many forest Pokemon see or smell this trash and try to eat it because of their association with food and can easily make them sick or even kill them.

On top of that, the trash builds up quickly, with some of it having toxic coatings in the glues or inks of the wrappers.

If you did your part to throw away or recycle these products, not only would the numbers decrease, but the lifespan of a lot of species would increase as well.

As trainers you should know this and a lot of the services available to you as well.

During your travels you might see camping or picnic stations between towns, besides being good places to rest, these areas also have a lot of built in emergency services available.

For instance, A lot of the picnic table areas might have roofs over them, in the event of an emergency like a severe storm or even an aggressive wild pokemon hoard, special emergency buttons can be found that bring down protective barriers to keep trainers safe.

The bathroom areas are similar too, with both having an active alert system that lets nearby rangers and emergency services know someone is in danger. 

Not only can these areas be found with a trainer’s Pokedex, but the Pokedex has a really helpful emergency alert system.

if the home button is pressed rapidly at least 5 times, the Pokedex will go into “Emergency Beacon” Mode.

This mode will not only turn the Pokedex into a signal for emergency services, but it will also ping to nearby Pokedex devices and put it into low power mode so the battery isn't used up.

Now listen, being a trainer isn't all rules and safety, there will be so many adventures, battles and friends made along the way, but it’s important to know how to respect nature and the creatures that live there first and to care for them no matter the state they come in.

My strongest and most trusted partner is my Beedrill here named Bliss. She's quite large for her species, but she's very protective of the smaller pokemon in the area, however you might notice the goggles she wears.

Bliss was a timid little Kakuna back in the day, however an unfortunate encounter with some really troublesome trainers and their repels caused major injuries to her left eye.

These Poketools were created by Grey over at Dotaku Island to help secure her eye from sunlight and keep her active, but she will always have some limitations with it.

Bliss couldn't be released back into the wild, and I vowed to keep her safe, but she also decided that she wouldn't sit around and do nothing.

Even though she has some serious damage, some pokemon overcome some major hurdles, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't do our best to help whenever we can.

Me and my team help a lot of pokemon on a regular basis, some as simple as a rehome while others need healing and help to give them a second chance at life, even taking them away from dangerous or inexperienced trainers.

It’s one of our least favorite things to do, but I know that you guys are capable of being some amazing trainers!

If you all are ever in Sinnoh, feel free to stop by and we’ll show you around, and we can always use some volunteers to help keep pokemon homes nice and clean.

We always have pokemon in need of new homes as well, maybe adopting a new friend is in your future as well?

I hope you all have taken some important information with you today and thank you all so much for having me. I do have more topics I could discuss if you all want to hear more sometime soon!

[unblinded-by-nostalgia-blog]

The Story

The story is about three personified game consoles trying to graduate from highschool.

On paper, a comedy of the SEGA consoles and games is actually a really good idea, since many people on YouTube have successful series based on classic game tropes.

But does this anime do it well? Eh... Kind of...

Some of the jokes are funny, especially the ones about retro games. But the problem is that the classic anime jokes fall flat and some of them come out as too mean spirited, especially with the treatment SEGA Saturn gets! This isn't as bad as the Squidward torture porns, but it still on those lines.

And the Sega Saturn torture just gets really predictable. They do it to DreamCast in one episode, but it ruins another joke that came before it and it just leaves a bad taste in your mouth.

The Characters

The characters of the consoles are unfortunately just moe trash! Mega Drive is the smart one, DreamCast is the cute and bubbly one and SEGA Saturn is post-movie Squidward. They should have had the consoles personalities reflect the age that they came from. Such as Mega Drive being the cool gal, Saturn being the jealous one who is often forgotten and DreamCast feel like a failure to reflect on the failure the DreamCast was to the point SEGA stopped making consoles! Does that sound like a more interesting cast than moe garbage?

None of them grow as characters and other than them being SEGA consoles, they are REALLY forgettable!

The 8-bit rabbit is a really unlikeable character, which is a shame because he is voiced by Yuji Naka!

On many Websites, other consoles are mentioned and even have voice actors listed. Not only don't they EVER speak once during the anime, nearly half of the ones listed aren't even in the anime! Sorry Tera-Drive fans! (What the hell is a Tera-drive fan?)

The Animation/Special Effects

You think at first the cheap looking models are a stylistic choice, you soon realise that the animation is actually lazy. They frequently recycle footage and in one episode during the contest, the other consoles are just cheap 2D sprites that look like they have been cut out from a pop-up book! So SEGA Master System and Game Gear fans, be ready to be pissed off!

The animation doesn't even try to make the characters fit in with the games they're in! They stand out like sore thumbs and it just takes you out of the emersion.

Final Thought

As both an anime and retro-game fan, I should have loved this anime. But it feels like the creators in this didn't even try to make it good and decided to do something decent for the ending! Which isn't even worth getting to.

It's no wonder nobody remembers this anime, heck, I didn't know about its existence till today, and I watched it all on one day because the episodes are so short!

Even if you do love the moe genre, there are so many better ones out there that have more care and time put into them. And for retro-gaming fans, the game show Go 8-bit is far more entertaining and Dorkly's animation skits are more funnier than this anime.

Just skip this anime. It's not worth sitting through, even when the episodes are only around 10 minutes long!

The Story 2/5 The Characters 1/5 The Animation/Special Effects 0.5/5

Overall 1/5

[spocks-evil-godmother]

Getting ready for a three-day trip is like okay I'm going to use up these apples by baking them and having them for breakfast and while they bake I'll chop up these tomatoes so I can freeze them and do the dishes and fold my laundry which reminds me I need to run two loads of laundry today and I'll do my clothes now so hopefully they will have all day to dry and then tonight I need to remember to get all my towels washed so that they can dry while I'm away so I'll put a pile in the corner of the kitchen which reminds me that I can take out the recycling today but I will take out the trash and food waste when i leave the house tomorrow to avoid wasting the bags and I should put some disinfectant in the food waste bag anyways I also have avocados in the fridge and they aren't ripe and maybe if I put them in the back where it's cold they'll still be good on Thursday and I'll use up those leftover veggies today and maybe I'll use up the bread if it isn't moldy and maybe I can just finish up the cheese too but the onions and garlic will be fine and I need to buy a train ticket so that I can leave for the hotel directly after leaving work (what am I going to do for breakfast and lunch tomorrow?) And I need to go on a walk but I probably shouldn't go until my laundry is done so it can dry but that's forty minutes so I can vacuum and clean the bathroom and I should really make sure all the surfaces are clean in case the landlord sends anyone to work on the property while I'm gone (though probably not) and by the way you're in sore need of a shower ma'am but obviously that should also wait until after the walk and also you forgot to buy a lock so if the hostel locks are crap then I guess I'll just get robbed blind (we could go to poundland? I don't want to go all the way down to poundland) and remember that you have a phone call this afternoon and you need to read that book before it's time to return it and don't forget that you need to pack and also figure out what you're going to do on your fun and relaxing trip!!

[thessalian]

Thess vs Chores & Errands

Ugh, I don’t want to leave the house. I mean, it’s ironic as hell that I’ve left the house more on my week off than I do during the work week. (ALL HAIL WORKING FROM HOME!) But I have to leave the house. I require mallet meds. I also require a few grocery items - butter, gluten-free bread, dried split peas, chicken stock, and a cauliflower that isn’t the approximate size of a softball. Or maybe just another cauliflower that is the approximate size of a softball, since that will be one whole cauliflower with the tiny-ass one I got sent with my grocery order.

See, I started looking up soup recipes for the new multicooker. I am determined to get all the use out of this thing. Obviously I don’t want to overdo it - I do have a tendency to get overambitious and somewhat carried away - and yet soup is such a good thing to have around, and I don’t have it very often because so much of it is thickened with wheat flour! (I mean, the potato soup recipe I have is similarly thickened with flour, but I personally have gluten-free flour sitting in the cupboard begging to be used in such an instance, so there we go.)

So! Here’s the plan:

Take out the recycling (the big recycling container should be empty by now; they keep changing trash day and alternating weeks so ... eh)

Quick run out to Peckham for supplies

Begin the learning of the soup-making with split pea soup

Prep my pork shoulder for roasting so I get proper crackling

Pass the cooking time playing video games

Eat gloriously well

Learn more about how my multicooker works by setting up everything for beef stew and setting the delay timer so that stew will be ready when I wake up at around lunchtime

...Hmm. I should hit Poundland for more microwave-safe food containers while I’m at it. This is going to be a lot of food. On the bright side, though, it will mean not having to cook for awhile. I probably will, though; I plan to turn some of the leftover pork roast in to pork risotto.

I am going to have so much to tell the Cooking With Spoons blog.

[a-vamp-and-a-half]

The smell of burnt rubber hits him as he skids to a halt

“Already?” He exclaims, looking down at a sole of a shoe with a sigh, seeing the last of it skidded and melted on the street “Ach. Good while they lasted I guess” he says while swapping them for crocs

“Darks gonna get confused by all the shoes on his bills, if he isn’t peeved by me buying so many. Should I be getting a job” he suddenly ponders, holding the destroyed shoes in his hands for a long moment-

He shakes his head and hands, walking over to a trash can “No no no, not now. De stress, not add stress, think about a job later, just toss these- man this is not eco friendly, how many shoes have I burned through in a week” he says, holding the shoes above the trash can

His finger twitches, his lip getting bitten, a shoelace rolling down-

He shoves the shoes back in his bag “You’ll figure a craft for this. Recycle. Dunno what scraps of canvas and rubber can be recycled into that you haven’t figured out already Evs, but you got a chest, I’ll figure it out, one step at a ti-“

He pauses, before plopping down to sit down on his butt with a helpless giggle, holding his face as he just giggles in place, ignoring all passer-by’s around

“One step. You spend five minutes with your pseudo-grandpa and you go one step” he giggles to himself, utterly amused as the ocean breeze brushes through his hair

Wind more likely, brisk and sharp as he looks up, smiling and taking in a deep, deep breath

“What am I doing? It’s the end of October, it’s almost Halloween” he snorts, shaking his head bemused at himself, yet he still sits there, taking in the sight

"IT'S ALMOST HALLOWEEN!" Bing suddenly realizes back at the mansion. He dashes out the door, credit card at the ready.

[sweetkittytitty]

Last night I had a dream about the summer cottage; in the dream, my family was going back home, and I had forgotten to return the books to the local library. I woke up when my alarm clock rang at ten o'clock in the morning. I got up and took my morning meds.

I got dressed and had breakfast. Usually on Fridays I am too anxious to receive the weekly allowance because I want to go shopping, so I didn't feel like brushing my teeth or doing the morning skincare routine or applying lotion on my skin.

Elise and I went to visit her home for a little bit, and then we went to the municipal point for a cup of coffee. I kept on logging in and out of the mobile bank app, because I wanted to see if I had already received the money. When I finally received it, we both cheered and went to the supermarket. I bought cookies, candy, cupcakes, milk and oat milk, ginger chai tea bags, cocoa powder, and for Fantom the dog I bought meatballs.

We went to my home, I washed the dishes, and then I set the table.

Along with Elise, my visitors were Mirette, Karri, Johanna, Carita, Jani, Elisa, Ansku, Jussi, Marjut, and Anton with his dog. Fantom was very well behaved and acted like a good boy, we brushed his hair and fed him treats.

We all had a good time, and in the evening after everyone left, I washed the dishes again. I should get a new toothbrush mug.

In the evening I took my meds, clipped my nails, applied lotion on my skin, did the evening skincare routine, and brushed my teeth.

I dropped a toilet fizzie into the toilet bowl and let it soak. I also bagged the trash, and put the clean towels and bed sheets ready for tomorrow.

Tomorrow I will do the weekly housework; scrub the toilet bowl, change the towels and bed sheets, wash all the dirty laundry, take out the recycling, and hoover the floor. My mom might visit me if she has the time. If the weather is fine, I will go visit the park next to the science center, and in the evening, I will go see a theater play. After that, I will go visit Mirette so we can watch Masked Singer together.

On Sunday, Elise and I will go visit a park and then I will go visit my parents.

[earaercircular]

Mandatory Composting Is Coming to New York City: What You Need to Know

Brown compost bins for curb side collection are available free from the city

The program, which has already rolled out in Queens, requires residents to separate food scraps and yard waste from their trash. Brooklyn is next.

Universal curb side composting came to Queens. Now it’s Brooklyn’s turn.

The program, which is expanding across the city over the next year, requires residents to separate food scraps and yard waste from their trash. Soon, it will be mandatory for all New Yorkers.[1] Composting is crucial for fighting climate change, explained Councilwoman Sandy Nurse, a sponsor of the Zero Waste Act,[2] a legislative package that passed this summer and includes the curbside bill. When food waste goes into landfills, it produces methane, “which is the worst of the greenhouse gang,” she said.

Domingo Morales, the founder of the grass-roots organization Compost Power,[3] added that composting makes soil healthier, which improves food growing capabilities and can also capture more carbon dioxide.

Here’s what New Yorkers should expect when it arrives in their areas.

When will curb side composting come to my neighbourhood?

It will start in Brooklyn on Oct. 2. (Currently, officials are “knocking on every door” to alert residents, according to a Department of Sanitation spokesman.)

The Bronx and Staten Island will be next in March, followed by Manhattan in October 2024.

Do I need a brown bin from the city?

Compost can be stored in a freezer at home between pickups

No. Any bin, with a capacity of 55 gallons or less and a tight lid, will work. But if you want something official looking (and free), you can order one[4] (or even just a decal[5] for your chosen receptacle) through the Department of Sanitation, depending on when your borough is starting the program.

Brooklyn residents may order them through Oct. 13. To be ready for the Oct. 2 start date, they should order by Sept. 1.

Those who live in the Bronx, Staten Island and Manhattan should check back with the department in early 2024.

What will curb side composting accept?

Basically, all food, anything that grows in the dirt and a few other items. These can include fruits and vegetables, eggshells, coffee grounds, bread, pasta, cereal, rice, meat, bones, dairy, prepared foods, greasy uncoated paper plates, pizza boxes, leaf and yard waste.

“New Yorkers should not overthink this,” Councilwoman Nurse said. “Is this something I can eat? Or Grow? Cool, it goes in the bin.”

Yard waste can be mixed in with food scraps (as long as all of it is placed in a receptacle with a tightfitting lid). But residents can also keep yard waste separate by placing it in a bag or in a different container.

What does not go in the compost bin?

Anything that should go into recycling, like metal, glass, plastic, cartons, clean paper and cardboard, and other trash items like wrappers, pet waste, medical waste, diapers, foam, or hygiene products.

How will pick up work?

The city has trucks that hold compost on one side and regular trash on the other

Yard waste and food scraps will be picked up on recycling day. Check for the recycling schedule here[6].

The Sanitation Department now has dual-bin trucks with two chambers that can pick up different materials at the same time. On one side might be recycling, on the other side, compost.

Pickup times, as well as the design and number of trucks, will depend on the density of the district.

For those in high-rises or larger buildings, each property’s management is expected to develop a plan for collecting and setting out compost for pickup.

Expect some kinks in the beginning. Linna Quigley, 37, who lives in a Jackson Heights coop, was delighted when curb side came to Queens, emailing an F.A.Q. sheet about composting to her neighbours, she said. But, she says, sometimes she sees regular trash in her 79-unit building’s one communal, brown bin.

“This is going to be a long process,” Councilwoman Nurse said. “Just like with anything that’s new, you have to constantly reinforce it.”

New Yorkers who want to get ahead of their building’s curb side composting plans can request a visit[7] from someone at Sanitation to go over options.

How do I store food scraps at home?

“You don’t need a fancy $100 countertop bin from Amazon,” said Mr. Morales, who suggested empty jumbo mayonnaise or peanut butter jars, even a zip-lock bag, for storing waste. “Usually a zip-lock bag will last me a good four to five months,” he said. Once you empty the bag in the communal bin, he added, it’s easy to wash and reuse.

For lining a small bin or bucket, there are biodegradable bags (look for the ASTM D6400 specification), but they still take a while to break down. And they do not compost, Mr. Morales said. For transporting waste, he suggested using a brown paper bag, like one from Trader Joe’s. It can get tossed into the compost bin, and it’s carbon rich, he said.

For the large bin that Sanitation workers pick up, you can line it with a garbage bag, which can also be reused. But it’s not necessary. Basically, whoever controls putting the recycling and composting out should make this decision.

What happens if I don’t participate?

At first, nothing really. The law won’t go into effect until six months after the entire city has gotten curbside composting service. If the rollout stays on schedule, this should put us at Spring 2025.

In terms of fines, details are still being worked out, but they will be comparable to recycling fines and will depend on the size of the building — between $25 and $100 for a first offense.

Once the law is enacted, if sanitation workers are collecting the trash and they find food or yard waste mixed in with the garbage, they are supposed to call their supervisor, who will write a ticket.

What are the those orange bins on the streets?

New Yorkers need to download an app to use the smart compost bins

Those are smart compost bins, and there are about 400 of them across the city, available for anyone to use at any time. They accept the same items as curb side service.

They are called “smart bins” for a reason: You’ll need to download an app to use them. You can do that here.[8]

If I live where it’s not yet mandatory to separate food scraps, can I go ahead and start doing it?

Yes. There are community drop-off composting sites, run by various nonprofits, throughout the five boroughs. You can find the one closest to you here. Rules for what they accept tend to be more strict than curb side service or the orange smart bins. For example, most of them do not accept meat, bones and dairy.

What happens to the waste after it’s picked up?

A wastewater treatment plant in Newtown Creek

Some of it goes to compost facilities in New Jersey or to a site in Staten Island. At the latter, the material is set into 10-foot-tall[9] rows (called windrows), where it gets turned and aerated over time and broken down into soil. It is then either sold or given away.

New Yorkers interested in free compost can find a pickup point close to them here.

Some of the waste goes to anaerobic digesters, large sealed containers that store it while bacteria break it down. The largest hub for this process is in Newtown Creek in Greenpoint, Brooklyn,[10] where “eggs” convert the waste into biogas (a renewable fuel) that can go into the grid to power homes.

The city is looking to expand facilities to meet increasing demand and to diversify processing so as not to overburden any one neighbourhood, according to the Department of Sanitation.

Source

Hilary Howard, Mandatory Composting Is Coming to New York City: What You Need to Know, New York Times, 23-08-2023, https://www.nytimes.com/article/curbside-composting-brooklyn.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShar

[1] https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/08/nyregion/food-composting-nyc.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare

[2] The New York City Council passed the “Zero Waste Act,” a legislative package of zero waste legislation that will advance our city’s efforts to divert organic waste from landfills, fight climate change, and create a greener, more sustainable future for all New Yorkers. The five-bill legislative package codifies a mandatory residential curbside organics collection program, sets zero waste targets for 2030, requires annual reporting on Zero Waste efforts, creates community food scrap drop-off sites, and establishes new community recycling centers in the five boroughs. Taken together, the Zero Waste Act positions New York City as a national leader on zero waste policies, advances the City’s efforts to fight the climate crisis, and addresses the over 11,000 tons of residential waste that New Yorkers produce daily. https://council.nyc.gov/press/2023/06/08/2421/

[3] https://compostpowernyc.org/

[4] https://www.nyc.gov/assets/dsny/site/contact/curbside-composting

[5] https://sanitation.my.site.com/recyclingmaterialsrequest/s/?language=en_US¶meter=JmF1ZElkPWEyQjZnMDAwMDAwcHN4d0VBQSZzdWJBdWRJZD1hMkI2ZzAwMDAwMHBzeThFQUEmb2xkQXVkSWQ9YTJCNmcwMDAwMDBwc3h3RUFBJm9sZFN1YkF1ZElkPWEyQjZnMDAwMDAwcHN5OEVBQSZzZWxlY3RlZENhdGVnb3J5SWQ9YTJDNHYwMDAwME1Dd1JwRUFMJnNlbGVjdGVkU3ViQ2F0ZWdvcnlJZD1hMkM2ZzAwMDAwMVVWMHdFQUcmcHJvZHVjdElkPTAxdDZnMDAwMDA0dzZOcEFBSSZvcmRlckluZm89e30mc2hpcHBpbmdJbmZvPXt9JnNrdUlkPTAxdDZnMDAwMDA0dzZRU0FBWSZwYWdlTmFtZT1wcm9kdWN0TGlzdENvbnRhaW5lcg%3D%3D

[6] https://www.nyc.gov/assets/dsny/site/collectionSchedule

[7] https://www.nyc.gov/assets/dsny/site/contact/event-participation-request

[8]  https://www.nyc.gov/assets/dsny/site/services/food-scraps-and-yard-waste-page/nyc-food-scrap-drop-off-locations

[9] Mayor Eric Adams op X: 'The Staten Island Compost Facility is a sight to see. Millions of pounds of NYC's waste goes here so it can be processed and distributed across our city. It's part of the reason our Queens composting program was so successful! https://twitter.com/NYCMayor/status/1610380337011650560

[10] https://www.nyc.gov/site/dep/whats-new/digester-egg-tours.page

[tipsfororganizingahome]

7 Tips for Organizing Your Home This New Year

1. Make a List

Before you start pulling things out of closets and cabinets, sit down and make a plan. You should think about how to organize your home methodologically. 

If tackling an entire room is overwhelming, break it into smaller sections. You can organize your closet, dresser, and nightstand on separate days. Doing so will help you make a more specific plan and feel ready to conquer the smaller tasks. 

2. Set Reasonable Deadlines

After you make a list of all the areas you need to declutter, set a deadline for each. Remember to provide yourself with sufficient time to finish. Doing so will make it more likely that you follow through and stick to your plan.

3. Spend Aside Some Time Each Day

After you have set your deadlines, get to work! Try working a little bit each day rather than a lot once a week. For example, 30 minutes a day adds up to 3.5 hours per week! 

As you finish areas on your list, cross them off! You will indeed feel accomplished and proud as you complete the items on your list. 

4. Separate Your Items into Boxes

As you organize, you will likely come across items that you no longer use. Instead of just throwing everything away, separate things into boxes. You may wish to designate one bin for each of the following purposes. 

Sell

If your garage is full of perfectly good items that you no longer use, try selling them. You may find that you can get a pretty penny for that new bike or set of golf clubs that you never found time to use. 

These days, there are plenty of websites that you can use to sell your unwanted items. Find a reputable one and start listing. 

Donation

Do you have clothes that you no longer use or fit? Instead of letting them go to waste in your closet, donate them to someone in need. You can do the same with toys, games, books, or anything else that you no longer find a use for at home. 

If you have trouble deciding what to keep and what to get rid of, think about how you feel when you use it. If it doesn’t make you happy, donate it. Hopefully, it will bring someone else joy. 

Recycle 

At times, we can neither sell nor donate items because of their condition. You can recycle books that are torn and tattered, electronic devices that are so old that they no longer function, and many other items. Recycling is a responsible alternative to throwing things away. 

Trash

Your trash box or pile should contain only items you cannot recycle, donate, or sell. These may be expired and used objects such as medicine, food, or cosmetics. 

5. Find a Place for Everything

Once you have fewer things taking up precious space, you can find a place for each item you have. Doing this may take some thinking and creativity. However, it is possible with the help of the following tips. 

Use Vertical Space

If your home is small, you can take advantage of wall space by adding shelves. Vertical space prevents you from piling items on counters or inside your pantry. For those who live in tiny or mobile homes, these RV storage ideas offer some great ideas as well. 

Get Drawer Dividers

For a few weeks, you can probably keep a drawer with miscellaneous items organized. However, after a while, those items start to get mixed up and jumbled around into a messy pile. 

Drawer organizers can keep all your items separated according to their kind. They are perfect for kitchen utensils and office supplies. 

Take Advantage of Your Space

Instead of using your closet floor to store your shoes, hang them on the back of the door. During the winter, you can keep your summer clothes in airtight, vacuum-sealed bags. Then, slide them under the bed or inside your large suitcases. 

6. Be Consistent with Organizing Your Home

Clutter can creep up on you quickly. It is vital to make a conscious effort to stay organized. Set aside regular time in your weekly schedule to put away items and reorganize areas starting to get messy. 

Each month, try to deep clean your home and toss the items that are expired or unused. Doing so will eliminate the need to reorganize the entire house in the future. 

7. Less is More

From time to time, you will indeed purchase new items. Be sure to find a place for these items too. If you don’t have room, it is time to get rid of some of the things you no longer want or need. 

You may wish to get rid of an item every time you buy something new. For example, if you want to purchase a new pair of pants, you should donate one pair you often don’t use. Gradually getting rid of older items will prevent your home from spilling over with clutter. 

"For additional case studies and success stories, head over to our website."

[pickpart1]

Maximizing Profits With Scrap Metal Pick-Up Services

Scrap metal is a valuable commodity. It's easy to accumulate and can be sold at any time, as long as you have an organized system in place for disposing of it regularly. If your warehouse is already filled with Scrap Metals and other items that could be sold to a scrap yard, it can be difficult to find space for the pick-up truck when it comes time for your regular pickup service.

Make sure there's enough room in your parking lot or driveway so that the driver will be able to get through without damaging any cars or blocking traffic on their way out of your property.

Maximize profits by having a regular scrap metal pick up service.

A regular scrap metal or Steel Recycling pick up service is a great way to maximize profits. It's important to have a waste management schedule in place, so that you can ensure that your company is disposing of its trash properly and efficiently. Scrap metals are often sold at a premium price, so it's important for businesses to keep this in mind when making decisions about what materials they want picked up by their waste management providers.

A lot of people don't realize just how much money can be made from recycling old products or used machinery--and if you're one of those people who doesn't know how serious the situation is yet, it's time for some education!

Keep your warehouse clean and organized.

Make sure you have enough room for the pick-up truck. You don't want to be running around looking for an extra bin when your driver arrives, so make sure there are plenty of bins in storage and ready to go.

Keep your warehouse clean and organized at all times -- it will only help with efficiency as well as safety when dealing with heavy machinery like forklifts or cranes, who need clear paths through their workspace.

Don't forget about keeping receipts organized! If there's one thing I learned from working in an office environment, it's that having a good filing system is crucial if you want things done quickly (and correctly).

Be sure to have enough room for the pick-up truck.

One of the most important things to keep in mind when you are hiring a scrap metal pick-up service is to have enough room for the truck. This means that you should make sure there are no obstructions in the way, like trees or buildings, and that you can park your vehicle safely so it doesn't get damaged while they are loading up your scrap metal.

Another important thing to keep in mind is that you should be able to tell your scrap metal pick-up service what they are hauling away. This will help them ensure that they are getting everything from you that needs to be picked up, and not something else like garbage or old furniture.

Conclusion

If you're looking for a way to maximize profits and minimize waste, then it's time to invest in a scrap metal pick-up service. Scrap Metals is an incredibly valuable resource that can be reused or recycled into new products, so why let it sit around when someone else could be profiting from it? You don't have to worry about transporting your scrap metal yourself anymore because we'll come right to your location with our trucks and take care of everything for you!

[victorluvsalice]

-->And then get cooking! Because, as previously hinted, I'd decided that what I really wanted to do today was another food sale in Oasis Springs, and that meant making some fresh treats. :) Some fresh, unusual treats, because I saw the “Curious Pizza” option on the pizza oven and realized that we had both the skill to cook it and the alien fruits it demanded. :D Alice thus went and grabbed some glow orbs before returning to the kitchen to get the Curious Pizza and some mushroom waffles going, along with prepping some seafood for a seafood pizza. After grabbing the waffles, she then settled in for a brief wolf nap (instincts again) while Smiler, having finished their first bottle of nectar, went to give the chickens a bit of feed before wandering into the study to do some painting on Alice’s easel (a “realistic” painting that was anything but). After her little snooze, Alice got her chopped-up fish and her pizza, then got some more dough going in the stand mixer before taking a little break to give poor dirty Moory a clean, a bit of conversation, and a prairie grass treat. Smiler finished their painting and headed back to the chicken coop to give it a clean, then sorted out the trash to get all the recyclables from it while Alice returned to the kitchen to get her dough and start making a seafood pizza and some sweet batter for more waffles.

-->And around this time, Victor FINALLY finished all the weeding, watering, and bug-spraying in the greenhouse. Yeah, the poor guy was really trapped in there today – there was a hell of a lot to do! Thus freed, he wandered into the kitchen to keep Alice company for a bit while Smiler headed out to get their plasma fruit, poison fireleaf, and noxious elderberries before evolving a bunch of plants and super-selling the rest. Victor and Alice had a nice chat that left Alice feeling very playful, so she ran off to shape the bonsai into something funny, leaving Victor to grab the batter and box up the seafood pizza. I decided he should get to do something for the sale and had him make some blueberry bagels in the oven –

And while he was doing that, I popped into build mode and got the gang an ice cream machine. Which I then put in his inventory. I’ve been meaning to get them one for a while, and this seemed like a prime opportunity. Granted, I have no place to put it in the kitchen at present, but I knew it could be useful somewhere else...

-->Anyway – while Victor was getting his bagel on, I had Smiler chat with the chickens so they’d have sufficient attention and gather the eggs (three normal eggs, which went in the fridge, and two hatchable ones, which got sold), while Alice (who had unfortunately given up on the bonsai partway through – I wanted to see the shape!) turned the thermostat down to “cooler” as it was a little warm outside before I sent her out to the greenhouse to talk with a plant as per her wants. Gotta keep the Simmies happy, after all! She then got sent to make a bit of cookie dough (because why not) while Smiler headed to the front porch to call the cats back from their off-lot adventures (because can't have them just randomly roaming the worlds!) and to the séance room to put out the candles before they burned down to nothing (need to have them ready for any future seances!)

Back in the kitchen Victor got his bagels, then – as he wanted to up his Handiness skill anyway – upgraded the waffle maker with a “speedy bake” option while Alice started her cookie dough (which, waffles ALREADY don’t take much time, so this should make cooking them damn near instantaneous). Once they were both free, she and Victor then had their Forbidden Candies with Energizing Ghost Sugar while Smiler came into the kitchen and grabbed the completed dough for her. Everybody then took a moment to hang out around the table and chat (with Victor spontaneously asking Smiler if they had any other partners – nope, Victor, you would have met any potential metamours) –