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[neiptune]

surreal, but nice

cw: 7k wc, female reader, strangers to lovers, osamu doesn't exactly know how to handle one of the most famous music artists in japan suddenly popping in onigiri miya, inspired by notting hill, my sappy entry for the romcom collab hosted by @bloompompom! thank you @yellow-sword-lily, this fic is also a little yours :)

Miya Osamu is a creature of habit.

He gets up fairly early, showers, never leaves the small apartment without fixing himself a nutritious breakfast, more or less knows and is therefore prepared to what to expect from each particular day.

Downstairs there’s his beloved shop, a dormant creature he gently stirs from sleep each morning. When he doesn’t have to head to the market to select and order the freshest products, Osamu starts the day by contacting all his suppliers and arranging the deliveries. He then checks the inventory, reviews reservations, welcomes the only other chef to discuss any special preparations or new experiments. It’s not unusual for him to check his emails, monitor the website and official social media of the shop, the one thing he actually hates doing because he knows damn well one negative comment will ruin his day, especially since there’s nothing he can do to rectify mistakes made days, sometimes weeks before.

He has a chef, one dishwasher, three servers, two food delivery drivers and that’s about it. Osamu Miya is the owner, manager, host, executive chef, server and cashier of onigiri Miya. He juggles management skills, culinary talent and business acumen just perfectly. He’s prepared and knows exactly what each day has in store for him.

Until you happen.

Osamu has been cooking for almost three hours by the time the shop officially opens at 11AM. It’s not unusual for new faces to come in from time to time, despite his clientele being more or less established, but it is rare to hear the little door chime ring so soon. Except if his dumb brother happens to be in town.

But you’re not his dumb brother. You’re a new and yet strangely familiar face, even hidden behind thick sunglasses and a beret that one could deem more appropriate to a parisian getaway rather than a Kansai one.

“Morning” you offer a little bow, hesitant by the door “you’re open, right?”

“Uh, sure” he smiles, still a little uncertain after a moment of astonishment “I don’t often have clients for breakfast. What can I get ya?”

“I’ve been told this is the best onigiri shop in town. I’ll let you decide”

You seem to consider your options for a moment, then decide to sit at the closest empty table. Osamu would usually provide more than a nod: he’d make conversation, ask questions. Forming bonds with whoever visits his shop and trusts his food is his favorite part of the day, as well as a great activity to engage in while his hands are busy putting the rice into molds.

“Close that mouth” is the only thing he utters under his breath, glancing at the server who set your table “yer catching flies”

“But it’s her!” Hiro squeaks as silently as humanly possible “I’m gonna ask for an autograph”

“You will do no such thing”

“We could hang it in the shop!”

“Go help in the kitchen, Minato called in sick today. I’ll handle this”

Hiro disappears behind closed doors but only after batting his freakishly long lashes to his boss, a heartbreaking disappointed look on his face.

Osamu takes a deep breath and squeezes the molds together, an action executed as gently as possible to keep the fluffy texture that makes his onigiri the best in town.

He knows you, of course he knows you. Not only your face was on any available surface for the entirety of the previous summer (posters, billboards, magazine covers to advertise your first ever concert in the Koshien stadium), he’s also pretty sure in high school Atsumu had perpetually ruined the walls of their shared room with some crappy adhesive squares used to hang your poster.

Osamu is not really a dedicated listener, he knows a couple of your most famous songs and that your success is damn near planetary. You have a house in Tokyo but spend most of the year in America, California if he recalls correctly, and you tour across Europe as well. Yet, it’s been easy to pick what to serve you. The gourmet options such as salmon roe or roast beef are off the table: they don’t make new clients feel special. What new clients need is a taste of authenticity, something that reminds them of home, and don’t you look just like the kind of person who could use some of that?

Osamu decides on pickled plum, tuna mayo and bonito flakes. One serving usually consists of three onigiri but he can’t resist adding an extra treat for you, a tenmusu onigiri. He’s recently perfected the recipe with an egg-free tempura batter that is still thick enough to absorb his special sauce.

He hopes it’s not creepy that he lingers by your table after he brings your meal: celebrity or not, you’re a new client. And Osamu can’t resist observing the wander taking over customers who are unfamiliar with his kitchen, as soon as they take the first bite. He hopes you are no exception.

“If this is an onigiri” you lock eyes with him and smile, glorious, radiant “what the hell have I been eating until now?”

“Probably not the best in town” he grins, proud, a slight blush already coating his cheeks. Damn it, he’s tempted to turn the baseball cap once more, let the brim shield his awkwardness. But that would be totally lame.

“Is it a family business?”

“No. It’s just… mine”

You hum, busy chewing on another bite. Then you swallow and ask another question, invite him to sit eventually, then apologize because he’s probably busy (he is) and has things to do (he does) but this is never going to happen again for Osamu, because he’s not Atsumu. And so he sits and makes conversation like a normal human being that definitely isn’t obsessively dwelling on how beautiful you are, how different your voice sounds when you’re not singing, how much he’d hate for a client to come in and pop that bubble. Which is exactly what happens and he doesn’t like it one bit how you interrupt your chuckle, lower your head, hunch your shoulders in an attempt to hide. He doesn’t like that he has to excuse himself, call Hiro back form the kitchen, make conversation with Suzuki-san, listen while he describes all his latest hospital visits in horrifying detail.

You look at him from time to time, the quiet shop owner suddenly turned chatty sparks your curiosity. He’s skilled with his hands and genuinely interested in what the person who must be an habitué has to say. He’s attractive, too. Especially as he tries to disguise the occasional glances directed your way or the disappointment that flashes in his eyes when you get up and start collecting your things.

“Can I get the check, please?” you approach the counter, pretend not to notice his hesitation. Osamu decides against indulging in the “it’s on the house” cliche, opts for treating you as any other client. With the exception of a small discount you won’t even notice.

“That was the best breakfast I had in a while” you collect the receipt and put in your pocket.

“You should come back, then. To have another” Osamu cringes internally as soon as the words leave his mouth and Suzuki-san’s chuckle makes him want to dig a hole to disappear into. But you smile, despite probably having heard the corny line a million other times, and tell him that you just might.

It would’ve been perfect: a beautiful ending to a glorious encounter. It could’ve been. If only you didn’t turn around so abruptly, a small shriek echoing across the shop as you came face to face with Mai, the sudden sound and panic causing her to jump and spill the fresh iced tea from the jug in her hand all over your painfully clean, crisp, starched, white button down.

You both freeze, your mouth open in a silent scream, an horrified look in Mai’s eyes that would’ve been comical on literally any other occasion. Osamu wishes he would’ve went with the “it’s on the house” cliche.

“Oh my god! Oh god! It’s you! I mean, I’m sorry!” Mai’s voice comes out an octave too high “my god, I’m so sorry!”

“Well, this is great” you frantically grab a handful of napkins from the counter and attempt to dab the mess on your shirt “I have a meeting in half an hour!”

“Please, take my uniform! I will pay for the dry cleaning!”

“Actually” Osamu chimes in as politely as possible, trying his best not to let his anxiety get the best of him “don’t take this the wrong way but, uh, I live upstairs. You can get cleaned up and…”

“You’re kidding, right?” your astonished look is almost glacial. It makes him falter just slightly.

“Or ya can leave with a giant orange stain on yer wet, probably uncomfortably cold shirt?”

“Miya-san!” Mai’s hiss and your shocked expression make him think that sarcasm probably wasn’t a good idea. Osamu sighs.

“Listen, I’m really sorry. These are the keys, you can go on your own, I promise the bathroom’s clean”

You eye him for a few seconds more, then decide against grabbing the keys from his hand.

“I’m gonna need a change of clothes”

Osamu blinks a couple times, dumbfounded. His clothes? You’re asking to wear… his clothes?

“Sure! Yeah, sure. Come on” now his voice sounds uncharacteristically squeaky and he clears his throat as you follow him up the stairs, Suzuki-san’s good grief still ringing in his ears.

Thank god he cleaned the entire apartment just the day before. As much as he likes to brag about being the tidy twin, deep down he knows he’s just as messy as Atsumu.

Osamu tries hard not to look at you, leaning against the doorframe with your arms crossed while he rummages in his drawers in search of something that could fit you. He shortly wonders if it’d be a good idea to offer a complementary bento box to make up for the disaster Mai caused.

“I’m genuinely sorry” he starts rambling because the silence is unbearable and some of Atsumu’s genes really do take over sometimes “the worst incident we ever had at the shop was my brother almost choking on his dinner. I had to perform the heimlich maneuver, it wasn’t pretty” god, where the hell are this clean, not embarrassing shirts?

“Guess this one will go down in history” your voice is less sharp now, which relieves him.

“Oh, no. I will never tell anyone about this, ever. Mai and Suzuki-san will have to sign an nda. A proper, legally binding one”

The laugh you offer sounds weirdly intimate in the small space of his bedroom, it makes the tips of his ears hot. Finally, he’s able to dig out a decent, basic shirt you accept by thanking him softly. When you lock yourself in the bathroom, Osamu rushes to the kitchen to tidy up the mess he’s left behind after that morning’s breakfast. No time to concentrate on how you’re actually, genuinely in his home, cleaning yourself in the same bathroom he showered in, without a shirt on.

No one’s ever going to believe him. Hell, he may not believe it himself by the end of the day.

“Hey” he jumps at your voice, sudden and closer than expected. You look good in his basic shirt, it suits you somehow. Did you shove your own in one of the bags you left by the door?

“Hey” Osamu says back and cringes for the millionth time “are ya hungry?”

You smile when he shuts his eyes for a second, right after the silly question leaves his mouth.

“Not hungry”

“Right. Of course. Thirsty? I have really good tea, from Shizuoka. And orange juice” he pauses for a second, then adds “or water”

Your smile grows, almost melts into a giggle. “Not thirsty either”

“Okay” he clears his throat “how about dessert? I made some mitarashi dango just yesterday”

“I have a meeting to attend”

“Oh. Sure, yeah, that makes sense” he wants to bash his head against the wall “I’ll walk you out. To downstairs” thank fuck ‘Tsumu isn’t there, he’d never let him live this down. Jesus.

You precede him to the door, gather your bags, then softly thank him for the shirt.

“Nice meeting you, Osamu” he nearly explodes when you say his name, no honorifics whatsoever. How do you even know? He hasn’t carried a name tag on his shirt for years.

“It was nice to meet you too” there’s no time to dwell on dumb, pointless questions “surreal, but nice”

He thinks if your smile could conjure waves, he’d gladly give up all the oxygen in his lungs and drown in them. Has someone ever looked as beautiful while smiling at him? He doesn’t think so. He can’t think. Not when you’re leaning closer, not when your arms are suddenly wrapped around his neck, not when you’re pressing your lips to his. Holy shit. You’re pressing your lips to his. And he’s forgotten how to breathe, let alone kiss. Osamu just freezes, like a marble statue, like a teenager who’s never touched a woman before. Right as he’s about to swallow the shock and fucking move, you’re already pulling away, eyes not leaving his despite the slight self-consciousness swarming in those irises.

And then you disappear, just like the dream he believed you were, all that’s left is an empty spot by the door and his heart slamming against a pathetically ill-equipped ribcage.

La Suite is one of the most luxurious hotels in the prefecture and Osamu feels out of place with the 30 onigiri order he’s carrying past a french restaurant and a traditional japanese one, all soft carpeting, dim lights and wide windows. So different from his.

He timidly explains that he’s there to deliver an order to a certain Bennet-san, who for some reason insisted he’d be the one bringing it to her hotel. They look at him funny but let him through and give the coordinates: top floor, superior double room. A woman meets him the second he steps out of the elevator and sternly asks him to follow her, a silly part of him wonders if he’s about to get murdered in one of the top 25 hotels in Japan. But then she knocks on a door right before swinging it open and he doesn’t even get to explain that he’s not supposed to get inside, she can take the bloody bag and he’ll be on his merry way, but once again Osamu fails to determine what the day holds in store for him.

Once more, it’s you. A less preppy version, one that seems so small in such a gigantic room, the sea breeze blowing from the terrace gracefully lifting up the hem of a tennis skirt you immediately fight to keep down as you promptly get up from the couch.

“Hi” he says, so dumbfounded he barely notices the door closing behind him.

“Miya-san” you bow, keep your eyes down, no sign of a smile he could by now deem familiar “I’m sorry for the trouble, I know the hotel is pretty far from the restaurant and you must be busy. This will only take a second”

Osamu’s brows furrow, confusion evident in the way he cocks his head. You don’t catch it, because your eyes are glued to the floor. “I wanted to apologize for my behavior. I don’t know what came over me, I hope you can find it in yourself to forgive me”

His eyes soften as part of the tension leaves his shoulders. Truth is, Osamu is glad you’re apologizing: despite how beautiful and dreamy you may be, life is not quite a movie and he doesn’t exactly appreciate being blindsided by a stranger. He doesn’t really understand what made you think kissing him would be a good idea (was his awkardness interpreted the wrong way? Did his stare linger on your smile a second too long?) but he’s certain you meant no harm. A shitty person certainly wouldn’t take time out of her day to leave an autograph on a napkin, especially right after half a jug of iced tea was spilled on her shirt just minutes before. To Hiro, with love.

After a moment, he clears his throat. “Can ya look at me?”

You meet his gaze hesitantly, mouth a thin line of harsh disapproval directed at yourself. For a second, you remind him of someone and he almost breaks into a smile.

“Thank you for apologizing. We’re good”

“Are you certain?”

“Yeah!” he chuckles “you didn’t have to place such a big order”

You blink twice, then start nervously fiddling with your fingers “ah, actually I didn’t do it to… well, those onigiris are just really good. I wanted to take some extra ones with me”

“You’re leaving?” he doesn’t mean to sound disappointed, especially not while you’re so intentionally keeping your distance.

“Kinda. My record label rented a house in the countryside, I’ll spend most of the summer locked in, trying to finish my new album. I couldn’t do it in America, I missed being home but didn’t want to endure Tokyo’s chaos so I ended up picking Hyogo. Sorry, you didn’t ask to know all that” you chuckle tensely “we leave tomorrow and I didn’t want to go without apologizing first. That’s all. You may go now”

Osamu hums. “I may go? As in I’m excused?” he laughs when your painfully stoic expression melts into sheer horror.

“No! Of course not, I didn’t mean it like that!”

“You take yourself too seriously” he grins “I’m just messin’ with ya”

“That’s not very nice of you”

“Would you compare it to kissing a stranger out of the blue?”

“Oh god” you hide your overheated face in your hands “you said we’re good!”

“And we are” Osamu steps closer to gently place the bags still in his hands on the marble topped pedestal coffee table. It’s just fun to tease you, one of the many irritating habits he shares with his brother.

His brother. Osamu looks up, a risky desire taking shape in his head and threatening to spill over the tip of his tongue.

“I’m really sorry, Miya-san” you repeat and he doesn’t love that you’re now calling him that “uh, this is your shirt. Cleaned and ironed. Thank you for…”

“Whatcha doing tonight?”

You freeze, paper bag still in hand. “Uhm, nothing interesting”

“No packing?”

“My manager does that for me”

He chuckles. “Right. Chances you’d want to spend your last night in the city at an even less interesting birthday party?”

Osamu waits patiently while you weigh your options, recognizes the confusion in your hesitant stare but doesn’t quite understand why there’s a weary vibration to your voce when you accept, the slight disappointment that flashes across your features.

It’s only fair, you think as he parts from the room with a smile and the command to secure those onigiris in a fridge. If showing you off to his friends like some valuable conquest is the way he wants to even the score, you’re in no position to deny him. You’re the one at fault and you’ve been given a chance to make up for it by wearing the facade you wear best.

Then why does it feel so disheartening, this time?

When Shinsuke opens the door, he’s more surprised by your presence than the carefully wrapped gift in your hands. Not that he doubted Osamu: why send a message to the group chat telling everyone that a) he was bringing someone and b) they should’ve absolutely not behaved any differently than usual if not better (in bold), if he wasn’t actually going to show up with a plus one?

Still, a small part of him did wonder if Atsumu’s and Rintaro’s relentless teasing finally got the best of him. Shinsuke doesn’t think that his friend works too much or that he should start “looking around” before “his hair starts greying again only this once naturally”. He remembers Osamu rolling his eyes at his brother when he implied that at this rate he’s gonna have to tie the knot with the restaurant, only to then space out for most of the evening as everyone else found new topics to migrate toward.

In short, Shinsuke wondered if Osamu was going to come up with a last minute excuse to justify the empty spot next to him at the table. But it seems that spot is going to be taken after all, by you nonetheless.

“Nice to meet you, Kita-san” you smile after Osamu introduces you by your name and nothing else, not a wink, not even a subtle hint or a reasonable explanation “happy birthday”

Shinsuke accepts the gift with a polite thank you and he’s almost made sure you could preserve a nice, normal memory of stepping foot into his house for the first time, of course failing to consider the Hinata factor.

“Thank god, Osamu, I’m so hungry- holy shit! Is her your gift? I only brought a cap that says farm hair don’t care!” there’s a strange but seemingly friendly redhead looking at you with eyes so wide you fear they might roll out of their sockets.

“Shoyo, any chance you checked the chat today?” Osamu smiles at him widely but Kita recognizes the tension at the corners.

“What? Of course not, I was busy picking a cute gift” Hinata smiles too but his excitement is genuine “hello, nice to meet you! Please come in, you can help us set the table!”

You chuckle and meet Osamu’s horrified eyes for a second, his posture relaxes as your gentle reassurance puts him at ease. I’ll be in the other room, then. Leave it to Hinata to make a gigantic deal out of a special guest only to treat her as one of his buddies ten seconds later. You seemed comfortable, though, as one always feels whenever Shoyo happens to be around.

“Who is she?” Shinsuke doesn’t mean for his tone to be so conspiratorial but he keeps it low, just in case you might still hear them.

“A friend. Kinda. Ya wouldn’t believe me” Osamu takes his jacket off and hangs it by the door, then picks up the plethora of bags from the floor and makes his way into his friend’s kitchen.

“No, I mean… who is she? Why does Shoyo know her?” Shinsuke follows suit, intent on helping him distribute all the food he’s brought in the different plates he has prepared. Osamu shakes his initial surprise off with a chuckle.

“Only one of the most famous pop music artists in Japan”

Kita stills his movements for a second, then absorbs the new information with a simple nod. “Right. And you met her at the shop”

“How d’ya know?”

“Where else would you be meeting a pop music artist?”

“Don’t make it sound so obvious” Osamu pulls a face and Shinsuke’s eyes twinkle with mischief.

“Well, she’s here. With you. Is it like… a date?”

“No” the peremptory answer comes embarrassingly fast “it’s her last night in the city, she’s here because she didn’t have anything better planned”

“But you invited her”

“Yes”

“Because you like her”

“I don’t-” Osamu gestures vaguely with his hands “it’s not like that. ‘Tsumu used to have a poster of her face in our room, for fuck’s sake”

Kita hums. “So what you actually mean is it can’t be like that”

“I don’t see the difference”

“I do”

“Well-” a loud commotion Osamu has been trained for over two decades to instantly recognize as his brother’s voice, makes the words die in his throat. By the time him and Shinsuke return to the colorfully decorated living room (courtesy of an overly enthusiastic Hinata and one resigned Rintaro), Atsumu is already talking your ear off and seemingly invading your personal space multiple times as he follows you around the table you’re setting with Suna like a golden retriever on a sugar overload.

“Shoyo, you were supposed to keep her safe” Osamu glares at his brother and takes a mental note to scold Aran too, later. For snickering.

Hinata doesn’t get the chance to defend himself because of course Atsumu’s the only one who could outshine that intense excitement with his own.

“Samu! What the hell? If this is yer gift to Shin, what are ya plannin’ to get me exactly?”

“Can everyone stop assuming she’s here as a thing and not as a person?” it comes out harsher than intended and Osamu feels his face grow hot when all those present simply stare at him. When you stare at him.

Suna clears his throat.

“Cut him some slack, he came out of the bathroom and we could barely convince him she’s not a hallucination” you chuckle at that, which makes the ever stoic Rintaro look away with a faint blush blossoming on his pale cheeks.

“Wait” Atsumu looks at you, then at his brother and his brows become progressively furrowed “she’s here with you? As in, you invited her? And she said yes?”

Osamu wonders why he thought a simple admonishment in the group chat would be enough. He has half an idea of shoving an onigiri right into his brother’s loud mouth and not perform any maneuver whatsoever when the rice obstructs his airways.

“Actually, I wanted to come” you chime in so gently it takes a few moments for him to register the words “I’m leaving tomorrow and when Miya-san mentioned it was one of his friends’ birthday, I shamelessly asked if I could tag along. Hope I’m not a bother”

Kita is looking at you the same way Osamu is, puzzled. Hinata almost chokes on his coke and starts coughing profusely, so much that Aran has to lend him a napkin.

“A bother? No, of course not!” his nose might be on fire but by god, he physically cannot let you believe such nonsense for a second too long.

Atsumu’s mouth hangs wide open, brows still knit that make his expression overall hilarious “you make her call you Miya-san? Yikes, bro” he turns to you and makes a scene of slamming a hand on his chest “please, feel free to call me ‘Tsumu. I think we’re intimate enough by now”

“Given that we took five selfies and you made me sign my name on your abs, I also think we’re intimate enough” your grin seems genuine, which only startles Osamu more.

“Ya made her do what?” oh, there are probably not enough words in the japanese vocabulary for the way he’ll have to apologize at the end of the night.

“It’s fine, I didn’t mind” you shrug “but if I could ask everyone a small favor…”

“Sure, anything!” Atsumu’s interruption only makes your smile grow wider “I’d really like to celebrate Kita-san’s birthday like you’d normally do. Please don’t make a big deal out of me, it’s his night after all”

“She’s asking not to be treated like a circus act” Aran whispers to Hinata, who blinks his big brown eyes in quiet understanding.

“Done!” Atsumu’s fist hits his chest right where the heart is as he solemnly declares “you’re one of the boys now, consider yourself a pal”

“Thanks, ‘Tsumu” he tries to keep his composure but nearly implodes as you direct your attention to Shoyo “no, Hinata-san, this doesn’t mean we won’t be taking that picture I promised. Don’t worry” your wink is the prettiest, most wonderful thing he’s ever witnessed and thank fuck he’s done drinking that coke because his airways suddenly feel clogged.

Kita thinks this is already the most entertaining birthday he’s ever celebrated.

And celebrate his birthday you all do. Normally, as per your request. You sit between Rintaro and Osamu at dinner and masterfully divert the attention from yourself whenever the questions start piling up. The uno reverse technique works well: your curiosity feels flattering and everyone is happy to satisfy it. The questions you direct are extremely specific, your laugh echoes alongside everyone else’s and Osamu can’t help but think that, in some odd way, you fit in seamlessly. 

Keeping his eyes off of you isn’t but a strenuous fight with himself, it’d be lovely if looking would be the only activity he’d be allowed to engage in. It’s not hard to guess why hordes of fans and admirers are so enamoured: you’re such a natural. Polite, poised, funny, charismatic. Making you laugh feels like a privilege, having your brows raise in interest makes the story one’s recounting instantly fascinating. And yet you’re not doing any of that on purpose, he can tell. The one thing you’re being intentionally careful about is avoiding his gaze and making sure your arm doesn’t accidentally brush against his.

Osamu wants to ask himself why but also refuses to indulge in childish fantasies. What, he thought you liked him? Part of him believed you’d accepted to come to some stranger’s birthday party purely to spend an evening with him. Bullshit. Everyone in the world knows who you are and he simply owns an onigiri shop in Hyogo, one you happened to visit by sheer chance. He’s the guy you are so embarrassed to be seen with, you had to come up with a lie to justify your presence at the very same table that seems to adore you.

But when he jokingly throws a grain of rice at Aran, you hide your chuckle behind your hand. If he speaks, you always turn to look. Osamu doesn’t remember a social gathering where he tried to come up with just as many things to say, desperately conjuring genes that always weigh heavier in Atsumu. Unfortunately, the one person he could always count on, his dear friend and trusty supplier, decides his birthday night is the perfect occasion to stab him in the back.

“I’m sorry, I just need to ask” Kita refills your glass with fresh wine from across the table before retracting to his seat once more “your encounter with Osamu, how did it happen exactly?”

“Yeah, was his onigiri so good you wanted to-”

“Do not finish that sentence, Shoyo” Aran clears his throat as Suna, next to you, has a hard time swallowing his stir fry noodles.

“She heard my shop was the best in town, which it is, came to try it. That’s the story” Osamu wishes he could disappear into his kitchen as he often does when things at the restaurant get uncomfortable.

“I don’t buy it” Shinsuke shrugs “is that really the whole story?”

Kita’s knowing stare really hasn’t changed since high school and it seems you’re affected by it just as much as every other human. His eyes bore right into yours, trained to detect hesitation or even the hint of a lie, giving you no escape. Goddamn it, he’s still the team captain, there’s no running from him.

“Well” you gently swirl the glass in your hand, suddenly very much focused on the crimson liquid swooshing inside “I also kissed him”

This time someone does actually choke and, of course, it’s Atsumu. Right as Rintaro utters an ever quiet holy shit, he explodes in a coughing fit and Aran promptly strikes between his shoulder blades with the heel of his hand, perhaps with more force than needed. Thankfully, Atsumu manages to swallow his bite and, despite the tears threatening to run down his cheeks in all their shimmering glory, still conjures the energy needed to point an intimidating finger at his brother “ya bastard!”

“That’s a joke, right?” Hinata’s eyes have once again grown three sizes.

Kita doesn’t ask, the answer is written all over Osamu’s crimson red face. He was right, no one would’ve believed him.

“No, I really did” you take a sip from your glass and now everyone is looking at you like you’re some kind of alien. Except for Atsumu, who’s still glaring daggers at his brother.

“So this is… a date for you two?” Suna’s just as shocked as everyone else but seems to be the only person currently able to string words together.

“Oh, no” you brush the question off with a gracious wave of the hand “I just did it to thank him”

This time the silence stretches for a moment too long. Atsumu seems on the verge of passing out.

“You kissed him to thank him?” Kita cocks his head.

“Yeah. I mean, he was very kind. Have you never kissed someone to thank them?”

“Uh… no. I don’t think so”

“Really?”

“Do you…” Aran hopes to the gods that the words don’t come out the wrong way “do that often?”

“Aran” as much as Osamu wishes the earth could swallow him whole, he doesn’t want you to think his friends may be implying something they’re really not.

“I didn’t mean it like that!”

“It’s okay” you let our a nervous chuckle and because Osamu is sitting so close, he hears the shaky breath too “I know it was wrong. I tend to forget that’s not what normal people are used to. I apologized and now we’re good, right, Miya-san?” your eyes meet his and he feels his heart drop right into his stomach.

“Why are you used to that?” he asks instead of replying to your question and you just. Freeze.

“Yeah…” Hinata quietly chimes in “that doesn’t sound like something anyone should be used to”

For the first time, you don’t know how to respond. Osamu senses your panic, can read it in your eyes, but is too baffled to think of something smart or chivalrous to say.

“Holy shit, ya know what that means?” Atsumu slams both his hands on the table and both you and everyone else jump “it means she thinks I’m hot! In another life, I’d have a chance! Sorry, Shin, I know it’s yer birthday but I think this is the best night of my life!”

A quiet, astonished moment follows, then the table erupts in genuine laughter. You’re giggling so much you have to hold your stomach, Kita is shaking his head in resignation, Suna rolls his eyes with affection. Osamu settles for a smile as he relaxes against his chair once more. His brother may be loud and annoyingly inopportune, but his quiet support never once faltered throughout the years. One doesn’t need to be an old acquaintance to be taken under Miya Atsumu’s wing: if he senses as much as the hint of unease, his charismatic idiocy is summoned right away at the service of whoever may need it. Yet his loyalty remains unshakeable: Osamu knows that, in his stupid head, you’re already forbidden territory.

His mind is dizzy with confusion he doesn’t know how to properly address. As Kita blows out the candles on the cake he’s made, Osamu feels a wave of affection inundate his heart. He remembers that are nights like this that are worth being present, even if he has to get up at dawn or his sink is full of dirty dishes and he’s exhausted. Life only ever feels right when he’s with his friends or his family. It’s a routine he’s trained hard to get used to: work, work, work, carve out small moments to spend with those who come and go. It’s important for him to be there, when they come.

Osamu almost misses it, too focused on cleaning an extra plate or two in the kitchen, to make sure the birthday boy can get to relax once they leave. And then you call for him, a small crack in that poised facade of yours when his name almost slips out. You rush into the kitchen and urge him to hurry up, they’re already singing happy birthday to Kita-san. Come on, you’re missing it!

You probably wanted to go for his sleeve and found his hand instead, dragged him out of the room so quickly Osamu barely had the time to put the towel down. For some reason, once in the living room you don’t let go right away and neither does he. You only do so to clap with everyone else and even then it’s not entirely possible to establish who lets go first. Regardless, Osamu gives your hand a light squeeze and hopes you notice, despite there being no signs to indicate that.

You’re the first two people to excuse themselves: he refuses to let you go back to your hotel on your own, doesn’t give two shits that you have a driver or could well afford a cab because it’s a beautiful evening and Osamu is itching to have as little as ten minutes alone with you. He watches as you formally offer a hand to Suna and he grins as he shakes it, gently taking it in between his in a respectful attempt at suggesting that there’s no need to be so ceremonious.

You exchange quick hugs with everyone else, take the picture promised to Hinata, chuckle lightly when Atsumu timidly asks for a kiss on the cheek just because “it’s the american way of saying goodbye!” and of course you accomodate the request. Osamu is almost willing to bet you genuinely had fun but he also can’t seem to shake off the odd feeling suggesting you’ve somehow taken it upon yourself to just… appease everyone for the entire evening. Like some kind of duty. He doesn’t want you to think back to this evening like a task that had to be carried out.

“Oh my god, I cannot fucking believe it!” Atsumu’s shriek echoes loud and clear in the empty street  as soon as Kita shuts the door and you meet Osamu’s exasperated glare.

“I’m genuinely not sure what I should start apologizing for” he runs a hand through his brown hair and his stress makes you smile as you fall into a comfortable walking pace.

“I should start by thanking you for inviting me. Can’t remember the last time I had such a normal night”

“My friends are many things but I don’t know if they really fall into the normal category”

You laugh at that. “I think they’re really nice. It was fun. I didn’t know there were two of you”

Osamu grimaces, lightly shaking his head “good call, he’s the thing I should start apologizing for”

“I liked Atsumu” of course you did, don’t they all? “you’re lucky to have such good friends and a brother. Is it true what they say about weird connections us twinless mortals wouldn’t get?”

He sighs. As much as Osamu hates stereotypes and all the disadvantages that come with not being able to be his own person, the curse of always being considered nothing but part of a set, he knows the bond with Atsumu is just as rare and irreplaceable as people make it out to be.

“Well, I can pretty much always read his mind. But it’s not a twin thing, s’just an Atsumu thing” he shrugs “most transparent, honest person on earth”

“You’re both very kind” your observation strikes him. It hits the nail on the head: he does his best but it’s unusual for someone to notice ‘Tsumu’s selflessness right away.

“Could say the same about ya” he’s eager to direct the topic to the thing he’s really interested in, the one person who refused every bit of attention directed her way throughout the night “that tea collection must’ve costed a fortune. Shinsuke loves tea, yer manager picked well”

You hum, gaze focused on your feet. “Actually, I picked it”

Another thing Osamu has in common with his brother, the ability to royally fuck up in such a short amount of time.

“Oh, I didn’t-”

“It’s okay, happens all the time”

“What happens?”

“People assuming things” you’re not mad, there’s just a sad vibration to your voice. If he could punch himself in the face, he would.

“I’m sorry”

“Don’t be” Osamu hates the smile you toss at him. He hates it so much he stops in the middle of the sidewalk and watches you turn around, confusion flashing in your disenchanted eyes.

“There’s a pretty cool park ‘round the corner. How about a detour? If you’re not too tired”

You hum in agreement, ask him to lead the way. Careful, Osamu, you’d like to say. This same polite regard is what got me in trouble the first time.

The park, which is more of a garden really, is a slice of eden in the jungle that any city inevitably ends up feeling like. Lowlands, an abundance of irregular but colorful flowerbeds that seem to glow in the dark, the warm air of the evening saturated with the sweet scent of lime trees, a gravel path you both follow all the way to a small, wooden playground. It’s only natural to gravitate toward the swings, relish in the comfort of the stillness the evening offers. It always feels like the earth rotates slower, pace decelerating to give you more time to enjoy the things it’s hard to appreciate during your hectic days.

Osamu approaches the swing like an old friend, takes hold of the chains with both hands. He lightly pushes off the ground with his feet while pulling back, giving you a perfect view of his perfect profile.

“I don’t want to assume” he says quietly “so is it okay if I ask?”

“Yeah” you rest your head on the chain you’re holding, still looking at him who won’t look at you.

“Why did you tell ‘Tsumu you asked me to come tonight?” the actual question dies in his throat. Were you that embarrassed of being there with me?

“You seemed pretty self-conscious. I didn’t want you to feel uncomfortable” and I guess that way, you got to seem cooler.

Osamu almost chokes on his own spit from how surprised he is by your answer. What the fuck.

“I wasn’t-” not for the reason you seem to believe “I didn’t want you to feel uncomfortable!”

You smile, patiently waiting for the moment where he’ll finally turn to meet your gaze instead of persistently staring at his feet. “I don’t think I ever felt that comfortable in a room filled with men”

“That shouldn’t be an exceptional occurrence”

“Right. But it is”

He spends a few moments trying to come up with the right words, a handful of seconds spent with part of his brain wishing he could have a talk with all the men who made you feel unsafe. How many? Where, why? Are they the reason why Osamu wants to get so desperately close and yet keep a respectful distance, not to scare you off, not to be another name added to the list of creeps you surely hate?

“Why did you kiss me?” those are far from being the right, considerate words he was trying to summon, but they bubble up from his throat before he can stop them.

You hum, pensive “I don’t know. You’re pretty, you’re gentle, I thought t’was what you expected to happen. It’s what men usually expect in return”

“In return for what?” he fights the urge to keep his eyes down, confident that the darkness will conceal the redness of his cheeks. You think he’s pretty and the first thing his dumb brain is able to link the revelation to, is Atsumu. Shit, he was right, this means you do find him attractive as well.

“Anything, really” your chuckle is devoid of actual humor “I know this night was supposed to make up for it but I didn’t expect to have so much fun. Regardless, I hope we’re even now”

Osamu furrows his brows.

“Ya think that’s why I invited ya?”

“Why else?”

He almost laughs, incredulous. You hide that mistrust really well, Osamu has to give it you. It feels unfair that life has given someone who seemingly has everything, so many reasons to think you can only be seen as an empty shell, some trophy with the sole purpose of being flaunted.

“You said you were leaving. I didn’t like the idea of not seeing you again”

“Really?” your lips curl into a small smile “the weird girl who jumped you on your first meeting?”

“You’re weird” he concedes “and selfless. Intelligent. Maybe jokes are not your forte but, hey, ya get to look like that” your laugh compliments his really well and Osamu can’t help but think he’d like to sit in a park, in the middle of the night, and talk and laugh and be with you just once more.

You briefly wonder if the man sitting so close to you is aware of just how devastatingly charming he is. Part of you wishes he’d want to take you out on a proper date, let you meet his friends on different occasions, include a weird stranger in such a well balanced life. Part of you also knows you’d never want to ruin that for him. Not for someone like Osamu. People who are unfortunate enough to stumble across you are almost always harassed away, it’s a life you’re used to and can’t bring yourself to run from. It’s who you are and, most importantly, all you have. It’d be too dangerous for your heart to desire anything different.

But he’s looking at you as if you’re the most beautiful thing he’s ever seen, land emerged from the sea millions of years ago for his eyes only to experience such a sight. No one’s ever looked at you with such wonder.

“I don’t want to assume” he holds your gaze locked to his, swing dangling lightly as he leans closer “so is it okay if I ask?”

“Yes” you utter a little too breathlessly.

“Can I kiss ya?”

You hum in affirmation and close your eyes, heart beating a little faster than what you’re used to as you sense his proximity. He smells nice, radiates warmth and his soft hair tickles a little when his lips gently press to your cheek.

Osamu smiles when he catches a glimpse of disappointment flashing over your features, the first of many clues he wants to learn how to interpret correctly. The cracks in a facade he’d make his personal mission to tear down.

“I know you have to go away tomorrow” he gently moves a strand of hair away from your forehead “but I wondered, if you didn’t, whether you might let me see ya a little. Or a lot, maybe”

You lean into his touch, calloused fingertips still barely grazing your skin.

“A lot sounds good”

[lostintransist]

Tomorrows From Before | Part 2

CW: Mentions of sibilng in rehab, rude pranks, crying from frustration. LMK if something else should be noted.

“Lynx!”

The shout of your call sign caused you to spin. One of the civilian aides ran after you in her smart heels and slacks. You waited between the buildings, the neatly cared-for grass on either side of the concrete. You didn’t envy the women who worked on base and had to wear business casual clothes. You could get away with fatigues or workout clothes in and around the gym.

“Hi, can I help you?” The neutral tone was one you had perfected for dealing with superior officers and unwanted male attention.

The woman’s high ponytail swayed as she held up a finger and rested one hand on her hip to breathe.

“You walk really fast, did you know that?” She said between breaths.

“I can’t say I’ve noticed, sorry.” You offer a half smile.

“Ivy mentioned you would be interested in hosting a workout session for any of the ladies who would like to attend, is that right?” She straightened, heels pushing her head above yours in your boots.

“Yes, I like hosting classes when I am on base, I get bored of lifting weights and have noticed that even wives and admin staff enjoy a bit of workout from time to time,” you shift your weight to one foot and slide your thumbs into the edge of your pocket.

“I can make that happen. I schedule most of the training and things around here and can schedule a few tentative evenings for a workout. I’m Tana,” she offers her hand for a shake.

“Lynx but you know that,” you shake her hand with a smile, thumb returning to your pocket. “Schedules can be a bit wonky for me because of the task force, but I think a few tentative nights would probably work out best. Would emailing or texting work better?”

“Email for this,” Tana nodded affirmatively.

You rattle off your .gov email address and confirm the spelling when she turns her phone back to you. Parting with a smile and a wave you continue your trek to the conference room with the small table that served as the office for the 141. You had the worst seat, back to the door, because the guys hated you and you had joined last. The refrain in your brain when you sat to work at your laptop was ‘I could ask Price to work from his couch, he would let me.’ You didn’t though. It felt like losing ground to cede the empty chair to them.

The rattle of the fan blowing the damp air around the room muted the sounds of breathing but not the slow peck of fingers on keys. All of them did that, the hunt and peck, though Ghost was the worst. Man stared at his keys instead of his screen.

Letting the front legs drag against the floor you stepped around it to sit. Gaz sat back in his chair arms crossed as he stared at his screen. The report sat empty, cursor flashing as if reminding him it existed. Roach played minesweeper on his. Did computers even come with that installed anymore? Dropping into your chair gravity took a swing at you.

Without even time for a short shout, you wheeze out a breath as you lay on the floor. The back of the chair digs into your back, metal bends carving away at your flesh. Soap and Ghost stand from the opposite side of the round table to stare down at you from on high as Gaz and Roach share a look before snickering.

Insult is added to injury when Price opens the door directly into your head. The laughter stops, confirming your suspicions.

“Whatcha doing on the floor Lynx?” His mustache twitches as he peers down at you.

“Guess my chair just gave up the ghost Cap. You need something?” You wince as you put more weight on your back, pulling your legs off to one side and roll to kneeling.

“Yes, let’s head to my office,” he holds the door open for you.

Standing you ignore the eight eyes on your back. Let them wonder.

Safely behind the shut door of Price’s office, dimly lit and covered in paperwork, he looks you over.

“It’s started hasn’t it?”

“The hazing? Yeah, I imagine this is the first blow,” you reply as you rub a hand over every sore spot you can reach.

With a sigh that would rattle the dead, John, for he is John behind closed doors, gestures for you to sit.

Glancing at the chair you wince.

“Think I’ll stand John. Thanks though.”

He shrugs as if saying ‘Your choice,’ and pulls out a stack of sticky notes from below one file centered on his desk.

“I got a call from your mother today.”

The chair looked much more inviting now.

Your mother was, in the nicest of terms, a narcissist. She play acted as the role model and the perfect mother, burdened with so many daughters spread across the globe. Most of your sisters talked to her still, you did not. The relationship had never recovered from her confirming that she loved you, she just didn’t like you. Not liking the way her love suffocated you under passive-aggressive comments about weight, or smartness, or lack of makeup, or any number of superfluous or petty things you had found peace with distance. If she was one of the reasons you took the job-based in England with the 141? Well, your mother never needed to know that. She must have gotten in quite a bind to dig out what base you might be on and convince someone to patch her through to your CO. And that said nothing of the time difference.

“Did she say what she was calling about?” You ask carefully.

Not that she wouldn’t break contact for any number of lesser reasons but the gravity by which John’s words fell worried you. Could it be your grandmother or any of your aunts or uncles? It couldn’t be anything with your sisters, most of them would text you the moment they heard something going down. You weren’t close, but the trauma bond of trying to escape the house alive kept you in contact. Well, that and discussing what batshit nonsense your mother got up to.

“She asked that you try and call your sister Sari.” John glanced down at his note, “She said and I quote, ‘She’s trying to leave and you’re the only one who can talk her down.’ Do you know what she means by that?”

His captain’s face is on when he looks back up at you, calculating. This is the face you see when he is thinking physics in form and function if not equations.

Working your jaw back and forth as you swallow down your nausea. Your sister Sari, the oldest of the six of you, turned to drugs to deal with the constant belittling, backbiting, invalidating, and general hatefulness that lived between breaths of your childhood home. Everyone else had cut her off. Your mother still talked to her but of the siblings only you spoke to her on a regular basis. The payments for her expensive in-person treatment to get clean come from your account. Sari couldn't burn a bridge she couldn’t reach and with you always being scheduled on bases far from home she couldn’t steal, bribe, or threaten you for drug money. This was her fifth time at rehab, and the last you could pay for. The few dollars left in your account after each payment wouldn’t even get you a good beer out here.

“In the simplest terms, my sister is attempting to leave rehab and my mother thinks I can somehow fix it from several hundred miles and a few too many time zones,” you stare at him as you answer.

“Would you like to take some time to handle this matter?” John questions carefully.

The snort is involuntary.

“With what money?” You mumble under your breath.

Before John can pounce on that comment his desk phone rings.

He glances from it to you, face neutral as he lifts the receiver to his face.

“This is John.”

His eyes go distant as he focuses on the call in his ear.

“Patch her through.” He holds out the molded plastic over the desk, “It’s for you.”

Dread settles in the fluid between your cells. Taking the phone gingerly from him you stretch the twisted cord as far as it will reach.

“This is Lynx.”

“Hi, sis.”

Sari, with tears in her voice, reaches across an ocean to caress you with her needs.

“What’s up Sari? I’m working right now.”

“I’m so tired. I want to go home,” her voice breaks on the word home.

Rage should never be the first reaction to pain, especially to others. You also want to go home, somewhere that love lives, but you can’t. Neither can she.

Silence lingers on your end. If you open your mouth now all the vile, hateful, evil thoughts that have slid through your mind will come rocketing out. You’ve completely forgotten your captain is staring at you as he watches you fight back all the training from childhood about how to inflict emotional agony.

“I think I’m gonna leave sis.”

It’s too much.

“Leave then Sari. You’ve never cared enough about anyone to get clean. I won’t pay for another shot at this. Leave now and the next time you get clean will be because you’re in prison or you’re dead. Either way, it won’t be on my dime anymore.” Even poison dripping off your tongue couldn’t feel this vile.

Sari stutters on the other end of the line. You cut her off, “I am nearly dying on a weekly basis to keep you from dying because everyone else gave up on you, even Mom and Dad. If you leave I won’t be stuck in hell for you. Tell the front desk to call me if you walk, I want to see if I can get a refund.” You slam the phone down into the cradle. God bless bureaucrats who refused to update from hard-lined phones.

You stand, feet apart and lungs sucking in air as if you had just escaped an altercation with an enemy.

“Care to tell me what that was about?” Price asked carefully.

“No,” you bite out.

“No?” His brow lifts with the upturn of his question.

“No, sir.”

“That is not what I was asking for. Sit down.”

You sit, hands braced against the armrests as if you could rip them off and use them to fend off his questions.

“Lynx, I need to know if something in your civilian life can compromise you. Now, tell me about your sister and how you ended up paying for her treatment.”

The silence stretched to the point of snapping.

When you open your mouth all that escapes is a sob of frustration.

TFB Masterlist | Masterlist

[objectheadzine]

WELCOME TO THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE OBJECT HEAD ZINE!

In celebration, the 2024's edition will be a Grab Bag - draw whatever object head you like (so long as it fits the guidelines, see below). In Lieu of a theme, all submissions MUST HAVE ASHLEY (the megaphone mascot) in the piece! Feel free to make him as large or as small as you want in the composition. He can be hanging out with your characters or he can be on a flyer, just so long he's somewhere in the picture! Reference of all his outfits can be found here. But don't feel like you're restricted to his previous outfits. Feel free to dress him up in anything you'd like. Content is also free for whatever! You want to date the lil man? Go for it! You want to tease or go on the attack? Also fine! Ignore him and let him live his life? Sure thing.

ALL submissions will be accepted as long as they fit guidelines and each person has a limit of up to 3 submissions. Submit your pieces to the zine email objectheadzine(@)hotmail(.)com along with the email/website/name you’d like to be credited as. (Feel free to omit emails if that is more comfortable). When you’ve finished your piece(s), you are allowed to post them to your blogs as long as you link back to the zine blog! This will be a DIGITAL ZINE ONLY and will be available free upon completion (donation optional).

The guidelines are as follow:

Illustration-quality works in either digital or traditional mediums. Both colour and b/w acceptable; background required. *BG can be as simple as a pattern or colour block! Avoid utilizing a camera to submit your images, please use a scanner. 

The default size will be 6″x9″, 300 dpi (1800px x 2700px) but feel free to go larger or smaller, so long as it follows those proportions. Please work in a vertical format.

For consistency’s sake, keep faces to a minimum (You can have eye(s) or you can have mouth(s) but don’t have both in a humanoid arrangement.)

Ashley, the megaphone head mascot, must be included in your piece. He can be small in the picture or a large factor but he must be included. When submitting, if he is not obvious, please point him out to me. References are found here.

Please go for original characters (or fanart of your friend’s characters) and not so much established object heads (e.g. the popcorn and soda heads from No More).

If you want to include humans, that’s fine as well but keep the ratio of people to object heads 1:1.

Content should be at most PG-13: Romance is fine but after-hours business should not be implied, Blood is fine but no gore. In the end, use your common sense.

Feel free to draw a comic or just an illustration! A comic counts as one submission.

Some facts about Ashley that could help with your piece: He's 5'2", he's of Chinese nationality, he's a TV show host, he's a bubbly, happy-go-lucky kind of guy and he has a Samyoed dog named Cotton!

Note that if a submission does not meet the above guidelines, I will either reject your submission or suggest improvements that would help your piece fulfill them. Please email me at objectheadzine(@)hotmail(.)com if you have any further questions and I’ll do my best to reply promptly. If you do not receive a message from me within a few days, please send it again. Final pieces submitted should be either in PNG or a one layer PSD file format.

Want to share your piece as you're working on them? Come on over to the Object Head Zine discord!

THE DUE DATE FOR SUBMISSIONS IS NOVEMBER 9TH.

[meggiejolly]

Wir alle sind aus Sternenstaub

When Alex walked into the Wild Pony on New Year’s Eve, the party was already in full swing. Maria had bought the Pony a few months ago and had decided to host a big New Year’s party. She had begged Alex in multiple emails to come and, much to his surprise, he had actually been able to move his leave around and be in Roswell for New Year’s. 

For the occasion, he had even embraced his former teenage self a little and bought new eyeliner. It had felt really weird, but also oddly comforting to put it on for the first time since the day he had left Roswell to join the Air Force. 

Aside from the eyeliner, his teenage self would probably be disappointed in his outfit. No black nail polish, no jewelry beyond the dog tags hidden under his shirt. His shirt was black and his jeans on the skinny side, but no one would consider his outfit punk or emo.

He still felt more like himself than he had in a long time, but also slightly alien in his skin as he walked through the bar. He had only visited the Wild Pony as a patron a couple of times while he was on leave, yet it felt incredibly familiar to him. Mimi DeLuca had sometimes let him, Maria, Rosa and Liz visit her there when the bar had been closed. 

He spotted Maria behind the bar and walked over to greet her, absentmindedly checking what familiar faces he saw around the bar. 

Maria squealed when she spotted him reaching over the bar for a somewhat awkward, but very tight and enthusiastic hug. 

“Alex, you made it!” She looked him over once she released him. “And you’re wearing eyeliner! What a throwback. I love it, you look amazing.”

Alex laughed. “Thank you, you look amazing too. The Wild Pony suits you. Congrats on buying it, by the way.” 

“Let me do my job then, what do you want to drink?” Maria asked with a grin, “best friends who I haven’t seen in way too long drink for free tonight.” 

“Well, I’m not sure how good of a business decision that is, but I’ll start with a beer,” Alex said with a laugh. “On the topic of long lost best friends, did you manage to persuade Liz to come?” 

Maria’s smile dimmed a little and she shook her head.  “No, when I invited her she said something about a work thing that sounded a lot like she’d just made it up. I get it though, there are too many memories of Rosa and her mom here.” She handed him a beer. “Have you heard from her lately?”

Alex sighed and took a sip, “I don’t really hear from anyone. The internet is never great, not all of our private communications are as private as I would like them to be and it’s not exactly easy to engage in smalltalk doing what I do. You’re pretty much the only one I hear from semi-regularly.”

Well, for a while, on and off, he’d heard from someone else, but he pushed that thought down as far as he could. 

Maria nodded, but before she could answer, one of the other bartenders called her name. “Sorry, I have to go check on that, we’ll catch up more later, okay? Enjoy the party!”

Alex raised his beer to her as Maria hurried off to take care of whatever had come up.

Turning a little to rest his elbow on the bar, Alex looked around. He’d seen some familiar faces earlier, but no one he knew well enough to be interested in catching up. That would probably only lead to someone awkwardly thanking him for his service and then a lot of tense small talk because they wouldn’t know what to ask and Alex wouldn’t really be able to tell them anything about his job anyway.

It wasn’t as if he had a personal life worth discussing and most of the people here would still remember him as the kid who was rumored to be gay. Neither the military nor his sexuality were topics he wanted to discuss with almost strangers. 

To his surprise, he spotted Isobel Evans not too far from him at a table. He definitely hadn’t expected to see her here, unless something changed since the last time he’d been in town, Isobel and Maria couldn’t stand each other. Of course, where Isobel Evans was, Max Evans was never far. Alex spotted him carrying drinks over to the table Isobel sat at. 

After spotting the Evans twins, Alex decided to stop looking for familiar faces, in fear (or hope) of finding one in particular. Instead he focused back on his beer and waited for Maria to come back over. 

His strategy didn’t work, only a few minutes later he heard a laugh he could recognize anywhere. Whipping his head around, he spotted a painfully familiar head of curls sitting with the Evans twins now. 

Continue reading on AO3

You can find the amazing gifs made by @manesalex to go along with the fic here.

Written for the Roswell, New Mexico Big Bang 2022 @rnmbb

[mahamid110]

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NEVER-ENDING COMMISSIONS

Our quality control process is manual, which means we can guarantee the highest quality services. However, this also means our costs are higher.

We're committed to helping our affiliates succeed, so we offer a very good 35% commission on all sales, including recurring sales. This is higher than similar products.

STRAIGHTFORWARD PRICE

For products like Googenie, it is more effective to publish the lowest possible price on the front end, as there may be substitute products. 

We offer a simple funnel to keep prices as low as possible so that our product is affordable for everyone. However, the price range goes from $29 to $1,460.

SIMPLE FUNNEL

We have a very short but effective funnel. We offer only two packages: Runner and Master. Each package can be paid monthly or annually.

This gives us a total of four front-end products, which can then be converted in the funnel to a 2x plan or a 5x agency plan. The OTO for each FE product is as follows:

SAVE TIME

We want to offer you the best possible experience and help you optimize your time as much as possible. That’s why we have prepared a series of DFY resources.

If you want to learn more about the Googenie marketing strategy, download our pre-made ads and email swipes by clicking on the links below.

CLICK HERE TO GET INSTANT ACCESS NOW >>

INVISIBLE WEBSITE

Our website will remain invisible to search engines to guarantee all sales come from our affiliates. The source code of our landing page contains the line:

<meta name="robots" content="noindex,nofollow">

You can view the source code of our page by visiting our front end and pressing CTRL + U.

FREE HOSTING

If you're looking for a more professional and effective way to communicate with your clients, we have an offer you can't miss!

We're offering a FREE 5 GB hosting plan and a Googenie subdomain to help you sell more products. You can also create a corporate email address with the subdomain.

But wait, there's more! Our partner hosting plan includes all the Googenie features, except the SEO tool.

To make things even easier, we can install the Googenie website for you in the root directory of the subdomain or in any folder you choose.

Please note that this offer is only available to active Googenie affiliates who have at least 25 sales of any product on JVZoo.

Please contact us and send us your email to receive the link to create your free hosting account.

CLICK HERE TO GET INSTANT ACCESS NOW >>

FAQ

What is SEO?

SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. It is the process of improving the quality and quantity of website traffic to a website or a web page from search engines.

What is Googenie?

Googenie is an all-in-one SEO suite that includes some of the best tools to help you improve your SEO and get more traffic from search engines.

How does Googenie work?

Please see our video near the top of the page for a more detailed explanation.

What types of businesses or pages does Googenie work for?

Googenie works for small and medium-sized businesses with any type of website, whether it be for sales, a blog, or other purposes.

What is the difference with other platforms on the market?

Googenie is affordable, easy to use, and just as efficient as any other platform on the market.

CLICK HERE TO GET INSTANT ACCESS NOW >>

What are the system requirements for Googenie?

The only system requirement for Googenie is that the website is publicly accessible so that it can be scanned. Googenie does not require any software to be installed, as it is a web-based application. You will only need a web browser to use it.

Do I need to change my domain's DNS settings to use the SEO tool?

No, you do not need to change your domain's DNS settings to use the SEO tool. Googenie can scan websites that are hosted on any server in the world, as long as the website is publicly accessible.

Do I need to change the DNS for the extra features?

Yes, to use all the extra features, you need to point your DNS to our servers.

Can I use one domain for the SEO tool and another for the extra features?

Yes, you can use one domain for the SEO tool and another domain for the extra features.

What payment methods do you accept?

We accept all major credit and debit cards, as well as PayPal. Our system is powered by JVZoo.

CLICK HERE TO GET INSTANT ACCESS NOW >>

[jennyacid]

Debunking Web Hosting: A Comprehensive Guide to Picking the Right Carrier for Your Site

""

Introduction: In today's digital age, having a solid online existence is essential for companies and people alike. Whether you're releasing a new web site or wanting to migrate an existing one, among the most vital decisions you'll need to make is choosing the right host supplier. With a huge selection of alternatives available, each using various features and prices strategies, it can be overwhelming to navigate the world of host. In this comprehensive overview, we'll demystify the concept of internet hosting and offer you with beneficial insights to assist you make an informed decision.Paragraph 1: Internet hosting is a service that enables individuals and organizations to publish their internet sites on the net. Think about it as leasing an area on a web server where your site documents and information are saved. A reliable internet holding service provider ensures that your internet site is easily accessible to visitors 24/7, supplying quick loading speeds and minimal downtime. There are various types of internet hosting readily available, consisting of shared organizing, VPS hosting, committed holding, and cloud holding. Recognizing the differences between these alternatives is vital for identifying which one fits your details requirements. Elements to think about consist of web site web traffic, storage demands, safety and security attributes, scalability, and technical support.Paragraph 2: When choosing a host provider, it is essential to assess a number of vital variables. Firstly, take into consideration the uptime guarantee supplied by the holding business. This indicates the portion of time your website will come to visitors. Search for carriers that offer a minimum of a 99.9 %uptime assurance, as even a small downtime can result in shed revenue or damaged online reputation. Secondly, assess the degree of customer support supplied by the provider. A dependable holding firm needs to offer 24/7 technological assistance via various networks like online conversation, phone, or email. Furthermore, think about the scalability options readily available, as your site might experience growth in the future, requiring added sources. Lastly, consider the pricing plans and features supplied by different carriers, guaranteeing they align with your budget plan and requirements.Conclusion: Choosing the ideal webhosting company is a vital action in ensuring your internet site's success. By understanding the concept of web organizing and evaluating vital factors such as uptime warranty, customer assistance, scalability, and pricing, you can make an educated decision that best matches your demands. Bear in mind, dependable host is the structure of an effective online presence, so put in the time to research and select wisely.

Read more here Choose here

[lucy-alvarez]

Turn Yourself Into A Master Of Search Engine Optimization

If you're in charge of managing a business website, the most important thing that you need to know to make your site succeed is a technique called search engine optimization. With search engine optimization, your site gets listed higher on search engines, which means more customers. Read on for more!

When using SEO on your website, resist the temptation to include common misspellings of your keywords to increase hits. Most search engines today are smart enough to fix users' mistakes before the search even begins, so traffic will not increase using this method. Instead, your site will appear unprofessional and untrustworthy to visitors.

Make sure that all the pages on your website load quickly. New search engine algorithms now take into consideration page response times when assigning a rank to your website. If your pages take a long time to load it could be due to your web host rather than your content. It is best to use a dedicated web server to host your website.

A good way to improve search engine optimization is to work on it as part of your daily routine, in the same way you would check your emails. This because seo techniques are not static, as search engines evolve continually and rapidly, and what worked yesterday might not work today.

When optimizing your website, be sure to optimize your description meta tag as well. Some experts believe that keyword meta tags are nearly worthless today, as search engines no longer use them, but that descriptions will usually show up under your page title on the results page, and they are also involved in the indexing process.

Instead of creating several new links every day that will not attract any traffic, spend time building an online network and look for a quality link that will redirect a lot of visitors to your website. You should do your best to get featured guest posts or to comment on popular sites.

The relationship of your website to search engines is one of utmost importance. We trust that these tips will help to guide you towards making the search engines work for you. Search engines may be a bit mysterious, but they are essential to any web-based business. Learn search engine optimization and let these "spiders" be your friend and they will help your business to succeed.

Read more here How much is SEO for a small business?

[alloffer2023]

BigCommerce review and Enterprise

BigCommerce is a popular e-commerce platform that provides businesses with the tools and features needed to create and manage an online store. Here's a review of BigCommerce based on its features, ease of use, pricing, and overall performance.

Features: BigCommerce offers a comprehensive set of features designed to help businesses build and run successful online stores. It provides a wide range of customizable templates and themes to create a visually appealing store. The platform includes robust product management tools, inventory management, flexible shipping options, and multiple payment gateway integrations. It also supports various marketing and SEO tools, including email marketing, social media integration, and built-in SEO features.

Ease of Use: BigCommerce is generally user-friendly and provides an intuitive interface for managing your online store. The platform offers a drag-and-drop editor, making it easy to customize the look and feel of your store without needing extensive technical knowledge. It also provides a user-friendly dashboard that allows you to manage orders, track inventory, and analyze sales data. However, for more advanced customization options, some coding knowledge may be required.

Pricing: BigCommerce offers different pricing plans to accommodate businesses of various sizes. The plans range from Standard to Plus, Pro, and Enterprise, with varying features and limitations. Pricing is competitive compared to other leading e-commerce platforms, but it may be slightly higher for small businesses compared to some other options. It's important to consider your business's specific needs and budget when choosing a plan.

Performance: BigCommerce is known for its strong performance and scalability. The platform is designed to handle high-traffic volumes and provides reliable hosting, ensuring that your online store remains accessible to customers. BigCommerce offers built-in security features, including SSL certificates, to protect your customers' data. Additionally, the platform integrates with popular third-party applications and services, allowing you to extend its functionality and enhance your store's performance.

Customer Support: BigCommerce offers 24/7 customer support through various channels, including phone, live chat, and email. The platform provides extensive documentation, video tutorials, and a community forum to help users find answers to their questions. Overall, the customer support is responsive and helpful in resolving issues or providing guidance.

Conclusion: BigCommerce is a robust e-commerce platform that provides businesses with the necessary tools to build and manage an online store. With its comprehensive features, ease of use, strong performance, and reliable customer support, BigCommerce is a popular choice for businesses of all sizes. However, it's essential to consider your specific requirements and compare BigCommerce with other e-commerce platforms to determine the best fit for your business.

Enterprise

BigCommerce Enterprise is the advanced version of the BigCommerce e-commerce platform specifically designed to meet the needs of large-scale businesses. It offers a range of features and capabilities tailored for enterprises with high-volume sales, complex product catalogs, and advanced customization requirements. Here are some key features and benefits of BigCommerce Enterprise:

Scalability: BigCommerce Enterprise is built to handle high levels of traffic and large product catalogs, ensuring that your online store can scale as your business grows.

Customization: The platform provides extensive customization options, allowing you to create a unique and branded shopping experience for your customers. You have full control over the design, layout, and functionality of your store.

Advanced B2B Functionality: BigCommerce Enterprise includes powerful B2B features such as customer-specific pricing, customer groups, quote management, purchase order workflows, and flexible payment options tailored for B2B transactions.

Integration and APIs: It offers robust integration capabilities, enabling you to connect with third-party systems, tools, and services. This allows for seamless integration with ERP, CRM, fulfillment, and other business systems.

Security and Compliance: BigCommerce Enterprise prioritizes security and compliance, providing features such as advanced security options, secure checkout, and adherence to PCI DSS compliance standards.

Dedicated Account Management: Enterprise-level customers receive dedicated account management and priority support to ensure they receive personalized assistance and guidance.

Performance and Reliability: BigCommerce Enterprise provides reliable hosting infrastructure, fast page loading speeds, and high uptime, ensuring that your store remains accessible and performs well for your customers.

To learn more about BigCommerce Enterprise, including pricing and specific features, it's best to reach out to the BigCommerce sales team or visit their official website for the most accurate and up-to-date information. They can provide detailed insights into how BigCommerce Enterprise can meet your specific business requirements and discuss any customization or integration needs you may have.

Get Your Enterprise

[shaolinsissy]

Life Update

In my opinion, it can be a bit sad to look at dead blogs of people you used to know, and have no idea how they’re doing, so here’s a life update for anyone who is doing that: As of 2023 I am not dead, addicted to meth-amphetamines, or responsible for any acts of terrorism. I also haven’t awakened latent super powers yet and at 30* my optimism about that is starting to fade. In all seriousness, things have gone well! I started a chess school several years ago, and while we’re still small we’re actively growing (we’re in 16 schools)! I’m trying my best to be a not evil business owner who pays good wages and doesn’t eat orphans. I’ve kept true to the latter part of that most of the time.

If you knew me in real life the company’s name is [major local city] chess association! Our website is solid and I’m very proud of it! It has SEO’s!

On a more personal level I finally moved out of my parents’, and in with my girlfriend (not to brag, but she is the bee’s knees and also the cat’s pajamas). Our apartment is small, but cozy. I have a small, but cozy circle of friends. I quit martial arts, stopped lifting, gained 50 lbs (COVID didn’t help), then joined a new martial arts style, started a diet, and lost the 50 lbs again. I also got kicked in the face and have a scar! It’s very small, but having it means I’m cool now. Them’s the rules.

I’ve fallen out of the habit of reading, but listen to audio books a lot. I still play video games, but not League anymore. I still dream of being a writer sometimes, but mostly use those skills on emails these days. And absurd background stories for events that we host for our students. 

I’ve told myself I’ll write again, and get something published, once the business is doing well enough for me to shift my focus. I also know how perilously close “tomorrow” is to “never.” So, I guess we’ll see!

I still break cellphones on a near-annual basis. *Technically, I won’t be 30 for 10 more days. But “29″ really didn’t have the same ring to it, so humor me here. Besides if someone even reads this I’ll bet at LEAST 10 days will have passed.

[objectheadzine]

WELCOME TO THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE OBJECT HEAD ZINE!

2 months left!

In celebration, the 2024's edition will be a Grab Bag - draw whatever object head you like (so long as it fits the guidelines, see below). In Lieu of a theme, all submissions MUST HAVE ASHLEY (the megaphone mascot) in the piece! Feel free to make him as large or as small as you want in the composition. He can be hanging out with your characters or he can be on a flyer, just so long he's somewhere in the picture! Reference of all his outfits can be found here. But don't feel like you're restricted to his previous outfits. Feel free to dress him up in anything you'd like. Content is also free for whatever! You want to date the lil man? Go for it! You want to tease or go on the attack? Also fine! Ignore him and let him live his life? Sure thing.

ALL submissions will be accepted as long as they fit guidelines and each person has a limit of up to 3 submissions. Submit your pieces to the zine email objectheadzine(@)hotmail(.)com along with the email/website/name you’d like to be credited as. (Feel free to omit emails if that is more comfortable). When you’ve finished your piece(s), you are allowed to post them to your blogs as long as you link back to the zine blog! This will be a DIGITAL ZINE ONLY and will be available free upon completion (donation optional).

The guidelines are as follow:

Illustration-quality works in either digital or traditional mediums. Both colour and b/w acceptable; background required. *BG can be as simple as a pattern or colour block! Avoid utilizing a camera to submit your images, please use a scanner. 

The default size will be 6″x9″, 300 dpi (1800px x 2700px) but feel free to go larger or smaller, so long as it follows those proportions. Please work in a vertical format.

For consistency’s sake, keep faces to a minimum (You can have eye(s) or you can have mouth(s) but don’t have both in a humanoid arrangement.)

Ashley, the megaphone head mascot, must be included in your piece. He can be small in the picture or a large factor but he must be included. When submitting, if he is not obvious, please point him out to me. References are found here.

Please go for original characters (or fanart of your friend’s characters) and not so much established object heads (e.g. the popcorn and soda heads from No More).

If you want to include humans, that’s fine as well but keep the ratio of people to object heads 1:1.

Content should be at most PG-13: Romance is fine but after-hours business should not be implied, Blood is fine but no gore. In the end, use your common sense.

Feel free to draw a comic or just an illustration! A comic counts as one submission.

Some facts about Ashley that could help with your piece: He's 5'2", he's of Chinese nationality, he's a TV show host, he's a bubbly, happy-go-lucky kind of guy and he has a Samyoed dog named Cotton!

Note that if a submission does not meet the above guidelines, I will either reject your submission or suggest improvements that would help your piece fulfill them. Please email me at objectheadzine(@)hotmail(.)com if you have any further questions and I’ll do my best to reply promptly. If you do not receive a message from me within a few days, please send it again. Final pieces submitted should be either in PNG or a one layer PSD file format.

Want to share your piece as you're working on them? Come on over to the Object Head Zine discord!

THE DUE DATE FOR SUBMISSIONS IS NOVEMBER 9TH.