#but the indoor wasp is outdoor wasp again

[tj-crochets]

So it turns out there's a big craft guild organization thing only a few hours from where I live (I saw an ad for their craft fair), and I got like half my holiday shopping done on their website, and the box arrived today! The thing I was most excited to see in person is fragile, though, and it's really well wrapped in bubble wrap and I don't want it to break when I mail it to the friend it's for, so I am not unwrapping it, but oh man the temptation is there lol I also got myself a little metal bug made of a bottle cap and some wire. It lives on my little corkboard where I put postcards and thank you cards now

[ericscroptop]

Smokey And Sweet

✧ pairing: neighbor! lee jeno x fem! reader

✦ genre: smut

✧ warnings: 18+ (minors DNI), mentions of food and eating, mentions of death (no actual people die/have died), smoking from jeno & reader (cigarette), cursing, teasing, car sex, semi-public sex (oops), missionary, big d!ck jeno, fingering, protected sex, slight corruption kink, dirty talk, praising, pet names, some drool & spit, kissing, shy reader when it comes to godly men like lee jeno, slightly bad-boy jeno but more so his aura, reader & jeno are in their early 20s

✦ word count: 11.6k words (i literally couldn’t stop)

✧ synopsis: new boy next door takes an interest in you and decides to take you as a warm welcome into town.

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Winter had said its goodbye weeks ago, and now, it has fully transitioned into Spring.

With Spring having sprung, the environment has come back to life and everything is blooming once again.

You can now enjoy hearing the sweet songs from the birds chirping proudly every day. You can savor the sunshine and natural light for much longer now due to the time being pushed forward an hour. And, the weather isn’t bitterly cold anymore so you could actually go outside having your skin exposed without your body tingling, stinging, and shivering.

Though, there were still downsides to Spring that you loathed— such as torrential downpours, freshly awoken wasps and bumblebees, and random sneezing fits from pollen. But on days like today where the air felt so fresh outside and you frankly had nothing better else to do, the outdoors called to you.

You desired to spend your leisure time this evening outside. Maybe you’d even decide to buy a treat from the ice cream truck that drove past your neighborhood almost daily now that the weather was warmer. You relish in just the thought of enjoying your first ice cream this season from the cute truck. You’d definitely buy one.

With the weather just right, you chose to wear a simple oversized t-shirt and your pair of frilly-ruffled, black and white polka dot shorts, along with your go-to comfortable footwear. Perfect for lounging out in the breezy and warm weather.

Deciding to sit on the tailgate of your dad’s pickup truck while you wait, you scroll mindlessly through your phone with your wallet by your side.

Although your face was trained on your phone instead of enjoying the outdoors peacefully, at least you were outside instead of cooped up in indoors.

In the midst of the sounds of nature, from wind blowing the trees to birds singing, you hear the sound of your neighbors’s door swing open. Though, you refrain yourself from allowing your eyes to follow the sound, trying to ignore their presence even though curiosity fills you.

This past week, a new family had moved into the house next to yours. It had been vacant and up for sale for awhile, as the previous owners decided to relocate elsewhere.

You’ve seen the movers and had your fair share of brief glimpses towards the house, but you tried your best to ignore and avoid them.

Although your whole life your neighbors have been unproblematic and greet your parents every-so-often, you weren’t someone who enjoyed small talk and acted ‘neighborly.’ You lived in your own bubble, and were too shy in even sparing a greeting to your neighbors.

That may seem a bit bitchy, but you just felt awkward and never really knew what to say. It felt easier just minding your own business.

You probably should work on your social skills. Maybe then you’d actually have something to do instead of sitting alone outside like a loser waiting for some ice cream— at your grown age.

With your attention directed towards your phone, you don’t notice that it is a boy that comes out of the door.

Said boy walks out of his house and lets out a deep sigh with both hands on his hips as he stands on his porch.

Honestly, Jeno didn’t really know how to feel about the move. His parents had decided to move out of the big city he’s known and loved his entire life, and ditch it for this unknown-small town he has to call home now.

While he’s in his early twenties and fully capable of living on his own as an adult, he just graduated college and rent was fucking expensive these days. For the time being, it was easier to move and live with his parents until he found a job and could start saving for his own place.

There was nothing wrong with adults living with their parents, anyways. There were upsides and downsides to it— as there were with practically anything. But it’s what will work for now.

It just sucks that he had to leave everything he’s ever known behind and start over. But life’s all about growing and new adventures— at least, that’s what the older adults say. He just has to learn to adapt to his new environment and embrace change.

He’s been unpacking boxes and organizing his new room all day. It was now around 6pm, and he’d been in the house all day doing labor and cleaning. After being stuck indoors all day, he figured it was time for a break to go for a short drive or maybe get food someplace.

As he stepped out his front door and stood on the porch, he looked towards his left and noticed your figure.

A girl, he thought. He hadn’t really gotten a chance to even notice any of his neighbors or surroundings fully, as he was too immersed in helping his parents settle into their new home and couldn’t keep his attention on anything outside of moving in.

From his porch he could see your figure swaying your head faintly from side to side, legs swinging back and forth in the air over the cracked concrete of your driveway. You were in your own world, phone in hand and sat by your lonesome self.

How cute, he thinks. He probably looks like a freak just staring at your form, but he glances around the street fleetingly and it doesn’t seem like anyone else is out right now. You don’t seem to notice his presence watching you— or at least, maybe you’re pretending you don’t.

You peak his interest suddenly. He wonders what you’re like and from this distance, he can see that you’re definitely an adult like him. Maybe you’re around his age. He could use a friend or at least, know someone in this foreign town.

He gives himself an internal pep-talk of confidence to walk up to you. You’d start seeing each other almost daily now that you’re neighbors, and he doesn’t think he can stay unacquainted with you. So he strides his way towards your house to introduce himself like a gentleman.

While engrossed in whatever nonsense you’re watching on your phone, you begin to detect movement from your peripheral, as well as hear shoes scraping against the concrete.

Your eyes slightly widen at that, sensing a complete stranger coming towards your direction. It wasn’t everyday someone decided to approach you suddenly. Your body stilled and you found strength to raise your head, locking eyes with what seems to be a handsome man.

He brings a hand up and waves, continuing walking up to you until he’s like only 6 feet away.

“Hey— sorry to bother you, but I came to introduce myself. I’m Jeno. I just moved in next door.” he shoots you a smile.

“Oh— hey! Yeah, it’s nice to meet you.” you awkwardly get up to stand on your feet and extend an arm out.

“I’m Y/n. Welcome to the neighborhood!” you put on your best smile as he takes your hand to shake it firmly, practically blacking out mentally as you cannot believe this is a real scene playing out.

You’re left utterly dumbfounded once you took a good gander at this guy.

There was a contrast to him. His skin was pretty much bright and his beauty could light up darkness and draw irresistible attention to him, but he was also kind of shadowy in a way. Although he greeted you with a smile that reached his eyes, he seemed to have this intimidating presence to him.

Maybe you’re just saying that because anyone who’s attractive to you intimidates the fuck out of you. But he seems to ooze natural confidence and appeal. His features were sharp, and he just had this indescribable aura to him that made you weak. You couldn’t pin point what it was.

It didn’t help that he was cool enough to rock an undercut, seeing it peeking through slightly from his right side of face. Not to mention, you couldn’t help but shift your eyes down for a second to look at his almost-exposed chest, first few buttons of his dark flannel left undone.

His dark eyes, dark hair, and dark shirt contrast with his light blue baggy jeans and kind smile, making your skin heat up from his presence, even in the midst of a breeze passing through.

But anyways— your new neighbor is a hot man that decided to come over and greet you. If that’s not a moment in history, then you don’t know what is.

The smile on his face doesn’t falter one bit as you greet him back, feeling your smaller, slightly wobbly hand shaking his own, and sees the slight tint of pink coloring your cheeks. Was it from the weather or his abrupt approach? He’s not sure. And neither are you.

“Thanks. I— uh, actually noticed you were sitting out here alone. Figured I’d come introduce myself. Since I’m new to this town, I don’t know anyone.” he admits.

Your lips parted as you attentively listened to his every word, arms crossed. You let out a chuckle as he finishes, “To be honest with you, i’m not really familiar with anyone else in this neighborhood— and i’ve lived on this street my whole life.” you laugh at yourself, shaking your head as you look around at nothing in particular sheepishly.

Your words and quiet laugh only makes his smile bigger. “Yeah? Maybe I could be your first neighbor-friend.” Jeno smirks at you, his hands shifting around in the pockets of his jeans.

The dopamine releasing from your brain causes you to feel giddy and it feels like butterflies are fluttering inside your stomach from excitement and coyness. You’re gushing internally at the fact that God himself has sent you a cute neighbor— one who had the urge to come over and is showing interest in you.

You only know his name and your delusional-self is already mentally planning your future with him.

“I could definitely use a friend.” your smile is genuine as you tell him, showing courtesy to your new neighbor.

You see the smile reach to his eyes again, meeting your gaze before he looks down at his own feet while grinning, making you look away shyly.

God, you felt like a teenager again.

“Do you care if I sit out here with you? I don’t really have anything better to do.” Jeno speaks. He really wants to get to know you and waste no time. You seem very sweet, and like he said, he actually doesn’t have anything better to do. (He still had some unpacking left to do unfortunately, but he needed a damn break.)

You can feel your heart rate increase and a flash of heat hits you at his words, feeling flustered that your peaceful evening has unexpectedly taken a turn.

“Of course! I could use someone to keep me company.” you say, still feeling flushed.

You pushed your rear back onto the truck’s tailgate and Jeno follows suit. He takes a seat next to you, making you hold back a giggle at how the truck lowered for a moment due to the extra weight now added.

“So… you were just out here chilling alone?” he queries with both arms outstretched behind him, leaning back a bit and making himself comfortable.

“I actually came out ‘cause I wanted some ice cream. Now that it’s warmer out again, a truck usually passes by everyday.” you begin to swing your legs like you were earlier as you continued. “I’m grown as hell waiting for the ice cream man by myself. Can you believe that?” you laugh.

Jeno finds your demeanor endearing. How you’re just out here innocently waiting for some ice cream. And the way that you seem like a ball of sunshine. You’re unintentionally stirring his emotions with sudden fondness and attraction towards you.

“Hey, that’s cute. And, now you have company to wait alongside you.” he states, his eyes stuck on you as he spoke.

Your cheeks must’ve been permanently stained pink since he’s made himself known. His natural charm and solely being in the presence of an attractive male has your palms sweaty and senses tingling.

“So why’d you move here?” you attempt to make conversation, trying to push pass the fact that he basically called you cute and is sitting directly next to you.

He inhales some air and huffs it out deeply before speaking. “Parents wanted to settle in a smaller town now that they’re getting older. We lived in the city my whole life, but my parents wanted a change. Plus, my dad runs an auto repair shop, and he had the grand idea of extending his business here, so… yeah.”

“I just graduated college a while ago, too. You’d think that I would have my own place and not be packed up alongside my parents, but i’m trying to figure out what I wanna do. Rent’s too expensive in the city, anyways. I have friends I could’ve moved in with to split rent, but since we all graduated, we all are doing our own things and they have their partners and stuff.” he continued.

“S’ry for rambling. I’m just dumping all this shit on you.” Jeno shakes his head, scoffing at his own rant. The last thing he wants is for you to think he’s looking for pity and seem lame.

“Nooo— it’s okay. I asked you a question and you answered it. Sounds like there’s so much change in your life recently. It would only be natural to feel sour or uncertain about your current life. I know it’s probably not ideal, but I hope you adjust well here.” you offer him an empathetic smile, trying to assure him that his feelings are valid.

Jeno looks at you, intrigued and taken aback by your words. He wasn’t expecting you to respond with something that suddenly made his heart stir.

He isn’t one to get sappy or ever seeks for people to comfort him. He wasn’t even asking for sympathy. You were just kind enough to offer him some touching and uplifting words.

The ends of his lips curl at your tenderness. “Wow… do you always say such nice things to people you barely know?” he decides to tease you.

Your face grows hot, laughing nervously as you speak, “What? I’m just telling you what I think.” you pause for a couple seconds before continuing, “Moving can be mentally and physically taxing. Change is never easy. Especially as a young adult, we’re still trying to figure everything out. So I feel for you.”

“There you go again.” Jeno can’t help but smirk, eyes falling to his own lap, hands clasped together.

“You majored in psychology or something? Your words are naturally comforting.” he chuckles.

You scoff at that. “I’m actually in community college— and undecided.”

He hums at your response, finally learning something about you.

“Well, i’m sure you’d be good in any career field. You sound very mature.”

You pursed your lips to the side, feeling flustered at all these small compliments he’s throwing your way. He’s probably just being nice, but he’s probably thinking the same about yourself towards him. Though, you were a very compassionate person. Your words were earnest.

And his own words carried much weight to your brain, especially because it was coming from a man. A very attractive one, at that.

“I dunno, I was just being real.” you brushed his comment off.

“Nah, you’re definitely a smart girl. Come on now.” Jeno tilts his head at you, staring at you attentively.

He’s wondering what goes on in that pretty little head of yours. He has the urge to figure you out. Jeno isn’t stupid and realizes the effect he has on girls merely from his looks. Call him cocky or whatever, but it’s not a secret that girls easily gravitate towards him.

Though, you’re currently bringing him a different vibe. He’s already gathered that you’re sweeter than a Pop-Tart. And a bit bashful.

Girls are usually so quick to be flirty towards him. Not that he doesn’t like that— he actually loves when girls are bold and quick to get things swinging. But you’re offering him something new, even within the couple of minutes you’ve known each other. He’s definitely interested in you.

You can sense his pair of eyes on you, but you can’t bring yourself to look at him. Your vision lies straight ahead, trying to remain composed after hearing him compliment you as you stare at the house across from yours. How is this man still talking to your ass? You wondered.

You can’t even come up with a response before your ears pick up on that familiar tune of the ice cream truck, sounding closer and closer every second.

“It’s coming,” you lift yourself off the tailgate, wallet in hand as you approach the end of your driveway towards the road.

Jeno follows your lead and trails behind you, joining you as the truck comes to a halt in seeing you both.

He watches as you greet the driver and look over the menu momentarily, eventually deciding on a regular-sized Italian ice— flavor of your choice.

You then turn to look at Jeno, smile taking over your features charmingly.

“Do you want anything?” you ask him.

Jeno secretly does have a big sweet tooth, so he refuses to pass up on a treat of his own. “Yeah, i’ll have the same as her.” he announces and smiles at the worker.

You fiddle with your wallet, scrambling to fish out a couple dollars while your treats are being prepared. Though, it seems like you’re beat to covering for the both of you, eyes looking up to the sight of Jeno handing the worker some cash.

“I got it.” he says like nothing to you, happily paying the man in the truck.

You’re left confounded, not expecting him to even have his wallet on him.

Your mouth is slightly parted at his sudden act, ponderously putting your money back in your wallet. You can’t even protest as the transaction was already made.

Jeno hands you your treat with a spoon and grabs his own, both of you thanking the driver and walking back to your dad’s tailgate as the ice cream truck drives away, music now growing distant.

“I was gonna pay for us, y’know?” you say as you sit back down, Jeno doing the same.

“It was only a couple bucks. Plus, i’d never let a girl pay.”

You look down at your Italian ice in hand, poking at it with your spoon in other hand.

“Yeah, but we just met. You’re the new neighbor, shouldn’t I be the one treating you?”

“Your company is more than enough.” he simply replies before bringing his spoon to his mouth, head turned in your direction.

His words make your heart begin to thud erratically in your chest, heat rising all-throughout your body, and you’re left tongue-tied.

You’re still twiddling with your semi-frozen treat, mind and body fuzzy. You’re focused on his comment, the fact that he paid, and the innocent moment of you two enjoying ice cream next to each other here— outside your house.

You feel like you’re squirming on the inside, not knowing what to do with Jeno’s kind presence. He’s your neighbor now. How are you supposed to live now that you have an incredibly beautiful and charming man living next door to you?

“You like playing with your food before you eat?”

“Huh? Oh— my bad.” Jeno rips you away from your ruffled thoughts about him, now feeling embarrassed at how your head is already spinning and going dumb from someone you just met.

A nervous chuckle leaves your throat, finally digging for your first bite while Jeno was on his nth spoonful. You pop the spoon filled with ice cream into your mouth, tastebuds absorbing the deliciously creamy and smooth consistency.

“How is it?” he asks, eyeing you as you enjoy your first taste.

“It’s so sweet. Really good.”

“Definitely.” Jeno says, nodding his head in agreement. Though, he’s not sure if he’s referring to the ice cream or you.

You guys finished up your treats and talked about various topics, slowly getting to know each other better. You even started to loosen up a bit more, feeling just a tiny bit more comfortable the more you two conversed.

“You know, I’m a real huge car guy.”

“Really? I’m honestly not surprised.”

“Why?”

“‘Cause it seems like every guy these days is a ‘car guy.’” you sneered.

He scoffs after listening to you. “Well, since my dad’s a mechanic, he’s taught me almost everything I need to know about cars. It’s practically in my veins.”

“Trust me, I am practically infatuated with cars. I used to dream of becoming a F1 driver.” he clicks his tongue.

“Woah, what?! So with cars, do you like the mechanics of it all, or do you really just like showing off how fast you can go?” you cock your head at him, asking curiously with a hint of tease in saying the latter.

“Both. I like working hands-on with cars and having the knowledge to perform car maintenance. It also feels personal cause’ since my dad’s a mechanic, he passed down his love for cars to me.”

“I also love the control I can have while driving. It can be exhilarating when you’re going hella fast. Especially when your car’s all nicely polished and sleek— it’s the best.”

“Damn. You really are passionate, huh? That’s actually really dope.”

“I am.” he smirks, amused that you’re interested in hearing about his interests. Like, you actually are having a conversation with him and are seriously listening to him.

Meanwhile, it’s such a breath of fresh air for you to listen to him speak about his passions and have personality to him. He wasn’t dry or giving you half-assed anything— and he was respectful, making you swoon and happy to have met someone like him.

The sun was beginning to set as you two got loss in conversation, the sky painted in a warm hue.

“Let me go throw these away.” you gather your now-empty foam cups and plastic spoons, grabbing them and getting up to throw them in your trash bin.

“Thanks.” Jeno gets up shortly after you do, shoving his hands in his pockets.

“I should be the one thanking you— for the ice cream.” you now stand in front of him, arms crossed behind your back with a hand resting over your wrist.

“It was only a couple of bucks, no biggie like I said.” he assures you.

You smile, the apples of your cheeks more prominent as you can’t hold back in how wide it becomes due to his kindness. You stand meekly, figuring that this is the part where you bid one another goodbye and go inside your separate homes.

Although he literally lives next to you and you’d be seeing him frequently, you don’t want your time together to end just yet. He’s pulling you in like a magnet. You’ve felt lonely lately, and Jeno’s company was the best unexpected gift you could ever ask for.

And it seems like he’s thinking the same.

“Hey— I was thinking now would be a perfect time to drive around for a bit. I’ve been stuck at home all day and could go out for a bit. Would you like to come with?”

Your brows lift slightly, caught off guard by his invite. You didn’t expect to spend your evening with a man outside your house, and now, said man is asking you out for a drive.

“Only if you want to, of course. It’s totally fine if you don’t want to or—“

“No!— let’s do it.” you interrupt him, rather eagerly. You stare at him with a twinkle inside your eyes, mirroring Jeno’s own, eyes dreamy as he looks at your figure.

You might be some trouble for him, and you’re definitely feeling the same about him. The magnetism between you two is strong. Each of you look at one another in admiration and thoughts about anything else are practically nonexistent. It was purely curious attraction. Like a moth to a flame.

You’re honestly not sure if it’s the smartest idea to be getting in a vehicle with a guy you haven’t even known for 24 hours. You know your parents would literally be up your ass if they knew, and the anxious side of you is lowkey freaking out internally, already playing out multiple scenarios.

But you oddly trust Jeno. He seems to find solace in your presence. You each agreed that you were friends now. You hardly got out of the house anyways— you definitely needed this. And you’re an adult, so who cares?

“Alirghty then, are you ready to go?”

“Yeah, i’m good to go.”

With that, Jeno leads the way into his new property. His left hand digs into his left pocket and pulls out a pair of keys, walking to the driver’s side of what seems to be his car.

The sight of his car definitely confirms that he’s a serious car guy. You’re not too familiar yourself on the technical terms or remember model names, but his car is black, windows were tinted, and it’s glossy. It looked almost brand new, smooth and sexy— dare you say. It suits him well.

He unlocks his car and lets you know you’re able to get in, and so you open the passenger door and seat yourself inside.

A subtle musky fragrance fills your nostrils immediately as you settle in. The interior of his car smells clean and fresh, mellow undertones within the scent. Not strong, but pleasant and fitting.

Jeno also settles in his vehicle, starting up the engine as you each put on your seatbelts.

“Don’t worry. I know I said I like going fast, but I follow the law. It’ll be a nice drive.” Jeno suddenly says, looking over his shoulder as his right hand takes hold of the gear shift. He puts the car in reverse, using his left hand to steer the wheel.

You sit idly as he cranes his neck slightly to look behind, making sure the street is clear as he makes exit from his driveway. He smoothly reverses, and begins to drive down the street.

Your hands are folded in your lap, and you begin to play with them out of suspense from what is to come during this drive with Jeno.

You’re fortunate that your parents are out of town right now, so they don’t really have to question your whereabouts.

Though, you’re thinking about how you’re alone in the car with a guy you just met. It had been so long since you hung out with a male like this. You couldn’t help but already feel some type of way towards Jeno. Your senses heightened within his presence. Maybe it’s because you still don’t really know too much about him, but you also think it’s because his attractiveness daunts you.

Perhaps you’re already developing a crush.

“Got anywhere in particular you wanna go? I don’t really mind; I’ll let you take the reins.” he halts his car at a stop sign, then turns to smile at you.

“Honestly, there’s really not much to do in this town. People usually go goof around the grocery stores for entertainment. That’s how dry it is here.” you tittered.

“Though, there’s a school a few blocks away from our street that I walk to occasionally when I want to clear my mind, and I usually just roam leisurely around there. Since it’s practically right next to a nice neighborhood, lots of people go on walks or bike rides around, and kids play after school hours.” you internally facepalm yourself once you finish talking. He probably is gonna think you’re so lame and that you clearly don’t go out much. A school? Really?

“We can go there. Sounds chill to me, if that’s okay with you?”

“Yeah! I’m good with that.” you’re relieved to see that he seems on board with your idea. He seemed to be pretty laidback and easygoing, leaving you feeling safe.

You direct him to the location, and he notices that there’s no music currently playing.

“Wanna connect your phone to play some music?”

“Oh no, that’s okay. You can play whatever.” you kindly smile.

“I listen to the same songs practically everyday. It’s getting old. How about you put on something, I could use something new.”

You feel a bit shy in sharing your music taste, but you see that he won’t take no for an answer. You give in and he helps you in connecting to the Bluetooth. A R&B playlist is what you settle for, as most of the songs in your curated playlist were comforting, catchy, and relaxing.

As the music’s going, you feel flushed and can’t reject the smile that creeps on your face as a favorite song of yours comes on. You notice from your peripheral Jeno nodding his head to the beat of the track, making you fix your attention to simply staring out the window to avoid him seeing how blushed and smiley you are.

After just a few minutes, he pulls into the school grounds, parking in the lot and you two unbuckle your seatbelts. There seems to be hardly anyone here. There’s maybe one or two cars parked, but nobody’s inside. There also aren’t any children on the playground or playing basketball like there normally would be. It seems a bit ghostly out.

With you two now sitting in the car in the practically-empty lot, you begin to wonder maybe this really was a dumb idea of yours.

I mean, what are you guys actually going to do?

With you two in this setting, wouldn’t people expect you two to be doing something shady or sketchy? Especially as the sky’s only growing somber by the minute.

“Do you care if I smoke a cig?” Jeno’s question interrupts your overthinking, making you turn, facing him.

“Go ahead.” you give him the green light to do so. It was his car after all.

Internally, you grimaced at now knowing the fact that he’s a smoker. You weren’t a fan of tobacco or nicotine, but if someone wanted to smoke, who were you to stop them?

Jeno rolls the window down halfway and reaches his hand into his door pocket, pulling out a cigarette and a lighter. He puts the stick in between his mouth, allowing his lips to hold it as he brings the lighter to the end.

He flicks the lighter and the click hits your ears. Your eyes stay hooked on him once you hear it.

Jeno took a few quick breaths to ignite it, and it lit with ease. He sucked and held the smoke in his mouth for a moment, then removed the cigarette from his lips, letting the hot chemicals cool down before releasing a steady stream of smoke into the air towards his lowered window.

He immediately feels the buzz of pleasure from the nicotine rush to his brain. The warm air embraces his lungs like a comforting hug, allowing him to relax after a long day of unpacking.

Meanwhile, you weren’t in favor of cigarettes. You don’t understand the appeal in smoking something that in the end, is probably going to lead you closer to death by shortening your lifespan and bring trouble to your body. The aroma it left was harsh and acrid, and even eye-watering.

Though, even with how strongly you felt about smoking cigarettes, why was Jeno making it seem attractive?

Your attention is captivated on the erotic bittersweetness of the sight next to you. He made it seem so effortless, like it was second nature to him.

He seemed so carefree and rebellious in this moment. He obviously doesn’t give a shit about the consequences. The habit was hazardous, but the youthful, handsome man with strong features smoking in a dark car was glamorous in your perspective.

Jeno has to refrain from grinning as he notices your wonderment. He takes another drag before shooting you a question.

“Have you ever smoked before?”

“Not a cigarette, no.”

He suddenly moves his right hand with cigarette in hold in between you two, towards an empty tray you just now were made aware of. He taps the ash off the cigarette onto the ashtray, and to your surprise, gestures it towards you.

“Wanna try?” his voice husky.

Your mouth falls barely agape, caught off guard by his question.

You have to admit, even though you strayed away from cigarettes due to the long run danger they pose, you can’t help the burning curiosity fueling inside in trying it at least once.

Jeno made it look oddly satisfying, even in the midst of the now tarnished air and molten stench.

One puff wouldn’t kill you.

“Sure.” you reply, eyelids blinking at the stick in between his fingers.

Amusement is written all over Jeno’s face. He had a hunch before you even said anything that you’ve never smoked a cigarette before. You just seemed too sweet for that.

He found it mirthful that you want to try for yourself, and with him. There was something exciting in the fact that he’s about to watch you take your first ever drag. Knowing it was your first, there was a high chance you were going to be appalled by it. But it was going to be fun to watch, almost like he was corrupting your sweetness.

He brings the cigarette towards you and you carefully take it pinched between your thumb and forefinger.

The smoke envelops your nostrils, and you feel clammy all of a sudden with the cigarette in your hold and Jeno focused on you.

You were already overthinking the way you probably looked to him right now, so obviously amateur. And it was going to be humbling when you’re left coughing or can’t do it correctly.

Jeno can practically hear your worrisome thoughts turning, and is quick to kick them to the curb. “You don’t have to do it just because I am.”

“I actually want to try at least once in my life— for the plot, y’know?” you chuckled.

“Okay then. Just know I won’t tease you. Nobody’s first smoke is perfect.” he simply smiles, immediately bringing you support.

You don’t waste anymore time for the cigarette’s sake and wrap your lips around it, hollowing your cheeks as you take a shallow drag.

Your throat instantly feels irritated and on fire, feeling tight with the smoke you’ve just inhaled. All the toxic chemicals blaze your throat and lungs, leaving a bad taste to your mouth and it feels almost-suffocating.

A couple coughs rip from your throat, and you attempt to cover your mouth with your free hand and turn your form slightly towards the right, trying to shield yourself away Jeno from your embarrassing coughing fit.

You each let out a different curse word due to your actions, making the both of you laugh— of which, lowkey makes your throat feel even worse. Jeno quickly reaches over and removes the cigarette from your hold, dumping the ash on the tray and he keeps it between his fingers as he rummages around his car for a possible drink he may have lying around.

Luckily, he finds an unopened water bottle in his backseat. It unfortunately is room temperature and he doesn’t know how long it’s been in his car, but he doesn’t hesitate in opening it and offering it to you, which you gladly take.

“God! I fucking hated that.” you huff out after taking a few sips, now feeling calm. The ashy taste still was lingering in your mouth, making you slightly frown. The scent of the smog was definitely going to cling to your clothes— thankfully, your parents weren’t going to be home tonight to be greeted by it.

“Everyone’s first cigarette is terrible.” he chuckles before taking another drag, looking graceful and natural in doing so.

You can’t help the ping you feel in your heart from how you two now practically shared an indirect kiss, him choosing to continue smoking the cigarette instead of putting it out. You’re starting to feel hazy.

“I don’t think i’ll be smoking that ever again.” you scoff, taking another sip of water before reaching for and screwing the cap back on, placing it on one of his cup holders.

“That’s good, it doesn’t really suit you.” he says before enveloping his lips around the stick again.

Your eyes squint barely as you feel slightly offended from his comment. After blowing out the smoke, he notices your expression, and adds on to his words.

“You’re too sweet for that.”

“Can you elaborate?”

“You’re a pretty girl with frilly polka dot shorts who waits outside for ice cream and has a sweet nature. You just seem like you don’t do bad stuff like that.”

Warmth climbs from your neck up to your cheeks, not being able to maintain eye contact once ‘pretty girl’ rang in your ears. Pretty girl? Fuck, why would he say that.

“Duality exists. People can have multiple sides to them.” you voiced, trying to dismiss his comment from before off your mind.

Jeno nods his head in agreement, “Can’t argue with that.”

“Smoking isn’t good for you, though. You should stay away from it.” he utters, about to take another hit from his cigarette.

An incredulous expression takes over your face. “Well look who’s talking.” you teased, shaking your head slightly.

He pauses at your words, not being able to help the breathy laugh that escapes his throat.

“Indulging in cigarettes is like a hobby to me. It’s too late for me. I’m locked in for life.” he twirls the cigarette around his fingers, then brings it to his lips once again.

“So then should I stay away from you?” you mindlessly say, making you clutch the bottom frills of your shorts for comfort as you await for his response.

Jeno blows out smoke towards the window and turns to you, your fingers playing with the fabric of your shorts. He can’t help how cute you look in his passenger seat. You look so delicate, even in the dark interior of his car, even in the thick of the secondhand smoke air.

He’s torn between wanting to protect you and wanting to tamper with you. He could get a cavity just by looking at you. You were delightful and so new and sweet to him. You can be timid but you’ve been so open to embracing your new neighbor. You were a ball of sunshine, and he was the kind of guy parents hated just based off his looks alone.

Like you had said, there can be multiple sides to everyone. Just because someone seems to appear one way on the outside, or you base their personality off one side they’ve shown you, doesn’t define their entire persona.

Jeno really wants you two to get close together. Call him desperate, but he can already feel growing chemistry between you two. You barely met, but Jeno can’t help how he’s already so drawn to you.

And he intends to get to know every part of you.

Your fingers continue to fidget with your shorts, thighs pressed together, suddenly feeling small and hyper aware of your own existence within his presence.

“I kinda don’t want you too.”

“I already like you too much, think I could use someone like you in my life.”

Your nervous system is a whirlwind currently, the opposite of calm. Blood rushes to your head in hearing his response, ears becoming warm. A tight-lipped grin stretches across your face while averting your eyes from Jeno.

You can’t help the nervous giggle that comes out of you, unable to contain your emotions. There’s a change in the atmosphere, and it’s not just due to the smoke floating around.

Fuck. You don’t even know what to say to that.

He grins at your figure, his words clearly stirring something inside you. You avoid his gaze, pupils suddenly finding your lap more interesting and easier to look at than to meet his own eyes as you feel bashful.

Your fingers run along the goosebumps that now decorate the bit of exposed skin from your thighs, coy and still unable to think of a response. He makes you feel so silly and dumb, falling for his charisma.

Jeno’s eyes fall into your lap, following your small movements. You were visibly fidgety. He couldn’t help in wanting to reach over and place a hand protectively over your thigh. He then wonders what it would be like to hold your hand, or to tuck a stand of your hair behind your ear, or to kiss your lips.

He wants to act on instinct. The attraction and desire he has for you is too much for him to bear with you next to him in his car— in an empty parking lot.

He abruptly rolls up his window and reaches for the water bottle you drank out of from the cup holder, opening it and using a tiny bit of water to carefully add it to the ashtray, to stub his cigarette out properly.

You finally look up towards him because of his movements, watching and locking eyes once he’s finished.

“Y/n…” Jeno begins, head cocked slightly to the side, swallowing before continuing. “Is it too soon to ask if I can kiss you?” he practically whispers.

Your heartbeat feels like it pauses and sinks for a moment when you process his words.

Who would’ve guessed you’d be put in this position today?

Jeno’s eyes carry passion and intensity, awaiting for your permission or any answer. He’s craving for your attention, and he can’t deny the carnal desire within him to make each other feel good right now.

“I’d really love to kiss you.” he mumbles, eyes falling to your lips, head still tipped slightly, like a puppy concentrated on you.

The outside world and any miscellaneous thoughts are drowned out by the intention behind his eyes. The tense air and his admirable stare makes you feel a sense of vulnerability. Your own lips are trembling and heart flutters.

You’re lost from his eagerness and interest in you, caught off guard that he felt some attraction towards you while you’ve been trying to ignore how handsome this man was.

It’s been long since you’ve had any ounce of intimacy with another person. Loneliness has consumed you lately. With Jeno showing up in your life out of the blue, confessing that he wants to kiss you even from the little time you’ve known each other, it makes you feel validated and enchanted.

You peer down at the ashtray and center console, being a barrier between the two of you.

It would be slightly discomforting to kiss him over the compartment. But you really did want to kiss him.

Given the fact that you were parked in a parking lot during the late evening, you wondered in the back of your mind secretly of the possibility of him wanting to fuck you. Honestly, you wouldn’t be opposed to that idea in the slightest. A hot guy like Jeno wanting you was generating intense euphoria in your brain.

You were definitely nervous and timorous but fuck, you wanted him to feed your desires and take you heatedly.

“Would the backseat be more comfortable?” you finally manage to speak, viewing him with doe eyes. You knew what you were implying— a bold move for you but you now know that he wants it, too.

Patience never really was your thing.

Jeno’s lips curl upwards, sending you a knowing-look in response to your comment. He gestures with his head to the backseat, “You wanna?”

You merely swallow and nod your head, eventually letting out a faint ‘yes.’

Excitement charges him up in how fast things turned. He opens his own door first, with you following and opening yours a second after, making your way to the backseat on your respective sides.

Frisson is present within the pit of your stomach as you move to the back. Your body hairs are raised due to the tingling sensation rippling all throughout your skin.

You were excited but apprehensive. You were suddenly taking a leap into a new adventure, which was you about to get fucked by your new neighbor in the backseat— in a school parking lot. It was definitely indecent, but lust persisted.

Your pupils flickered around nervously as you each sat in the back, growing sweaty with every second that passes, wondering how this was going to play out.

Jeno takes note of your body language and immediately speaks up. “Are you okay with this? We don’t have to do anything if you aren’t comfortable.”

“I’m okay, just a bit awkward.” you sigh out with a slight laugh.

He smiles and looks down at the decent amount of empty space in between you two.

“C’mere.” he says, signaling towards his lap.

You take a breath as you slip out of your shoes and move closer to him. Jeno stretches his arms out, pulling your weight to seat you on his lap. Your legs wrap around his waist, and your body stills, in disbelief that you’ve found yourself in this foreign position.

Although patience wasn’t your thing, this situation was unfamiliar to you. About to get fucked by someone you barely met was crazy for you. You craved him, but you were also scared something was going to go wrong, whether it was from you or him.

Jeno’s left hand rests on the small of your back, drawing circles with his thumb over the fabric of your t-shirt. His other hand slowly reaches towards the apple of your cheek, rubbing it carefully with the pad of his thumb.

Your tummy flutters wildly from his small touches and the desire emanating from his eyes as he scans you.

“Relax for me, pretty.”

“Can you touch me, hm?”

You don’t verbally respond. You pupils go back and forth between his face and neck as you hook your arms around the thick skin. Your lips parted in being careful with your movements, still in disbelief of this current moment. He called you pretty again.

He smiles at the feeling of your arms around him, and lowers his thumb down your face until it reached your lips, playing with your bottom lip, eyes hooked to something so inviting.

Your own eyes seek his lips, watching the tip of his tongue slip out to give his own a lick, making you force to resist in shifting in his lap out of anticipation or letting out a whimper.

He’s the one to rip the tension by seizing a kiss from you. He gently pulls your face in, and as his lips meet yours, your only focus was on the heat that ignited within you.

The kiss was warm and smokey. It was intense with the way his lips moved jointly with yours.

While you didn’t care for nicotine, the taste of Jeno’s lips was a drug you could see yourself becoming addicted to.

As more seconds pass, the kissing becomes increasingly passionate. You’re practically melting, and it intensifies even more with his scintillating touches.

He protectively keeps a hand around your back, keeping you in place and subtly pushing you in closer towards him. HIs other hand holds your jaw, keeping your face slightly angled and steady.

You can’t help but rub down your clothed crotch against his own, surprising you when your movement draws a deep moan from Jeno, making you quietly gasp.

“Fuck.” he breathes out before he meshes his moist tongue into your hot mouth, making you produce a moan in feeling the wet muscle explore your sensitive erogenous zone.

Your eyes are clenched shut and fingers suddenly find themselves messily fiddling through Jeno’s locks, mind and body lost in the rush of how you’re locked by his lips.

There’s a growing hardness felt through the lightweight material of your shorts. It’s a signal that he wants more, each of your endorphins going nuts by merely making out.

He pulls away from your swollen lips, breathless, hushed gasps filling one another’s ears. Jeno then maneuvers a hand to cradle the back of your head, and brings his face towards your left ear, simultaneously beginning to play with the hem of your shirt.

“Let me take care of you.” his breath ghosts over the shell of your ear, sending a chill down your spine.

His hands redirect to either side of your waist, feeling you up as he brings his face back and scans your face, awaiting for a verbal response.

“Please.” you whisper, warmth spreading across your skin.

“Please what?” he teases.

“Please undress me. Touch me— my body and pussy. Want you to.” you slip out, swallowing your pride. It was a bit embarrassing to say such things aloud in front of your new neighbor, but fuck it. He wanted you equally as bad.

Fully blushed and flushed out, your eyes fall down to stare blankly at his chest. Jeno is filled with amusement though, and hums in satisfaction at your words.

He smoothly reaches for your jaw and tilts it up so that you’re looking at him properly, bringing a buzz to your pussy from his dominance.

“You’re gonna be so good to me, sweet girl.” he says, caressing your face like you’re made of glass.

He brings you in for a couple more deep kisses, savoring how perfect your lips felt and tasted against his own.

He then confirms again with a nod if you’re okay to proceed further, to which you nod back, allowing him to remove your shirt. He also helps you shimmy out of those cutesy shorts of yours, tossing the clothes somewhere up front.

Although you still have your undergarments on and you agreed to do this, you feel so exposed and vulnerable now. Jeno was still fully clothed while he began to fiddle with your bra strap, which made this feel unfair.

“Let me take off your shirt.” you whined and batted your lashes at Jeno, causing him to halt his attempt in wanting to remove your bra next.

He can’t help but smile as you grab onto his flannel shirt, waiting for him to give you the signal to remove it. You were so fucking cute.

“My bad, pretty. I’m all yours.” he kissed your cheek before allowing you to do so, which made you burn inside with all kinds of sensual emotions.

He watched you in awe as you shakily started to undo all his buttons, entertained in seeing the curiosity behind your eyes of unveiling what lies beneath the fabric.

With his shirt now open, he fully removed it himself by pulling off the sleeves and threw it in the growing pile up front, leaving his entire torso bare.

Now uncovered, you can’t help the admiration beholding your eyes as you view his exposed skin.

It shouldn’t have been such a shocker that a handsome face like his had the perfect body to match: hard chest, sculpted abs, and lean waist that contrasted from his broad shoulders.

You really lucked out.

“Like what you see?” Jeno can’t help but snicker, aware that he had this effect on people. You just boosted his ego even more.

You can’t help but giggle at the cliche line, eyes timidly flying away from his torso. Unfortunately he doesn’t get a verbal response from you, but he knows how you feel inside.

“For the record… I definitely like what I see.” he traces the edges of your body, appreciating your skin and details.

Your eyes redirect to his face, watching him eye you hungrily, his fingers beginning to delicately feather over the lace detailing of your bra. Your breathing slows, air tense with you seated over him and his vision glued heartily on you.

His eyes find yours with his fingers still over your bra. You pump your chest out a bit, gesturing to him that you want things to proceed and to remove the rest of your garments.

He immediately leads his hands to your back, unhooking your lacy bra. Your mounds spill out as he removes it and tosses it to the side, the sight making his cock so pumped, full of blood.

“Beautiful girl.” he mumbles, then latches his mouth onto the underside of your ear, making you angle your face to give him better access.

The open-mouth kisses he leaves activates the nerves around your neck. It tickles for a second, but he hits that sweet spot of yours, making you melt.

You’d give into any demand of his with the way his warm lips suck and nibble over your delicate skin. You grind down into him, arms hooked around his neck, clutching for security or else you’d probably melt away.

Your sex only covered by thin panties rutting against his cock straining through his jeans has him groaning into your neck. He zealously continues to suck on your neck, adding gentle bites and hot licks in between, making you arch your neck to the front and moan out of pure bliss. You secretly hope he’d leave a mark or two, so you’d have a visual reminder of this heated night for a few days.

His kisses meander to your throat and chest, tongue sliding out to trace all around one of your areolas, lips then enfolding over the nipple.

Squeals of delight reign free from your throat at Jeno’s foreplay, continuing while he engulfs and sucks both your firm nipples.

“You sound so pretty for me, girly.” he rasps out, dragging his lips over your fleshy, supple breasts.

The nickname sends lightning straight to your core, making you whimper in neediness.

Jeno ends the fun with enjoying your tits to start the pleasure awaiting for him from your cunt.

His left hand holds you while his right hand travels down your tummy, until it reaches the bit of skin below your navel.

There’s a dark appetite visible in his orbs. He looks at you for any sign of uneasiness while his hand goes down. Your breath only hitches, pussy tingling with a quiet gasp from your mouth once his fingers rubbed down to your panty-covered cunt.

It’s so damp and warm down here, he thinks to himself.

“So horny, aren’t we now?”

The way he talks to you alone makes you ignite within.

He decides to pull your underwear to the side, his fingers now coming in full, bare contact with the outside of your pussy.

You’re practically holding your breath at this point, waiting for him to play with you, anticipating the feeling.

“Me too.” he utters, answering his own rhetorical question before he starts running his fingers slowly around your clit.

His touch on your swelling bud causes another hushed gasp to come from you. He’s beyond pleased by listening to all the noises your voice produces due to his sultry touches.

His finger tips slid over your clit and then inched down, feeling the outside of your sex and letting you grow accustomed to his touch.

He ends up sliding one finger up your hole, leaving your mouth ajar and body to quiver from him inserting it in.

Jeno’s tongue licks around his teeth while he fingers you, your walls so tight around his finger.

“Relax for me, hm?” he leans in to kiss you, easing your body to the feeling.

His lips continuously colliding with your own makes you lost for a moment, body fuzzy and loosened up until he decides to squeeze in another finger.

The jolt of pressure wrenched a moan out of you, making Jeno draw back to bite his lip and laugh quietly. It was such a turn on for him to listen and see the beautiful noises and faces you make— and he hadn’t even fucked you yet.

He was prepping your pussy for his own length, already salivating in thinking of you taking him whole.

His long, thick fingers curl into a ‘hook’ motion, causing your legs to shake in lust and a shiver runs inside your core that tingled.

“Mhmmm…” you mewled, starting to subconsciously grind and meet the movements of his fingers toying with your moist and velvety sex.

Watching your responses to his movements feels so good to Jeno. He can feel you start to clamp around his digits, making his own mouth open and turn into a smirk. His cock is painfully hard, begging to be free and feel that clamping sensation that his own fingers do. He really hates to rip you from nearing your climax, but he’d rather you both cum together, your body underneath his.

With that, he halts his movements and removes his fingers. A broken whine rips from your throat at the feeling of him leaving your needy cunt. You could practically cry. Desperation clouded over you.

Jeno quickly quiets you down with now inserting those sticky fingers of his inside your mouth, causing you to hum around his digits, eyes wide and then closed shut.

The fullness and heaviness from his fingers and your own essence weighing over your tongue has your pussy clenching over nothing. You eagerly suck your wetness from his fingers, not bothered that he was just in you. This was all so racy.

“Such a good girl for me— fuck.” he groans, watching you suck his fingers in, your teeth faintly raking over them, cock twitching at how dirty this sweet girl was.

“Gonna make you cum from my cock, don’t worry.”

He removes his fingers from your mouth, pulling you off his lap, motioning you to lay back down.

Your heart rate picks up as you carefully lie over his backseat. He traces the delicate curves of your hips and finds his way to the band of your underwear, you each sharing a nod of consent for him to remove them.

He tugs them down and off, tossing them and he gets you to pull your knees up, allowing more room for Jeno within this limited space.

He mentally whistles at the sight of your princess parts and the position you’re in, waiting for him to take you in the back of his car.

He doesn’t waste anymore time and hastily gets rid of his confining jeans and briefs, his cock immediately standing proudly once his underwear is pulled off.

The sight of his big and thick, towering manhood has your breath stuck in your throat.

While he moves and reaches over to dig for a condom in his glove compartment, your palms become sweaty in the thought of him squeezing his length inside you.

He looked absolutely delicious, but you weren’t sure if you could handle someone as big as him.

Jeno finds a condom, ripping the plastic open with his teeth and flings the wrapper out of sight. He stretches the rubber over his length, precum already leaking from his tip.

As he inches towards you, you can’t help but voice your concern.

“Will it fit? you shakily breathed.

Jeno can’t help but tilt his head, staring at you intently. His lips can’t help but curl, offering you a reassuring smile.

His lips suddenly find themselves over your knees, pressing a gentle kiss over both of them, making your heart pump with fondness.

“We will make it fit.”

“Let me know if it hurts, okay? Don’t want you in pain, pretty.”

“Okay.” is all you say, still sweaty, but ready for him to enter you, core aching to be touched again.

He massages the inside of your thighs with care, trying to ease you up some more. He grabs his length and rubs it along your folds— especially dragging the tip past your clit, making you moan at the sensation.

He finally takes it upon him to prudently push his cock into your entrance, his mouth open while he starts to stretch you out.

Your legs immediately hook around him and rest on his lower back, meanwhile your arms decide to cling onto his beefy biceps for support. You cry out a moan from the pressure.

“It’s okay, girly, I got you.”

“You’re safe with me. Gonna take care of you.” Jeno’s breath fans over your face before he captures your lips with his. His hips slowly begin to roll as you kissed him back with enthusiasm, a burst of adrenaline racing through your bloodstream.

Your walls practically swallowed him, cock fitting so snug inside you. His left hand brushed into your hair, running his fingers loosely around your locks, making you relax from his touch.

“God! You— you’re so big.” you blatantly puffed out, starting to feel his thick cock brush past your walls.

“Yeah? You can take it, pretty— right?” the blood in Jeno’s body starts to boil due to the warmth encompassing his length, and from the sense of pride filling him from your reaction to his size.

He begins to start a steady pace with his hip movements, sliding his cock in and out— not all the way, but enough to stimulate your sensitive walls.

He falls into a natural pattern as your body accepts him well. Your vision darts upwards towards the roof of the car, beginning to lose yourself to his fat cock.

Though it quickly lowers again when his head dips into your right breast, tongue slipping out and starting to twist around your erect nipple.

A mewl jumps out of you, hands redirecting to his muscular back with your nails pressing tightly into his skin.

“C’mon, talk to me.” Jeno rasps, making brief eye contact with you for a second before he briskly attacks your entire right breast with his mouth. He ferociously makes out with your mound and marks you, painting you with reddish-purple splotches and leaving the flesh sheening in spit.

His hunger for attention and to get you both off is ardent. Every other thrust into you is rigid. He was pacing himself at first to start off, but now his rhythm increases to fuck you hard and his length travels into you deep. He has no intention in holding back his horniness.

Lack of words from you aside from the whimpers and moans has him moving a hand to touch and toy with your clit. His calloused fingers alternate between softly pinching and sliding his fingers in a back-and-forth motion along the puffy bud.

“Oh— God! Jeno!” the attentiveness he shows to your aching clit while ramming into you has you scream his name. It has you automatically canting your hips up to meet his thrusts into you.

Your reactions and hearing his name from your voice drives Jeno wild. Breathy grunts leave his mouth, hips continuing in chasing both of your highs.

The current setting and moment is electrifying. Fucking in the car in a school parking lot was obscene and limited compared to bed space, but it was still extremely mind-numbing and euphoric sex.

Your frame caged under Jeno’s ripped body is like a dream. You felt so helpless in this position, but couldn’t possibly wish for him to stop. It was so hot seeing and feeling his figure fuck you into oblivion.

Your body rocking over the leather car seats only amplifies your feeling of sensitivity and arousal. God, how amazing it felt for Jeno to be pleasing you in this way was. You can’t even imagine how good it would be to fuck in other ways— in other places, with him.

His relentless efforts has your mouth stuck open. The arousement increases the amount of saliva within your mouth. Surprise catches you when some of it seeps out the corner of your mouth.

Your tongue lolls out in attempt to catch the drool before it fully falls, failing miserably as it rapidly trickles down from the corner, to your chin. Quickly, you wipe it off messily and then place your hand back over his skin, but it’s obvious that Jeno sees what just happened, as he’s right over you— much to your embarrassment.

Though, his cock surges in amusement, and so does his other head. You were literally drooling over his cock. How fucking sexy was that? Wonder how’d you look on your knees giving him the messiest head. Oh how he hopes to have that thought come to life one day.

“Mhm. So hot— fucking my cute, pretty neighbor. You like that too, hm? You like the feeling of your big neighbor on top and inside of you?” he teases you, watching your pretty figure being ruined beautifully by him. His filthy words mix with his dirty, animalistic movements.

“Feels so full and good, Jeno!” you choke out. You’re blissed out, feeling like the band in your core may snap soon.

There you go saying his name again, making Jeno groan repeatedly in ecstasy, dragging his cock deep into you, his weighty sack occasionally slapping against your bottom.

“Yeah? So full of me, pretty.”

“Taking me so well, like a good girl.”

Heat swells in your cheeks from his comments and the hot temperature and pressure felt as he fucks you. As much as you savor it, it’s becoming too much. The finish line is coming close to being ripped apart.

The thrill in the pit of your stomach has it churning. His long, deep strokes, each of your various moans bouncing off the tinted windows, his gruffly voice, and his finger-work over your sensitive bud— it’s all captivating you to feel an abundance of dopamine rush.

A shiver in your core tingles consistently. You’re beginning to lose control. It’s like you’re stoned and can’t focus on anything aside from the intensity of that tingly pressure present within you.

“Gonna cum, Jeno.” your voice cracked while your muscles tightened.

“Fuck,” he hisses at the tight grip of your walls swallowing him from the tip to base.

Your eyes rolled back behind your trembling lashes, and he watches with a keen stare and relishes in your smutty sounds. It all only encourages him to keep persisting to reach the peak.

And then, you finally break.

Your fluid expels from your pussy, lubricating your walls and leaving you a whimpering, wet mess.

Jeno pushes through your spasming, feeling the warmth spreading in your heated cunt through his condom. His own muscles can’t resist in clenching hard. He pushed you over the edge and possessed your mind and body with euphoria.

It’s practically heaven. His balls tighten and eyebrows push together with hips starting to slow down as strings of cum begin to fill his condom. It’s so relieving that a few guttural moans come out from his throat.

His hot seed falling into the condom is so fulfilling, sack emptied. All this activity has left him sweaty all over and mouth dry. His chest continues to heave and he carefully pulls out of you.

You shake and shiver now that the tension is dying down, and your muscles try to relax after the satisfying orgasm.

Jeno is quick to remove his used condom and tie it, abandoning it in a random spot in the car. He’ll of course, clean his car later.

He reaches towards the front of the car to search for his shirt, and then edges back to you.

“Hey, you were amazing, sweet girl. Let me help you.” Jeno spoke softly to you while the back of his fingers stroke one of your shaky thighs.

He began to use his shirt as a rag for any wetness seeping out and around the outside of your cunt.

You couldn’t help but flush at the aftercare he shows you, even while in a car and not hesitating to sacrifice his shirt to wipe your spills. Seems like chivalry isn’t dead after all.

“Thank you.” you say to him when he’s finished.

He just smiles at you, eyes crinkling as he sticks out a hand for you to grab, and helps you sit up next to him.

Still both fully naked, you still feel flushed and exposed now that the sex was over. Your breasts hanging out and his cock lying limp over his thigh was too hard to ignore. Jeno notices, and quickly gathers your t-shirt for you and his briefs for him, making you thank him once again.

You don’t know what to say now and he doesn’t know what to do. It’s obvious now that you two have an attraction to one another. But, where do you two go from here? Will this be a one time thing? Or maybe a friends-with-benefits type of deal? Guess you didn’t need a label right away, you barely know him. But you know you needed more of him, in any way— sexual or not.

In the midst of each of your silence, Jeno decides to reach for your hand, clasping his fingers with your own under his. He gently squeezes your hand, causing your own legs to squeeze together, beginning to feel a sense of giddiness inside.

“What’s on your mind?” he asks, thumb beginning to soothe you as he drags it back and forth the side of your hand.

“Do you have a girlfriend?” the words leap out of you, making you cringe as soon as they come out.

Mortification washes over you. Why the fuck would you ask that? What are you even implying?

Your sudden question makes him chuckle and grin, especially now that you already fucked. You guys are just now having this conversation.

“No Y/n, I don’t. I’m one-hundred percent single.” he smirks at you, thumb still tracing your skin.

His answer is pleasing to your ears. You try not to show how obviously happy you are with that. A faint smile is all you allow yourself to show.

“You don’t have a boyfriend now, do you?” he tilts his head at you, eyes playful.

“I don’t.” you spoke softly.

Just like you, Jeno finds himself content with your answer.

“Good girl.”

ﾟ+..｡*ﾟ+ ﾟ+..｡*ﾟ+ ﾟ+..｡*ﾟ+ ﾟ+..｡*ﾟ+ ﾟ+..｡*ﾟ+ ﾟ+..｡*ﾟ+

[lovemesomesurveys]

When was the last time you swam in a pool? 🏊‍♀️ Not since summer of 2013. 

Would you rather have an indoor pool or outdoor pool? I don’t care to have a pool. I clearly don’t swim a lot. I can’t even swim, I have to use an inner tube and even then I’m scared to venture far from the edges. Swimming is just not my thing. 

What was the last thing you said out loud? “Yeah.”

Do you think you could ever be an opera singer? Uh, no.

How often do you eat bread? 🥖 I have a sandwich like 3-4 times a week. 

When was the last time you looked in the mirror and thought you looked pale? I’m not too pale anymore like I used to be, which turned out to be due to how sick I actually was. I didn’t know until my hospital stay last year how bad things really were. 

Have you ever wanted to be a nurse? 👩‍⚕️ No.

Would you ever want to be a nurse? Why or why not? No. I wouldn’t be able to handle being a nurse and what all that entails nor could I handle the environment. I’ve stayed in the hospital enough times and I know I couldn’t be a nurse. 

Who or what do you worship? I worship God. 

What was the last thing someone made fun of you for? I don’t recall. 

Do you own a mini sewing kit that you use for altering clothing? 🧵 No. I don’t sew. 

Do you know a Ted? Nope.

Do you own a beret? 👩‍🎨 I do not.

When was the last time you wore a beret? I’ve never worn a beret. 

What is one thing you have found to be a bore? Being stuck in bed all day certainly is.

Where do you keep your out-of-season clothes? I store them in a bin.

If you had to pick your top three favorite colors, what would they be? Pastels, rose gold, and mint green. Yes I grouped pastels together and counted it as one, shh. 

How many inches do you normally have to hem up your pants? 👖 I’ve never had to do that.

What are three things you would buy if you were rich? 🤑 A beach house, a nice spacious house for my family and I, and a long vacation trip somewhere. Or many trips, like how rich are we talking?

How many times in your life have you been stung by a bee or a wasp? 🐝 Zero, thankfully. And I’ve had a bee land right on my leg before. I was freaking out, which yes I know you’re not supposed to do that, but um hellO it was ON MY LEG. Someone was able to get it off me and I was fine, thank goodness. This also reminds me of a dream I had not that long ago where for some reason I was being chased by a bee and it somehow got in my eye??? lsjfdkfksdl that was terrifying.

Have you ever swam in one of the Great Lakes? >> I've been to Lake Michigan but I haven't been in it. because, again, I can't swim...  <<< I’ve never been to any of them, but I would swim in them either cause again I, too, cannot swim. 

....and if so, how many of the Great Lakes have you swam in? --

Do you believe in the devil? 👹 Yes.

What is one thing you wish were more easily accessible? I don’t know. 

Do you enjoy playing icebreaker games when you're in a group of people you just met? It depends on the group and how many of us there are. They can be fun sometimes, but generally I find them nerve wracking. 

What is your favorite icebreaker game? --

What is one thing you find serene? Being near the ocean, watching and listening to the waves crash in and out and feeling the cool ocean breeze.

Have you ever chopped something with an axe? 🪓 No.

What is your favorite genre of music? I like variety.

What is one thing you like that tastes sour? I’m not a fan of sour stuff. 

Do you think "Sour Patch Kids" sounds too much like "Cabbage Patch Kids"? I’ve never thought that. 

Did you ever own a Cabbage Patch doll when you were a kid? No. I think those were a little bit before my time. Well, I don’t know... I was born in ‘89 but I’m not sure if those were still a big thing in the 90s when I was a kid.

Do you like the candy Sour Patch Kids? Nope. I don’t like sour stuff as I said. 

What was the last song you listened to on repeat? I don’t typically listen to songs on repeat. Like, I listen to songs often but not often back to back to back.

What is one mistake you've made that you hope to never repeat? The severe self-neglect. 

What was the last thing you baked in the oven? It’s been so long since I’ve baked something in the oven, I have no idea. 

Have you ever been to a track meet? 🏃‍♀️ No.

What do you call the bathroom? Do you say bathroom, restroom, washroom, lavatory, loo, toilet, latrine, or....? Bathroom. 

When was the last time you made guacamole? 🥑 Never, but I am eating Doritos with store bought guac. I also have some guac from Taco Bell that I had with my burrito. My mom makes some bomb homemade guac, though. 

Do you know of any schools that have the beaver for a mascot? Not that I can think of at the top of my head. 

Have you ever stayed in a suite? Yes.

[inwintersolitude]

- March 30th 2023 -

When was the last time you swam in a pool? 🏊‍♀️  About a year and a half ago.

Would you rather have an indoor pool or outdoor pool?  I'd love to have one of those outdoor natural pools that's like a pool/pond hybrid and uses aquatic plants to keep it clean and filtered.

What was the last thing you said out loud? Goodnight.

Do you think you could ever be an opera singer? Nope!

How often do you eat bread? 🥖  Probably around 5 days a week?

When was the last time you looked in the mirror and thought you looked pale? A few days ago. I usually have a little bit of redness from mild rosacea, but it was completely gone a few days ago, temporarily. My skin is really freaking pale when my rosacea is gone.

Have you ever wanted to be a nurse? 👩‍⚕️  Nope.

Would you ever want to be a nurse? Why or why not? Nope. I don't like being around people nearly that much, and I don't have a nurturing/caretaker type of personality.

Who or what do you worship? Nothing/no one.

What was the last thing someone made fun of you for? I don't know.

Do you own a mini sewing kit that you use for altering clothing? 🧵  Yep.

Do you know a Ted? I don't think so.

Do you own a beret? 👩‍🎨  Nope.

When was the last time you wore a beret? I don't think I ever have.

What is one thing you have found to be a bore? Those talent competition shows like American Idol, etc.

Where do you keep your out-of-season clothes? In my closet.

If you had to pick your top three favorite colors, what would they be? Dark blue, forest green, and either blue-gray or very pale gold.

How many inches do you normally have to hem up your pants? 👖 At least a few. I hate how clothing manufacturers make women's pants so freaking long. Like have they ever SEEN a woman before? We're typically NOT six feet tall!

What are three things you would buy if you were rich? 🤑  My dream house, on several acres of land. A small yacht. And I'd give the rest to charity.

How many times in your life have you been stung by a bee or a wasp? 🐝  Twice.

Have you ever swam in one of the Great Lakes? Yep, in Lake Erie. Maybe also in Lake Michigan when I was really young? I can't remember.

....and if so, how many of the Great Lakes have you swam in? ^

Do you believe in the devil? 👹  No.

What is one thing you wish were more easily accessible? I wish restaurants were more accessible for those of us with hearing impairments. I absolutely LOATHE how loud restaurants are nowadays, whether it be due to cramming too many people in, or the godawful trend of concrete/metal interiors that make the space echoey and even more noisy. I have hyperacusis and many restaurants are completely inaccessible to me, and it's also difficult for people with hearing aids because of how the high ambient noise messes with their ability to hear speech.

Do you enjoy playing icebreaker games when you're in a group of people you just met? Not really.

What is your favorite icebreaker game? No favorite.

What is one thing you find serene? Snowy nights.

Have you ever chopped something with an axe? 🪓  No.

What is your favorite genre of music? Classical.

What is one thing you like that tastes sour? Grapefruit.

Do you think "Sour Patch Kids" sounds too much like "Cabbage Patch Kids"? Not really.

Did you ever own a Cabbage Patch doll when you were a kid? No.

Do you like the candy Sour Patch Kids? Not much.

What was the last song you listened to on repeat? I think it was the last movement of Mozart's Symphony No. 40.

What is one mistake you've made that you hope to never repeat? Sacrificing my mental and physical wellbeing for a job. I don't merely hope to never make that mistake again, I KNOW I'll never make that mistake again.

What was the last thing you baked in the oven? I made tacos last night and put them in the oven for a few minutes to melt the cheese on top.

Have you ever been to a track meet? 🏃‍♀️  No.

What do you call the bathroom? Do you say bathroom, restroom, washroom, lavatory, loo, toilet, latrine, or....? Bathroom or restroom.

When was the last time you made guacamole? 🥑 I've never made it homemade. I should, though. Maybe I'll try it out soon.

Do you know of any schools that have the beaver for a mascot? No.

Have you ever stayed in a suite? Yes, my husband and I usually stay in suites when we travel. I have a really difficult time sleeping anywhere other than home, so us each getting our own bedroom in a hotel suite is incredibly helpful.

[jodilin65]

I'm glad Andy doesn't read my journal because he's always been a bit fragile and I know this would hurt his feelings, but I am definitely not going to be looking in on his wall anymore. Same old stuff. God, Stevie, paintings, God, Stevie, paintings… To each their own, but while the paintings are nice, he can keep his delusions and immature celebrity infatuation that most of us outgrow in our twenties.

Speaking of celebrities, I saw an old movie with Jennifer Lopez in it. She was my kind of hottie back then, famous or not.

I'm a bit tired and I'm not sure if it's because I had bread yesterday to make peanut butter toast with (I got so hungry at the end of my day for some reason and this was a convenient thing to have), because I took melatonin, because I woke up a lot, or all of the above.

The more I think about it and the more research I do, the more I'm convinced I don't have sleep apnea and that my problem is caused by too many years of nasal spray use. It can cause a collapsed septum which I think is responsible for the snoring I've been doing. My throat structure has always been what it is and I've only gained a pound or two since coming here so I can't believe it's connected to my weight. Besides, I'm not that big. I'm kind of stuck in a catch-22 because stopping the spray means my nose is less stuffy and dried out, but the congestion then builds up in my head which causes problems with the eustachian tube in my bad ear, so I'll have to find some other form of decongestant, preferably one that won't leave me drowsy. If I can't figure it out on my own, then I might have to begin the work of trying to get into an ENT.

We found out exactly what's been burrowing at the side of the driveway, and the snake would have been the better deal. Tom noticed more digging activity and I could hear this weird sound coming and going. Well, they’re cicada-killer wasps! He flooded the hole to see what, if anything, might come up and something sure did. When I first saw what seemed like a humongous wasp, my first thought was that it was one of those killer wasps that was invading certain areas of the country and I went to run indoors, not knowing if a million more of them were going to erupt from the ground. In my panic, I fumbled with the lock code.

We immediately got to work researching and learned it's almost certainly cicada-killer wasps which are deadly to cicadas but not humans. Still, hundreds of flying things with stingers is nothing I want to deal with so he's been spraying the ground and today he got a special powder for wasps, ants, and similar insects. It can take a couple of weeks for the eggs to hatch and then another couple of weeks for the new wasps to emerge from the ground, so we're going to be treating it for the next month to make sure they never make it up. He filled in the hole with dirt and it rained which helped pack it in and push the poison down, so more than likely they're already trapped down there. The females don't have stingers so the males fly around the opening to protect it. With any luck the female and the eggs are dead. It should storm again later and help pack it in even more.

We picked out an outdoor bench for in back. I'll listen to music through my headphones on days when the planes fly by every few minutes, which is most days, unfortunately. I want to get about 10 minutes of sun every day that I can. It was $45 and is made of a combination of metal and plastic. It looks like it will also be easy enough to stand on its side if we need to throw it in the storeroom in the event of a cane. Funny how they said this was going to be such an active hurricane season, yet the only serious one we’ve had was Beryl. It’s still a bit early in the season, though.

I also saw a video on how to propagate lucky bamboo, so we’ll see if I have any luck with that.

[mwextermination]

Call the Best in Field Exterminators Whenever Needed

Suppose you return to your place after a long day and see a rat running in the corner of the room. How would you react to it? Well, before you could even discover, the rat might have made himself a home inside your house and even gave birth to the little ones. However, you might not want this little gang of rats to invade your place within a few weeks. Therefore, it is crucial for you to call an exterminator Bromont (exterminateur Bromont). Whether it is rats or any other pest that invaded your place, exterminators can take care of them.

Pest and Rodent Removal:

Rats often create messes at people's homes. Apart from rats, insects, like cockroaches, termites, ants, wasps, etc., can also cause havoc. Removing these pests and rodents is essential for your health, safety, and property. Therefore, you should always contact an extermination company if you detect the presence of these creatures in your home.

Precautionary Measures:

Exterminators can remove all the pests and rodents that have been ruining the essence of your place and causing a health hazard for you. But there are chances that these creatures arrive at your place again after some time. In such cases, you can rely on an exterminator Cowansville (exterminateur Cowansville). These experts will remove all these unwanted creatures from your place. Along with this, they will provide some insights on how to restrict these creatures from entering your surroundings and homes again. Hence, their help is vital in looking at the chances of these creatures invading your place again.

Indoors and Outdoors:

Rats, ants, cockroaches, etc., are a concern for your home. But if you have a garden or any other outdoor space, these creatures can also be a concern for it. However, exterminators are here to help you even in unfavourable conditions. They conduct complete indoor and outdoor extermination to remove these creatures and stop them from ruining your place anymore. Therefore, such services are crucial for everyone who owns a space.

About MW Extermination:

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Original Source: https://bit.ly/3SeYBY1

[blue-eyed-bloodstains]

When was the last time you swam in a pool? 🏊‍♀️ a few years ago (pre COVID) at Hershey Park Water Park with my fiance. wayyy overdue to go swimming this summer

Would you rather have an indoor pool or outdoor pool? doesn’t really matter to me

What was the last thing you said out loud? “oh my gooooodddddddd” bitching at my computer trying to get music playing to start this lmao 

Do you think you could ever be an opera singer? hell no!

How often do you eat bread? 🥖 I’m Italian/Irish mostly so it’s most of my diet lol I’d say maybe 3-4 times a week given we get subs and burgers a lot

When was the last time you looked in the mirror and thought you looked pale? I’m ALWAYS pale, not just the Irish in me but  I’m barely ever outside due mostly to debilitating illnesses making it hard to physically function for long on my feet for years now so...yeah

Have you ever wanted to be a nurse? 👩‍⚕️ not a nurse no but I did wanna be a vet for a long time as a kid so basically yeah just for animals instead

Would you ever want to be a nurse? Why or why not? no, I live in and out of hospitals I always have and I’d never be able to handle the trauma and mental/emotional hell...

Who or what do you worship? I don’t worship anything, I have my beliefs but I’m not religious

What was the last thing someone made fun of you for? ha seriously? what DON’T they? umm but for a lighter note of being made fun of, messing with one another between a friend and I on FB vid last week

Do you own a mini sewing kit that you use for altering clothing? 🧵 no my fiance’s parents are the sewers lol 

Do you know a Ted? I have in the past but not currently no

Do you own a beret? 👩‍🎨 no

When was the last time you wore a beret? when I was real young in gymnastics for a performance

What is one thing you have found to be a bore? my every day which is stuck home couch ridden alone stuck to my own devices, especially with my fiance being gone for work all the time

Where do you keep your out-of-season clothes? I don’t own many clothes, so I don’t have “seasons” 

If you had to pick your top three favorite colors, what would they be? black, blue, beige/tan

How many inches do you normally have to hem up your pants? 👖 please I’ve never needed to, pants have always been mostly “floods” on me cause of my height and long legs lmao

What are three things you would buy if you were rich? 🤑 our own house, my own car (nothing flashy), lots of pets

How many times in your life have you been stung by a bee or a wasp? 🐝 never thank god and I don’t plan on it! knowing my luck that’ll be the only thing I’m actually allergic to on top of it hurting like all hell

Have you ever swam in one of the Great Lakes? nope would love to though

….and if so, how many of the Great Lakes have you swam in? –

Do you believe in the devil? 👹 yeah? look around, how could you not??

What is one thing you wish were more easily accessible? mental health care/treatment

Do you enjoy playing icebreaker games when you’re in a group of people you just met? ummm not sure I’ve ever really played any, but I’d like to since I’m very socially anxious so it’d help me relax a bit

What is your favorite icebreaker game? –

What is one thing you find serene? standing on the beach at the Highlands in NJ where we spread Mimi’s ashes...I try to go every anniversary of her death and I always feel her there so strong and I can actually just breathe and relax...

Have you ever chopped something with an axe? 🪓 no and I’d probably fail miserably lol

What is your favorite genre of music? I love most anything

What is one thing you like that tastes sour? I mean I can suck on a lemon or lime no problem without cringing? then again I’m an alcoholic so that’s probably why I got used to it from garnishes lol

Do you think “Sour Patch Kids” sounds too much like “Cabbage Patch Kids”? I guess lol never really thought about it 

Did you ever own a Cabbage Patch doll when you were a kid? umm I could swear Mimi got me one when I was a baby from what I was told but I don’t remember it

Do you like the candy Sour Patch Kids? yeah they’re delicious and now I want some dammit! 

What was the last song you listened to on repeat? Nutshell by Alice In Chains....

What is one mistake you’ve made that you hope to never repeat? pretty much my entire life, swear to god...

What was the last thing you baked in the oven? pssh me bake? XD

Have you ever been to a track meet? 🏃‍♀️ no

What do you call the bathroom? Do you say bathroom, restroom, washroom, lavatory, loo, toilet, latrine, or….? bathroom, occasionally restroom if I need a public one and I’m asking an employee at whatever store

When was the last time you made guacamole? 🥑 I never have

Do you know of any schools that have the beaver for a mascot? not that I know of

Have you ever stayed in a suite? no, just an occasional real nice hotel room

[suckitsurveys]

When was the last time you swam in a pool? 🏊‍♀️ Tuesday, and I will again today.

Would you rather have an indoor pool or outdoor pool? Both! My dream is to have an indoor pool room where the roof opens.

What was the last thing you said out loud? “That scared me” in response to an email preview I saw about something work related lol.

Do you think you could ever be an opera singer? Uh, no.

How often do you eat bread? 🥖 Fairly often I guess.

When was the last time you looked in the mirror and thought you looked pale? Always all the time forever.

Have you ever wanted to be a nurse? 👩‍⚕️ No.

Would you ever want to be a nurse? Why or why not? No.

Who or what do you worship? Nothing.

What was the last thing someone made fun of you for? My coworker made fun of the way I said something earlier. All in good fun, though.

Do you own a mini sewing kit that you use for altering clothing? 🧵 No. I don’t sew.

Do you know a Ted? Yes.

Do you own a beret? 👩‍🎨 I do not.

When was the last time you wore a beret? Maybe when I was little. My mom had a few.

What is one thing you have found to be a bore? When people talk about nothing but politics or always have the news on TV.

Where do you keep your out-of-season clothes? I have drawers or them, or just keep them hung up.

If you had to pick your top three favorite colors, what would they be? Purples, pinks, blues.

How many inches do you normally have to hem up your pants? 👖 I’ve never had to do that.

What are three things you would buy if you were rich? 🤑 Endless amounts of sushi, a beach house, and my brother in law out of the family.

How many times in your life have you been stung by a bee or a wasp? 🐝 Zero, thankfully.

Have you ever swam in one of the Great Lakes? I have indeed. Chicago is on Lake Michigan so I’ve been in there plenty of times. Pretty sure I’ve also swam in Lake Erie? I can’t remember if it was that one or another one. 

….and if so, how many of the Great Lakes have you swam in? ^

Do you believe in the devil? 👹 Yeah, he is my brother in law.

What is one thing you wish were more easily accessible? Healthcare for everyone.

Do you enjoy playing icebreaker games when you’re in a group of people you just met? I do lol.

What is your favorite icebreaker game? Oh man I wish I could remember them right now but we used to play them all the time when I was in this Leaders Club group at the YMCA. I remember one where we had to line up by our birthday without talking.

What is one thing you find serene? Being near bodies of water or being in a wooded area when it’s warm and rainy.

Have you ever chopped something with an axe? 🪓 Yes.

What is your favorite genre of music? I like a variety.

What is one thing you like that tastes sour? Sour Patch Kids.

Do you think “Sour Patch Kids” sounds too much like “Cabbage Patch Kids”? Lol. I wonder if that’s where in inspo came from.

Did you ever own a Cabbage Patch doll when you were a kid? I had a couple that were my sisters, and maybe one or two of my own if I recall.

Do you like the candy Sour Patch Kids? Yes, they’re my favorite non-chocolate candy.

What was the last song you listened to on repeat? Did You Know That There’s A Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd by Lana Del Rey.

What is one mistake you’ve made that you hope to never repeat? Neglecting myself.

What was the last thing you baked in the oven? Potato skins.

Have you ever been to a track meet? 🏃‍♀️ Yeah, to watch.

What do you call the bathroom? Do you say bathroom, restroom, washroom, lavatory, loo, toilet, latrine, or….? I usually say bathroom or restroom.

When was the last time you made guacamole? 🥑 Last weekend for my mother in law’s birthday.

Do you know of any schools that have the beaver for a mascot? Not that I can think of at the top of my head.

Have you ever stayed in a suite? Yes.

[nagichi-boop]

Once again sat on my own indoors while my family and guests (brother and his wife) are sat outdoors. All because a wasp came and then my brother (not married) made a point of stating he wasn’t scared and that it was just me who was scared, but in a “I’m better than that peasant sister of mine” kinda way.

I hate summer.

[themedicalstate]

What We Dream When We Dream About Covid-19

By Benedict Carey (The New York Times). Image Credit: Andrea Ucini.

Several recent studies shed light on the pandemic preoccupations of sleepers.

The swarm of insects — sometimes gnats, sometimes wasps or flying ants — arrived early in this year of nightmares. With summer came equally unsettling dreams: of being caught in a crowd, naked and mask-less; of meeting men in white lab coats who declared, “We dispose of the elders.”

Autumn has brought still other haunted-house dramas, particularly for women caring for a vulnerable relative or trying to manage virtual home-schooling.

“I am home-schooling my 10-year-old,” one mother told researchers in a recent study of pandemic dreams. “I dreamed that the school contacted me to say it had been decided that his whole class would come to my home and I was supposed to teach all of them for however long the school remained closed.”

Deirdre Barrett, a psychologist at Harvard Medical School and the author of “Pandemic Dreams,” has administered dream surveys to thousands of people in the last year, including the one with the home-schooling mother. “At least qualitatively, you see some shifts in content of dreams from the beginning of the pandemic into the later months,” Dr. Barrett said. “It’s an indication of what is worrying people most at various points during the year.”

Dr. Barrett is the editor in chief of the journal Dreaming, which in its September issue posted four new reports on how the sleeping brain has incorporated the threat of Covid-19. The findings reinforce current thinking about the way that waking anxiety plays out during REM sleep: in images or metaphors representing the most urgent worries, whether these involve catching the coronavirus (those clouds of insects) or violating mask-wearing protocols. Taken together, the papers also hint at an answer to a larger question: What is the purpose of dreaming, if any?

The answers that science has on offer can seem mutually exclusive, or near so. Freud understood dreams as wish fulfillment; the Finnish psychologist Antti Revonsuo saw them as simulations of pending threats. In recent years, brain scientists have argued that REM sleep — the period of sleep during which most dreaming occurs — bolsters creative thinking, learning and emotional health, providing a kind of unconscious psychotherapy. Then again, there is some evidence that dreaming serves little or no psychological purpose — that it is no more than a “tuning of the mind in preparation for awareness,” as Dr. J. Allan Hobson, a Harvard psychiatrist, has said.

The four new studies are rooted in a more straightforward idea called the continuity hypothesis. This framework holds that the content of dreams simply reflects what people thought, felt and did during the day — the good and the bad, the hopeful and the frightening. In one study, Cassidy MacKay and Teresa DeCicco of Trent University in Canada compared dream journals kept by students in the first two weeks of the spread of the coronavirus in North America to the journals of students logged before anyone had heard of Covid-19.

The researchers categorized each image, using a standardized measure, into types such as body parts, animals, food and medical objects. The differences in the early pandemic logs jumped out.

“People were clearly thinking about coronavirus-related events, like waiting in grocery lines, and had heads in their dreams, the body part associated with catching and spreading the virus,” Dr. DeCicco said.

People with persistent waking anxieties also tended to play out scenarios involving future work, relationships and life generally in their heads over the course of a day. Previous research has correlated this pattern to scene-shifting in dreams: the frequent changing of the setting, from indoors to outdoors, city to country, mountains to coast. Dr. MacKay and Dr. DeCicco found that dreamers during the first phase of the pandemic recorded far more such shifts in their REM mini-dramas.

“These are classic anxiety dreams,” Dr. DeCicco said.

In another of the studies, Dr. Barrett recruited nearly 3,000 people online to track, describe and write about their dreams in a digital form. She assessed the content of those essays, using a language-analysis algorithm that maps words onto categories like “anger,” “sadness,” “body,” “health” and “death.” These dreams, too, had all the hallmarks of heightened waking anxiety, but emotions like anger and sadness were much more prevalent among women than men.

“I wasn’t expecting this, but the findings suggest to me this idea that men are mainly experiencing fear of getting sick and dying, health fears,” Dr. Barrett said. “Women have been weathering more secondary effects; they tend to be the ones nursing sick family members, more often than males, for instance. I suspect this is the single most likely reason that sadness is up for women in these times.”

Not all the dreams, in either study, were infused with darkness and fear, and many were pleasant, involving reunions with friends or family, or featuring the containment and elimination of the virus. They included wishes and threats, healthy measures and mistakes, and adjustments to news of the spread: learning and emotional processing. There were also periodic injections of hope.

“I dreamed that SARS-Cov 2, as proteins, make music and so, to find the cure, scientists had to compose a melody that fit with the one SARS-Cov 2 produced,” one respondent wrote in Dr. Barrett’s survey. “Then they injected this as a vaccine and people get well.”

In short, the studies suggest that dreaming does not serve just one purpose but many, likely including most of the above explanations from theorists. Dr. Hobson’s warming-the-circuits idea is equally impossible to rule out, given all the dream activity that qualifies as mental gibberish and defies even the cleverest of metaphor-makers.

For everyday dreamers during the pandemic, it may be enough to know that Covid-19 nightmares, like any others, tend to be emotionally over-the-top. “It was scary in the dream, but you wake up and it’s funny,” Dr. Barrett said. “The crisis is smaller than you thought.”

The whole class of schoolchildren isn’t invading your house. The hazmat suits aren’t standing outside the door. We may get through this after all.

[ashestoashesjc]

Bad Witches (0.3)

Some towns sleep more than they’d care to admit. They claim to be the town that never does, but they sleep. They bustle until the wee hours when even the traffic lights must catch shut eye. (This is the leading cause of late night car accidents, in fact). But not in Riverwake. No matter the hour, Riverwake is alive and in motion. At the peak of dawn, the rumble of mechanized street cleaners is something of an alarm: A new day is here. The only challenge is survival. The road is now adequately shiny.

On a day this beautiful, a person would be mad to waste even a second of it inside. This is why when the coven meets at their favorite restaurant, Giorgio's, for cocktails and gossip, they ask for outdoor seating, beneath a veil of dark gray umbrellas.

After the waiter brings around the first tray of flutes, Bev flags him down and whispers in his ear. When he returns, he has a pitcher filled to the brim with a hazy, dim yellow. He places it at the center of the table and walks off to attend to other diners.

Shrugging, Bev says, "Save him some trips."

During a third round of mimosas, Kate off-handedly mentions her father-in-law and his rocky relationship with his son, but that he thinks gifting Dan membership to their familial country club is effective enough as tension relief. Dan's typically too busy to take advantage of it, she says.

"But you still want to," says Bev, drinking from her orange-tinted glass.

"I didn't say that," says Kate.

"You didn't have to," Bev says, swatting at the air, "Does anyone else hear that buzzing? What is that? Do you think a WASP snuck in?" The other witches attempt to stifle their giggles.

Turning bright red, Kate leans back into her seat, clutching at her glass and bringing it closer to her face so as to slightly cloud the next words she mutters, "I can invite guests, by the by."

The witches' ears perk up.

"You know, I don't think I've ever been to a country club," Matt says, "The wealthy have historically neglected basic hand-washing techniques. Seems like a petri dish, but in a higher tax bracket.”

"I'm from the country. And I've been to a club. Does that count?" Haley asks, still nursing her first mimosa.

"What should we wear?" Bev asks.

Kate sets her glass down to refill it from the orange pitcher, "Dress for spring."

So, they do. The next morning, they are all casual shorts and solid-colored polos and white visors. Only, it's a month away from the dead of winter and it's the middle of Massachusetts. Bev, Matt, and Haley stand outside of the given address and, with their miserable shaking, resemble a group of very posh street urchins.

Kate arrives in a cozy-looking fur-lined parka and upon seeing the other witches' bewildered expressions, snuggles affectionately into the mink hood, "Teach you to mock me."

The other witches follow Kate into the almost intimidatingly large, red-bricked building. What are presumably wings stretch nearly a kilometer in each direction.

"One of you couldn't have ch-checked the weather before leaving the house?" Bev admonishes, one shiver away from legally qualifying as an icicle.

"T-throwing a lot of stones in that g-glass igloo, aren't you?" Haley asks.

The combination of central circulated heating and at least two fireplaces (one in the den closest to the club's entrance; one in the more formal of the two dining areas) nearly melts the witches as they linger with Kate at the front desk.

"Okay, we're approved," Kate says, shaking hands with the attendant behind the desk, "Just don't touch anything."

"Damn. There goes my Grand Theft Itinerary," says Bev.

Looking at her sternly, Kate says, "Don't even joke about that. They will absolutely kick us out."

The witches huddle at the end of the entrance hall, dissecting the list of offered activities. Bev is interested in exactly none of them, but does wish to examine their stock of spirits. Matt begins spraying himself with hand sanitizer the moment he notices how many of the items have a "Group Activity" label.

A woman in a calf-length Houndstooth coat walks past the group but stops to gaze at Kate's jacket, fawning over its charm and subtle glamour. She asks if Kate also bought her coat from Nordstrom. She then asks if Kate plans to play in a tennis match later.

Kate happily confirms that, yes, she will be playing. They chat for a little longer and Kate is still smiling when the woman bids her farewell and walks further into the club's interior.

"How are you going to play?" Matt asks, pointing to the tennis poster pinned to the cork bulletin board at the lobby entrance, "It's Doubles and three of us will likely solidify if we venture outside."

"Oh, we're still playing tennis. Do you know how much I had to bribe the babysitter to come on such short notice?" asks Kate, "They have a heated indoor court," she says, taking off her coat to reveal a sensible, pale beige skirt and thin, rust red pullover.

"Oh, they're fancy fancy," says Haley.

Kate finds the sports center in the left wing, guided by the rambunctious sound of middle aged aerobics. It is a vast gymnasium filled with varied exercise equipment and a bounty of helpful regimens: elliptical trainers, stair masters, Homeless Person Avoidance Training, medicine balls, etc. There's even a rock climbing wall mounted in the back. There are no cables attached to it for fear that people may actually wish to use it, but it has its scenic benefits. She then sees the tennis court, a green square girded with a chain link fence. She spies the sign-up sheet on a plastic folding table at the entrance and begins scrawling her name.

As she flourishes the Barston-ending 'n' and admires her penmanship, an unexpected voice takes her by surprise.

"You're in the way," says the voice and Kate notices that it belongs to the robust, older gentleman looming behind her. He is accompanied by a smaller, leaner fellow and together they look like a before and after advert for malnutrition.

Kate nearly leaps out of the man's direction when she notices her folly. "Sorry! I wasn't paying attention."

"Never seen you here before," says the shorter, wheat blond man.

"Yes, I'm a new--" begins Kate, holding out her hand in anticipation of a handshake.

"Who's your husband?" interrupts the other man, a gray halo of hair situated on the perimeter of his scalp.

"I'm not sure how--" starts Kate, slowly lowering her hand.

"That's how you got in, right?" he asks as he bends down to add his own name to the roster, "Bring the 'Girls' for a 'Fun Weekend' at the country club and then fuck off to whichever Wellness Spa you crawled out of?"

"That's--" Kate tries to interject.

"We promise not to beat you too badly later, okay?" the blond interrupts as he saunters off, followed shortly by his friend.

She is left standing alone at the front of the sports center, not entirely sure she has correctly interpreted the preceding events. In her mind, she loops through their meeting again and again, wondering what she did wrong. When she does realize that she, in fact, ‘Just Got Dunked On’, grim is not the right word to describe the aura she emanates. It's pretty close, though.

Kate staggers into the common area and, seeing the rest of her coven lying haphazardly across an island of recliners, plops into one of the vacant chairs. Her entire demeanor is a haggard sigh.

Trading concerned looks, the witches aren't sure who should handle this. They play "Rock, Paper, Sigils" while Kate slumps further into the padded leather. The agreed upon worst candidate for helping someone through distress is also apparently really bad at games of chance because when she loses, Bev swears under her breath.

Bev very tepidly strokes Kate's back and whispers, "Now, now. Emotions are..." she gulps, "Perfectly normal. I have them all the time." She retches.

Taking Kate's hand, Matt asks, "What happened?"

A full body sigh later and Kate appears to have summoned the drive to retell the tale. By the time she's through, the witches bear the expressions of those personally wronged. How dare anyone make fun of Kate? And not even behind her back like a decent person. WASPS have feelings, too.

"You should've led with that," says Bev, cracking her knuckles, "I'll kill them."

Matt nods, "I don't know about getting someone else's blood on me, but yes, murder seems in order."

Haley can't believe what she just heard. She really can't. She stopped listening halfway through to stare at someone she thought might be her Little League coach. But why would they be here, ten states away in this country club common area? It just doesn't make sen-- Oh, no, that's someone else, nevermind. Oh, god, now everyone's looking at her. Make something up, make something up.

"Like a flock of crows in V-formation," says Haley. Nailed it.

"You guys... you have no idea how much this means to me," says Kate, a welling in her eyes, "I know with you by my side, Bev, we can--"

"Oh, yeah, no, I don't want to play," Bev corrects.

Clearly disappointed, Kate's face sobers a little, but she looks to Matt with hope.

"Sorry, me either. I didn't mean to mislead you," says Matt, sincerely apologetic.

Kate feels as though the dinghy she just acquired footing in has capsized beneath her.

Haley smiles.

Kate looks to her nervously, but the smile only widens. "Have... you ever actually played tennis?" Kate asks.

"Sure, I played a little at home," Haley says. Kate sighs.

"Of course, we had wooden rackets and the strings were made from goat guts, but how different could it be?" Haley asks. Kate sighs again and internally resigns to her fate, but still intends on having a very fun, very non-competitive time.

On the court, shortly before their starting match, Haley tests the weight of the carbon fiber racket. She tosses it from hand to hand and gives a few practice swats. Once, she sends the racket flying, leaving her to run to the middle of the court and retrieve it.

Their first few matches - one with a couple from Denver and the other with the woman they encountered in the lobby and her "chiropractor" who is definitely only half her age because it helps to be young and limber in his profession. Definitely - are nothing to write home about. Haley's home, in particular, is where you should not be writing to. Because they would not be very impressed with her performance. But after getting used to how light this inferior plastic racket is, the aerodynamics of its slender frame, the whistle of its whip through the air, she feels a touch more comfortable.

This comfort is promptly squished like a windshield mosquito when their next opponents enter the fence. Kate's heart falls when she recognizes the sheen of one man's head and the smarm on the other's lips, but her face is unflinching steel.

"Didn't think you'd still be here," the blond says, his eyes a sneer.

The walking comb over assumes his place across the court and, beginning to stretch, says, "They wanted to lose to real men. I don't blame 'em."

Haley exhales. The match begins.

For the first set, the court is a frenzy of movement. Rhythmic thwacking echoes across the gymnasium. The squeaking of sneakers, the breathy grunts upon each impact, the flicked beads of sweat as they dart to strike the racket. All four are giving it their all.

But Kate and Haley are just too accurate. Too fast. Too relentless in their fury.

Nearing the end of their third set, Kate and Haley have dominated the game, easily leading over their opponents' hefty score of one. What was only meant to be a playful diversion sees the girls one favoring play away from taking the whole kit 'n' caboodle. Reigning victorious. But, like, in a fun, non-competitive way.

This is what it all comes down to.

"They would be good at this," huffs the gray-haired man to his partner, "Chicks and tennis." He serves the ball, and Haley, in her distraction, swings and misses. A green blur zips by her head.

The gray-haired man chuckles, "I think that's our point."

"One of them even looks like Serena," his blond partner wheezes hoarsely. They burst into ill-concealed snickers.

"One more round?" Kate asks, bouncing a tennis ball.

"One more round," Haley concurs.

They trade the tennis ball back and forth with their opponents, the net flapping with every pass. For a few tosses, they are very light swings, measured and contained. But in one of her connections with the ball, Kate applies a considerable amount more force to the racket. The tennis ball responds with equal vigor, shooting from her racket's wired face and careening toward the other side of the court.

But it never hits either of the men's rackets. Or makes contact with the ground. It simply floats and whirls at a standstill just past the net.

No one moves a muscle.

The silent stillness of the moment is broken when the blond man appears to muster the confidence to approach the green rotation. He seems to have descended from glaciers with the time it takes him to close the gap. Mere inches away, he stares up at the tennis ball in the exact way that you're not supposed to stare at the sun.

He lifts his hand and reaches slowly upward with an extended finger.

The ball, still in a rapid spin, yet frozen in mid-air, comes undone and pelts the blond directly between the eyes. He goes to the ground and rolls onto his back, his scream slightly muffled by the hands now covering his face.

Exclaiming his name, the gray-haired man runs over to kneel and assist his partner.

Focused on tending to his friend, he is blissfully unaware when, under Haley's intense stare, his shoestrings loosen and then intertwine, lacing together.

"I think that's our point," says Haley.

The man clambers to a stand and starts off toward her with a warning, huffy "Why, you little..." before tripping and spilling to the ground like a freshly slingshotted Goliath.

The blond, a red burn at the center of his face, goes to help him, but his shorts sink quickly to his feet and he falls in a tangle to the green mat.

"That's set," says Kate.

"And match," says Haley.

They grasp hands in a high five and make their way to the fenced door.

As they exit the court, Haley shouts back to the groaning men, "And I would love to look like Serena! She's a goddamn Amazon!" Even after they've exited, Haley can still be heard shouting, "An Amazon!"

They've made it halfway into the main house when they run into Matt just outside of the kitchen, wearing a black apron, stamped with the country club's logo.

"Why are you--?" Haley begins before Matt raises a hand and cuts her off with a sharp breath.

"I went to the restaurant to sample their Chateaubriand," he says, pulling the apron strings over his head, "But someone mistook me for a waiter and one thing led to another, and I report for duty at 9 am."

Slinking down the hall to join them, Bev says, "That's really going to confuse your students."

"Where have you been?" Kate asks.

"That's what I wanted to talk to you guys about," she says.

Occasionally looking over her shoulder to ensure she's not being followed by any of the club's staff, Bev leads the coven to the rear section of the expansive building. Despite the recently watered ficuses, it doesn't appear as though this area of the club receives much visitation.

Taking another cursory look, Bev waves the witches into a room and closes the door behind her. Once she flicks the light on, an old ballroom comes into focus. The dusty, white grand piano, tucked in the room's corner, has uneven keys. The floor is cedar coated in a thoroughly scuffed varnish.

At the center of the room is a freshly painted and ornamented circle, surrounded in thick, off-white candles.

"You've been busy," Kate says.

"Since we got here, I've sensed a mass of souls, trapped just beneath the floorboards," says Bev.

"I felt it, too," says Matt, "I suspected it was just the unease that comes with being in a country club."

"There's that, too," Bev says.

Bev stomps on the floor and a chorus of weak groans ekes up, "That's at least 30? Maybe 40 unhappy ghosts." She locks eyes with Kate, hesitates for a moment, and says, "We have to do something." 

Kate, all out of sighs for the day, brings her hands together and lets them go with a deep breath. "Okay," she says, "What do we do?"

There's no boom box available to blast "Wannabe" while they work, so their preparation lacks a distinct Spice, but they each have their jobs and they each complete them with an expected diminished enthusiasm.

Once Kate's finished lighting the candles, Haley flips the light switch and they take their positions.

Because it was her idea, Bev heads the ritual, and thus initiates the throaty, guttural chanting. As she nears the end, like a musical round, another witch starts from the beginning. And the cycle continues until, thrumming like a locust swarm, the coven is in overlapping cacophony.

As their chanting increases in volume and an impossible wind whips their hair to and fro, the candle flames grow into angry blazes. And in an instant, they extinguish.

And the room goes dark.

Then, suddenly, light returns as a host of faint, blue-white specters encircle the witches. As a few seconds pass and they regain more human forms, a great variety of age among them, the "Leader" of the group, a weathered man in an eagle feather-adorned headdress, nods to the coven. One by one, their forms dissipate. Soon, they've all faded, leaving one little girl, clutching a small toy bunny. She waves at the witches and too disappears.

The candles flicker back to life.

"So good of you to release them," Kate says, laying her hand on Bev's shoulder, "The afterlife will be kind to them."

"Right. Release," Bev says, tapping Kate's hand.

From outside of the ballroom there comes a scream. Looking a smirking Bev in the eyes, Kate pulls her hand away and makes for the door.

The chaos encapsulating the country club can be heard in its full intensity the moment Kate cracks the door open.

It's difficult to decipher exactly what is transpiring: a typhoon of well-clothed, well-fed patrons bounds in every direction. They wail and beg and stumble over each other, flown after by a roaring cavalcade of translucent figures.

The witches watch as the little girl who thanked them earlier flies through the bottom of a couple's table and into their roasted duck, chasing them with scornful, flailing drumettes as they scream for mercy.

Kate's face gets in the way of her palm.

"You know, I saw a hand sanitizer dispenser in the bathroom," says Matt, "Maybe this place isn't so bad after all."

[creepy-meme-trash]

Summer Headcanons

Part 1 - Past

I got too sunburned to work on cosplay and I nearly ran over a copper head snake on my skateboard while in some creepy woods, so have some summertime headcanons.

Jeff: Definitely used to be a skateboard kid. Has gotten many injuries and scars from attempting to do jumps and kickflips. Has fallen into a lake at least twice. Never really liked wearing shorts, but was okay with it. All mosquitoes, ticks, and wasps can burn in Hell.

Liu: Constant yelling for Jeff to not fall and die. Hated the hot weather and will always prefer winter scenery and wardrobe. Snow cones were good, though. Has the best memories at amusement parks with his family, and to this day they remain bittersweet.

Jane: BEACH! BEACH! BEACH! BEACH! BEACH! Ice creams trucks and girls in bikinis. Swimming. Flowers. No school. Drive in movies. Camping. Roasting marshmallows. THIS IS THE GREATEST SEASON!!!

Ben: Too hot to be outside. Time to stay in and play games.

Jack: Hated the heat, but a lot of the activities were alright. Being able to have free time away from school was always great. He would typically get a summer job to earn extra money during high school, but took classes year-round during college. Still, it’d be Hell without air conditioning.

Natalie: No jacket sucks, but tanktops and T-shirts are cool. Shorts are okay. Definitely stuffed ice packs into her backpack to keep cool. Rode her bicycle everywhere to get out of the house, but definitely preferred to stay inside at stores and places. Liked to hang out in antique shops.

Helen: No! Everything melts and smears! It’s too hot for any good clothes! Too hot for outdoors! The Sun hurts! It’s going to be so long until it snows again! I hate this!

Dina: Always wanted to know what it was like to be able to run around in the grass and go swimming. Always wondered what it must be like to get a sunburn. Maybe the Sun would be too harsh on her sensitive eyes, or maybe allergens and bug bites would set off allergic reactions worthy of hospitalization, but who cares?! It would have been worth it just to be able to eat some ice cream on a playground bench with friends.

Tim: As a kid, always felt envious of people who could go hiking and camping without any worry or fear of what might happen to them if they ventured into woods or had allergies. Never could deal with allergies because what if it’s not just allergies? As a young adult, loved T-shirt weather, but hated the intense sun and heat, as well as the cold chills that came from Slender-Sickness. When it’s chilly out, it’s completely normal, but if you wear a jacket in July, everyone loses their minds! 

Brian: Absolutely loved water parks, the ice cream truck, and fireflies, but hated sunburns, heat, and all the bugs. So, pretty neutral on it, aside from enjoying the break from school as a teen.

Jay: Loved all the seasons, but summer was one of the best. Fourth of July was always an amazing holiday. All the fireworks were beautiful. It’s the season of baseball caps, grilling out, and family gatherings down by the river. Later in life, it was still nice to be able to plan outdoorsy activities with his college friends.

Toby: Short sleeves and shorts were always strange because they showed all the bruises, cuts, and scratches. The numbness to pain helped a lot with sunburns and heat, but spending time in jeans and long sleeves could still lead to him fainting from heat stroke or dehydration. Luckily, anyone who knew him enough to be concerned about abuse, also knew he was the clumsiest person alive, so injuries were surprisingly not asked about very often.

BONUS

Lyra Rogers: Had the same issues Toby did about short sleeves, only without the excuse of not being able to feel pain and avoid injuries. So, jackets and jeans year round. It got rough during heat waves, but she got used to it. She also occasionally shoplifted popsicles.

Alex Kralie: Summer was way too hot to film during, so it was usually spent indoors, editing clips and writing scripts.

Evan Jennings: Yes! Vinnie and Jeff love hiking and summer is the best time to do it! He loved just going out and exploring with them and the food Vinnie would pack and the ice pops that would always melt in Jeff’s backpack so they’d drink them instead. It was great to spend a whole day outside, spending time out in nature and hiking until noon, then stopping for a picnic before heading back. It was the best.

[ghostsandmirrors]

🍃 FALLING LEAF - do they enjoy being in nature? what is their favourite outdoor activity?☀️ SUN - are they a morning person? what is the first thing they do in the morning?🕷️ SPIDER - what is their biggest fear? do they have any irrational / mundane fears? - Bam, Liaxee

𝐎𝐂 𝐄𝐌𝐎𝐉𝐈 𝐀𝐒𝐊𝐒!

under read more due to length and i did each one for both again.

🍃 FALLING LEAF - do they enjoy being in nature? what is their favourite outdoor activity?

Bam has a love/hate relationship with nature as a whole. He likes the idea of being out in nature. He loves the idea of going through a forest, meandering his way around the trees and hearing the birds, spotting what could be a poisonous plant and inevitably dying to it because he's an idiot who will touch anything.

In practice, he still likes being outside--he is consistently too restless to stay indoors--but wasps exist and he got stung by one once and has yet to forgive all wasps for that one little bastard. Also his hands get sweaty from moving around and then the sweat dries and he has issues with textures and that slightly dusty feeling that comes with dried sweat is one of the main textures he has an issue with.

More built up areas has the issue that there are people and he's eternally cursed with the urge to annoy any human being he has ever seen, but there's also less wasps and he can find a place to wash his hands if the dusty feeling gets too much.

He does enjoy walking, though. He likes just going through an area, seeing what there is to see, getting some movement in. He's a ball of chaotic energy, so any chance he gets to use some of that energy is good for him.

Liaxee, on the other hand, is never happier than when he is outside. He loves nature, he loves being outside, he loves wide open spaces, he loves not having to hunch because buildings in most places were not made with people almost 7 foot tall in mind. The moment he can be outside, he loves anything he's doing. He could be sitting down, doing absolutely nothing, but if it's outside it's suddenly his favourite thing to do.

I cannot explain exactly how much Liaxee likes being outside.

It does help that Verirmorres (help I've forgotten how to spell it again) is very walking-friendly. The only other modes of transport are rideable animals and portals, so walking is encouraged and expected. You thought you were going to get a taxi to go from the Dargene library to the inn over the other side of the town centre? Guess again! In this area, we walk fucking everywhere.

Generally, Liaxee finds nature fascinating. He is a trove of knowledge about the wildlife and habitats of Verirmorres. Like, the whole world. He will talk to people about it all, drag those people around to show exactly what he's talking about, and that is a threat.

☀️ SUN - are they a morning person? what is the first thing they do in the morning?

Bam has the ability to be a morning person, but generally doesn't get up in the morning. When he does get up in the morning, he is awake. He is very awake. Other people wander around, yawning, generally half asleep? Not Bam. Bam's ready to go.

He's one of those annoying people who expect a full conversation ten minutes after getting up. Those ten minutes are spent; trying to go back to sleep, giving up, staring at the ceiling, going to the bathroom, and then going to wherever other people are and if breakfast is there? Even better. His goal in the mornings is to be as awake as humanly possible so that he inevitably crashes at 2pm and spends the rest of the day waiting for bedtime.

Liaxee, for all his energy and volume and enthusiasm, is not a morning person. He doesn't like waking up and he doesn't like getting up. Once he's been awake for a while, moving around, generally existing, then he's fine. It's getting to that point that's difficult.

His first activity is being annoyed that he's awake, because how dare the universe expect him to exist? What the fuck is this shit?! Once he's eaten food and spent an hour glaring at everything, he's generally fine, though. He also refuses to be around other people until he's fine, because then people might find out he can be quiet and he can't have that.

🕷️ SPIDER - what is their biggest fear? do they have any irrational / mundane fears?

Bam mainly fears needles and ventriloquist dummies. He's too much of a reckless dumbass to truly fear dying or pain or heights or anything similar to that, but he did see that one episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer with the dummy that's trying to kill a demon and now they freak him out. Dummies is his biggest fear and probably his irrational one, too. They're both irrational, but needles hurt at least while dummies just exist.

He's aware it's irrational, but he would also throw a ventriloquist dummy onto a fire like that one gif of Dakota Fanning from the Twilight series (this one). He wouldn't even hesitate for a second, except when first picking it up because ew, touching one.

Liaxee's fears are a lot less material.

He's lived a long life in a place that generally doesn't hold the same things as Earth but he overall very comfortable in, so his fears tend to reflect the more negative of his experiences as opposed to people or things; he's a soldier so he fears repeats of past wars, he's lost those he cares about so he fears losing more people he cares about whether through death or disagreement, there were situations he couldn't help in because no one could so he fears those feelings, avalanches are common where he grew up so he fears the rumbling of the snow and the silent stillness after, etc. etc..

However, there is a plant native to Erstede that can burn skin due to its defensive acidity, so he fears that.

Also, if he ever saw a clown, he'd fear those, too. Yes, he puts on a bravado of being fearless but clowns would make him immediately turn around and leave. No matter what would be going on or what he'd be doing, he would simply leave if he ever met a clown.

[violetsystems]

I’ve had to kick my router a few times today. Not because the bill went up. Because of course it did. I’m out of contract. Maybe it’s acting up to remind me. I’m definitely past the stage of wondering if I’m going to grow out my hair for the summer. Also maybe going to do some video again soon but probably just r-type and some Elden Ring. Online gaming is about as insufferable as direct interactions these days. Everything is forced but nothing is sacred. Been running outdoors a bit more to help with the stress. I think more people are moving out. So maybe better people can move in. For now, it’s more peaceful. At least when I stay indoors. Ordered some wasp spray for some new nests that are budding. It seems relentless but I’m used to it by now. I still can’t seem to get noticed anywhere other than here. Big fat ass AT field in my way. Probably for my protection. Absolutely Terrible Field is for your protection. 💋

[agathisfelis]

Something REALLY Wants Me to Nurture Pollinators

I’m going to expand my adventures in gardening soon.  Last Summer I grew a small container garden of vegetables and I really enjoyed it.  I also grew some pumpkins for Halloween and that was immensely satisfying (though fighting squash borers was AWFUL.  Ick).  

I’m feeling a strong push to grow plants that sustain pollinators.  I don’t know where it is coming from, because normally I am not a big fan of flowers and have not really craved them in my yard.  I’m scared of bees and wasps. I love the idea of pollinators, and I recognize that they are in danger (and that puts us all in danger!), but somehow until now that never translated into “I personally should do something about that!”

Well.  I’m intensely interested in doing something about it this year. I want to feed pollinators, I want to provide plants where they can lay their eggs and their little ones can have plenty to munch on.  I want to provide spots for them to overwinter.  

For some reason it is hitting me HARD now.  I feel urged to put in flowers in general (and I feel drawn to native plants most of all).  I feel a stronger push to put in specific plants.  It’s odd how strong the feeling is.  That’s new for me.

A couple of weeks ago I attended (on a whim, or that’s what I thought at the time) a local Zoom broadcast about starting seeds indoors. I had no plans to do that - I had tried it once before and it did not go great.  Spindly plants, my setup was always in the way of something else, and I didn’t harden them off well enough for them to thrive when I moved them outdoors.  I felt like I failed the plants and I drove my family nuts for weeks over something that didn’t even work.

So I wasn’t going to do it again, but I attended the class anyway.  I thought it would be a way to get my “gardening fix” since it’s still really cold here and I cannot do anything outside.

I see now that I was meant to attend that class.  Whatever it is that is pushing me to care for pollinators drove me to that Zoom call, because I came away inspired and armed with what I need to make it work this time.  I learned so much I hadn’t learned before, where I went wrong, how to do it better, special tools to use...But doing this right would mean buying stuff - there are things that I need that I cannot make myself.  How could I justify the expense for things that would really only be used once a year?

And then. THEN!  I remembered I had a gift card to the plant nursey/garden store that had sponsored the call.  It was from almost three years ago.  And when I went looking for it, the darned thing almost jumped into my hand.  Now, I am not known for being able to keep track of little things like that from week to week, let alone several years.  Weird.

I also received an online gift card last week.  I’m not going to say it was raining money, but suddenly the idea of buying things that would only be used once a year didn’t seem like as much of a burden.

Today I went to the store where my ancient gift card was from - they said it was still good!  I came away with a lovely heating mat for encouraging germination.

I looked up grow lights like the ones they showed in the Zoom class and found one online for almost exactly the amount of the other gift card.  And the light and mat are nearly the same size, so they match.

The mat and light mean that I can set it all up in an out-of-the-way spot (I don’t have to find a warm or sunny place), so I won’t drive my family crazy this time around.  I have a perfect place for it.

I have the seeds I was driven to purchase.  I have mapped out my yard for sun and shade and I have created a spreadsheet of all the flowers and plants I am going to try to grow, and what they prefer for light, drainage, and soil type.

I don’t know why it is so important that I do this, but I feel very strongly that I’m supposed to.  I’m interested to see where this goes.

[shadowlabvcd]

Tips For Renting In Wilmington NC - Call Wilmington Realty Property Management 910 799-0554

PERFORMANCE AND MONEY-SAVING TIPS FOR RENTERS

If you are looking to rent a house in Wilmington NC then you might want to consider the following:

Property Management Wilmington NC

Though it may appear that tenants are typically at odds with their proprietors, there are particular common matters that both celebrations ought to be concerned with. Some leases consist of specific utilities while others do not, yet no matter, it is still a good idea to take some basic steps to maximize efficiency. Right here are a few tips that can profit both lessee as well as proprietor:

POWER MANAGEMENT Whether it's the cool season or the hot, damp one coming close to, maintaining convenience in a rental that might be improperly insulated presents a genuine difficulty. Apply weather-stripping around doors and windows to keep the out-of-doors separated from the indoors as well as substantially decrease power intake. Replace home heating and cooling filters consistently. Altering the air filters is as important to your HVAC system as frequent oil adjustments are to the life of your auto. Choose a temperature level you can live pleasantly with and also allow it continue to be constant. Raising and also reducing the temperature level can dramatically raise your electrical energy expense. As the rate of energy-efficient LED light bulbs has gone down substantially recently, as well as several regional energy firms simply give them out with a free house energy audit, changing to energy-efficient bulbs can reduce your electrical expenses. Make sure all computer systems, TVs, and also major devices, have surge security to minimize the possibility of electric fires when it comes to a storm or power-line accident. Surge defense also might conserve your digital financial investments. Take care not to overload washing machines, clothes dryers, and dishwashing machines, as this might cause blocking, leakage, excessive damage, and also restricts the efficiency as well as performance of the device. Set your warm water heater control to the lowest setup that suffices for your use. Many water heaters have timers to manage the water temperature level at various times of the day. This can substantially decrease your electric expense. WATER MANAGEMENT Check all water connections to dish washers, cleaning equipments, and ice-makers, to ensure a safe and secure connection in order to stop any kind of dripping. Even if a leakage is small, it can possibly result in a pricey repair. Check the caulking around all windows sills as well as doors jambs, specifically outside, to make certain no water is getting inside which can cause damage to the inside. See to it caulking around tubs and sinks remain in good shape. Water permeating in between fractures repeatedly after usage can rot out the floor or wear away ceramic tile leading to expensive fixings. Pay attention for leaking taps. The smallest of drips can escalate water costs. Record any type of leakages to your property owner quickly. Listen to the commode for any kind of constant water running which would certainly indicate access water being consumed causing rising water costs. It's most likely that the issue is either the flapper or the float which can be quickly repaired.

Look for leaks on the floor around the toilet. If the toilet is dripping, it should be reseated. A toilet that leakages over an extended period of time will rot the flooring around the toilet as well as create the bathroom to rock. The fixing can be expensive as subflooring might need replacing as well as flooring covering. Never ever purge things such as tampons or paper towels. If drains are sluggish or clogged up, attempt using a plunger, If unsuccessful, repeat a couple of consecutive applications of an obstruction eliminator or drainpipe opener. Keeping drains open is normally the obligation of the renter as well as any type of solution calls may lead to a fee by the proprietor to the tenant. If your home has a sewage-disposal tank system, usage bleach as well as de-clogging chemicals moderately. Never flush oil, baby diapers, plastics, tampons or any other non-biodegradable objects. In regard to garbage disposals, sound judgment is actually all that's called for to keep your disposal functioning properly. Stay clear of items like bone, pieces of difficult fat, hefty oil, mashed potatoes, and also particularly rice, as rice can actually lock-up a disposal system. Beware regarding permitting drink tabs or coins to come under the disposal or attempting to grind up coarse food. It will certainly lodge in the disposal and also might call for a solution contact us to fix which the property manager may charge back to the tenant. To prevent frozen water pipes in the rare occasion of severe winter, leave closet doors open up to subject pipelines to the temperature level of the device as well as keep a tap or 2 turned on to a slow-moving drip. If leaving for an extensive time period, maintain the thermostat readied to at the very least 50 to 55 levels and also ensure that areas that hide pipes are open to enable cozy air flow. Try to find stains on the ceiling as this normally suggests a roof leakage as well as need to be reported. Extensive damages may take place if a leakage proceeds, resulting in expensive repair services. HVAC MANAGEMENT Examine that air conditioning drains are clear. Near the outside units, 2 PVC pipes lack the wall surface. To find this on your outdoors unit, seek a tiny white pipeline. These pipes can come to be blocked from turf, dirt or particles. See to it they remain clear to enable condensation to drain from the system, or else, condensation can support at the indoor device or the unit can freeze up. If your system is not functioning, go to the breaker box and also flip each switch off as well as back on once again. The breaker may have stumbled and by flipping it back on, you can stay clear of an unnecessary solution call. Nevertheless, if the problem happens frequently, a service call need to be made as the breaker itself could be going bad or some other issue may exist. Heat pumps, which are efficient and also commonly made use of in the seaside areas, are just able to deal with specific loads. In incredibly hot weather, the system may be frequently running as well as providing all it can give. In exceptionally winter, electrical heat strips might begin. Maintain the restrictions of heatpump in severe temperatures in mind before making an unneeded service call. INSECT CONTROL Lessees are in charge of their own parasite control, nevertheless, if you experience a pest trouble such as roaches, ants, fleas, or spiders, upon move-in, report it to the proprietor instantly. The property owner might provide an one-time extermination. Quarterly eliminations are advised in addition to the application of routine over-the-counter therapies. It is a good concept to check out the exterior for any wasp nests. These can be easily eliminated and eliminated with wasp as well as hornet spray available at your regional grocery or hardware store. WASTE MANAGEMENT Securing the garbage as well as cleaning the rental to prevent ants and roaches is very important for hygienic reasons in addition to for general assurance. Additionally, keep recyclables divided from other refuse to aid in maintaining your area "green.". DO-IT-YOURSELF. Must you have any kind of "handy-person" skills, you can do some upkeep yourself, if permitted by the proprietor,. By complying with a few of these simple pointers, it's very easy to develop a win-win situation for all!