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Catnip and Kidnappings
Hi, 🧿 nonnie! This one's been a long time coming, and though it doesn't have much smut, I hope you still enjoy it! ❣ Summary: You just needed to go to the pet store for two things - so why were you suddenly in a car with a man you didn't know? ❣ ❣ Word Count: 2.5k+ ❣ Warnings: Mafia! AU, fluff, meet cute, implied danger, slight humor, cat talk, reader is a bit sassy but so is Minho ❣ ❣ Female! Reader [No use of Y/N] | You/Your pronouns ❣ ❣ Additional Tags: lightly edited ❣ Stray Kids Masterlist ❣ General Masterlist
Two things. You just needed two things from the pet store, then you would be back home with your lovely tabby cat and show you’d been putting off for the better half of two weeks because it just ‘wasn’t the right time’.
So how, you ask, did you manage to find yourself hurriedly escorted away from the storefront of the pet store by a man you’d just met?
Well, you could target the beginning of the end the moment you stepped foot into the pet store, making your way to the cat aisle on instinct with your goal clear in your mind; catnip and premium cat food.
Premium cat food - you wished you could trick your furry child into eating a cheaper form of food, but his picky eater tendencies had set him in his ways ever since your mother decided to spoil him and introduce him to the world of Sheba pate and cuts of various meat and fish flavors; the same woman who claimed she didn’t like cats, yet bought him almost all of his toys.
Huffing out a quiet laugh at her change of heart, you bent to grab a box of the food packs, silently thanking the corporate gods that it was still on sale, before heading deeper into the aisle to grab the second item on your mental list.
You scanned the rack with the box still in your arms, adjusting it slightly every now and then until your eyes landed on the empty spot that usually had the brand of catnip you needed.
“Wonderful…”
“If you’re looking for catnip like that brand, you could go with the one with the red label - they look different because of the companies, but they’re really the same ingredient wise.”
“Oh, really? Thank-” The next word immediately died on your tongue as you turned your head, ready to thank a store worker but, instead, you were met with possibly the handsomest man you’d ever laid your eyes on.
Sharp eyes and a nose that looked like it belonged on a marble sculpture, paired with lips set in a faint frown and the prettiest jawline you’ve ever seen - he was gorgeous.
He seemed to either not notice your brain freeze or blissfully ignore it as he stepped closer to pick up the container before placing it on top of the cat food box in your arms.
“I have three cats and they all like both brands, there isn’t really a difference besides the fact that you don’t have to use as much of this one as the other one, which makes it better considering the price.”
Once his eyes finally met yours, you felt your brain kick back into gear, “O-Oh, okay, thank you so much!”
He hummed out a small sound of acknowledgement, giving you a curt nod and reaching forward to grab a container of his own; his eyes scanning across the small printed words for a moment before he looked to you once more. “Do you need help? Carrying that, I mean.”
“This? No, no, I’ve got it handled.” You adjusted the box once more, the catnip container sliding to the right until you balanced it out quickly, “All good, thanks again, though.”
Before you could embarrass yourself more than you already had, you thanked him once more and shuffled past him and out of the small aisle in record time, mentally cursing whatever line of fate led you down this path.
Placing your items on the conveyor belt, the cashier greeted you as they scanned your items and you typed in your rewards card onto the card reader’s keypad.
“Are you getting this, too?”
“What?” Looking up, you stared at the catnip in their hand with confusion creasing your brow.
“Um-”
“Yes, we are.”
The familiar voice made a chill run down your spine, your head whipping to see the same man from before, the faintest of curves to his otherwise neutral expression alleviating his otherwise stoic demeanor.
Shrugging lightly, the cashier proceeded to scan the second container before announcing the total.
Pressing his black card to the one-tap reader, he seamlessly slid it back into his wallet before stuffing it back into his pocket, “Think of it as a little gift for your cat, they deserve to be treated.”
For being stunned for the second time that day, your recovery was just as fast, “I’ll make sure to let him know a kind stranger cares about his picky habits.”
He huffed out a quiet chuckle, but that was more than enough to inflate your ego and make your heart flutter, quickly taking back your previous curse to thank fate instead.
After grabbing your bag of items, you made your way out of the store with your new companion following suit.
“So… Was that really just a gift for my cat? You don’t have any ulterior motives, do you?” You mused, turning to look at him fully as you stood outside of the storefront.
Shaking his head, he raised his hands in defense, “It’s just a gift - like I said, I have three cats so I know how it can get, better than most. Besides, the picky eater phase is really rough on the pockets at the worst of times.”
“Well, Miso appreciates your generosity.”
“Miso… cute.” He hummed softly, though his true excitement was evident in the small glimmer in his eyes.
“Do I have the honor of knowing your name?” Clocking the possible unintended implication of the question, you quickly backtracked, “Um- Just so Miso knows who he can thank while eating his pate salmon, of course.”
His lips parted to speak but closed twice as fast, his once relaxed smile turning into a firm line as he looked at you - almost enough to look through you, or rather, past you.
As you went to turn your head to gauge for yourself, you were stopped by the warmth of his hand around your wrist, winning your attention for himself like jingling keys in front of a baby.
“Let me bring you home, and I’ll tell you on the way.”
You felt your heart flutter, though you couldn’t ignore the unease creeping up your spine, “I appreciate it, but you really don’t have to-”
“I just want to make sure you make it home safely.” His mouth pressed into a tight lipped smile and his grip tightened ever so slightly, “Trust me.”
Maybe it was the fact that he sounded so sincere, aligning with the image of the kind man you’d seen in the pet shop, or perhaps it was the way his firm gaze flickered with a hint of urgency, but you found yourself nodding softly.
“Okay.”
With that, you were tugged down the sidewalk and around the corner, hurried footsteps falling alongside his long strides in hopes of keeping up.
“Is- Is there something wrong? What’s happening?”
“Everything’s fine.”
You bristled at his nonchalant, clipped tone, falling back on your pace by half a step. “I have a feeling you weren’t lying to me before, so, please, don’t start lying to me now.”
Feeling your resistance, he took a short breath and spoke, “Nothing’s wrong yet, and nothing is happening - I’d rather keep it that way, if you don’t mind.”
“But what did you see?”
“Someone who has no business trying to approach me in public unless they’re looking to start something they have no chance of finishing. I have no desire in getting innocent people caught up in those types of affairs.”
“Those types?” Your eyes widened as you neared a black car - slim, sleek, and a model that you had no chance of owning for yourself on your current pay grade. “Are you-”
“I’m no one.” He shut you down with ease before reaching forward to open the passenger’s side door, “Get in.”
Putting a temporary pin in your conversation, you quickly slid into the car, the faint scent of jasmine mixing with the musk of sandalwood and leather seats filling your nose; watching through the windshield as the black haired man rounded the car before sliding into the driver's seat.
“I don’t think a nobody just casually owns a car like this,” clicking your seatbelt into place and setting your bag on the floor, you shot him a wary glance, “if you’re going to kidnap me, Miso’s going to be royally pissed.”
The car’s engine roared to life, masking his light chuckle but doing next to nothing in hiding the slight uptick of his lips. “I’m not a kidnapper, though I’ll make an exception if Miso’s as cute as you make him out to be.”
With that, he shifted the gear and drove out of the parking lot, using the one-way street to get away from the pet store and the unknown assailant. Buildings and cars passed by in a blur after you told him your address, your hands nonchalantly turning your phone while the silence was placated with the sound of the engine and the radio - though, you had no hope of hearing what the song was from how low the volume was.
Taking a deep breath, you turned toward him, eyes tracing over his unfairly handsome side profile. “So… Is this the part where you tell me who you are?”
“I told you, I’m no one,” he hummed simply, eyes trained on the road ahead.
“And I told you I don’t like liars - you still owe me your name, you remember that, right? Now, since you’re saving me from some unknown evil, you owe me a full introduction.”
He glanced over at you, amused astonishment filling his face, “For someone who’s in the hands of a complete stranger, you make a lot of demands.”
“Think of it as your atonement for giving me two new life experiences in one when I was minding my own business buying catnip.”
You could just barely catch him rolling his eyes, muttering under his breath and hearing the words ‘worse’ and ‘friends’.
“Minho.”
“Minho?”
Minho rocked his head to the side, huffing, “My name is Lee Minho, I have three cats - Soonie, Doongie, and Dori - and I’m a businessman. I like going to that pet store because they donate some of their profit to shelters, and I know about the catnip brands because I have three cats - changing brands is a nightmare whether it’s one cat or several.”
A small smile found its way to your lips at the new information, your mind running wild at the image of this enigma of a man playing with three cats of his own. “Okay… But, when you say businessman, what type of business do you do?”
“The type that prefers to go unmentioned to civilians for their safety.”
“What- Like working for some secret branch of the government? Are you a cult leader? A member of the mafia?” An incredulous giggle bubbled past your lips, though when his demeanor grew colder, your stomach dropped. “You’re… You’re not, right?”
“What’s your name?”
“What?”
The car rolled to a stop at a red light, granting him the grace to look at you, brown eyes locking to yours with a firm stare. “You never told me your name. If you tell me your name, I’ll tell you my job - it’s your repentance for asking me more questions past my introduction. If you don’t want to tell me, then don’t, but I won’t tell you my job.”
Your name for his profession, your safety in exchange for his safety - it was only fair, truly.
Taking a deep breath, your name fell from your lips with a small air of confidence, “You already know about my cat, and my job pays just enough to support his picky eating habits. I like that pet store because they hosted an adoption event that brought Miso into my life, and I’ve been supporting them ever since.”
He made a sound of confirmation before turning his attention back to the road, pressing the gas as the light turned green and continued the journey to your apartment.
His choice of silence was almost enough to have your conscience second guessing your decision, until you noted the way his fingers drummed against the steering wheel; twitching, anxious, compared to the streamlined, firm grip he’d showcased at the beginning of the drive.
Eventually your apartment building came into view, the car slowing to a stop once he reached the front door.
“Well…” Lingering for a moment longer, you looked at him in hopes of seeing him turn to you one final time to honor his end of the agreement, but when he remained staring at the road ahead, you let it go. “I guess this is goodbye - thank you for what you’ve done for me, Lee Minho, I appreciate it.”
As you went to unbuckle your seatbelt, his hand wrapped around your wrist, his touch sending a chill down your spine and stealing your attention just like he did outside of the pet shop.
“I’m part of the mafia,” Minho spoke plainly, his tone emotionless, statement oriented, “the person I saw earlier was someone we’ve done business with before, some low life’s henchman most likely sent to get even, that’s why I wanted to get away like I did. I didn’t want our chance encounter to end with you getting hurt - you did nothing wrong, and I wanted to make sure you would be safe.”
The mafia… You weren’t sure if him being a cult leader would’ve been better or worse than this, but staring into his eyes, you could feel it wasn’t a joke, nor an elaborate cover up.
“What I said before, about not mentioning what I do for the safety of others… I swear to you that you’ll be safe after this - I’ll make it my personal job of making sure nothing happens to you because of this, okay? No lingering ties or deals to be made, you’ll be under our watch until we take care of that stunt they tried to pull.”
His promise eased the first stretch of fear growing within you, though the rest would have to be handled once you had the proper time to process your less than normal morning.
Nodding, you slipped your wrist from his grasp and grabbed your bag, turning to get out of the car until you froze.
“If you’re worried, you don’t have to-”
You leaned across the center console and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek, a sign of gratitude, “Thank you, Minho.”
Reaching into your bag, you placed his container of catnip in his hand then quickly left the car - making your way up the flight of stairs to the lobby’s doors,only to turn around to see him patiently waiting for your entrance before slipping your way past the glass doors.
On the elevator ride up to your apartment, you couldn’t help it as your thoughts ran through the events like a film reel, though you weren’t sure if it was to get over the shock of reality, or to commit the image of that man to your memory.
Lee Minho, cat owner and catnip expert.
Lee Minho, morally gray mafia member.
Lee Minho, a man you hoped you would see in the pet store again.
✧. ┊Tagged lovelies: Tagged lovelies will now be done within the comments of the post due to Tumblr's tagging system being broken, thank you for understanding.
@luminouskalopsia, @zaethefangirl, @chxnb97, @sometimesleeknows, @hyunjinloverrrr, @rhonnie23, @channieswife, @beautyinhypnosis
✧. ┊If your username is in bold italics that means tumblr won't let me tag you. If you’d like to be added to the taglist, fill out this form!
#stray kids x reader#skz x reader#lee minho x reader#lee know x reader#SKZ Mafia! AU#lee minho fluff#lee know fluff#✧. ┊ 🧿 nonie
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grocery shopping (and shoplifting) tips from a cashier
DON'T BUY NON FOOD ITEMS AT THE GROCERY STORE. THEY JACK THOSE PRICES UP SO HIGH. laundry detergent, cleaning products, medicine, haircare shit- it's all better to get these somewhere else.
only buy the store brands UNLESS there's a sale on name brands that makes it cheaper than the store brand (but this is pretty rare). there's no difference.
most vendor coupons are shit, especially if they're trying to get you to buy more than one item. be really careful using these as a lot of the time they're not a good deal.
ignore the entirety of those drink coolers and snacks at checkout. most of them are overpriced and not worth it.
most store brand canned items and stuff like ramen noodles are super cheap.
FROZEN FOODS ARE SO OVERPRICED. BE VERY CAREFUL.
meat is expensive, and don't waste your money on any sort of organic blah blah whatever meat. it's the exact same shirt
same thing with organic produce, especially if it's something like bananas where you don't actually eat the outside. don't buy pre-packaged produce, it's not worth it for the exact same thing without a package.
check if produce prices are per pound or per item. they vary wildly so make sure to check so you don't get surprised at the register.
do you have self checkout? EVERY PIECE OF PRODUCE IS A BANANA :)))))
small stuff is was easier to steal than large stuff, obviously. don't try to fit a 50 pack of chex mix in your coat. it will not work.
most cashiers dgaf about shoplifting. managers do. stay away from them.
don't waste your money on overpriced expensive "organic natural blah blah blah" food unless you really have to bc of a dietary restriction. most processed food is more expensive and this just makes it even worse.
if the store has a membership card and you don't have one, always ask to use the store card. they'll let you, you just have to ask.
ground meat is cheaper and more versatile than whole cuts of meat. also make sure to look out for managers specials on perishable items like meat because they're trying to get rid of stuff so it'll be marked way down.
that's about all I can think of rn, add on if you have any extra tips
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fooled around and fell in love!
anime: ouran high school host club
characters: fujioka haruhi, suoh tamaki, ootori kyoya
summary: you have enough charm to make even a host fall for you! why haven't you joined the club yet?
a/n: g/n! reader, they/them pronouns used, second person pov, reader isn't necessarily in love with them, they're just unintentionally getting the others to fall for them, but it can be read however you would like
↣ fujioka haruhi:
being the little plaything for the host club was not fun at all for haruhi. she would literally rather do anything else than this.
carrying four bags of food for the hosts, haruhi groans in frustration, "stupid rich people... why do they have to drink so many different brands of coffee?" she reaches into one bag, pulling out an order for hikaru. "he doesn't even like the ingredients in this. he just wanted me to say that long order for no reason..."
people watched the student struggle down the hall towards the host club room. haruhi felt a bit annoyed; didn't rich people have maids or something to do these things? a turn around the corner makes her stop on her tracks, nearly dropping the bags onto the floor.
a hand is held out to catch her elbow, steadying her feet. "sorry, i didn't see you." she apologises, holding the bags even tighter.
"it's okay." you retort, sliding your book bag onto your shoulder. you blink at her, noticing who she was. "oh, haruhi. good morning. you seem pretty busy already."
"good morning, y/n." she replies, nodding her head at you, "yeah, the host club needed a refill on a couple things."
"do you... need help?" you ask, tilting your head at her.
"oh no, it's okay." she spoke, shaking her head with a nervous smile, "i'm nearly there, and club activities are going to start soon."
you shrugged your shoulders, taking some of the bags from her hold. "it's okay, my meeting's been cancelled. i can help." you explain, giving haruhi a smile, "i don't mind spending a little more time getting to know you."
she held her breath for a moment as you led her to the music room that the host club occupied. you were well-known around the school yourself, not as much as the infamous tamaki but still. you shared world history class together and sat in front of her. she knew the sound of your voice by the end of the first month here at ouran academy, and it was no wonder why many of your classmates would seek your help for work. haruhi was good at reading people, so she could tell that you yourself didn't have any bad intentions.
you two became friends quite easily, and you had visited her a few times at the host club. you acted as a cool escape from the strange world of the rich that haruhi had to get used to. you spoke to her as if she was always a friend of yours, sweet and kind. she thought that, if you had tried to, you could knock even tamaki off of his pedestal.
"i heard from hikaru that your theme for this week is the opposite of a 'maid cafe'." your voice cuts through her thoughts, and she drags her eyes to meet with yours. heat rushes to her cheeks at the idea that kyoya had brought up to make a rise in sales. you chuckle at her reaction. "well, i'll have to make sure to stop by to see you."
haruhi rolls her eyes, looking out the window to her left. "please spare me the humiliation, y/n." she huffed out, frown tugging on her lips.
you only grin wider. "c'mon, haruhi, you know that’s the only reason i show up." you say, leaning forward to get a look at her face. she was burning even brighter, and it didn't help that when she glanced back at you, you were staring at her with that welcoming and heart-warming grin you always had for her. "should i switch to always visiting the twins, then?"
haruhi gives you a deadpan look, which makes you laugh. she knows you wouldn't, you literally only asked for her. but she couldn't help the feeling she experienced when you would say her name or look at her like that.
at the host club, you help drop off the bags as kyoya checks everything on his clipboard. at the bell, haruhi escorts you to the door.
"thank you again, y/n, for your help. i'll repay you." she says, knowing full well that all her payments were going to the host club for her initial incident.
you ruffle her hair a little with a smile. "no problem, haruhi. i'll always be here to lend a hand." you say, walking down the hall with your 'goodbye'.
haruhi spares you a wave, closing the door after seeing you turn the corner. when she looks back to her clubroom, she notices kyoya standing a few feet away, back against the wall. "oh, kyoya-senpai. i forgot you—”
“taking a liking to l/n, have we?” he taunts, clipboard under his arm. his glasses gleam with mischief and haruhi gulps. picking it up from the table, he hands her the costume for the day. “is that why they’ve become a regular now?”
she rolls her eyes and grabs it from him. “believe what you want, i’m not doing this out of pleasure.” she admits, hurrying to the change rooms. she passes the other hosts, all standing in the doorway and watching the two interact. haruhi stops on her tracks yet again, furrowing her brows. “what now?”
“what’s this? have haruhi and y/n finally begun dating?” the twins chime, wrapping their arms around haruhi as she begins to heat up, “the love story of the century, two pining young students unable to keep their affections a secret.”
kaoru glances to tamaki, who is fixing up his tie. “what do you say, boss? should we invite y/n to join the host club?” he suggests.
honey jumps up, holding his toy up in the air. “they would be so cute together, right taka-chan?” mori simply nods his head, looking indifferent.
“hmm. perhaps a new addition would spark some rivalry between haruhi and y/n.” tamaki concludes, “many of our guests would love to see the lovers battle to be the best! yes, that is a splendid idea! haruhi—”
turning around, he sees haruhi exit the change rooms in her butler outfit. she huffs back, shaking her head, “i am not inviting y/n to join the host club, you idiots.”
she walks passed them, ignoring the banter they were spouting and the arguments they had for you joining the club. in the end, it was a definite no.
she didn’t know what it was. maybe she just really wanted you to herself.
↣ suoh tamaki:
tamaki, like always, was surrounded by the girls of ouran academy.
if there were any sign that today was just going to be another day, it would be that. the sounds of screams and dreamy sighs, the voice of tamaki swooning them all, and the trail of hearts left behind. another day here at school for you.
but, like always, the club members would make fun of him for his eccentric ideas and whatnot. as they leave to go to class, tamaki stands in the music room with a disappointed look on his face. whenever he would put a frown on his face, the customers would come rushing in! hold his face, cling to his side! why must his friends be so disheartening?
when the door opens to the music room, he expects it to be kyoya to drag him back, and he throws on his frown again. "oh, kyoya! i'm so sad!"
"why is that, tamaki?" you ask, closing the door with your sheet music under your arm and your violin in hand. he blinks at you, obviously not expecting anyone other than the club members. "my apologies, i walked into the wrong room. why are you here by yourself?"
to play it off (although he has never seen you attend any club activities, only ever seeing you in his literature class) he stands up, cheeks burning with embarrassment. he chuckles out, arms thrown to his sides, "o-oh! don't mind me, i'm just a bit down. i didn't expect such a kind student to make themselves known at such a time! how are you on this fine day, mx l/n?"
when you tilt your head, walking closer to his spot at the couch. "a sweet boy like you should never be left alone to sulk." you state, sitting down across from him. he widens his eyes, gulping. "where are your friends?"
"uh... they are in, um, class!" he says as the end-of-the-day bell rings. you only smile. tamaki sighs, dropping his whole get-up and looking to his hands, leaning back against the softness of the couch, "i suppose they left me here while they went home."
"you don't want to go home yet?" you question. he shakes his head. you only exhale, placing your sheet music on the table and your violin next to you. "well, if that is the case, then i'd be happy to keep you company, my lovely."
he widens his eyes as he looks to you. a faint blush paints his cheeks. "you... would?" you nod your head twice. he then smiles. "truthfully, i have no business being here right now. kyoya had called off our club meeting because of exams coming up and the twins failing some classes. and if they fail, they can't be in the club."
"is that so?" you say, making conversation, "well, i suppose you can spend your time with me."
"do you not have a lesson to get to?" tamaki asks, concerned as he glances to your sheet music, "i wouldn't want to keep you—"
"would you like to come to my practice, then?" you offer, smiling softly that it makes him hold his breath for a moment. you were so charming, in such a different way than he was. it was enticing. "i'm sure you wouldn't distract me. not on purpose, that is."
your little joke at the end makes him nervously laugh. "oh, i... i wouldn't want to bother."
"you're not bothering me, tamaki." you honestly say. he unconsciously leans towards you, eager to get closer. you stay where you are, smiling at his actions. "and it seems you just can't resist me."
he catches himself falling. he almost can't believe it, but he then fixes himself and his posture, standing up straight. "r—right, well, i... you...!"
you chuckle, standing up and taking his arm linked in yours, "alright, prince, let's go."
he gasps as you guide him to your practice room, so confident through the halls. he's scared someone will see him in such a flustered state and his cool prince facade will fade. but luckily enough, you navigate your way easily and shut the door behind you.
except, it doesn't take you to the music room. no, in fact, you and tamaki end up on one of the balconies that overlook the quieter side of school — opposite side from the host club.
"i practice here during our breaks and study sessions." you admit, placing a music stand and clipping your sheet music to it. unlatching you violin, you glance to tamaki. "away from all your fangirls, that is."
he raises a brow, catching himself finding his confidence again, "jealous, perhaps?"
"what do you think?" you say, tuning your instrument.
tamaki blinks, staring at the ground as he sits at the bench in front of you. he states, "there is no possible way you could've gotten the wrong room, you know."
you raise your brows, looking back at him. a slow smile creeps onto your lips. "your club passed me in the hallway before i saw you." you admit, waxing your bow, "i just wanted to make sure ouran's pride and joy was okay."
his heart swells at your words. he doesn't know why, but all of a sudden birds sings for you, flowers bloom in your presence the breeze smells sweeter.
"thank you..." he hums, smiling at you sweetly, "may i hear something?"
you lift your bow, nodding your head, "yes, your highness."
his heart explodes at the first note.
↣ ootori kyoya:
if there was one thing kyoya was good at, it was analysing people's strengths and weaknesses. the smart one, glasses-wearing, everything. he was it.
but one thing he couldn't understand was why you were so popular.
you were a part of the school student committee, and as a part of your duties, you hd to do monthly check-ups on clubs to see if they were still eligible to continue. while the host club never failed, you would still drop by without a doubt.
today was one of those days.
kyoya could tell you were near by the increase in whispers and gasps around the hallway. once heard, he excused himself and walked off to grab the folder that held the statistics for their monthly report.
as if on cue, you enter, herd of admirers behind you.
"ah, good evening, mx l/n." he says, offering a bow, "to what do i owe the pleasure?"
"it's good to see you too, ootori." you chime, bowing yourself, "is your report ready for this month? it is the 31st after all."
kyoya can almost hear the agonising tone in your voice, hidden by your politeness. but he doesn't waver, holding out the folder. "indeed. like always, we are right on time." he tells you.
you take it from him, opening it up and falting. kyoya raises a brow. "is something the matter, l/n?" he questions.
you look up at him with the faintest smile. "perhaps you're pulling my leg here, ootori. this appears to be last month's report." you chime, pinpointing his mistakes at its core.
he takes the folder from you and reviews the dates. you were correct, this was last month's report. he scans the room until he locks eyes with the twins, who shrug their shoulders innocently and walk off.
"i... apologise. it seems the twins have taken it into their own hands to file the report for this month." he sighs, fixing his glasses, "if you'll follow me, i will find it for you."
you agree, smiling as those you pass before you enter the side room with kyoya in front of you.
as the doors shut, you click your tongue, "oh kyoya, those two run circles around you, don't they?"
the host rolls his eyes, taking out the box of reports from the cabinet and setting them on the desk. he does miss how his name sounds on your lips. so soft.
"they are a pain, but we make do." he huffs, "must your enterage always follow you when you come see us?"
"oh it's not just when i come here." you state, hand on your hip, "it's everywhere."
you were so smug it made him scowl. he opens the box and notices that they are all out of order. he groans, "we have to look through every individual file, i'm afraid."
"luckily this is my last club for tonight." you sigh, taking out a couple folders, "i can help you organise these."
"but wouldn't your fanclub miss you too much, y/n?" kyoya speaks, doing the same thing and looking through them.
"you're one to talk." you chuckle.
"i truly don't understand how you manage to gather so many followers. you're merely treasurer." he complains, shrugging his shoulders, "do you like being followed around like that?"
you roll your eyes at his dramatic personality. you and kyoya had been friends for ages now, and it seems the popularity you acquire puts a strain on your relationship.
"i don't mind being followed, but i do like all of my friends." you state, flipping through pages, "i speak to all of them regularly."
"so they talk to you and you enjoy it?" he questions, raising a brow at you. the thought irked him. why did you speak to so many people? he could call bullshit. but you shrug your shoulders.
"everybody wants to be liked by the person they have a crush on." you say, knowing tone. every one of your "friends" have or have had a crush on you, which is why they speak to you in the first place. "it just so happens that i like making friends."
"that's preposterous." he huffs back, "i don't understand the severity. i don't feel the need to be liked by you."
"that's because i already like you, kyoya. we were friends since forever, after all." you state, putting one report into the correct folder as you glance at him working, "do you not feel the same?"
"frankly, it doesn't matter to me." kyoya says, ignoring how his chest felt at what you said. it was reassuring to know you still liked him.
"what, are you saying that you don't like me, kyoya?" you say, overdramatic voice on. you move closer to kyoya, tilting your head and jutting our your lip. he swallows his nerves "even after everything we've been through? i'm hurt."
"quiet." he grunts, pushing you away as you laugh. his face grows warmer. "just... find that report and get out of here. it's almost time for club activities to end."
you stare at him for a moment, watching red grow on his cheeks in frustration. your friend has always been this way, even though he acts more familiar with you in private, his embarrassed look never changes. you just see it more than anyone else. that's just how you were.
"okay, kyo." you chuckle, moving to the other side of the table and continuing your work.
kyoya sighs to himself, fixing his glasses and calming himself down. how could you be so... charming? and effortlessly so? is this why everyone fawned over you in a similar way to how they fawn over tamaki?
a few more minutes pass before you've found the file and managed to organise the rest of them. kyoya breathes in relief, putting the box away and silently cursing the twins out.
"thank you, kyoya." you hum out, tucking the folder under your arm, "i'll let you know what we come to."
he puts his hand on the door and before he opens it, he turns to you. "you're welcome. please do. it's the only time we ever... see you." he admits, seeing your raised brows.
your smile drops for a second before you sigh, patting his back, "i'll be sure to come and visit more often then. just for you."
when he opens the door, tamaki is trying to swoon your crowd to leave. he cheers and waves his hands, but to no avail. when they see you, they follow after.
"i apologise for extending my stay, suoh." you say, nodding at him as you stand in the exit, your crowd behind you, "i'll see you all soon."
with a wave of your hand, you leave, smiling at kyoya one last time. the twins turn to him immediately.
"so, how was your date with y/n?" they chime, leaning on his shoulders.
"it wasn't a date, you morons. you do realise how much trouble you caused." he says, a sly smile on his face, "seems like a punishment is in order."
the twins dash out of the room before he can say another word, the other members talking quietly amongst themselves about you.
but kyoya only looks down at his clipboard, once again counting the days til you come again for your monthly report.
#ouran high school host club#ouran high school host club x reader#ohshc#ohshc x reader#fujioka haruhi#fujioka haruhi x reader#suoh tamaki#suoh tamaki x reader#ootori kyoya#ootori kyoya x reader#anime#anime x reader
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Let's talk about Jump GIGA
Jump GIGA covers, 2016-2024. Volumes are published (left to right per row) as Winter, Spring, Summer, and Autumn releases, with 2018 and 2019 briefly breaking the pattern by having three Winter and three Summer volumes each. 2023 has an Early Spring volume in addition to the standard four.
So, people have pointed out that the 2024 Spring cover is, uh, not like other covers.
But I've only seen comparisons to other MHA GIGA covers and MHA Weekly Shonen Jump covers. Out of curiosity for what GIGA's typical marketing aesthetics might be, I put together a comparison between all of Jump GIGA's covers to date.
And, um. Some things stand out, to say the least.
First, let me clarify what Jump GIGA even is: it is a seasonal magazine from Shonen Jump, published separate from Weekly Shonen Jump. SJ is an absolutely massive brand and they have a number of magazines serialized outside of the most well-known weekly magazine.
The content of Jump GIGA is primarily made up of one-shots and spin-offs. From the beginning, a lot of the appeal has been the cool cover illustrations which showcase special merchandise that comes with the purchase of GIGA. Usually the cover also promotes big things going on related to the WSJ series, like movie events, new games, or special figurines for sale.
The marketing aesthetic has been clear from the start: the cover consists of one core illustration and a number of ads surrounding it. Most often you get a cover illustration of a protagonist, and then ads and merch for other series, e.g. Food Wars protagonist cover with One Piece film promotion and Haikyuu!! merch.
The purpose of this marketing direction is pretty obvious. Spin-offs and one-shots are not likely to generate a ton of interest consistently, so they lure people in with the cool covers and tempting limited edition merchandise of the series they already know and love. In this way, highlighting one series with the cover and different series with the merch makes sense, because maybe somebody doesn't care about Food Wars, but they definitely want those Haikyuu!! stickers, stuff like that.
Starting from 2020's Autumn volume, you can see a shift. For the first time, basically all of the merchandise is for the cover series. The Demon Slayer manga had already ended five months earlier in May, but a two-chapter spin-off was scheduled for release in WSJ during October. This GIGA was released exactly one day before the second chapter was published and it capitalizes on the hype.
After this point, only MHA and Jujutsu Kaisen dominate the cover and the merch in quite this way, with Black Clover getting attention last volume as a way to highlight the fact that it actually switched syndication from WSJ to GIGA.
Anyway, most commonly the cover illustration is a solo shot of a core cast member (usually but not always the protagonist), and if it's not a solo, it's a big cast illustration.
Only a few covers focus on two characters, and usually it's a crossover as opposed to characters from same series sharing the limelight.
Here we've got Food Wars' protagonist with the main characters from Dr. Stone and Act-Age.
The two covers most similar to the Izuku & Kacchan cover are 2022 Winter and 2023 Autumn.
Winter depicts the main trio of Blue Box in a seasonally-appropriate aesthetic. Not gonna lie, this one kinda makes me laugh--Blue Box is a romance and sports manga, and even though Christmas has a romantic air to it in Japan, instead of depicting any sort of like, hesitant but hopeful romantic energy between the heterosexual couple that actually get together later in the series, they focus primarily on the two girls being cute with the guy is a wee footnote? I mean, all right.
Meanwhile, Autumn depicts one of the protagonists with the series antagonist with a typical cool action style. I'm not very familiar with JJK, but I hear these two have got Some Drama going on, so, there's that.
The merch itself has also evolved over the years. Stickers and posters were present early on, but they have since expanded to decorative folders and now acrylic stands and coasters. 2021 Summer sees the first time the cover illustration is marketed as merch, with the Jujutsu Kaisen cover included as a decorative folder.
Right after that, the Kacchan cover of 2021 Autumn is included as a poster alongside earlier covers featuring Todoroki and Izuku.
2023 Summer's cover is a huge, wrap-around MHA cast illustration and it was published three days after chapter 396 came out, strategically timed to highlight the big shift in the final battle as Ochako vs Toga ends and All Might vs. AFO begins. Merch includes a decorative folder of the wrap-around cover and character motif stickers.
And then we get this!?
A duo cover illustration where the cover art itself has been merchandised to hell and back!?!?
Acrylic stand and pin set!?
Double-sided coaster showing bkdk greatest hits!? With volume 29's river scene cover!?
There's also a double-sided poster featuring the Spring cover with the ninth popularity poll art and a decorative bag with the anniversary art. The cover art itself is plastered all over the volume, front, back, and spine, apparently a total of 19 times.
I honestly don't know what to say about this. It feels wild that this is actually what the cover is. Obviously it is a huge marketing push in anticipation of season 7, and Izuku and Katsuki are the most popular characters, but. it just feels... unique.
In the course of Jump GIGA's publication, this direction is kind of unprecedented. Genuinely no one could have expected this. This seems to be the first time there's been this much merch for a cover. And it was a solid fucking move, marketing-wise--it's sold out basically everywhere, everyone is talking about it. And even people who don't follow the series or ship these two can't help but comment on how strikingly romantic it looks!?
I don't know how much say Horikoshi had in what the cover was, but damn it sure feels like he drew this with immense affection. I kind of wonder if he personally pushed for it to be these two, rather than the typical solo shot, cast shot, or even a protagonist vs. antagonist shot.
I'm KO'd, man. idek if this post is useful to anybody I'm just on my hands and knees here.
Everybody knows what we're all here for, and it's these cute boys finally getting their happy ending.
EDIT NOTE: I gathered much of the information and many, many of the images in this post from a fan-made Jump Database. I neglected to say it properly when I first posted this, but special thanks to the very dedicated people who maintain that website!
#bkdk#i'm losing it#idek how to go on#they're so beautiful#I was trying to be all thoughtful and intellectual about what kind of marketing game GIGA plays in SJ's arsenal of branding#but#this is just such a divergence from their typical approach#why are there basically no other duo covers#did the other mangaka just not particularly push for it#did other duos just not serve as attention-grabbing enough#there's nothing else like it#what am I supposed to do with this knowledge
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you guys, in pakistan Ramadan is like the equivalent of christmas in the US when it comes to marketing and ads. Every food brand, everything has a Ramadan sale attached to it it’s wild. Some chain stores sell a whole Ramadan package with dates, milk, flour, oil/ghee, probably dahi, frozen samosas, rooh-afza, everything we usually eat. yknow like those big christmas packages with 60 different kinds of Godiva chocolates but it’s actual food.
Ramadan is more commercialized in Pakistan than Eid, and Eid is the actual holiday. Ramadan is a religious month that we fast in, not really a celebration. Insane.
Anyway for my non-Muslim friends, make a Muslim in your community happy by taking them out to a halal restaurant for Iftar. Ask them about how they practice Ramadan. Buy them Krispy Kreme for dessert. Be like that one guy on TikTok who woke up at 4 to prepare suhoor for his roommate. Learn more about Islam. Look out for the Muslims in your community. And for Allah’s sake, don’t stop talking about Palestine.
to the Muslims, Ramadan Mubarak, may your days be filled with peace and prosperity from Allah, may He answer all your prayers for this year.
Don’t forget to check your dates so you’re not accidentally beginning or breaking your fast with Israeli-grown ones. Pray Taraweeh if you can go to the masjid. Help your parents make iftar if you live with your parents idk. Have a blessed Ramadan everyone 🫶🇵🇰📿
#btw the political situation here is looking really bad so please pray for us 🙏#the guy chosen to be president is historically one of the most corrupt men in pakistan#we’re trying to fight it but we’ll see inshallah#lightgriffinsect express#ramadan#ramadan 2024#ramadan mubarak#ramadan kareem#ramadan countdown#muslims#palestine#free palestine#free gaza#gaza#gaza strip#ramadan 1445#islam#muslim#rafah
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Adding To or Starting a Garden
AKA, the beginning of the Plants-Related section of this series.
This is my third post in a series I’ll be making on how to increase biodiversity on a budget! I’m not an expert--just an enthusiast--but I hope something you find here helps!
Got an area of lawn you’d like to convert to a wildlife haven? An area you can stick some hanging baskets in? Want to know how your garden of tomatoes and zucchinis is already putting in a lot of work? This is the section for you!
It would be dumb of me to not acknowledge that the act of gardening can come with a lot of costs. Buying seeds, buying plants, buying soil, raised bed materials, mulch, etc. … it can all get a bit daunting, let’s be honest! But there’s quite a few ways to get seeds and plants for free or extremely cheap, which I’ll be addressing in this section! The next section will be all about addressing the other Costs in gardening and how to mitigate or eliminate them entirely.
Also, do keep in mind; there’s no need to try and convert a whole area from lawn to garden or unused to garden at once. In fact, it could actually be extremely beneficial to do it a little at a time--maybe four or five square feet to start out.
Front Lawn (or Managing Principles)
If you live in a place where you’re required to have a grass turf lawn (HOA’s come to mind…), try replacing it with native grasses instead! You could even possibly use a low-growing ground cover plant like clover to a similar effect! Reseeding/replacing an entire lawn can be a big upfront cost, but even just letting the lawn be a little messy and tall helps. If the lawn gets patchy, leave the bare spots for a little while and something different will likely pop up! Pioneer species will fill the gaps and provide benefits to other plants around them, support animals, and more! If you want to take the guesswork out of it, you could always research what the pioneer species are in your area and plant the ones you like most.
Obtaining Seeds for Cheap or Free
The cheapest way to start a garden is by far via seeds. However, seeds can be a bit complicated to grow, and some sources make them… way overpriced. Fortunately there are ways to get seeds for little to no cost!
Some places sell seeds for as low as a dollar, 50 cents, or 25 cents! The packets may not have a lot of seeds, but it’s definitely a good start for a low budget! I’ve personally bought cheap seed packets at Walmart--the Ferry-Morse and Burpee brands are not what we’re looking for here. Typically the cheaper ones I’ve found are American Seed (which is owned by Green Garden Products, which also owns Ferry-Morse, Livingston Seed, McKenzie Seed, and Seeds of Change. Do with that information what you will), but they’re rarely stocked near the Ferry-Morse ones in the Formal Gardening Section. I’ve most often found them on end caps near the gardening section, so you may have to weave through a few aisles to find them, but once you do there’s an array of flower and vegetable seeds to select from! Alternatively, I’ve found seeds at Dollar Tree sold 2 or 4 for a dollar in Spring as part of their seasonal product; however, when they’re out of stock, they’re typically out of stock for the year. Try to check them out early in the year!
Otherwise, other seed companies like Urban Farmer or Botanical Interests will often have semi-frequent sales in spring and fall, when people are stocking up on seeds--joining their email lists can help you be the first to know when a good sale is going on!
Some foods from grocery stores will provide seeds that you can use in the garden as well. I’ve had the most luck with store-bought bagged beans, peppers, and tomatoes. Some people have had luck with watermelons, apples, citrus, squash, and more. Do keep in mind that you likely won’t get the same variety of fruit/vegetable as the one you bought--the resulting plant may look different and taste different.
Give it a shot! Pick some beans you like--if they don't grow well, at least you can eat the rest!
If you live in the US, food-producing live plants, bare roots, and seeds can often be purchased with SNAP benefits. But what does growing fruits, veggies, and herbs have to do with boosting biodiversity? While food crops aren’t typically native, they still provide valuable shelter for native insects. Some plants even have intricate relationships with native fauna--like the squash bee, a solitary bee which exclusively pollinates cucurbits like pumpkins, squash, and zucchini. And we get to benefit more directly as well! If you’re planting a diverse range of foods in your garden (as opposed to the swaths of single-plant farms that typically produce what’s sent to grocery stores), you’re supporting high levels of biodiversity by providing a variety of plants for creatures to live and hunt around.
Most of the time, when we think of boosting biodiversity with a garden, we think of a colorful flower garden teeming with pollinator species. However, if we’re striving to use native species, it can be a bit difficult to find some species in stores. I can say from experience that trying to find any wildflower seeds other than butterfly weed, purple coneflowers, and black-eyed-susans is… challenging, if you limit yourself to stores like Walmart, Home Depot, and Lowe’s. You might occasionally get lucky with an ACE Hardware or a local nursery, but even then sometimes it can be hard to track down who in your area is selling what--let alone if you live in an area where no one really is selling native plants or their seeds. Not to mention, even once you find a local or online store selling the seeds you want, they can sometimes cost a pretty penny. So what do you do?
If you have the option to, consider gathering native seeds yourself! Get good at identifying the native flora and fauna--or at least, a few target plants and their lookalikes--and get ready to go! Learn where they tend to grow, when they’ll be seeding, etc. Try to identify the plant before it goes to seed (for most plants, it's easiest to identify when flowering), then check back regularly to gather seeds. Typically, if I want to learn how to collect seed from a specific plant, I just search it on Google or YouTube--oftentimes, I'm lead to the GrowItBuildIt Youtube page, so it may be a helpful resource for you as well! Of course, make sure to leave plenty of seed behind so the wild population can repopulate, and seed can feed other creatures in the area. A good rule of thumb is to take no more than 1/3rd of what's available.
Buying seed in bulk is an option if you can afford the upfront cost. Try teaming up with a few friends to buy some bulk seeds and split them amongst yourselves--you’ll get tons of seed! Prairie Moon is a popular site that'll sell seeds by the pound if you can afford the price--though they're in the US, and I believe they focus on Midwest and East Coast natives.
If you want to cheat the system, don’t buy bulk sunflower seeds--buy bags of sunflower seeds being sold as birdseed. They’re typically all black oil sunflower seeds, but they’ll sprout, and they’re fairly cheap for the amount you get!
However, beware generic wildflower seed mixes! Many brands like to sell wildflower seed mixes in big box stores like Home Depot, Target, or even Dollar Tree, but they’ll often include flowers that aren’t native or possibly even invasive in your region! Before you make any purchases, double check to make sure the contained seeds won’t do more harm than good! A quality source of native seeds will provide English and Latin names for all seeds included, and will be native to the region or at least non-invasive.
See this? I don't trust this.
There’s a good handful of programs online that’ll send you free seeds if you’re planning to start a native habitat project! Poke around online and see what you can find; you might get lucky! The best time to start looking for these is fall and winter, I find--by early spring, many of them are either done or beginning to wind down... though some also start up in spring. Ultimately--just check regularly! You never know what you can find!
Other Ways to Get Plants
Don’t want to start from seed? That’s fair! You can try cuttings! Just be sure not to take too much of the plant while you do so. Make sure you’ve gotten a few leaf nodes on your cutting, and cut any flowers you may have gotten. Make sure to leave some blooms and foliage on the original plant for the creatures in the current habitat--you don’t want to destroy one habitat to make another in your garden. There’s tons of methods of rooting cuttings, many of which have different efficacy rates for different plants, but that’s a topic for another post.
If you find seedlings growing in a place where they won’t be able to sustain themselves long-term, or are in danger of being destroyed, consider relocating them! You may be able to gently dig up and transplant the seedling to your garden. Don’t do this if they’re in a place where they can easily survive--ideally, you’ll be taking plants from sidewalk cracks, heavily maintained public gardens, roadsides, etc. Do be careful while doing this--ensure your safety first!
You’re totally allowed to join gardening communities like clubs, facebook groups, and more before you’ve even put a trowel to the dirt. These are great places to learn information and advice! Many gardeners are more than happy to help out a new gardener, and will eagerly provide seeds, cuttings, or even baby plants! Talk to some people about your gardening journey and what you’re hoping to do, and you just might find some kindred spirits--or at least get more people interested in the topic!
Seed and plant giveaways and trades happen all the time in gardening clubs, as well as online! Just poke around and see what you can find! Some are explicitly trades, meaning you’re expected to send something in return, but once you get your feet on the ground with some plant knowledge you’ll be stellar! You may be able to explain you’re just starting out, and someone may send you seeds without expecting a trade, but I’d suggest trying giveaways first.
Poke around online and see if there’s a local chapter of your state’s native plant society. From there, you’ll likely be able to find a calendar of events--many of them will host plant sales in the spring, with a bunch of native plant seedlings ripe for the pickings if you can make it out and have some money to spare! Fair warning, though, you’ll want to get there early if you can. If they say they’re starting at 10, try to get there by 9:45. Year after year, there’s always record turnout, and they sell out of plants faster than ever. Just trust me on this. I’ve been let down; hopefully you won’t have to be.
Some libraries are beginning to host seed libraries! Check around and see if your library has one! Ideally, the system works best if you also have seeds to contribute in return, but if you’re just starting out I’m sure they won’t mind you taking some seeds! Just consider saving some seeds to contribute in the future and pay it forward. If your library doesn’t have a seed library? Consider asking if they’d be willing to start one! Community interest is a great way to get the ball rolling on projects like these, but they’ll only know the community is interested if the community tells them they’re interested!
Volunteer to Garden for/with Someone Else
Maybe someone in your area wants to garden, but is struggling to find the time/energy. Many elderly people who used to garden simply can’t anymore but still would like a garden. Other people may love to have a helping hand in their garden. You might even find a few people in your area interested in renting and sharing a community garden plot with others, so they don't have to handle it all on their own! They may be interested in increasing biodiversity right now, or may be willing to if it’s brought up to them. You might be just the kind of person someone needs! Since it won't be your garden, you’ll likely need a bit of permission and collaboration to get anything in particular going, but it’s worth a shot and a way to maybe even make friends!
Again, your mileage may vary with some of these. You may not know where there's a bunch of wildflowers growing in your area, or maybe your local library doesn't have a free seed library. That's okay! Do what you're able to, find what you can find, get what you can get! And there's never any shame with starting small--in fact, starting small can make the project easier to manage and expand when you're able!
That's the end of this post! My next post is gonna be about ways to start growing plants cheaply--low cost seed starting set ups, essentially. There's a lot of good options, many of which I've used myself even! Until then, I hope this advice is helpful! Feel free to reply with any questions, success stories, or anything you think I may have forgotten to add in!
#biodiversity#solarpunk#gardening#outdoor gardening#growing from seed#ani rambles#out of queue#the biodiversity saga#i will be honest I have never flat out approached people to offer to help them garden#HOWEVER. People HAVE approached ME asking ME to help THEM with/plan THEIR garden#granted it was after I'd been gardening for a good few years. and its mostly family or family friends but yknow#people would be like 'oh wanna help me with my veggie garden?' even before I tried growing vegetables#i don't think the library near me has a seed library but you just wait until i. get the courage. to go to the library regularly.#i've seen people also make their own little seed library structures kinda like a little free library but like#i dont think my neighborhood is about that life.#if any of yall have those though it could be a great resource! also send pics because I love seeing them#not to say that this post should become a giant seed trade but if it did become that i would be the opposite of mad#if there's any typos blame my sister shes got the hotel room at like 60-something degrees and I am FREEZING#welp time to shut up now bye
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of fucking course.....they fucking coated paper straws with pfas......its a fucking nightmare
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Long-lasting 'forever chemicals', which can cause damaging health issues, found in 18/20 brands of paper straws
In the first analysis of its kind in Europe, and only the second in the world, Belgian researchers tested 39 brands of straws for the group of synthetic chemicals known as poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).
PFAS were found in the majority of the straws tested and were most common in those made from paper and bamboo, the study, published in the peer-reviewed journal Food Additives and Contaminants, found.
PFAS are used to make everyday products, from outdoor clothing to non-stick pans, resistant to water, heat and stains. They are, however, potentially harmful to people, wildlife and the environment.
They break down very slowly over time and can persist over thousands of years in the environment, a property that has led to them being known as "forever chemicals."
They have been associated with a number of health problems, including lower response to vaccines, lower birth weight, thyroid disease, increased cholesterol levels, liver damage, kidney cancer and testicular cancer.
"Straws made from plant-based materials, such as paper and bamboo, are often advertised as being more sustainable and eco-friendly than those made from plastic," says researcher Dr Thimo Groffen, an environmental scientist at the University of Antwerp, who is involved in this study.
"However, the presence of PFAS in these straws means that's not necessarily true."
A growing number of countries, including the UK and Belgium, have banned sale of single-use plastic products, including drinking straws, and plant-based versions have become popular alternatives.
A recent study found PFAS in plant-based drinking straws in the US. Dr Groffen and colleagues wanted to find out if the same was true of those on sale in Belgium.
To explore this further, the research team purchased 39 different brands of drinking straw made from five materials -- paper, bamboo, glass, stainless steel and plastic.
The straws, which were mainly obtained from shops, supermarkets and fast-food restaurants, then underwent two rounds of testing for PFAS.
The majority of the brands (27/39, 69%) contained PFAS, with 18 different PFAS detected in total.
The paper straws were most likely to contain PFAS, with the chemicals detected in 18/20 (90%) of the brands tested. PFAS were also detected in 4/5 (80%) brands of bamboo straw, 3/4 (75%) of the plastic straw brands and 2/5 (40%) brands of glass straw. They were not detected in any of the five types of steel straw tested.
The most commonly found PFAS, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), has been banned globally since 2020.
Also detected were trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) and trifluoromethanesulfonic acid (TFMS), "ultra-short chain" PFAS which are highly water soluble and so might leach out of straws into drinks.
The PFAS concentrations were low and, bearing in mind that most people tend to only use straws occasionally, pose a limited risk to human health. However, PFAS can remain in the body for many years and concentrations can build up over time.
"Small amounts of PFAS, while not harmful in themselves, can add to the chemical load already present in the body," says Dr Groffen.
It isn't known whether the PFAS were added to the straws by the manufacturers for waterproofing or whether were the result of contamination. Potential sources of contamination include the soil the plant-based materials were grown in and the water used in the manufacturing process.
However, the presence of the chemicals in almost every brand of paper straw means it is likely that it was, in some cases, being used as a water-repellent coating, say the researchers.
The study's other limitations include not looking at whether the PFAS would leach out of the straws into liquids.
Dr Groffen concludes: "The presence of PFAS in paper and bamboo straws shows they are not necessarily biodegradable.
"We did not detect any PFAS in stainless steel straws, so I would advise consumers to use this type of straw -- or just avoid using straws at all."
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TAKING ME HIGH (ANGEL)
“fuck. you really couldnt wait an hour?”
☆ pairing ; dior employee minghao x flight attendant fem reader
☆ genre ; smut (minors dni!!), porn w plot, est relationship
☆ warnings ; swearing, smoking, oral (m receiving)((giving head under the table)), handjob, haos mean, readers bratty, praise kink if ya squint, degrading, pet names (baby, pretty girl, angel, sweet girl, pretty baby, brat, slut), hair pulling
☆ wordcount ; 2.0k
☆ synopsis ; after being away from your boyfriend for almost a literal week thanks to your job, you want nothing more than him in every possible way. but when he finds himself picking his games over you, you come to a compromise; sneaking under the table while hes distracted.
READ BELOW THE CUT
it wasnt like your boyfriend didnt spoil you.
i mean, you were pretty fucking spoiled considering he was one of diors top employees. he always made sure to bring you home a ‘small’ gift coming out of his bonus after a successful sale at work.
and by small, he means one of the most expensive perfumes or shoes he knows youd love.
of course you were grateful for the gifts and all, it wasnt like it was one sided seeing as you always brought him back some luxury brand when you took part in flights across the world BUT, all you really wanted was his attention.
youre his perfect angel, you both knew that. but no amount of gifts can satisfy how much you craved him and his touch after a long 7 days without him.
finally, you were coming home. not that you were really gone that long. but when you’re a flight attendant for 10 different 12 hour long flights, its without a doubt you’ll be tired beyond belief.
you were so excited to see minghao, wanting nothing more than to cuddle with him in your warm bed.
that was, until you called him at least.
you realized you wanted way more.
you facetimed minghao as you stepped into your taxi on the way to your apartment complex, plugging your earbuds into your phone.
“hi baby. im so excited to see you! im about a half hour away.”
“me too, i bet you did so good at work. i got a surprise waiting for you. where are you? driving?” he mumbled, seeming distracted.
“im in a taxi, ill put it on my card though. what are you up to? you sound distracted. could you turn on your cam for me?”
“huh? oh yeah no problem, sorry. i just- damn it! wonwoo, get mingyu! hes right behind you!” minghao shouted, startling you as his loud voice rang through your ears.
you sighed, of course hes playing games.
“is this better?” he asked with a sweet but slightly confused tone.
there he was, your boyfriend. you couldnt even believe he was yours. he wasnt even doing anything, just sitting there with his phone propped up as he yelled at his computer.
“y/n?”
“huh? oh sorry.. you look..”
“great? i know.” he chuckled.
great was an understatement. hes heavenly. with his black fitted tank top, his sunglasses resting on top of his black cap.
you pressed your thighs together at the way his muscles flexed whenever he gripped his mouse.
minghao glanced over at you, smirking lazily as he lit up a cigarette he pulled from his desk drawer.
“smoking again?”
“coulda smoked with you if you were already here.”
“im not a stoner like you. its occasional.”
“isnt today an occasion?”
“...”
you both kept it short, with you being the one to hang up seeing as you were in semi public and totally not because you were growing more and more horny seeing minghao in that stupid tank top.
you made sure to tip the driver before you had rushed to the entrance of the building, barely able to wait any longer to see minghao (amongst other things).
you opened your door to your shared bedroom, and there he was.
“hey baby, how was work?” he asked half minded as he barely turned to notice you.
“it was so damn tiring. missed you.” you mumbled, walking over to your boyfriend, wrapping your arms around his neck and leaving a peck on his cheek.
“yeah missed you too sweet girl. fuck- chan! oh my god, revive me or i swear i wont buy you food for the rest of the month.”
“i thought itd be us today?” you pouted.
“it is, angel. whatever you want pretty baby. just give me a few minutes yeah?”
and so you waited,
and waited.
and waited some more
it felt like an eternity had passed (it was barely over an hour) yet you were growing needier by the second watching the way his muscles flexed, and the way his voice sounded, or especially the way he’d groan and throw his head back whenever he lost.
‘id kill to see him like that while i was doing something else..’ you mumbled
until,
a lightbulb went off in your head
slowly, you made your way to minghaos desk, pecking his soft lips before crawling under the table to kneel in front of him.
“what are you doing angel?” he asked with a warning tone.
“nothing. dont mind me.” you hummed as you reached out to untie the drawstrings on his sweatpants.
“y/n- god. just keep it down wont you?” he whispered looking down at you, then back at his computer screen as he saw a new game was starting.
you smiled to yourself knowing you were getting what you wanted, for the most part.
you pulled down his sweatpants, pressing a kiss on minghaos inner thigh, mumbling a ‘thank you’ as he lifted up his hips to make it easier for you remove the grey piece of clothing.
you kissed up from his knee, all the way up to his bulge before rubbing your thumb over his clothed tip, where a wet patch began to grow.
minghao brought one hand down to your head, gripping your hair. “stop teasing and just take it out already.” he muttered as he brought your face closer to him.
“i thought it was anything i wanted?” you mocked.
he only rolled his eyes and released his grip on your hair to return back to his keyboard.
you pull down his boxers, sighing in contentment as a drop of precum hits your cheek.
slowly, you wrap your lips around his tip, swirling your tongue around and swallowing what leaked out his slit.
you focused most of your attention on his tip knowing how sensitive he was before going down and taking as much as you could, feeling him deep in your throat.
minghao bit back a choked moan, you were able to feel how his body stiffened up.
“what? yeah im good. i just slammed my hand on my desk.” he brushed it off to his friends.
then, you noticed how hard he was trying to not get caught when you were hardly doing anything. so you wanted to try something — see how far you could go before he snaps.
you bob your head up and down his length, running your hand wherever your mouth couldnt reach.
seeing how he wasnt reacting as much anymore, you slowly pull off his dick. that was, up until you felt your boyfriends tight grip on your hair, moving you the way he wants you.
he held your head still as he fucked up into your mouth, letting out occasional low whimpers.
“hao- seriously, you seem so distracted like we might as well just kick you out the party.” mingyu joked.
“shut up gyu you arent even on our team.”
noticing the conversation between him and his friends, you thought youd stop for a few seconds just to take a breather, before he grips your hair harshly to keep you still, chuckling at how tears formed in the corners of your eyes when he started to thrust his hips up harder against the back of your throat.
“hes kinda right though, you keep dying twice every other round and spend most of your time just standing in the corner.” wonwoo spoke up before everyone else in the team muttered in agreement.
“whatever. im muting, hold on.”
he typed something into his keyboard before removing his headset, and looking down at you.
he stops his movements and releases your hair when you look up at him, his hard dick still resting in your warm mouth.
“what are we gonna do with you, huh sweet angel?”
you whined, rubbing your thighs together before pulling off him and replacing your movements with your hand, stroking him softly, giving him a squeeze.
“god- youre such a fucking brat.” he groaned as you sped up your pace. “fuck- you really couldnt wait an hour?”
“cant. missed you too much. need you so, so badly..” you moaned as you watched the amount of precum leaking from his tip, lowering your head to lick it up.
“yeah? youre an impatient slut huh? couldnt wait for my cock? is that it?” he scoffed.
minghao takes one more puff of the joint he lit earlier before putting it out and throwing away the bud, blowing the smoke up towards the ceiling.
he puts his hand over yours, stopping your wrist before whispering in your ear,
“if you dont make me cum in 5 minutes, youre not cumming at all.”
#kpop imagines#fanfic#jaemified#svt fluff#seventeen#seventeen fanfic#seventeen smau#svt fanfic#seventeen x reader#svt the8#minghao smau#svt minghao#the8 fanfic#minghao smut#seventeen smut#svt scenarios#minghao x reader#xu minghao#minghao#the8 x reader#the8 fluff#the8 scenarios#the8 smut#svt imagines#svt smut#svt#svt x reader#seventeen fluff
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Eyyyyy, saw your tags! :DDDDD
I will say: knowing more about an actor doesn't change my perception of their work; but I know a lot of people-- older generation, mostly-- who do think the way that he does. To them, the more they know, the more they can't "forget" the actor/actress in a role.
Maybe it's an older generation thing? A thought process left over from the world of 90s-and-before-media, before the advent of smartphones? Or maybe it's a broad audience thing: the type where people aren't so invested in someone's career or anyone in particular, and just want to go to the movies on a Friday-- the normies that fund most of the ticket sales. I do know I've been hearing a lot of sentiment lately from others who are over-saturated with celebrities talking about their opinions rather than marketing the product... maybe that's the modern day equivalent? Maybe that's what he was trying to articulate. (Sometimes he communicates in half measures when trying to work something out.) I think so, anyway.
But today's landscape is also so different: people are selling themselves-- branding, as he called it-- their personalities to sell their products. It just is that way. Hopefully he doesn't feel the pressure to do so, as well (I don't think he does, or would care. But it's a thought.) Maybe there's pressure there, but there's also freedom (or can be): the landscape for his professional fears have changed... but they've also changed in ways that are, to him, a net negative. So. XD
Hope you have a great weekend! :)))))))
When I read your ask, I realized that most people I know - regardless of age - don't care about actors' private lives 😂 that's slightly different though than not wanting to know as it might skew the viewing perception.
I guess it makes sense. DD was born in the 60s when Hollywood's star system was breaking apart. Back then the actors were brands too - though different than today. The studios gave them new names more often than not and a personality. They needed them to be certain types to lure the audience in.
The history of the star system is really interesting. Back in the very early days, actors didn't have a name. Audiences didn't know who these people were - but they wanted to know. Same with the first magazines. They'd be about movies originally, but people wanted to know about the actors instead. That's not at all a new thing.
So I don't think it has anything to do with social media and smartphones and more like you said with the broad audience. Before social media, tabloids were HUGE. That was the only way to glimpse more into the private life of your star. I just don't think any of it is new. The means are just different.
There's middle ground between putting your whole life out there and being private. It's not just DD, but one thing I've noticed with celebrities saying they're private is that usually, they have no problems talking about their kids or their family - people, weirdly enough, who didn't choose to be part of this life. Then when it's about their romantic life they're like, oh no, I'm private. That seems like a cop-out.
This is already half an essay but don't get me started on celebrities becoming a brand these days. Why do celebrities need to sell us products? That is a trend I really hate. Maybe I'm too old to get it and thankful for every celebrity who doesn't feel the need to create a drink/food/candle/skin product.
Hope you have a great weekend too 😁
#lovely asks#this got long#there is so much to say!#i feel like elizabeth taylor was one of the first to go entrepeneur back in the 80s?#she was the first in so many things#like just coming back to actors and private lives#cleopatra - once the most expensive movie ever made - drew in audiences#because of the real life affair of elizabeth taylor and richard burton#EVERYONE was talking about them#it's really nothing new#and oh i forgot#DD used to talk fairly freely about aspects of his private life#these days there are more consequences#and i think people don't like that#which is their right#no one needs to talk about anything
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🥩🍴 AITA for lying about my "criminal activity"?
I live with my girlfriend and neither of us has ever had a lot of money. We get by, but we can't save anything.
I'm pretty harshly anticapitalist, and while she criticizes the system we live in too, the difference is I act on it. Everytime I go get groceries, I steal about 1/4 to 1/3 of the total. Groceries are increasingly expensive, and corporations are increasingly taking more and more from the people while continuing to deliver less in return and I'm honestly so fucking fed up with it. I figure if I'm gonna steal anything, it might as well be food that we need to survive anyway.
The problem is, we aren't absolutely broke. We could afford groceries, we'd just have to be more careful about getting things on sale, buying cheaper brands, and buying cheaper quality meat and veggies. I wouldn't mind that but my girlfriend really likes having good food in the house and I want to be able to give that to her. She's also not the best about food waste and she ends up throwing expensive food away because she lets it go bad. She causes us to have to spend more.
I know my girlfriend wouldn't approve of the stealing. And I know she'd be worried if I got caught I'd face heavy consequences, so I've never told her I steal groceries and since we've never worried about who pays for what while living together, she hasn't noticed our grocery bill discrepancies. This has gone on for about 7 months now.
So AITA for keeping her in the dark, and keeping us well fed for less money?
What are these acronyms?
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Sitting here enjoying all the Easter eggs in this one shot.
1) Food Petrol Etc (the obvious FPE reference)
2) (Ned’s) Bayou: Sale 9 for $21 (9 bishops, 21 pilots)
3) Jim Dun Bubble Gum (So cute! Of course Josh had to sneak his dog in there)
4) Bishops Brand: Available here (with 9 tally marks)
4) The dangerous bend symbol on the trash can (fitting since that’s where he throws away the wasted bag after losing/eating/destroying the rest of the Ned hamburger buns)
May have missed some, but it is very fun to keep checking for new ones throughout the different music videos. And so many references to their old music videos too. They spoil us!
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At the flea market, there's always something great to be had. Sometimes it's something obvious, like a cool Proto-branded wrench at the bottom of a bin full of scrap wrenches. Or it's an album from a band you've never heard of that you pick up on impulse, one that becomes your all time favourite. Or it's the curse you pick up from the weird old lady who runs the honey booth, the one that makes you awaken in the middle of the night, having set fire to a rival meadery without any memory of doing so. All classic moments, but there's one person that really doesn't belong at the flea market.
First, let me explain the context. In my part of the world, food trucks are extraordinarily expensive. I don't mean the truck itself, although buying the fancy kitchen parts for it can get wallet-scorchingly unpleasant. No, I mean the license to run it. You have to submit to all these interviews in order to get approvals, and regular inspections, and file registration fees every quarter. Bureaucracy run mad, if you ask me.
When I was a kid, you used to be able to buy a clapped-out old Econoline and sling burgers and fries out of it into whatever jobsite you decided to stop at. Then, once Big Bylaw started opening the dictionary to look up how to spell "ptomaine," you just went to the next one or laid low for a little while. Nowadays, hipster food that isn't big enough to merit a truck? That food is in a booth at the flea market.
Now, the food is perfectly alright. You've got ramen with hot sauce, ramen with a different hot sauce, and ramen with a third hot sauce. If you're there early enough, you can get a fourth booth's limited-edition ramen with soy sauce and hot sauce. I like this food. What I don't like is that these booths are pushing out the traditional flea-market supplier, sketchy dudes who are trying to sell stolen video games, old car parts, and tools. I can only eat one $18.99 bowl of artisanal craft ramen at lunch, but I can fill my entire hockey bag with tools of whose origin the cops will ask questions about.
If someone doesn't do something soon, the flea market will become a food market. I'll have to go back to getting my deals the traditional way: scaring suburbanites at their domestic garage sales. Nobody wants that! Not least because there's no decent restaurant within walking distance of a cul-de-sac-laden exburb for when my Plymouth blows its radiator after creeping along at 5 km/h all morning.
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Russell: To deepen the bond we have with our customers *cough cough* and to get our sales up *cough cough* we created this blog for you all to get in touch with us. Today, I’m going to introduce the rest of the staff here so you know who to address your questions to. Starting with-
Vinnie: ME ME ME!!!!
Russell: Yes, Vinnie, You.
Russell: What you do.
Vinnie: Ohhh! I like to dance :)
Russell: No, what is your job?
Vinnie: Man, you should’ve just said that! My job is… well I lift heavy things sometimes? Like dog food and kitty litter. That kinda thing. Mostly just chill, though. That good?
Russell: You know what? Yes. That’s perfect, Vinnie
Vinnie: Sweet.
Russell: Minka, sorry to cut you short but can we have your name and job please?
Minka: I was just getting to that part! Anyways, my name’s Minka Mark, and I’m the cashier here, you hear?
Russell: Loud and clear, Minka.
Russell: They aren’t lines, just say it how you normally would!
Vinnie: Yeah, you just gotta say it Zoe-ey!
Zoe: Zoe-ey? Oh, that’s it!
Zoe: *singing* Yeahh Yeaaahhh~ The name’s Zoe~ And now you know-y~
Zoe: *back to talking* Oh, yeah. I’m in charge of grooming the pets.
Russell: Ohhh-kay. Let’s move on.
Pepper: Serious as I can be. Number 1: what has four legs in the morning, two legs in the afternoon, and three legs at night?
Russell: A man.
Pepper: Correctomundo, but are you ready for riddle number 2? What gets wetter the more it dries?
Russell: A towel. Are you just reading off a list of the top ten most basic riddles or what?
Pepper: I’ll answer that but you’ll have to answer three more riddles. Last one: the man who invented it doe-
Minka: HER NAME IS PEPPER CLARK AND SHE TAKES CARE OF THE DAYCARE PETS!!!
Pepper: Dangit.
Russell: Thank you, Minka.
Russell: Probably like 10 people at most.
Vinnie: But, hey! You never know if the algorithm could pick it up! You could be talking to millions of people right now!
Sunil: Millions?! Eek!
Russell: *sigh* That’s Sunil. Talk to him if you ever need help finding anything. I promise he’s more helpful than he looks right now.
Russell: … that’s it?
Penny: Was there supposed to be more?
Russell: No, this is just the smoothest interview I’ve had all day. I’m kinda shocked.
Penny: Well, I’m glad I did good.
Russell: Yep.
Both: …
Blythe: Ruff ruff!
Russell: Oh, yeah, that’s right! Don’t forget to check out Blythe-Style pet clothes which you can find on the racks in the front of the store (which are made by a different Blythe and not this Blythe. A human Blythe. Obviously because why would a dog make clothes!! That’s absurd!!! Almost as crazy as a group of people who can understand ANIMALS hahahaha!!!)
Russell: Those questions aren’t- Whatever. Ask us anything, I guess.
---
Hello, and welcome to the ((very much unofficial))* Littlest Pet Shop page! Please drop any questions you have for us in our inbox - Best, R. Ferguson
*((this is in no way related to or authorized by hasbro or the Littlest Pet Shop brand. This is a fan project fully made for entertainment purposes. I make no profit from this.))
((Hello!!!! Double parentheses mean that I, the person who runs this blog aka @octodrawn, am speaking. I wanted to give you a couple guidelines before you submit anything. If you’re interested, please click read more!
I want to start this off by saying I am a human person with responsibilities, boundaries and a lack of free time so it may take a while to answer your ask. I also have the right to not answer every ask I receive.
We are keeping things generally PG/PG-13 here, so that means Minimal swearing, no violence, Minimal references to drug use, nothing sexual except for maybe the occasional ‘I did your mom last night’ type jokes because they are funny to me.
This is primarily an art ask blog, but I will only use text for posts on occasion.
I’m not gonna put a cap on ‘what do you think of __ x __’ questions for now, but if they become a majority of questions asked, then I will. Currently, no ships are canon in this AU, so don’t expect any answers to say anything differently.
Don’t take the setup of this blog being diegetic too seriously. If you want to send something that’s like *gives them all cookies* or *transforms them into turtles* I won’t stop you.
Have fun and be yourself :-)
Please keep this in mind before asking anything. This is all for fun, so please don’t take this too seriously.
I’ll be making a tag list soon but feel free to send asks now :3))
#long post#ask blog#littlest pet shop 2012#lps 2012#minka mark#penny ling#pepper clark#russell ferguson#sunil nevla#vinnie terrio#zoe trent#rp blog#asks open#ask the characters#human au#littlest pet shop#mrs. twombly#youngmee song#sue patterson#jasper jones#josh sharp#brittany biskit#whittany biskit#blythe baxter
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hi!!! i want to send in a request for the meet-cute blurbs!
i would like to be paired with steve! im very outgoing, i love to laugh, and i try to be nice to everyone. some interest/fun facts, i work at ulta beauty as a sales girl (so i love makeup and meeting people) and i love to read (especially autobiographies and spiritual self help books). lastly, my pronouns are she/her and i guess one more thing about me is i always have my hair and makeup done!!
thank you!!! 💕💕💕
You meet Steve while he's struggling to find foundation for Robin!
CW: endearingly awkward Steve, Reader is a bit flirty WC: 606 Divider credit to @hellfire--cult
Working in retail required you to find joy in the simple things. Helping someone find a lipstick shade that made them feel confident and beautiful. A day without any customers complaining about the products you had in stock (as though you were in charge of placing orders). When your boss was in a good mood and treated the employees to coffee from the food court.
Today’s little slice of entertainment was watching a guy stumble through the aisles in search of foundation, nearly knocking over a display of lipgloss in the process.
“Fuckin’...shit…” he mumbled, brushing the sleeves of his denim jacket as though he could shed his embarrassment. “Fuckin’ Robin…always her goddamn errand boy.”
You stood there, lips tucked into your mouth to stifle your laughter, as he held up two bottles with similar shades. He examined them thoroughly, bringing them up to his eyes and squinting. “What the hell’s the difference…nah, they have to be the same.” He placed one back on the shelf and picked up another, his chest rising and falling as he took a deep breath to summon his patience. “Wait, hold on, is this another one?”
Okay. Time to put this man out of his misery.
“Can I help you with something?”
Your voice startled him from his thoughts. One bottle slipped from his grip, and he caught it mid-air before it could shatter all over the tile floor. His cheeks now splotched pink, he let out an embarrassed laugh.
“Stealthy. Like a ninja.”
You nodded, your own smile actually genuine rather than the one you plastered on for ‘quality customer service.’ Gesturing to the bottles, you asked, “Do you need help choosing a shade?”
“Wha–oh, yeah. But they’re not for me. I don’t wear makeup. Except for this one time when I was a kid and my cousin put some on me and made me pretend to be a princess at a tea party.” He cleared his throat and shook his head, a lock of light-brown hair grazing along his forehead. “My friend–who is a girl, but not a girlfriend, like we’re platonic with a capital P–she has a date tonight and asked me to get this for her. But I clearly have no idea what I’m doing.”
You inched closer, enough to smell the musky cologne he sported. “Did she tell you what shade to get?”
“Yeah, it was, uh, the Clinic brand?” He wrinkled his nose. “And she wrote down the number…”
He fished into his pocket and pulled out a crumpled slip of paper, and you saw Clinique 02 hastily scrawled on it.
“We keep the Clinique products over here.” You motioned him towards the next shelf and plucked the correct shade from its spot. “I believe this is what you want.”
“You’re a lifesaver,” he said with an exhale as he took the bottle from your hand. His fingertips brushed yours, and this time, you almost dropped the merchandise.
You shrugged, acting like that electric spark didn’t pass between you. “Just doing my job.”
“Right. Yeah.” He scratched at the back of his neck. “Well, could I still buy you an ice cream from Scoops Ahoy as a thank you?”
“I can’t turn down free ice cream from a cute guy,” you said. “My shift ends at seven, if you wanna swing by then?”
His face turned an even deeper red. “I can do seven.” He started towards the register, then made an about-face. “I’m Steve, by the way. Steve Harrington.”
You let your gaze linger on the moles on his neck for a moment before you responded.
“Nice to meet you, Steve Harrington.”
--
#meet? cute.#steve harrington fluff#steve harrington stranger things#steve harrington#steve harrington fanfic#steve harrington x you#steve harrington x reader#fanfic#stranger things fanfic#stranger things
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Sponsorship
Ad | Hey folks, just wanted to let you know that Protein Works are sponsoring me as a creator. They've obviously seen that I've been hitting the gym and that my legs are looking amazing so they have sorted me out with a discount code that I can share with you all. Use this link and use code: AYE at checkout to get an additional 10% off on top of any other site discount. You can pick up brownie mix for under £5 and I get some money per sale. I think the sales per geography are a little bit different but should still get you a solid discount. This is a good way to support me and get something edible out of it. Full transparency I get a bonus of £150 if my code is used 15 times at checkout. So if you want to support me - hit that link and use code: AYE at checkout.
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Devildom Public Holidays
Summary: headcanons of a list of public holidays celebrated in the Devildom.
C/W. Suggestive in Asmo’s birthday part.
First, Devildom didn’t use the word “holiday” for their public celebrations and days off until very recently. The reason was because “holiday” came from the word “Holy Day”, which means Christian religious celebration days such as Christmas, Easter, Whitsun, etc.
However, the exchange program changed that. The Devildom now uses the term “holiday” but with much secularized meaning only. The same is applied to any holiday they adopted from the Human World.
Fixed holidays
January
January 1 - New Year Day
Two-day celebration: New Year Eve & New Year Day
The Devildom adopted this holiday from the Human World one year after the first year of the exchange program ended, per the request and desire of MC.
Celebrations are not different from the Human World. There are fireworks, parades, singing & greeting each other “Happy New Year”, etc.
February
Sadly, no day off, except weekend 😔
March
March 11 - Birthday of Lord Beelzebub, Avatar of Gluttony and Lord Belphegor, Avatar of Sloth
Three-day celebration: March 10 - March 12
Demons of Gluttony are allowed to eat more food while demons of Sloth don’t do any manual work during the celebration.
Demons usually hang the sign of Gemini ♊️ on the door(s) of their houses during the celebration.
Twin demons born during the past year are given a special demonic blessing by ministers of Three-Legged Crow god.
April
April 9 - Birthday of Lord Leviathan, Avatar of Envy
Three-day celebration: April 8 - April 10
Demons of Envy and otakus participate in demonic services in honor of Ruri-chan and other anime/manga girls.
A three-day game tournament is held in honor of Levi.
Navy parades on Devildom rivers and seas. Salutes by cannon are also performed on large ships during these occasions.
For the Navy, the celebration lasts until April 11, one more day than normal demons.
May
May 15 - Birthday of Lord Asmodeus, Avatar of Lust
Three-day celebration: May 14 - May 16
This day is dubbed by many demons of Lust as “Fuck Day” and they don’t just say, they do the deed. However, traditionally, this day is associated with freedom to express oneself and the positivity of carnal desires.
Beauty brands usually gives out discount and sale off during the celebration.
June
June 6- Devil’s Day and Birthday of Lord Lucifer, Avatar of Pride
Seven-day celebration: June 1 - June 7
Devil’s Day is considered one of the most important celebration in Devildom. It’s like a new year to its citizen.
Carnivals, fireworks, parades, cannon salutes are held many times during the celebration.
Devildom’s Classical Music Association holds a yearly musical performance and opera in honor of Lucifer on June 5, the day before his birthday.
Devildom’s Painter Association even has its members to paint a peacock and put the works in a contest to see who can paint the most beautiful peacock of the year.
Walking on the streets of Devildom, you may occasionally see demon children dressing up as chess pieces. Weird, huh.
July
Sadly, no day off, except weekend 😔
August
August 22 - Butler’s Day. Birthday of Lord Barbatos, the Royal Steward
Three-day celebration: August 21 - August 23
It’s decreed that demon nobles and others with servants allow those who serve them to take three celebration days off. The reason is because butlers, maids and others have served their masters throughout the year, without taking a day off as servants still serve their masters on other holidays.
September
September 10 - Birthday of Lord Mammon, Avatar of Greed
Three-day celebration: September 9 - 11
On this day, demons of Greed usually choose to show their generosity by buying Grimm chocolate and candy and give them to demon children.
Money lenders reduce the money their debtors have to pay a little bit today.
Many demons of Greed have the habit of keeping the first Grimm coin they made as a keepsake to remember the first time they got their hands on hard-earned money. Many of them also have the “devotion” to kiss the gold coin once a year on Mammon’s birthday, believing the act would bring them more money in the future.
In honor of Mammon, demons also don’t shoo crows away and even feeding them.
October
October 20 - Birthday of Lord Satan, Avatar of Wrath
Three-day celebration: October 19 - 21
Book discounts and sale off are frequent during the celebration.
Devildom citizens feed and play with cat, believing they will help them avoid many annoying hassles.
Demons of Wrath even let cats put their paws on their heads, believing in its soothing effect. I mean, it works on their Avatar, right?
October 31 - Birthday of Lord Diavolo, Crown Prince and future King of all Demons
Four-day celebration: October 30 - November 2
Many public celebrations with parades, fireworks, gun & cannon salutes, etc.
Demon nobles and high officials hold small balls or parties at their residences to honor Diavolo. The reason why the balls or parties are small is because most demons can’t attend too many of them during the celebration period and they must be inferior compared to the main large ball held at the Demon Lord’s Castle on Diavolo’s birthday.
November
November 1 & 2 as a part of Diavolo’s birthday celebration period as said above.
December
December 9 - Cursed Day
One day celebration
The day Solomon was born. Most demons believe Solomon to be a wicked human and the ultimate villain and/or an agent of Celestial Realm. So they take this day off to curse and insult him. Diavolo never approves this day to begin with but monarchs have to let their people have their way.
Many revenues build Solomon’s statues for this day just so demon citizens can slap, hit, punch, kick, put a curse on or spat on them. The statues are fixed by the local government in early December every year to prepare for this day again.
Diavolo had prohibited this celebration before the exchange program started because it would be offensive to Solomon in particular and repulsive to other exchange students in general. But the decree only works in the capital and surrounding areas. Many demons persist in having their way in many places.
December 25 - Christmas Day
Nine-day celebration: December 24 - January 1
The day Christ was born. But Devildom adopted the holiday without its special religious meaning.
Christmas trees, presents, Santa Claus, etc.
The reason the celebration is so long is because it coincides with end-of-the-year break.
Movable holidays
Your birthday 🎉
Your own birthday
The Seven Lords and the Royals take the day off to celebrate with you. And since all the government officials don’t work on this day, I guess it’s as good as a day off. Yay.
Other days I guess are probably off in Devildom but I currently have no headcanon or info.
King’s Day - The Demon King’s birthday
Festival of the Three-Legged Crow God
Founding Day - Commemorating the Founding of Devildom
And pretty much any other human holidays, depend on your background.
#obey me#omswd#obey me lucifer#obey me mammon#obey me leviathan#obey me satan#obey me asmodeus#obey me beelzebub#obey me belphegor#obey me shall we date#obey me one master to rule them all#obey me headcanon#obey me headcanons#obey me diavolo#obey me barbatos#obey me solomon#obey me devildom
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