#how to save money on holiday travel

[woso-dreamzzz]

Flirts IV

Mapi León x Reader x Ingrid Engen

Summary: You have to go

It's not that you don't want to be there because you do.

It's that you have to go away for a surgery.

There's some rich woman in California who needs you to operate on her cat. She's paying an extortionate amount for your services and sending a private jet to pick you up.

You love those kinds of pet owners, the ones with enough money to fly in the very best if only because of the clear love they have for all of their pets.

But they're also clients you can't deny.

If someone wants to fly you out for enough money to keep a family afloat for a year, someone with enough influence to make or break anybody's career, you can't say no.

Even if your girlfriend is fighting for Euro's qualification.

"Do you have to go?" Mapi asks, sitting inside of your unpacked suitcase like she was Bagheera in a box.

Honey sits on the bed, head in her paws as she waits, tail wagging, for Mapi to throw her tennis ball.

"Yes," You say, trying to choose between your purple or your blue scrubs," It's a lot of money. Enough for that fancy holiday to the Maldives you guys want to take."

"But it takes you away from us," Mapi whines and Ingrid makes an agreeing noise from over by the door.

"I've travelled for work before."

"You're going to miss my match," Ingrid says and a pit forms in your stomach.

Before this job came up, you and Mapi were meant to be travelling to Norway to see Ingrid's last Euro Qualifiers game before going off in a camper van with her parents.

You'd still make it to the last part, depending on what the labs for this cat came back as but you'd have to miss the match.

You reach out for her, drawing her closer by the waist and resting your head on her chest.

"I'm so sorry, baby. I am, really. I can call up and cancel if you really want me to. I know a guy to recommend instead."

Ingrid sighs, her chin sitting on the top of your head. "No," She says," That cat needs the best care possible. We all know you're the best. Go and be a hero."

"I'd hardly be a hero. It's just surgery."

"Surgery for some woman that clearly adores her pet cat. What you do saves lives. I think that makes you a hero."

"You're so sweet, Ingrid."

"And hot!"

You laugh. "Thanks for that, Mapi. I'm sure she knows that seeing as you tell her everyday."

Mapi shrugs with a smirk on her face. "I'm sure it's nice to be reminded."

Honey whines on the bed and you roll your eyes.

"Throw the ball already. She's getting impatient."

Mapi frowns, waving the ball around.

Honey's eyes dart around erratically to follow it.

"She isn't barking, though?"

You laugh, crossing the space to take the ball and lay a soft kiss on Mapi's lips. "Because she's well-behaved, Mapi. She knows not to bark unless it's an emergency."

You throw the ball up and down to make sure Honey's still watching before you launch it out of the room.

She's off like a shot as Ingrid hauls Mapi out of your suitcase.

You still feel guilty though, through the flight, through the labs, through everything.

The cat is cute one, a little tortoiseshell with an amicable nature and a complete lack of awareness of her surroundings.

You've always been an animal person. You've always loved all of them but living with Mapi and Ingrid has just given you an even newer appreciation for cats.

The checkup happens quickly and the labs are already done and completed by the time you arrive.

Money really does move things along because all the charts are perfect and after what should have been a week long wait to begin, you manage to take a day to get over your jetlag and get to work immediately the day after.

Surgery is simple to you. It's easy and soon enough the cat is halfway to recovery.

You don't quite understand how private planes are hired and sent out, if someone has to book a runway days in advance or if they're open indefinitely.

The original plan had been for you to take a week to do this but now it's all done, you don't quite know what to do with yourself apart from stew in guilt.

You had planned to take your mind off Ingrid's game by throwing yourself into work.

You have no work though and can't help but imagine yourself in Norway with your girlfriends, curled up in Mapi's arms while Ingrid whispers to you.

You swipe away a tear as you head down for dinner, your host gracious enough to treat you to a meal for all your good work.

You've gone radio silent to your girlfriends but neither are surprised.

You're always like that when you go out of the country for work, focused only on your patient. You want no distractions.

Mapi sits slumped in her seat next to Ingrid watching Norway play their last qualifier, sighing to herself as she looks at pictures of the three of you together.

"What's with the pout?" Ingrid teases, running her thumb over Mapi's jutted out bottom lip.

"I miss her," Mapi mutters, feeling a bit like a little kid sulking.

"I know but she'll be here soon and then we go out exploring with my parents before heading back home for preseason. It's not that long of a wait."

"I don't want to wait at all."

"I know but-"

A body slumps down on Mapi's other side and both of them turn.

"I'm not really a fan of this hotdog," You say," It's not bad but I guess I'm not that hungry. Do you want some Mapi?"

You don't get an answer from her because she crushes you into a hug. The hotdog that you regrettably bought squishes between your bodies.

You don't complain though, especially when Ingrid moves into the hug as well, tightening her grip around the both of you.

"I thought you couldn't make it?"

"Money talks," You tease," And the owner felt a bit of pity when I told her that I'd have to watch this match on tv. Chartered a jet for me to come straight here."

"And the cat?" Mapi asks.

"The cat's good. Recovering."

"I'm so happy you're here."

"We're both happy," Ingrid says," So, so happy."

You grin at your girls, the smiling splitting your face.

"I'm happy to be here too."

[stariikis]

tell my fortune

synopsis ; the story of how you manage to get an attractive waiter's number... in the most unexpected way possible.

pairing ; waiter!nishimura riki x customer!reader genre ; fluff, first encounters wc ; 1100 notes ; to indulge MYSELF, riki will be aged down in this fic. like 16 years old.

When your friend recommended a Chinese restaurant to visit, you were expecting the reason to be exceptional food. Pretty foolish of you, one reason being, you were in Korea – another being, when has Yoo Jungyeong ever suggested visiting somewhere, if not to ogle at attractive boys impossible to pull?

The first thing you notice as she holds open the door for you to step inside is the fact that it’s a pretty modern, fancy restaurant, not typical of a traditional Chinese food chain. What are you expecting though, in Korea of all places? Along the city streets, everything screams modern. 

The second thing you notice when a waiter that has her making heart eyes – gross – leads you to a seat, is how young the waitresses and waiters seem. Some seem shy of eighteen, while some look like plain teenagers coming to earn a little extra pocket money during the holidays. You don’t judge them though; you’d do that too if you had the luxury of time. 

Today’s an exception from having your nose stuck in piles of homework and assigned reading. After all, within the first week of the holidays you finished almost everything, so you’re free to take a break when you wish. Another reason being, you wanted to catch up with Jungyeong. 

But not like this, her eyes shining as she gazes dreamily at a guy whose uniform nametag states, ‘Sim Jaeyun’. 

“Will you stop staring?” You hide behind the menus to save yourself the embarrassment. “I think they’re noticing.” 

“Fine,” she huffs, but the glaze over her eyes doesn’t dissipate. “He’s really cute, though.” 

“Did you bring me here to have a good meal or to stare at delusion three thousand?” You snap, shoving her copy of the menu towards her. She finally rolls her eyes and flips open the menu. 

She points to a steamed fish dish, “This. This is good.” 

And after she recommends practically the whole menu to you, she looks at you expectantly, pressuring you into making a quick decision. You blink, because it all looks pretty appetising to you, and decide on the first fish dish she showed you. Anyway, you’re too indecisive. If you don’t pick now, you might stay the whole night. 

Since Jungyeong has returned to conjuring up fantasies of the waiter Sim Jaeyun across the room, you raise your hand and grab the attention of a young waiter, who seems the same age as you. He appears nervous as he approaches you with a notepad and pen. Is this his first time working here? 

“What can I get you?” He grins awkwardly, and you have to admit. He looks pretty cute trying to maintain professionalism though he looks like he’s crumbling internally. Smiling kindly, you guide him through your order as gently as you can. As you read out your order, he seems to relax progressively, nodding along. 

Just as he’s about to run off to convey your order to the cooks, he bows and thanks you sincerely. For some reason, your stomach flips in excitement at this, lingering tingles in your chest as he darts off. 

Nishimura Riki, read the nametag. He’s Japanese working at a Chinese restaurant in Korea. 

“So,” Jungyeong waggles her finger in front of your face teasingly. “He’s cute, huh?” She drawls, obviously trying to prove her point. 

You don’t buy it. “He is cute,” — you admit, and your friend raises her eyebrows — “but I’m not going to daydream about him the whole time I’m here. Unlike a certain someone…” You reach out to flick her arm amiably. 

Ironically, even though you say this, as Jungyeong starts to ramble about her life recently, your line of vision inevitably travels to the back of the restaurant, where Jaeyun and Riki are chatting. They seem to be quite close, as Jaeyun pats Riki’s back and laughs. Against your will, you’re interested in the way they interact with each other. Scratch that, you’re interested in the way Riki looks when he’s smiling. 

Out of the blue, the young waiter glances up and meets your gaze, just as Jungyeong starts to catch on that you’re not paying attention. 

“Dude, what a hypocrite,” she scoffs, but you ignore her. Riki quirks an eyebrow at you playfully, as if asking you why you’re casually staring at him. You don’t know why but your heart skips a beat. 

For the next five minutes, all you can focus on is the way your cheeks are overwhelmingly warm and probably look a fiery shade of red. 

Even when your food arrives, you feel sick to your stomach and can only bear to have a few bites before clocking out. Jungyeong looks at you, half worried and half with a tilt of the head that asks, is she going crazy? 

Eventually, you have to ask for a takeout container because your friend clearly can’t finish the whole dish by herself. 

You just think that you need to get out of there as soon as possible, so when Riki himself runs over, handing you both a fortune cookie wrapped in plastic, it comes as a shock. His fingers linger over the snack as he passes it to you, and you swear he’s gazing into the depths of your soul. 

Oooookay, this is uncomfortable. Does he want me to open it in front of his face or… is he being creepy? Or — this is where you panic — is he telling me he was also uncomfortable when I was staring at him? Should I apologise? Do I say something? What does he want from me?

Luckily for the overthinker emerging from you, he makes an unwrapping gesture and smiles silently, as if affectiona– okay, that’s too much.

You take the cracker out the wrapper, and snap it in half as quick as you can. Anything to get you out of this awkward situation. 

A glance over the table shows that Jungyeong has opened hers already, and nothing seems to be out of the blue. So what is Riki trying to get at? 

When you tug the slip of paper from the cracker, you don’t know if you go completely pale or grow even redder. 

A phone number in black pen ink has been written over the paper in an evidently rushed manner. 

You look up at the young waiter, who just shrugs and giggles at how clueless you look. How… did he… huh…? 

As you leave the restaurant in a hurry (mostly because Jungyeong is borderline screaming on your behalf), you swear you catch Jaeyun giving Riki a thumbs up in the corner of your eye.

more of my works >

guys i'm back after like a month of an unofficial hiatus. sorry to leave yall hanging like that! i'll get back to regular updates soon, i promise lawl. hope you didn't forget the plot of yitr...

BTW THX FOR 300

[moonstruckme]

Happy birthday and congratulations on 7k!! You deserve it. Thank you for sharing your gift for writing with us <3

Can I request apple pie- James potter + an airport terminal at midnight

I once saw a guy at the airport who looked a bit like James but I was looking busted and severely hungover from my last night of spring break to talk to him 😅

Thank you for requesting lovely!!

James Potter x fem!reader ♡ 688 words

“Excuse me.” 

The voice is soft but still you wake with something like a growl brewing in your chest, fingers tightening possessively around the strap of your backpack. There’s a boy with brown eyes and a strong chin looking at you concernedly from behind a pair of glasses. 

“Sorry,” he says, setting a hand on your suitcase. You’ve got your leg hooked through the handle, but he doesn’t look like he’s trying to steal it, only resting his hand there. “Would you like this?” He holds up a clumped-up mass of fabric. 

You blink at him, trying to puzzle out whether he’s really making no sense or whether you’re just that tired. 

“For your head,” the boy clarifies. “You just, you don’t look very comfortable.” 

You lift your head, feeling the imprint that something poking through your backpack has left in your cheek. “Sorry,” you say blearily. “I don’t understand.” 

“That’s my fault,” he owns immediately. “Sorry, I meant would you like to use my hoodie as a pillow? So you can sleep properly.” 

“Oh.” You still feel odd, and it doesn’t help that this is the sort of thing that might usually only happen in a dream. Since when do attractive strangers walk up to you in airports? “Um, thank you, but you don’t have to.” 

“No, it’s really alright.” With your head lifted, he starts positioning it atop your backpack, fluffing it as though it’s a real pillow. “It’s my spare. I’m warm enough without it, see?” He gestures to the hoodie he’s wearing as if to demonstrate. It’s a deep red color that looks nice against his warm skin. He does look very warm, overall. “Anyways, there.” He steps back, grinning almost bashfully as he takes a seat across from you. “Now hopefully you can sleep better.” 

“Thank you,” you say quietly. 

He nods, still smiling much too brightly for this hour of night (or morning, you suppose. Is it morning yet?). 

You close your eyes, trying to ignore how pleasantly warm your makeshift pillow is, like he’s been carrying it around in his arms all day. It smells nice, too, the scent of a shampoo you vaguely recognize and also pine, maybe picked up from wherever he’s coming from. You open your eyes again. 

“When’s your flight?” 

He looks back at you, pulling his headphones off one ear. 

“When’s your flight?” you ask again. “So I can make sure to give it back in time.” 

“Oh, not for a few hours yet.” He waves you off. His headphones come down around his neck. “We’re suffering delays. When’s yours?” 

“Five-thirty.” You feel weary at the thought of it, though you can’t wait to get out of here. You’ve been dying to leave this airport since you’d arrived, grievously regretting your decision to save money on a hotel for the last night of your trip. 

He makes a sympathetic hissing noise. “That sounds truly awful. Early bird gets the worm, though?” 

“Something like that.” 

He smiles, and maybe it’s the fluorescent lighting but you think that if you weren’t already lying down it would take your knees out from under you. “I’m James.” 

You tell him your name, and he nods like he’s tucking it away. 

“Are you going on holiday?” he asks, crossing one of his legs under him, getting comfortable. 

“Sort of,” you reply. “I’m going to see my mum. But she makes it feel like a holiday.” Something softens around James' eyes, and for reasons unknown it makes your face warm. “Where are you headed?” 

“My best mates are spending the holiday in France. They’ve spared me a pullout couch.” James tilts his head, looking far more content than anyone traveling at this hour ought to be. You wonder if his lips just lie in a permanent uptilt. “So where you’re going to visit your mum, is that where you’re from?” 

You reposition your backpack so you’re propped up a bit more, James’ hoodie still under your cheek but suddenly feeling less keen on sleeping the hours until your flight away. Oddly, you’re no longer dying to leave this airport quite so badly.

[dearest-nell]

turbulence

e. munson x reader, 1.7k

summary: you and eddie are taking your first real vacation together, but the turbulence of the flight is enough to make anyone regret their mode of travel includes: established reader x eddie, eddie being a comfort king, just a bunch of sweetness all round warnings: flight warnings, stormy skies, reader is terrified of flying and the flight is a bit rocky. no real danger.

a/n: shoutout to random images on pinterest for inspiring this one

How the hell you’d thought that this was a good idea was anyone’s guess. 

The idea had been so simple; you and Eddie had run yourselves into the ground to save up for your first overseas trip – his first one ever. Well… not quite overseas, though Eddie had very decidedly announced that Hawaii counted all the same. It had come from a thousand nights of cheap noodle dinners and canned tuna to garnish, leaving you sure that you never again would touch a pack of the grimy stuff. Double shifts and weekend overtime earned you enough money to get you to the airport, an excitable Eddie half trembling with the thrill of the journey. 

He’d been up almost the entire night before tossing and turning, eager hands squeezing at your waist as he tried his best not to wake you. Restlessness was par for the course with him, but even more so, this trip had him vibrating on an entirely new frequency. He’d never been out of state until he met you, had never seen a plane any larger than the size of his thumb held comparatively to the sky. The best part, though, was that he was getting to share this all with you. His life had been a constant stream of new experiences, a high he’d never had the pleasure of knowing until he felt what it was like to be loved so wholeheartedly by another. There was nothing so thrilling to him as the idea of basking in the sun with you, blissfully drunk and happily snuggled on a shared beachside lounge. 

Discount resort be damned, you’d been savvy in finding the best bargain the travel agent could offer. Eddie had never thought frugal spending could be so fucking sexy before. 

You, however, could not share his excitement with equal merriment. Sure, the holiday part sounded like a dream, and all of Eddie’s wishful thinking and imaginings had made you fall even more in love with the idea. Getting there, however, was another story, because unlike Eddie, you had been on a plane before. One time too many, if anyone were to ask. 

You did not like the small spaces, the recycled air, the uniform packaged meals that all somehow tasted like plastic. There was never enough room, always too much noise, and worst of all, nowhere to go. Every plane trip was spent with you counting down the minutes until your feet touched solid ground once more, a sensation you somehow seemed to forget with every passing travel until the next occurred. 

The dread had begun to build inside the airport, your hand clasped rigidly around the strap of Eddie’s backpack, his movements and your directions guiding your joined bodies through the chaos. If he knew something was wrong, he did not dare to comment. You were quieter than usual, after all, but it was easy enough to chalk that up to the obnoxiously early flight you were catching. It was cheaper that way, and you could sleep on the plane, you’d justified to yourself. The hour was enough to quieten even the most talkative of beings, twilight skies lulling Eddie to a gentle drawl as he rattled on about your upcoming adventures. 

Now that you were on the plane, though, it seemed all the worse. You’d been so brave through the takeoff, chewing on a pack of gum until your jaw ached from the tension, your hand tucked firmly under Eddie’s on the seat rest. You’d given him the window, his delight at the magic of flight distracting you enough until you were safely coasting through the sky. 

Eddie had chosen to sleep not long after, his head pressed to the wall of the plane despite the low rumbles, a position that could not conceivably be comfortable to anyone but Eddie. He could sleep anywhere, you’d learned early on in your relationship, and it seemed planes were no exception. You, however, were wide awake, trying your best to lose yourself in a book and suppress that nauseating feeling slowly taking over. 

It was within the hour that the turbulence began, gentle rumblings of the plane triggering that hazy green seatbelt sign to ignite. The captain warned that it would likely get worse before it got better, a thought that only exacerbated your growing anxieties. Eddie somehow slept through it all, even as the aircraft began to tremble and jolt. You didn’t want to wake him, not when he was sleeping so comfortably, still dreaming of all the good things to come. It felt silly to be frightened by such a small thing. Planes were safe, you knew that, but that seemed to be the trouble with anxiety; logic never mattered when the fear was so heightened. 

It was only when a terrified squeak left your lips that Eddie’s eyes flew open, his body shooting up rigidly in reaction to the sound. He’d have heard it anywhere, that terror, his body conditioned into a state of protection for you. The back of his hand wiped lazily at the sleep in his eyes, his body turning to face you on instinct. 

“What’s wrong? You okay?” You could hear the exhaustion that tinged his words, his eyes softening as he took in the fright in your own. 

“Its–” Your voice drowned out under the weight of thunder, the jolt leaving the tray tables to rattle in its aftermath. You couldn’t make your words come out, your lips hanging open in a frozen cry. 

Eddie did not need the clarification. He had never thought to consider you, his brave, sweet creature might have such fears, leaving guilt to turn sour in his mouth as it settled across him, knowing he had left you to face your fears alone. “Oh, sweetheart.” The solidity of his arms encased around you, tucking you gently into the curve of his side, hand cradling the back of your skull and the small of your back to shield you from the rest of the plane. “It’s okay, you’re okay.” 

“We’re going to die.” You whined, lilting in devastation into the fabric of his shirt. 

Eddie tried not to chuckle, his smile itching with amusement. “We’re not gonna die. We’re gonna be fine.” 

“We’re literally going to die.” You tried again, clinging to him until your knuckles were an ashen, bone white. 

Another jolt of the plane had you wincing, forcing Eddie to lift his gaze and observe your surroundings. Other than a few anxious fliers, most of the passengers were beyond asleep, tucked neatly into their own rows of the plane. No one else had much cause for alarm, the crew were muddling along their usual routes with a look of calm that even a professional could not fake. 

He dropped his attention back to you, slowly prying you from his side just enough to lift the armrest from between you, a reassuring arm scooping you now closer than before into his embrace. He could feel the tremble in your body as you burrowed your way into his side, trying to block out every other sensation but the feel of his body against yours. 

“You wanna know how I know that we’re not gonna die?” He asked assuredly, cupping at the base of your skull to prop your head against his shoulder, his grip firm and grounding in all the ways that were so incredibly Eddie. He felt you nod, hair slipping through the gaps of his fingers with every movement. 

“Because the crew aren’t panicking. No one’s brushin’ up on procedure or trying to wake everyone up. They're not at emergency stations. I’m pretty sure half of them are gossiping over there, can you see?” 

He lifted his hand to point, watching as your gaze followed the extension of his index finger, your lower lip dragging between your teeth to chew upon nervously. They all looked so calm, exchanging little whispered comments until one gentleman threw his head back in a silent laugh, shaking his head at his co-worker. 

“If we were gonna die,” Eddie continued, calloused fingers dipping between the layers of fabric at your waist to rub at your skin, letting the heat of his body lull you into further comfort, “then they’d be movin’ a hell of a lot faster than that, right? We’re gonna be fine, so you don’t gotta worry bout a thing.” 

He could see the contemplation simmering in your eyes, weighing up your fears with his logic, trying to discern where he line was. It was no easy thing to overcome a fear, especially one like this, but he loved you just for trying, even if your trembling figure only settled a little in his embrace. 

“Could you hold me anyways? Just until it goes away.” You turned to him with such sincerity, eyes widened and imploring in your gaze. 

He softened a reassuring smile in return, reaching to hook your legs over the nearer of his own, draping your body over his in whatever way these budget seats would allow. “I’m not letting you go, honey, not for a minute. I’ll hold you all the way there, so just settle in. We’re gonna get through it together.” 

As tired as he was, as muddled as he sure felt, Eddie did not mind staying up just to give you that peace of mind. His head fell back into the headrest, propping him up to keep watchful gaze on the comings and goings around him. It took the responsibility off you, feeling assured that he was there to spot if something went wrong along the way. Somehow, with his gentle movements across the expanse of your back and his steady, rhythmic heartbeat thrumming just beside your ear, you slipped out of consciousness, the exhaustion of this already long day finally dragging you under. 

Eddie was only able to notice once the turbulence subsided, expecting you to perk up with a surveying glance, only to find the rise and fall of your chest slow and drowsy against his own. He pressed chapped lips to your forehead, letting his own eyelids hang low as his vision faded drearily. He could sleep now, satisfied with the idea that neither of you would wake again until your hard earned landing was in sight.

[cepheustarot]

What awaits you in January?

Attention! This reading is for entertainment purposes only. This tarot reading does not give a 100% guarantee that all the described situations will occur or being ultimate truth. You build your own life and destiny and only you know yourself best.

Paid readings

Pick a pile. Choose one or more pictures. Trust your intuition.

Pile 1: The first half of the month will be wonderful for you, in general you will have a good mood and no sudden mood swings, this month you will have a good opportunity to start something new, change something in your life, change of scenery. It is also very likely that you will receive an expensive gift from someone, you can get a bonus at work or you will improve your academic performance and you will pass all important tests for good grades, in general success will be waiting for you. Further, in the middle of the month you will be invited to some event, it may be a wedding or someone’s birthday (maybe yours) or any other holiday. This event will be very good for you, you will get many positive emotions and pleasant memories, it will be a very fun event. At the end of the month you will feel a breakdown, maybe the whole month you will have a busy event and it will wear you out, you will get tired, so it will be very important at the end of the month to give yourself a rest and clear  your head. You may also have unforeseen circumstances that you were not prepared for, so be careful! 

Pile 2: At the beginning of the month you will be successful in career/studies, you can be promoted or transferred to a larger firm, in general there will be positive changes. As for study, you will learn a lot and try, because your work will pay off and you will have good grades. Also at the beginning of the month there will be the possibility to engage in self-development or something creative, maybe you will also teach and train someone, will be in the role of a mentor. At the beginning of the month you will also have good unexpected news! In the middle of the month you will continue to maintain your energy and productivity, there will be events that are not related to work or school: you may have many meetings with people, friends or you will receive invitations to the party, Take part in organizing activities and etc. You can also do dance or any other sport, any other active activity. The end of the month will be stable for you, but here it will be best to pay attention to your budget, you should start saving money to feel safe in unforeseen situations. 

Pile 3: The beginning of the month will be busy, you will feel like a real workaholic, the days will be productive for you. It is important to keep in mind that success depends on you and how much you put in to achieve it. In addition, for you here will be a topical painstaking activity, requiring increased attention to detail. In the middle of the month you will be successful, you will come much closer to achieving your goals and plans, you can also go on a trip in mid-January or start traveling. In general, everything will be related to movement, maybe you buy a new transport or get a driver’s license. So the end of the month will be energetic for you and you will be in good spirits, maybe you will often go to parties, dates, meet people and spend time with them, or maybe you will try yourself as a host or participate, try acting, maybe take acting classes. Here in any case you will be in the center of attention, you will develop your charisma. 

Thank you for reading! I will be glad of any feedback 🖤

[cutielando]

the royals | c.l.

synopsis: in which the unofficial royal couple of Monaco ties the knot

my masterlist

Dating an athlete was never easy. 

The constant travelling, constant change of time zones, jetlag, busy schedule, rarely ever being back home in Monaco.

It was tough for both of you.

Charles and you have been dating ever since you were teenagers. Ever since he started his career in racing, you had been there with him every step of the way.

You were there after every win and every loss, every disappointment and every celebration. You were his rock.

His family loved you, treated you like you were one of their own. Especially Pascale, who couldn't thank God enough that her son had found someone as perfect as you.

After being together for so many years, he had finally proposed to you, the love of his life.

♡♡♡♡♡

The Proposal

"Are you ready to go, amour?" Charles called from the bedroom while you were touching up your lipstick in the bathroom.

Your boyfriend had decided to treat you tonight, seeing as you were both home for the summer break and wanted to enjoy the beautiful city of Monaco.

"Almost. It would've saved us a lot of time if you would've just told me where we're going" you sweetly said, trying to coax your boyfriend into caving to tell you where he was taking you.

"Nice try, amour. I've told you, it's a surprise" he chuckled, checking his watch.

Unknown to you, Charles was freaking out big time. He was bad at keeping secrets, especially from you because you knew him too well.

Planning this proposal weeks in advance without being suspicious had been hell for him. Having hurried and hushed conversations with his family making sure you wouldn't hear, trying to plan everything while you would be busy, trying not to seem like anything was wrong, the definition of hell on Earth for the Monegasque. 

"Alright, I'm ready" you announced, making Charles come back down to Earth.

His breath got caught in his throat because of how beautiful you looked. The dark red dress perfectly hugged your body and curves, the red lipstick you decided to wear making his mind go fuzzy.

"You look stunning as always" he stepped closer to you and wrapped his arms around your waist, leaning in to kiss your cheek knowing you would kill him if he dared to smudge your lipstick the slightest bit.

"And you look as handsome as ever" you giggled, leaning into him until he dragged you out of your shared home towards his car.

The ride was fairly silent, but it was a comfortable silence. Charles drove while resting his hand on your thigh, your hand holding his. The music was playing softly on the radio and you gazed out the window, admiring the city you had long-ago started to call home.

"We're here" Charles announced as he parked his famous Ferrari in front of a top-notch restaurant in the heart of Monte Carlo.

"This is an expensive restaurant, baby" you said, eyeing it suspiciously as Charles helped you out of the car.

"Only the best for my girl" he kissed your palm as he intertwined your fingers and led you into the restaurant.

Once you were both seated, you looked around at the restaurant, only seeing ridiculously rich people dining away.

"You know I don't like it when you spend money on me" you complained, pouting, making your boyfriend smile.

"I know, but you know I like doing it either way" he shrugged and smiled.

You came from the same background as Charles, meaning that you were rich yourself. However, you never took your wealth for granted and you were really smart with how you spent your money.

That being said, ever since he started out in Formula 1 and started making millions every year, Charles made it his mission to spoil you rotten. Buying you clothes, jewelry, taking you out to exclusive restaurant, organizing numerous holidays throughout the year, he never failed to shower you in gifts.

It was one of his love languages, despite the fact that you had told him that he didn't have to do all of those things. He was too stubborn for his own good.

As you ordered and had dinner, small talk and laughs were exchanged between the two of you, the rest of the world drowned out in the background.

You could always lose yourself in his presence, being enveloped by your own little bubble where it was just the two of you.

As the night started winding down and people started to leave, you followed suit once Charles had insisted on paying for the entire meal.

"Are we going home?" you questioned as you made your way towards the car, your hear resting on his shoulder.

"No, we have one more stop before heading home" he quietly said, and you could sense a change in his demeanor.

Figuring it was nothing major, you decided not to question it.

♡♡♡♡♡

"What are we doing here?" you questioned as you stood on Charles' yacht, your horizon filled with the beautiful lights and nightlife of Monte Carlo.

When you didn't receive an answer, you turned around and found Charles down on one knee, holding a beautiful dark red velvet box which contained the most gorgeous ring you had ever laid your eyes on.

Your hands instantly went to your mouth, tears already threatening to spill from your eyes.

"Mon amour, I cannot even remember what life was like before you were a part of it. So many years have passed and I still manage to fall more and more in love with you with each day that passes. You have always been there for me, through every race, every loss and every win, you never once doubted me and supported me through my whole career. Seeing you already being a part of my family and being so loved by everyone made me want to make sure you would never run away from me. I love you more than words could ever express and I want to spend the rest of my days with you by my side, building the family we have always talked about. So, what do you say, my love? Want to make me the happiest guy in the world and marry me?" by the end, he had tears silently running down his cheeks, but his smile singlehandedly lit up the whole yacht.

You didn't even find the words to speak, opting instead for nodding your head vigorously, falling to your knees and throwing yourself in his arms.

He buried his head in your neck and laughed in happiness, relieved to finally get it off his chest.

"I love you so damn much, Charles Leclerc" you whispered, pulling away from the tight hug and letting him put the ring on your finger.

Your eyes were glued to it, the way it perfectly seemed to fit on your finger like it was meant to be there all along.

You couldn't help but pull him into a deep kiss, pouring every single feeling you couldn't convey with words in the kiss.

And in that moment, being wrapped up in the arms of the one you love under the lights of your favorite city, nothing could have been more beautiful.

Just you and your fiancé against the world.

♡♡♡♡♡

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charles_leclerc can't wait to spend forever with you, mon amour <3 tagged: y/n.official

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[literalite]

marlo velasco for @rainymoodlet's rock of love!

hii formally introducing marlo after showing them in cas first lmao i'll stick all their info and some bonus pics under the cut :3

they're filipino, nonbinary (using they/them pronouns), and androsexual- for simplicity's sake they sometimes just say they're gay

traits: erratic, hot-headed, creative likes: alternative and metal music, competency, a good discussion, wellness, getting everything just right, being praised(.......), a good visual contrast, travelling, friendly competition, hard workers, vintage artwork, and of course tattoos fhgjhkjkl dislikes: modern decor, elitism, people who lack drive or who follow tradition, being told what to do, stupid questions, green eyes, makeup, phones or cameras or honestly most modern technology, softening their tone in any way, uncomfortable shoes

quick well that was a fucking lie bio:

only child to two very conservative parents, had a very testy relationship with them both throughout their teens and young adulthood. currently no contact with them both

learnt how to tattoo in their teens and joined a tattoo and piercing shop as an apprentice at 21. they met both their ex husband and their current best friend, risa there

married their ex at 25, was truly in love with him despite being deeply unhappy in other aspects of life

came out and began transitioning at 29, which strained their marriage as he tried and failed to accept their true self as opposed to the "woman" he had signed up for

he convinced them to try for having a kid in order to save their relationship shocker, that did not work so mickey was born

after three years they divorced- admittedly marlo was not a stellar parent and left mickey mostly in her father's care while they moved on from working at the original tattoo shop, eventually seeing their kid for only a weekend per month

at 35 opened their new shop Purgatory Tattoos with their best friend risa as co-owner

two years ago, they got a call in the middle of the night, from their ex who immediately started shouting down the line at them for "corrupting" their 11 year old into thinking that she's a girl. they immediately drove the few hours to go pick mickey up and filed for custody the morning after

marlo's relationship with mickey was initially understandably pretty rocky, with marlo being really awkward around their own daughter and mickey obviously being distrustful of them. in years since, they've grown a lot closer, with marlo now really appreciating the work it takes to raise a kid. they're still very anxious about being a "good" parent though, having totally lacked for any role models

has sort of dated around since breaking up with their husband, but hasn't been able to commit to anything serious what with their focus on keeping their business running and the residual sting of a long and painful loss both emotionally and financially from their ex

signed up for this at risa's insistence and also thinking that it'd be nice for mickey to grow up with a more stable and loving environment than they did

fun facts:

they're pretty much tone deaf but nevertheless enthusiastic about karaoke much to their neighbours' detriment

for their employees and apprentices, they're known as kind of a hardass, especially in comparison to risa, but being under their guidance improves skills x10

lactose intolerant but im not wasting a trait slot on that LMAO

used to have piercings, but took their facial ones out years ago because they'd all been done by their ex- all the holes have since closed up

has pretty much no social media presence aside from their shop's instagram account, on which they've got no photos of themselves, not even a candid in the background of a shot. doesnt know wtf a tiktok is even though mick keeps begging them to do dances with her?

can't imagine moving away from tomarang even though they love travelling overseas. a big goal is getting enough money together to take mickey on a big holiday abroad

here are some pics of them and their daughter, mickey! she's 13, trans, she/her pronouns. due to their long estrangement, mickey calls them "lo" instead of any other term

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

AITA for getting tubal ligation, eloping with my two girlfriends, adopting a cat and moving out, all in two weeks and without telling my mother?

🏥💍🐈🏠

So, I (F, 21) have been planning for a long time to sort out my life. I live in a European country, I'm in college and work part-time. For years, I've been saving up money to get financially independent as fast as possible and move out of my parents' apartment. I also wanted to have enough to pay for tubal ligation procedure, because I don't ever want children and would feel much more at ease when I'm certain that I can't physically get pregnant. My mother from the beginning was very against that idea, telling me I'll change my mind later and not to do anything permanent.

Two years ago, I've met two wonderful women, A (26) and K (23) on a discord server dedicated to our shared hobby (writing fanfiction). We'd been talking and messaging for months, eventually creating our own server and sharing our irl names and faces. It naturally progressed to a point where we chose to call it a relationship (I'm on the aroace spectrum, we're all neurodivergent and have a weird relationships with gender so it's not a traditional romantic/sexual relationship by any means). We're all from the same country so we met up a few times before deciding to all move to one city and live together. K and I are finishing our bachelor's degrees and A works from home so there weren't any obstacles. We found a flat and A moved in, waiting for me and K.

My mother knew I was bisexual and dating A and K, but thought again that it was "just a phase" and that we were only friends pretending to date for some reason. I love my parents, they are great and supportive people but sometimes it can be so exhausting to convince them of something when they believe they're absolutely right. So, I just stopped talking to my mother about my relationship and plans for the future. I visited A (and K after she moved in) in our apartment without permanently staying there yet.

A, K and I got an idea to celebrate us finishing college and A getting a job promotion by going abroad for a week. K jokingly suggested that we could visit another country and get married (gay marriage is still illegal in our country). Obviously, polyamorous marriages are not legal anywhere in Europe, but A told us at the beginning of our relationship that she never wanted to get legally married for personal reasons (but a non-binding marriage ceremony was fine with her). So, all three of us could have a ceremony and K and me could get legally married (the marriage still wouldn't be legally recognized in our country though). Then I also realized that I could get a tubal ligation in the country which we wanted to travel to (tubal ligation procedure is also illegal in our country).

I knew my mother would be against both of those decisions and I didn't want to argue with her the entire time before I left abroad. So, I just told her I'm going on holidays with my two friends for a week and she accepted that. I've also been slowly moving a lot of my stuff from my room in my parents' apartment to our apartment and was ready to completely relocate.

Anyway, the wedding went great (the witnesses were six people we knew from the discord server where we first met, who lived close by and could get to the wedding site easily), my operation went great, the trip was great, and just as we returned a friend asked if we wanted a kitten, because their cat had recently had some. We agreed.

When I was sure everything was settled, I called my mother and told her about the wedding, the operation, the move and the kitten. She was shocked and angry, said she felt disappointed and betrayed I hadn't told her about any of my plans, didn't even invite her to the wedding and that I damaged my body and would regret having my tubes tied. I tried explaining that I didn't know how she would react, that based on our previous interactions I hadn't thought she'd be supportive and that I wanted make my decisions without also having endure her disapproval. She cried, told me I hurt her and to give her some time to deal with all the revelations.

I feel terrible for upsetting my mom, but honestly, I think I did the right thing and that informing her beforehand would've ruined my mood and I'd have had to argue with her on the phone constantly during the trip.

So, Tumblr, AITA?

[misseviehyde]

CLOAKED

It was summer recess and Maisy and her best-friend Erin wanted to earn some extra money for the holidays. The two girls had long been friends and shared many interests, so they were planning to travel together and see the world.

In order to save up - they were willing to work any job they could find. Babysitting, bar work, office temping... anything that paid.

As full-time students they couldn't take on a full time position, but as sensible trustworthy girls, they didn't find it hard to find work. Still - the savings were only growing slowly and they had a long way to go until they had finally saved enough.

Then Erin hit a jackpot. An old friend of her Mom's who had married into a rich family needed someone to be a cloakroom attendant at a massive party she was throwing at her mansion. Erin got the invite and was staggered at how much was being offered for just a few hours work.

That evening Erin found herself in a plain black dress standing in the luxurious hallway of the mansion. As guests arrived she would take their coats and hang them in the large purpose built cloakroom near the entrance.

As more and more guests arrived, Erin found herself growing jealous of the rich successful people she was seeing. Her own family were poor. She was a scholarship student and had had to work hard for every opportunity. Skinny, plain and shy - she was a million miles away from the beautiful confident bitches who thrust their clothing into her arms without a second thought.

In the cloakroom Erin carefully hung the coats and gave each person a ticket. Eventually a lull developed. Most of the guests were now here and she idly browsed on her phone and sent Millie a selfie.

Bored she purveyed her small kingdom and suddenly realised there were a number of unticketed coats that had been there before she arrived.

They looked like expensive fur coats. They were rich and bitchy looking. Like something a spoiled instagram model or sorority Queen would wear.

Intrigued Erin slid one off a hook. It was a dark grey, super stylish coat and it looked made to fit her. Her fingers bit into the soft fur and evil whispers began to echo in her mind.

Erin groaned and shivering in delight she slid the coat on. It was like it had been waiting for her and it felt like she was putting on a new skin. A better skin.

Erin moaned as her short bitten nails lengthened into an expensive manicure and her plain features shimmered with new makeup. A bitchy blonde streak shot through her hair as her bones cracked and she shot up in height to become tall and thin.

Her plain black dress plunged down to show off her expanding cleavage as it morphed into a designer dress and she was pushed up in expensive black heels.

"Mmmmmh ohhh fuck yessssss," she hissed in a bratty new voice, tossing back her silky hair and standing more confidently with her hands on her Dior belt.

A spoiled sneer appeared on Erin's pefect pink lips as gold bangles encircled her wrist, gold hoops dropped from her ears and an expensive handbag trailed down from her shoulder.

Pushing a pair of Chanel sunglasses onto her now blonde head, Erin giggled like a bitch and clopped out of the cloakroom. This job was beneath her now.

A woman walking down the corridor raised a quizzical eyebrow. "Where's the cloakroom girl gone?"

"Like how the fuck should I know?" sneered Erin. "That fucking little loser seems to have vanished. Too bad huh? Guess you'll have to find your own coat."

Grabbing a glass of champagne from the welcome table, she gave the woman a fake smile and strolled into the party. Ohhhh it felt so good to be a bitch.

Somehow the coat had transformed her. Shy unconfident Erin was gone. She was a bitch now and she loved how it felt.

She felt a hunger for attention as all eyes were drawn to her. Tonight was going to be A LOT of fun.

She entered the party and felt the hungry gaze of every man, married or unmarried fixate on her.

If there was a feeling even better than an orgasm... she had just found it...

******

Erin admired herself in the window of a passing car as she made her way home from the party, her head spinning. She looked amazing. As the night had progressed - her transformation into an evil rich bitch had accelerated and she could still feel herself transforming, even now. It seemed she could only get even more evil and she loved it.

The longer she wore the fur coat, the more it changed her. Erin's hair had become even blonder, her face even prettier. Wealth and privilege now dripped from every pore of her spoiled bitchy body. Long acrylic nails decorated every finger, flawless blue eyes gazed boredly out of a pretty face with long lashes. The fur coat was now white... having transformed to match her white wedge heels.

"I'm a fucking Goddess," she hissed as she tossed back her hair. She had always wanted to look like this, feel like this.

Tonight at the party she had been the centre of attention and it had felt good. She looked down at her phone and the contact numbers of the rich men who had begged to be her sugar daddy. With this new body and attitude she would be able to get whatever she wanted.

Her lips twitched into a cruel smile. She could travel the world, enjoy private jets and expensive cruise ships. She certainly wouldn't be wasting time with that loser Maisy.

A wicked shiver ran through her and she felt herself get wet at the thought of bullying and dominating her former friend. She wanted to lord it over that pathetic little bitch... to show Maisy what a loser she was. Her breasts tingled and her pussy got wet.

Being bad made her feel good.

The coat seemed to reward her evil thoughts. Her face became even prettier her boobs grew another cup size. Being evil would be rewarded. She was an addict to the power now.

"I want more," she hissed. "I want to destroy the old me and become completely corrupted. I need it."

The coat felt warm, comforting. It numbed her guilt, her remorse. It made her feel nothing but pleasure at her new depraved body and malicious mind. She was eager to go even deeper. Her pace increased.

It didn't take long to get home. Reaching the small dorm she shared with Maisy she flung open the door and stormed in.

Her friend was lying on the sofa, her face was a mask of shock. "E...Erin? Wh... how? Is that really you?"

Erin laughed and grabbing Maisy's hair pulled her viciously off the sofa and hurled her onto the floor. Maisy screamed, her hair burning as the other woman stood over her dominantly.

"Ahhhhhh what are you doing?" screamed the terrified Maisy as her former friend brought a foot down and pinned her to the floor like a bug.

"Stop squirming you pathetic little loser. From now on I'm in charge here. You'll do as I say or... do you remember that essay you cheated on by copying my work? I'll tell the university about it and you'll be finished."

"Noooo, you promised you'd never tell..."

"I promised a lot of things," hissed Erin. "It feels good to break those promises and just do what I want. I'm all that matters you see."

Erin laughed as she summoned up saliva and spat a long slow stream out onto Maisy's face. The other girl cried. How humiliating... how funny.

"Stop snivelling loser. Move your worthless stuff out of our room. From now on you sleep on the sofa out here and I get the room to myself. And you better get used to calling me Mistress Erin."

"Y...Yes Mistress," sobbed Maisy.

*****

The next six weeks were hellish for Maisy. Erin had completely changed. The kind and friendly girl was now a mean, vicious, psychotic rich-bitch.

She had their dorm ripped apart and rebuilt to suit her tastes and she bullied and humiliated Maisy every chance she got.

Worse, she was now raking money in from her rich doners and she took every possible moment to taunt and tease Maisy about her upcoming travels.

"Remember how we wanted to see the world. Well I will still get to, but you can stay here you pathetic little bitch. You don't deserve to travel and see the world. You don't deserve anything but to be my footstool."

Maisy was desperately trying to figure out what had happened to make her friend so evil. It had all changed the night Erin had worked the cloak rooms and she had come back wearing a fur coat. She always seemed to be wearing the coat. When she took it off for the briefest times - she seemed less bitchy, more like her old self.

Maybe the coat had something to do with it? Maisy decided if she could destroy the coat, maybe she could get her friend back. First she just had to get it off her.

It would be dangerous. Erin was now much stronger, faster and more violent then she used to be. If Maisy failed, her friend would be sure to punish her.

She just needed the right opportunity.

Erin currently had her scrubbing the floors of the bathroom and doing all the cleaning. Maisy was busy scrubbing the floors with a soapy bucket of water as the Queen Bitch entered.

"Having fun loser?" scoffed Erin. "It's so much fun watching you slave away for me."

With a sudden scream, Maisy unexpectedly flew at her, a thick heavy soapy sponge smashing into Erin's face. The bitch staggered back blinded as Maisy dashed behind her and tugged the fur coat down enough to pin Erin's arms in place.

She roughly pushed Erin forward and down, trying to grab the coat and pull it off.

It all seemed too easy and it nearly worked. But Erin wasn't about to give in that easy. With a snarl she kicked back, knocking one of Maisy's legs loose and then pushing back she crashed Maisy into a wall knocking the air out of her.

Struggling to pull the fur coat back up and free her arms, Erin lashed her head back and reverse head-butted Maisy making her head spin. She resolutely held onto the coat though, knowing this was her only chance.

Erin struggled and fought like a wild thing but she couldn't shake Maisy off. Then changing tactic she shrugged off the coat causing Maisy to fly back and crash into a wall still holding the coat.

Coatless, Erin growled. Now free she could deal with this loser and then put her fur coat back on.

"You think you can stop me Maisy? I'm gonna have to break you in even harder now. By the time I'm done, you'll never oppose me again."

Maisy was trapped. She had no way to destroy the coat and no way past Erin. In moments her friend would have the coat back in her possession and she would probably never get another chance ever again.

She did the only thing she could think of. She put on the fur coat herself.

Erin's sulky mouth opened wide in a shocked expression. "What... no... NOOOOO!"

*BOOM*

The air vibrated and shook. Erin doubled up like she had been punched in the stomach and with a WHOOSH all of the evil power was sucked out of her body. She went limp like a rag doll and collapsed to the floor. She was no longer beautiful, her hair was now brunette again, her fingernails short and stubby and her face plain and anxious.

Maisy struggled to rip off the fur coat before it was too late, but her arms felt heavy and a delicious feeling thrilled through her as the evil power exiting Erin flowed back into the coat.

Her skin tingled and she felt herself begin to transform. She fought it for a moment... then surrendered.

Yessssss. Why not just give into it? It was her turn to be the bitch, her turn to have the power. Erin was going to suffer for all the humiliation she had put Maisy through.

"Yessssss, transform me," she groaned as the coat fit snugly on her body and her mind was warped and transformed into the most evil possible version of herself.

All that was good, kind and innocent about Maisy was reversed and subverted. She was becoming just as corrupt as Erin had once been.

Her hair turned blonde and pink bitchy lips twisted into a pouting sneer. Long nails shot from her fingers and her stance changed as her clothing altered and she was pushed up on six inch stiletto boots.

Walking over to the shivering Erin, who was going through the worst withdrawal imaginable, Maisy looked down with cold cruel eyes and reaching down cruelly grabbed the other girls hair and yanked her head up.

"I'm the Mistress now loser," she hissed in delight. "Now I'm going to break you just as you wanted to break me. I'm going to turn you into my whimpering pussy slave - so broken that you can't even imagine betraying me and wearing the coat ever again. You're nothing now Erin and soon you'll be even less."

Erin sobbed as she looked into Maisy's cold eyes and knew every word was the truth.

She was doomed

***

Landing down in New York, Maisy watched her servants packing her luggage into her expensive car.

She had enjoyed travelling the world and living her dreams... visiting the fashion capitals of the world had been fun.

Now back in the USA she would spend a bit of time here in New York before heading back home.

She smiled at the thought of Erin, plugged and obedient waiting for her back home. Tonight she would take a couple of male lovers to pleasure her, but tomorrow when she got back she had put time aside to play with her favourite toy.

She wondered if Erin was looking forward to it as much as she was...?

THE END

[konekoling]

Hi hello since the states are gonna get blasted with cold soon I figured I'd shave some Helpful Cold Survival Advice I've absorbed as someone who lives in an area that hits -50C/-58F temperatures periodically

-Starting with a somewhat obvious one, but HOLY SHIT DO NOT BRING BARBECUES, GENERATORS, OR ANY OTHER FORM OF OUTDOOR HEAT SOURCE INSIDE FOR WARMTH. CO poisoning WILL kill you if you don't accidentally start a fire in the process.

-If you wanna stay in your car and turn the heat up for warmth DO NOT do it in the garage. Again. CO poisoning.

-You can turn up your stove/ oven and crack the oven door open in an emergency if you have zero other heat sources available, but only if its electric (Gas stoves will generate carbon mono...yeah you get it already), and even then its going to be much less energy efficient than a normal space heater, and you're gonna want to stay nearby while it's on to make sure you don't start a fire.

-Don't plug a space heater into a power bar or extention cord unless you're 100% sure it has a high quality cord. They need an absurd amount of power to run, and most extention cords in particular aren't insulated enough to handle those levels of power without becoming a fire hazard. And for the love of God, don't run multiple heaters on one power bar.

-Candles don't actually do much to generate heat unless you're ina very small area, but they ARE an excellent light source should power go out

- tragically, the best way to keep warm in the absence of home heating is through boring ol layering, especially on your feet and head. Avoid jeans, as they're somehow terrible at heat retention despite how thick they are, and throw on a pair of long underwear/leggings if you have some. Also feel free to pile as many blankets as you own on top of yourself, you deserve it.

-Youre gonna want to stay well fed, too. Keeping your body temperature up in the cold is pretty calorically demanding, AND the digestive process tends to heat your body up as well. Its a win/win.

-Also unfortunate: another excellent way to stay warm is through your enemy and mine, physical activity. Every half hour or so, pace around your living space to get the ol blood pumping a bit.

-If you get wet outside while it's substantially cold out, get inside as soon as possible bc that WILL suck the heat from your body. This goes for sweat too, so layer responsibly if you're out shoveling

-Electric blankets are a scam, don't buy them.

-heating pads and heated mattress covers are less of a scam, but don't fall asleep with them on bc once again, fire hazard.

-If you have any faucets in your house that don't see a lot of use/you live somewhere that doesn't usually see cold weather, keep all your faucets on just a bit so your pipes don't freeze and/or explode. This WILL cost thousands of dollars to fix.

-Likewise, if you're traveling for the holidays see if you can have someone come by to turn the faucets on every day or two so you don't come home to find your house sunk into the ground

-ALSO if you're traveling and think "hm, I think I'll turn off the heat while I'm out to save some money that is the devil speaking, do NOT listen. (Heating helps keep the pipes warm and unfrozen)

-Fill your bathtub up with water and/or stock up on bottled water if you're gonna be getting unusually cold temperatures in case your pipes DO freeze, since you're probably not gonna want to hit up the store should this occur

-Stay off the roads if you can help it. Turbocold weather makes cars periodically fail to start, and also the second snow touches the ground people somehow forget how to drive.

-IMO If it's below -38C before windchill, you have a substantial commute, and you have any PTO/can afford to miss a shift at work, don't bother going in. Just lie and say your car wouldn't start.

-If you absolutely need to go to work/go out for whatever reason, take public transit if possible. If thats not possible, keep some blankets, food, candles, and a lighter in your car in case the battery dies on the road so you can stay toasty and Alive until help arrives.

Probably gonna add more as I remember it, but thems the basics! Stay warm!

[redheadspark]

15. Offering to help with chores....with Oli Wood 😆

A/N - STELLA! Very adorable! thanks for the request, bestie!

Care

Summary - Oliver tends you while you're sick

Warnings - Just fluff

“Oliver? What in Merlin—“

“I’m cleanin’ up the place while you rest, luv,”

“But I can help, I can—“

Oliver saw you were about to get up from the bed, covered in sweat with your hair plastered to your forehead and a fever threatening about to spike. He rushed over, helping you lay back on the bed again.  You sighed, fatigue hitting you again as your head hit the pillow.

“I got it, luv.  You need sleep, remember?” He reminded you as you blinked a him and saw him perch over you.  It was true: you were told to get plenty of sleep from the Healers at St. Mungos when you were there last night.  Catching a nasty virus from your holiday travels with Oliver, you thought it was simply a head cold or a runny nose.  But vomiting in the bathroom and nearly passing out resorted in Oliver taking you to the hospital.  Come to find out it was worst, and you were ordered to stay in bed for at least 24 hours until the medicine kicked in and you were well enough to break the fever.

Oliver felt terrible, it was his idea to go on a traveling holiday since the quidditch season was officially over and he wanted some down time with you.  Seeing the guilt on his face as you were in the hospital bed, you wanted to tell him that it was okay and that you would be fine.  But knowing your husband, he was going to worry.  

“I want ya to lay here and get better,” He explained as he pushed some of your sweaty hair away from your eyes, seeing him softly smile at him as he leaned over to kiss the top of your head, “It’s not a whole lit to cleanup anywho, and once I’m done with the chores I’ll order us some soup from that one pub we like down the street,”

“You’re far too good for me,” You hummed to him, seeing him chuckle and shrug.

“We’re both too good for one another, how about that?” He countered back, making you stick out your tongue at him as he poked your side, “Now go to sleep!  I got this, alright?”

Oliver was always one to help out whenever he could, for as long as you’ve known when since you two were in school together at Hogwarts he would place others before himself.  It was in his nature as the Gryffindor Quidditch Captain: he was a leader and lead in the best way.  You loved that about him, seeing it more when you two became a couple and eventually got married.  He was used to working hard in everything he did, from the massive projects around the house that he would do to save some money, to chores.

Chores, much to your surprise, was not a burden on Oliver.

He rather enjoyed doing the chores with you, not that either one of you were messy or hoarders.  He liked things a bit tidy too, even in how he packed his quidditch bag or set his equipment next to the door in order toga it on his way out.  You would think he would have some kind of messy streak about him, but it was the opposite. He liked things clean and tidy, perhaps it was his way to keeping his now worries and overthinking in tact.  The poor quidditch player would get paranoid about the games, the finances he would bring from being on a quidditch team, and trying to provide for the pair of you though you had full time job yourself.  

You admired that about him, but you still reminded him that you were a team.

Living Sundays open as your chore days were the best, solely it was because you two had the time together.  You would blast music and open he window to let the natural air flow into your little apartment.  Fluffing out the baskets and pillows, cleaning out the sink and dishes that were about to pile up and overflow, it was all an east going day.  You both loved doing it together, to bring the space you two created and shared some peace again.  

Now that you were bedridden, it felt off.

You woke up from a long nap a few hours later, feeling bit better and noticing that your fever finally broke.  Blinging slowly and rubbing your eyes, you looked over to the nightstand to see a tall glass of cold water waiting for you on a coaster, along with your book you were currently reading and a lit candle that was jasmine scented.  You grinned, pushing yourself up to drink a large amount of the water and wrapped yourself in your blanker.  Thankfully your body wasn’t aching as much, and the water did hope tremendously while you shuffled out of the bedroom to find Oliver.

The living room was spotless, nothing out of place or out of sort while a steaming bowl of soup was waiting for you on the coffee table along with tea and the radio softly playing in the background.  You could hear the water running from the kitchen, the soft sounds of Oliver humming floated in the air as you walked in a bit more and grinned from ear to ear.

“How ya feelin’?” You heard, seeing Oliver walk out of the kitchen and over to you.  He was sporting your apron you would use to bake, along with a cloth over his shoulder and his hands on his hips as you chuckled.

“What?” he asked, you gesturing to the apron he was wearing.

“You look rather dashing in that,” You teased, Oliver rolling his eyes as he pointed back at you.

“You sound like yourself, which I would take as a sign that you’re gettin’ better,” He replied, giving you a small hug, “I got your favorite soup you like along with your tea that will help with ya cough,”

“Look at you being my personal private healer,” You replied as he guided you over to the couch, taking off your blanket to have you sit carefully amongst the cushions,” You should have been a Healer than a quidditch player,”

“Oh har har,” He joked then sitting down next to you.  You leaned your head on his shoulder, feeling him wrap his arm around you and plant a kiss on your forehead, “I’m just glad you’re gettin’ all better,”

“Thanks to you,�� you commented, feeling him squeeze you a bit more when you spoke again, “Taking care of me and doing that chores, that means a lot, Oli,”

“I’d do it everyday for you.” He vowed.  You knew he would, he had such a massive heart that seemed to be overlooked or overshadowed by others.  You were one of the very few that say all that he would give without him grumbling or arguing about it.  It made you grateful and thankful that he would you pour out all of his love to you.

The rest of the night was spent with him spoon feeding you the soup and telling you the recent quidditch gossip for his team.  It was a great night, except when Oliver got the bug you got rid off and it was his turn to be bed ridden,

The End

[jqmalikhsgib]

astrology

one

in most stories being the youngest kid means being the sheltered child. everyone would see the baby of the family being favored more than the eldest or middle child. for you, it wasn’t ever like that.

you grew up in an classic middle class family. your mother was a nurse and your father was a detective. your older brother followed in his fathers footsteps. he went to college, worked his ass off, and became an officer.

your sister went a bit of a different route. she decided to be a lawyer. she was damn good at it too.

you on the other hand, you had different dreams. you never wanted to be cooped up in a bubble. your dreams were to travel the world, draw the most beautiful sights you’ve ever seen, meet new people, discover yourself.

when you graduated high school you saved up enough money over the years to do so. you took different jobs just to pay bills and continue to move along.

your parents never thought it was a great idea. they’d always scold you to go to college. they’d get your siblings along in it but it just never worked. you loved your free spirited life style.

you visited your family every once in a while. but after ten years of being free, ten years of constantly hearing the same things over and over, ten years of nonstop get bugged over when you’re gonna grow up and turn your life around, you were tired.

you stopped going to every christmas, every thanksgiving, every birthday, any holiday. you’d come up with some excuse. telling your family you had a shift at whatever job you had.

truth was, you needed to be away. your family back home may not have understood. besides your best friend, you didn’t really keep in contact with anyone.

spencer was the only one who stood beside you. he knew that you had other dreams and aspirations. he never judged you for drifting off and exploring the world. he was the one to encourage you.

“yn, remember what you told me when i had a hard time deciding to skip a few grades? you said that if i didn’t, id always wonder. you told me im too smart to be in seventh grade and i needed to get off my ass and go show those high school idiots how smart i truly am. you’re an amazing artist, yn! i know you can make a name for yourself.”

that was the only thing you needed to hear before you packed your bags, bought a plane ticket, and began your journey. you never regret your decision.

it’s why you’re so glad to be in virginia. getting to see spencer again made you happy. you haven’t seen your best friends since he made it into the behavioral analysis program. you knew spencer was beyond smart. knowing that he was working with the smartest people, fighting crime, and kicking ass, made you proud.

you smile at the guard up front. “hi, im here to see doctor spencer reid.”

the guard asked for a form of identification before smiling and giving you a visitors badge. spencer made sure to let them know you’d be coming by.

when you finally got to his floor your eyes widened with how big it truly was. you never thought you’d ever be here. standing in front of a team full of people who study human behavior.

“yn!?” spencer runs to his friend.

“woah, slow down there pretty boy.”

you opens your arms wide as spencer lifts you up and spins you around. you giggled before he sets you down.

“hi, genius!”

“god, i miss you.”

“miss you too bud. this place is incredible, spence. how do you guys get any work around here done. i wouldn’t know how to sit still.”

spencer just shrugs as he walks the two of you over to his desk. you spot two individuals.

one of them was a woman. she was beautiful. her dark locks were slowly fading to grey, but she definitely rocked it.

the other was a tall, muscular build man. he had a cocky smirk on his face. he was definitely handsome. you can tell he’s a bit of a player but ultimately a sweetheart.

“well pretty boy, you gonna introduce us?”

spencer smiles. “guys, this is my best friend since diapers, yn! yn thats emily and derek.”

you gently waved.

“hi. it’s nice to finally meet you. spencer talks bout you guys all the time. im glad he has someone else to bug besides me.” you playfully hit his arm.

“you must be someone special. reid doesn’t hug anyone. says—”

“it’s safer to kiss? he’s been saying that since we were children. i think he came up with that when he had a crush on our next door neighbor, dawn.”

“hey! it’s an actual fact!” spencer defends.

you playfully roll your eyes. “when are you off, butthead? i wanna look at places while im here.”

“im off this weekend.”

“you’re moving down here?!”

“yeah. spencer constantly tells me how great this place is. it’s gotta be better than nevada if it’s got spencer’s vote of approval.”

“it is a great state. you’ll love it. if you need help finding something im sure i could be of service.”derek flirts.

“thanks. i should probably let you all get back to work. ill—”

“we have a case!” you get interrupted. you slowly lift your head and your heart skips a beat.

he stares at you with a scowl on his face. you assumed it was a permanent one. he was tall, had a beautiful head of hair, his face was clean shaven, his suit was definitely dry cleaned. he looked like a man you’d see in a fairytale. like how you’d imagine prince eric from the little mermaid to look. he was breathtaking.

“i’ll probably be gone for a few days. will you be okays exploring the city without me?” spencer breaks you out of your trance.

“um—yeah. just be safe. and call me!”

spencer smiles as he squeezes your arm before walking away. you give your heart a second to go back to normal speed.

you think you’re gonna love it here.

so, yes it’s an age gap between them. listen, im not gonna be like some people and say i have a huge problem with age gaps, because i do not!

yes, at times it can be gross. when someone is freshly eighteen and dating someone in their mid to late twenties or older, it’s gross

if someone knew the person when they were a child and begin dating them. even if they’re in their twenties, it’s gross

but as someone who’s 25 and has only dated men older since i was like 22, i don’t see much of a problem as long as they were two consenting adults.

that being said, read it if you want and if you don’t, scroll past it.

reader is 28

aaron is 44

[swallowprettybird]

beginning | previous | next

hey! another new episode is here 😀 and if you didn't recognize - the same one on the cover, our Bianca 💃🏾

full description 👇

As much as Billy wanted to stay, it was time to go back. He couldn't just leave everything behind, especially since he was running out of money every day.

After returning, everything went back to normal. Days slowly became weekdays. Billy was expected to manage a mine, a factory, a farm - duties he hated. No matter how hard Cassidy tried and pretended that everything was fine, things didn't get any better.

But there was no point in denying it, because their farm is far from what it once was. Things got especially bad a few years ago.

A huge hurricane, uncharacteristic of their region, almost wiped the town off the map, but at the same time took their dear mother.

Mr. Holiday Sr. never got over it. He hoped that his children would do what he did not have time to do in his lifetime.

Meanwhile, Billy never asked for it. He never had tender feelings for this house. He was attracted to distant lands, travel, discovery, he was fascinated by history, while the family was looking strictly towards the future.

Nevertheless, his energetic, adventurous, but balanced nature has always played into his hands. He has always been more trusted.

- If you do it! If you do, you can't count on me anymore! Not on me, not on my inheritance, not on anything!! - Holliday Sr. shouted at his daughter

- But father! Why do I need that disgusting man, Mr. Joy? I can take care of our business on my own! I don't need his money. I don't need his love. - Cassidy argued no less loudly and passionately, she was completely worthy of her father.

But she definitely underestimated his words when she thought that her father would not do such things to her. Now it's hell in her chest. Why not me? Why? Her brother, he's so narcissistic, so frivolous, he doesn't deserve this.

- You will not do this.. - Cassidy feels a lump in her throat

- You know very well that I will do

At first, he wanted to just leave, leave everything behind, and leave with his beloved companion.

Bianca quickly got used to her new status but never got used to the new town. Billy forbade her to work on the farm or in a job like her previous one. She spent most of her time in the house, where she quickly got bored. She was ready to go anywhere, especially with Billy.

They were going to go on an expedition into the deep jungle. But suddenly Bianca found out she was pregnant. It changed everything. Billy would never have allowed her to take that risk.

One day he told Cassidy : "I'm selling everything. Bianca and I are moving to Mexico."

Needless to say, young Miss Holliday was beside herself with disappointment?

Of course, the only and obvious advantage of heir status for Billy Holiday was money. And for a new family, for a new home, a new place, for a future child, savings were certainly needed.

- Get over it, Cassidy, Billy said. - Don't you see that it's a futile exercise? If you want, you can come with us.

No. Where will she go? Where she is a stranger, where she means nothing? No This is her home. This is her business. This is her town. She can't lose it, even if she feels completely powerless:

- I'll buy it from you. How much?

She looks dryly at her brother's surprised but smiling face.

- Well, well! I love your passion, sis.

He lights a cigar with a sly squint.

- A million. You have six months.

Time is running out... *laughter*

[brf-rumortrackinganon]

I think, Meghan (allegedly) filed a case against the IRS to contest some charges/tax returns that she felt were unfair. Or because she thought she was charged extra and deserved a hugher refund than she got. And then she lost the case and had to pay the IRS for the filing a case against her. I don't know how true that is, just that she did file a case against the IRS. This was probably around 2010/11 so around the Trevor years. This is off the top of my head though, no factual receipts. Just something I remember reading on the old Tumblrs that are now defunct.

But about the financial fraud, I don't know if it counts but it is interesting to me that Meghan's lifestyle was mostly sustained on gifts and favours. She hardly paid for anything. At first, while she was auditioning, she lived with Trevor. They had a decent enihouse. But her dad says that he sometimes gave her money and it was mostly Trevor who sustained their day-to-day. It's believable and nothing wrong in that if that's the understanding that the couple has.

Then in Toronto, the suits producers got her a rental home. And later, a chauffeured car to get her to and from the set. This was a favour pulled by her friend rick hoffman.

There are some conflicting reports that say that she moved in with Cory mainly to save on rental. As in, it was his place and she moved in with him immediately after they started dating.

The Soho ambassadorship that she did, and later her small scale endorsements and Tig sponcerships got her a lot of goodies. All of her hotel stays, 1st class travels, food etc was almost always sponcon.

The only thing she allegedly spent her own money on was (probably) the air travel when she started dating Harry and they had their 2week arrangment. (Either one of them would travel to the other every 2 weeks). But she later moved in with himwhen suits ended.

So I'd say, Meghan does not understand finances, other than accumulating money in her own name in her own bank account. She has big dreams - foundations, charities, galas, UN missions, commonwealth, holiday homes, private jets etc etc... but has never paid for anything out of pocket so does not know how to sustain those dreams.

I was thinking of a different case of financial fraud - in 2020 or 2021, it was revealed that the SussexRoyal Foundation was being investigated over some allegations made about the way Harry and Meghan handled some transactions. I don’t remember the specific details and I can’t look it up at the moment, but there was a very haughty Sussex “we told you we didn’t do anything wrong” statement made when the investigation closed/cleared the allegations.

Whenever the Sussexes get in the news for their finances or Archewell paperwork, I always remember that incident, and specifically their response. It really rubbed me the wrong way and because they seemed to be gloating about having been cleared of wrongdoing, it makes me think that there actually really is something shady happening behind the scenes. I think they’re lucky it hasn’t been caught yet, chiefly because their MO is to distract us with semantics and petty “it’s the AG’s fault” blame game-type BS, but this week makes it clear they’re living on borrowed time.

[rotruff]

splatfest-themed selfship game

how to play : generate a number between 1 and 35 and then check the list under the cut to see what fest you got!

respond however you want! answer in the tags, make art for it, the world's your oyster. feel free to interpret the teams / questions however you want as well. these could be your f/os answer to the question, your s/i, both, whatever!

if you do make art or your own post to respond, i would love to be tagged and see. have fun!

proship + adjacent dni

1) Which could you eat every day? - Bread / Rice / Pasta

2) Which do you want? - Perfect body / Perfect mind

3) Which do you choose? - Pokemon Red / Pokemon Green / Pokemon Blue

4) Which tactic do you prefer? - Show no mercy! / Focus on healing

5) Which would you rather go to? - Fancy party / Costume party

6) Which are you? - Early bird / Night owl

7) Which is better? - Dogs / Cats

8) Which do you prefer? - Roller coaster / Water slide

9) Which is more important? - Art / Science

10) Which list are you on? - Naughty / Nice

11) Which is most important to you? - Past / Present / Future

12) Which would you rather make? - Snowman / Sandcastle

13) Which are you? - Messy / Tidy

14) Which would you rather be? - Zombie / Skeleton / Ghost

15) Which do you listen to? - Rock / Pop

16) Which is your favorite? - Werewolf / Vampire

17) Which genre do you prefer? - Sci-fi / Fantasy / Action / Comedy

18) What's more important to you? - Love / Money / Fame

19) What's the best way to spend your holidays? - Adventure / Relax

20) What's more your style? - Retro / Modern

21) Which would you choose? - Trick / Treat

22) Which would you rather be? - Hero / Villain

23) Which are you? - Airhead / Wisecracker

24) Which would you rather be? - Knight / Wizard

25) Which power would you rather have? - Time travel / Teleportation

26) What kind of world do you wanna live in? - Chaos / Order

27) What would you bring to a deserted island? - Gear / Grub / Fun

28) What's your favorite type? - Grass / Fire / Water

29) What's your favorite flavor? - Spicy / Sweet / Sour

30) Which do you prefer? - Dark chocolate / Milk chocolate / White chocolate

31) Which do you want? - Power / Wisdom / Courage

32) Who do you spend the holidays with? - Friends / Family / Partner

33) What instrument would you play? - Drums / Guitar / Keyboard

34) What would you do at the world's end? - Same ol' / Bucket list / Save the day

35) Which would you reserve for a day? - Palace / Theme park / Beach