#how to sell old mobile phone

[cashygophones]

Sell Old Nokia Phones for Cash with Cashygo

In today’s fast-paced technological world, we often upgrade our phones before the old ones have even begun to show their full potential. If you’re sitting on an old Nokia phone gathering dust, why not turn that unused device into some extra cash? With Cashygo, selling your old Nokia phone has never been easier or more rewarding. Let’s dive into how you can get cash for your old Nokia phone today!

Why Sell Your Old Nokia Phone?

Nokia phones, whether classic models like the 3310 or more recent smartphones, are still beloved by many for their durability and nostalgic value. Even if you're not using your old device, it still has value! Here are a few reasons why selling your old Nokia phone makes sense:

Declutter Your Home: If you have old Nokia phones lying around, selling them is a great way to reduce clutter and free up space.

Get Extra Cash: That old phone could be worth more than you think! Selling it can provide you with a nice cash boost.

Sustainability: By selling your old Nokia phone, you're contributing to the recycling economy, keeping electronics out of landfills and promoting a more sustainable future.

How Does Cashygo Work?

Cashygo offers a simple, quick, and hassle-free process for selling your old Nokia phone. Here’s how it works:

Visit the Cashygo WebsiteGo to Cashygo’s user-friendly website, where you’ll find an easy-to-navigate interface that helps you quickly assess the value of your phone.

Get a QuoteYou can easily get an instant quote for your Nokia phone by selecting the model and condition. Whether your phone is in mint condition or has a few scratches, Cashygo will give you a fair price.

Send Your PhoneOnce you’ve accepted the offer, it’s time to ship your Nokia phone. Cashygo will provide you with a prepaid shipping label, so there are no hidden fees.

Receive PaymentAfter Cashygo receives and inspects your phone, you’ll get paid quickly. The payment is often processed within a few days, either via bank transfer, PayPal, or gift cards.

Tips for Getting the Most Cash for Your Nokia Phone

To maximize the value of your Nokia phone, here are a few tips:

Clear Your Data: Before sending your old phone, make sure to erase all personal data. This not only protects your privacy but can also help prevent any damage to your phone’s resale value.

Keep the Accessories: If you have the original box, charger, or any other accessories, include them when selling. Phones with accessories generally fetch a higher price.

Condition Matters: Be honest about the condition of your phone. Whether it has minor scratches or a cracked screen, disclosing its true condition ensures you get a fair price and avoid any delays in payment.

Why Choose Cashygo?

There are plenty of places to sell your old phone, but Cashygo stands out for several reasons:

Fast and Easy Process: No need to haggle or wait for weeks. Cashygo’s straightforward process ensures you get your money quickly.

Competitive Prices: Cashygo offers some of the best prices in the industry for your old Nokia phone.

Customer Service: With a reliable customer support team, Cashygo makes the selling process smooth and stress-free.

Conclusion

If you have an old Nokia phone collecting dust, it’s time to turn it into cash with Cashygo. Whether you're looking to upgrade your device or simply make some extra money, selling your old phone is a smart move. Visit Cashygo today and get a quote for your Nokia phone!

[cardentist]

hey, so people need to be aware that youtube is now (randomly) holding basic features for ransom (such as being able to pin comments under your own videos) in exchange for Your State ID/Drivers License, or a 30 Second Video Of Your Face.

not to pull a "think of the children," but No Actually. I've been making videos as a hobby since 2015 (and I've had my channel since middle school), I was a minor when I started and I'm not sure I would have understood the kind of damage something a seemingly simple as a video of your face can do.

this is a Massive breach of privacy and over-reach on google's part No Matter What, but if they're going to randomly demand a state ID or license then they absolutely should not allow minors to be creators.

google having a stockpile of identifying information on teenagers is bad enough, but the Alternative of recording your face and handing it over to be filed away is Alarming considering it opens the gates for minors who Aren't old enough to have a license.

and yes, there is a third option, but it's intentionally obtuse. a long wait period (2 months), with no guarantee of access (unlike, say, the convenience of using your phone's cameras for either of the other two), with absolutely No elaboration on what the criteria is or how it's being measured.

it's the same psychological effect that mobile games rely on. offer a slow, unreliable solution with no payment to make the Paid instant gratification look more appealing (the "payment" in this case being You. you are the product being offered).

and it's Particularly a system that (I think intentionally) disadvantages people who don't treat their channels like a job. hobbyists or niche creators who don't create regularly enough or aren't popular enough to meet whatever Vague criteria needs to be met to pass.

markiplier would have no problem passing, your little brother might not be able to. and while Mark's name is already out there there's no reason why your little brother's should be too.

something like pinned comments may seem simple, you don't technically Need it. but it's a feature that's been available for years. most people don't look at descriptions anymore. so when there's relevant information that needs to be delivered then the pinned comment is usually the go to.

for my little channel that information is about the niche series I create for. guides on how to get into the series, sources on where to find the content At All (and reliably so). for other creators it can be used for things Much More Important.

Moreover, if we let them get away with cutting away "small" features and selling it back to you for the price of your privacy, then they Will creep further. they Will take more.

Note: I have an update to this post here: [Link]

[selloldmobile]

How to sell my old phone online - RecycleDevice Blog

In today's fast-paced world, keeping up with the latest smartphone technology has become a common practice. As we eagerly upgrade to newer models, the question of what to do with our old devices often arises. Instead of letting them collect dust or contributing to electronic waste, consider selling your old phone through RecycleDevice – a hassle-free platform that makes the process easy, efficient, and rewarding.

RecycleDevice stands out in the crowded market of smartphone resale platforms, offering a seamless and user-friendly experience for sellers. Whether you own an Apple iPhone, Samsung Galaxy, Redmi, or any other popular smartphone, RecycleDevice accommodates a wide range of devices, ensuring that you can conveniently sell your old phone regardless of the brand.

Simple and Swift Process

Gone are the days of complicated and time-consuming selling processes. With RecycleDevice, selling your old phone is as easy as 1-2-3:

Visit www.recycledevice.com or Use the Mobile App: Accessing RecycleDevice is just a click away. Visit their website or download their mobile app to begin the selling journey.

Browse Your Device: Navigate through the platform to find your specific device model, whether it's an Apple iPhone, Samsung Galaxy, Redmi, or another smartphone brand. RecycleDevice caters to a vast array of devices, ensuring that your phone is likely to be accepted.

Answer a Few Questions for an Instant Quote: To provide you with a fair and accurate quote, RecycleDevice will ask you a few questions about the condition and specifications of your phone. Once answered, you'll receive an instant quote – no waiting around for valuation!

Free Doorstep Pickup and On-the-Spot Payment

RecycleDevice takes convenience to the next level by offering free doorstep pickup services. Once you've accepted the quoted price, simply place a pickup order, and a representative will come to your doorstep to collect the device – no need to step out or worry about shipping.

Moreover, RecycleDevice distinguishes itself by providing on-the-spot payments. Bid farewell to lengthy payment processing times; with RecycleDevice, you receive your payment instantly upon device collection.

Eco-Friendly and Responsible

By choosing RecycleDevice, you're not only benefitting from a straightforward selling process but also contributing to environmental sustainability. Recycling old phones helps reduce electronic waste and promotes responsible disposal practices.

Selling your old phone has never been easier or more rewarding than with RecycleDevice. Embrace the seamless process, enjoy the convenience of doorstep pickup, and relish the instant payment – all while contributing to a greener planet. Visit www.recycledevice.com or download the mobile app to transform your old device into quick cash, all with a few clicks and without leaving the comfort of your home.

[bruhnze]

Personal records - Lucy Bronze x Ona Batlle

This is for the pookie that asked. Thank you @okaybronze i had fun writing this, this one is dedicated to you!

Thank you to this, this, this, this and thisssss anon. (you guys sure know how to inspire me)

Summary: This is in an alternative universe where Ona and Lucy are not footballers. Lucy is a personal trainer, Ona is a buisnesswoman.

Wordcount: a bigggggg one 12k+, so i advise to get comfy

Warnings: Minors DNI, smut. It has a lottt of plot bcs i got carried away, but what's new :)

I hope you like it, and i hope i didn't make any mistakes while copy-pasting this thing to here, as this was quite the big one and i proofread in Word so.. if something doesn't make sense, you can ask me, i think i did it right tho :)

Personal Records.

The Batlle family was one of the richest families on the whole planet of earth. In the last years of his working life, Ona's grandfather had completely invested in the internet and technology. His eldest son, Ona's father, had taken over the business and helped it to even greater success. They dominated the tech industry, from hospital equipment to mobile phones and coffee machines.

With so much money and only two children, Ona and her brother Joan were doing anything but bad.

Yet, especially since she had that head start, Ona wanted to create a legacy of her own. Unlike Joan, who filled his time with vacations and his DJ career.

But Ona’s passion wasn’t tech, she liked using her iPhone, yes, but she had no special talent or interest in the subject.

No. Her passion was architecture. She had studied it in college and with her dad paying her tuition,  it gave her all the time in the world to go networking at business events. One thing led to another, and by the age of 20 she already owned 15 buildings.

Now, just after her 25th birthday, she had a portfolio of hundreds of buildings and apartments, and was a very well-known high-class real estate agent all over Europe.

She didn’t like the way her life was filled to the brim with meeting after meeting and the fact that she sometimes felt like she was living in airplanes more than in buildings, the thing she loved most in the world, but it was worth it if she could once again sell a characteristic old building to the right owner.

That was the most perfect thing about her profession in Ona’s opinion, sometimes a house was perfect for a certain type of person, she couldn't explain it, it was just a feeling, but when she closed such a deal, it was one of the few moments that Ona could feel a little bit of satisfaction and happiness flowing through her body.

This had been a problem for a long time, she had been through some difficult years, feeling lonely at times and working far too hard without having an outlet.

After talking to some professionals and trying a few things, Ona discovered what worked perfectly for her: so she hired a personal assistant and got on weekly exercise sessions.

Sophia was a perfect PA, she was a 33 year old woman who was dedicated to work just as much as Ona was and most of all she could speak English perfectly, as she was from the United Kingdom. That was exactly what Ona needed as she got most tired from answering all the endless calls that she received.

The exercising also worked out perfectly. Her PA always found a personal trainer for her, no matter what city they were staying in. The first few months Ona really had to get in shape, but now she always came back with a wonderfully empty head after sweating for those two hours and of course, the six-pack she ended up with was also a great bonus.

This summer she had to spend in London, it was not really her preferred place to be for the next month or two, as English summers were not really something to write home about, but with the deals she had waiting for her, she happily went.

What also helped was the beautiful apartment she had in the center of London, overlooking the bridge, it was one of her favorite houses.

But besides the deals she had to close, she also wanted to relax and exercise a bit. Maybe she would even have time to go shopping.

Wednesday – Ona’s penthouse, London

A week before the big deal, Sophia and Ona arrived in London.

"Miss Batlle," the doorman said, as they walked into the building where Ona ‘lived’, or at least she did for 1 or 2 months a year. She was surprised they guy remembered and greeted him happily.

‘’You sure you don’t want an hotel room?’’ Ona asked as they were standing in the elevator.

Sophia shook her head, ‘’for me it’s easier to be close to you, safes me travel time’’ she sincerely confirmed, ‘’oh gosh, do you want some privacy, I’m sorry I didn’t-

‘’No, no, está bien’’ Ona smiled, ‘’I admire your work ethic, I was just wondering if you didn’t miss privacy’’.

‘’Well your penthouse is very big’’ Sophia smiled, ‘’and it’s not like I have a husband to call or something’’.

‘’Yeah’’ Ona grinned, ‘’our love lives are doomed’’.

A careful smile tugged on Sophia’s mouth, ‘’well, it has been a while since I had to leave space for a date in your schedule’’.

Ona smiled internally at the way Sophia got more and more comfortable with her, she was usually very professional, something Ona admired, but sometimes she felt Sophia and her could be friends a bit more, as she suspected her PA was actually a pretty funny person.

‘’It has’’ Ona confirmed, ‘’i'm basically celibate at this point’’, she added chuckling.

‘’Ona!’’.

At the same time the elevator stopped at the top floor with a ding.

‘’It is true though’’, Ona said as she stepped out the elevator to open the door ‘’maybe I should add searching dating sites to your to do’s’’.

Sophia groaned as she followed her, ‘’I’ll do it if you would really want that, but I do want to show you my current to do list before’’.

‘’I’m joking Soph’’ Ona said as she took of her heels and dropped her handbag, ‘’I trust you a lot, but, I do think love is something that just needs to happen, I don’t believe in dating apps’’.

‘’Well I do think you need to go out to make that happen’’ Sophia chuckled, ‘’or are you hoping to have a really hot woman buying a house off of you?’’.

‘’Hmm’’, Ona said as she walked into the big living area and stared outside of the windows, ‘’that would be the best thing ever, and I’d know she got taste’’.

Laughing Sophia walked in behind her, pulling her suitcase along ‘’do I got the same room as last time?’’.

‘’Mhm’’.

Sophia laughed to herself as she walked to the familiar room she had slept in before, recognizing that Ona had entered her thoughtful mode, something that often happened in places with a good view, and when Ona was thinking it was best not to disturb her.

..

They had ordered dinner, a bit tired from the travel they had decided to eat in and discussing the details of their work trip and calling it an early night.

Sophia had already set up meetings with various clients in a rented meeting room, made a list with properties they needed to visit and when the viewings would be and had booked a personal trainer.

‘’Sadly she is only available once a week’’ Sophia had said, knowing Ona liked to exercise two times a week for two hours, ‘’but she was the only one available in this period, apparently most trainers have this thing called -summer break-‘’ she joked, ‘’but she is really good, I read a dozen of reviews and she also trains athletes when they’re in between seasons’’.

‘’She?’’ Ona asked after the PA was done talking.

Sophia stilled, ‘’oh is that not-

‘’It’s okay, just surprised’’.

‘’I read she can be quite the pusher, helping people break their personal records’’.

Ona laughed, ‘’well I hope she doesn’t expect such a level of me’’.

Sophia frowned, ‘’you’re well fit, I’ve seen you in the pool, you have a killer body’’.

‘’Aesthetics is different to performance’’ Ona decided, ‘’anyways, thanks for arranging that, you’re the best’’.

..

Friday morning – Ona’s penthouse

‘’Okay I’m heading out to the gym then’’ Ona called through the living space.

‘’Have fun’’ Sophia called back, ‘’don’t break too many personal records!’’.

..

Friday morning - Bronze Fitness Forge

It was a nice building, Ona was pleased as she walked inside to search for the gym owned by one ‘Lucy Bronze’.

Ona thought it was a perfect name for a business owner and she liked the way the nameplates that showed the way were also done in Bronze, it was chic.

The Catalan businesswoman got to the front desk and told the lady behind it her name.

"Ah for Bronze herself" the lady smiled, "you may use dressing room 2, you will recognize it by the number on the door, when you've changed you just go through the other door in the changing room and then you're in the gym".

"Great. Thank you." Ona said in her business voice. It just happened whenever she spoke to people that were working.

"You can leave your bag inside the changing room but we've also got lockers".

"It's okay" Ona said, "only have some clothes with me".

The changing room looked very nice, Ona appreciated the way that this whole place was set up, it was not clinical or characterless, but it was very neat.

After changing, Ona went into the gym.

A dark-haired woman, just a little taller than her stood with her back to the door, the silhouette was muscular built, broad shoulders protruding from the tank top she wore.

Ona cleared her throat, ´´hello´´.

 The woman turned around from what she was doing and met her with a smile, ´´oh hey´´ she said, ´´uhm´´, she strutted over to Ona and offered her hand, ´´Lucy´´.

´´Ona´´, Ona replied as she mirrored the smile Lucy was wearing. Ona was delighted to notice the woman infront of was rather hot, but she didn´t want to be objectifying and most of all, she was here to clear her head, not to drool over a woman. So she shook the thought from her head and focused back on what she was here for.

´´So´´ Lucy said as she retracted her hand.

Only then Ona realized she was shaking it for a little too long.

´´Oh yes, I´m here for a two hour training session´´.

´´Yes´´ Lucy chuckled, Ona thought it made her look cute, ´´so what are we working with, you didn´t attach a schedule or any of your records or something, did you bring them?´´.

‘’What?’’ Ona said confused, ‘’records?’’.

‘’Yeah what field are you in?’’ Lucy tried, ‘’What do you need working on this summer?’’.

‘’Ohhh’’ Ona breathed out with a laugh, realizing what Lucy was thinking, ‘’I am not an athlete’’.

Lucy scrunched her nose and her head turned slightly in confusion, ‘’not?’’.

‘’No I’m town for business and I always train with a personal trainer, my PA booked you’’.

‘’Oh’’.

‘’Do you not train, uh, regular people?’’.

‘’Oh uh, yes’’, Lucy blushed.

‘’But?’’.

‘’Okay no offense’’ Lucy said carefully, ‘’but they’re usually.. a bit.. older’’.

Now it was Ona’s turn to be confused, ‘’why?’’.

‘’it’s expensive’’ Lucy said, hating herself for being so awkward.

‘’ohhh’’ Ona chuckled, ‘’well we better spend those expensive minutes good, shall we?’’.

‘’Yeah I’m sorry, I’m trying to work on that whole -not judging people by their cover- thing’’.

‘’It’s okay’’ Ona said cheerfully ‘’I come to clear my head before I have some important meetings next week’’.

‘’Great’’, Lucy said as she had called herself back to her senses ‘’and how can I help you with that’’.

‘’Well, I always go to a personal trainer because I don’t know anything about training, so I just - listen, do it and enjoy the muscle ache the day after’’.

‘’Hey’’ Lucy laughed, ‘’people always call me crazy when I say - I enjoy that’’.

Ona shrugged, ‘’one of the few things that make me feel alive’’.

“Okay, so you want to get completely worn out” Lucy chuckled, “we’ll make that happen”.

Ona gulped as Lucy took off, damn, this woman was cute.

They had been working out for almost 2 hours without much talking, Ona enjoyed it, Lucy respected the fact that she was doing this for relaxation, not for dumb chit chat, she hated when trainers were like that.

‘’Do you have a neck issue?’’ Lucy asked out of the blue.

Ona looked up, surprised but not in a negative sense ‘’yeah, how did you notice?’’.

‘’It’s stiff’’ Lucy stated, ‘’ I graduated as a sports physiotherapist’’ she offered as an explanation.

‘’Really?’’.

 ‘’Yes and right now I’m working on some injury research, stretching and massages are a great interventions for stiffness’’.

‘’So next time we start with neck stretches?’’ Ona joked.

Lucy nodded, ‘’best recipe is stretching – exercise – tissue massage’’.

''Well then, guess I'll do that next time, sometimes my neck really hurts, so I hope it will help''.

‘’Your neck hurts?’’.

‘’Yes, I always just assume it’s my stress traveling to my weak spot’’.

‘’Do you want me to massage that right now really quick? We’ve got-‘’ she looked at her watch, ‘’-10 minutes left’’.

‘’You?’’ Ona let out before she could stop herself.

Lucy crooked her head ‘’yeah?’’ she laughed, ‘’who else?’’.

‘’Ahh’’ Ona chuckled as she spotted the physio bench in the corner of the gym, ''that's where that thing is for''.

‘’Yup’’ Lucy said as she swayed on her feet, ‘’So cooling down? Or quick rub down of the neck?’’.

‘’Well if you’re offering..’’ Ona said as she looked at the big hands Lucy fiddled with, ‘’I do have to warn you that I’m a bit sweaty’’.

Lucy chuckled, ‘’if you weren’t I wouldn’t be good at my job’’.

...

Friday - Ona's penthouse

‘’Hello’’, Ona called out as she stepped back into her apartment. She felt amazing, Lucy was great with her hands and after the hot shower she took, she felt totally relaxed.

‘’How was it?’’, Sophia asked from behind her computer.

‘’fucking amazing’’ Ona said dreamily, before she stepped into the living room and snapped back to reality, ‘’uh yeah, it was good’’.

Sophia chuckled, ‘’whattt happeneddddd?’’.

‘’She’s hot’’ Ona said as she went through the fridge, ‘’and great with her hands’’.

‘’WHAT?’’ Sophia yelped, ‘’did you hook up with her?’’.

‘’Oh dios mío Soph! no, who do you think I am!’’ Ona shook her head amused, ‘’she gave me a sports massage’’.  

‘’Ohhh, hot and handy’’ Sophia chuckled.

‘’You sure you couldn’t book her for more than once a week?’’.

‘’I’ll try again for you’’ Sophia said with a grin, ‘’maybe I can book her for some nightly exercises’’.

‘’Soph!’’ Ona said sternly, ‘’no objectification!’’.

‘’Sorry miss Batlle’’ Sophia answered timidly, ‘’I’ll call them later’’.

‘’It’s okay’’ Ona smiled, ‘’thanks for getting groceries’’ she said as she took eggs from the fridge.

...

Tuesday evening - Bronze Fitness Forge, London

It was a couple of days later, Sophia had bribed Lucy Bronze’s secretary if she could at least ask the woman herself if she could do a couple of more lessons, ‘’Hello, yes, Miss Batlle’s PA, uhm, my boss, she wants to exercise two times a week and I was wondering if you had some more spaces available, she doesn’t mind if it’s outside of office hours, or if it costs extra’’.

Eventually she had persuaded the woman, one and a half times the rate for two hours in the evening, when Lucy actually exercised herself.

Sophia didn't mind making a little effort, she was just happy that Ona was okay with the trainer, that couldn’t always be said.

So this night, at a quarter to eight, Ona walked towards the building with the ‘Bronze Fitness Forge’ logo and headed in.

‘’Hey, miss Batlle’’ Lucy called out from a few meters behind and started jogging towards the door.

Ona held it open for her, ‘’you can call me Ona’’ she said as she let the woman pass.

‘’Oh right, hi Ona’’ Lucy smiled awkwardly, ‘’uhm, to the gym?’’.

‘’Mhmm’’.

Lucy unlocked the door and let Ona in, out of habit Ona walked to dressing room 2, the one she’d used earlier this week too.

Lucy hesitated about what to do, she cringed at herself, she wished she was a bit smoother, ''hey uhm, my stuff is also in 2'' she said as she stopped the door from closing.

''Oh'', Ona looked up, ''i can go to the other-

'''No i'll just take my bag'' Lucy rushed to say.

''Oh no'' Ona said, ''it doesn't bother me, you can change in here as far as I'm concerned''.

‘’O-Okay’’ Lucy said as she looked at the smaller woman, ‘’sure you don’t mind?’’.

Ona looked up with a smile, ‘’should I?’’.

Lucy looked startled ‘’No no, I was just --’’ she mumbled and swallowed the rest of the sentence.

Ona zipped her bag open and got her gym shoes out, she now stood with her back to Lucy, ‘’anyways, had a good dinner?’’ she asked, trying to start some conversation.

‘’Uh yeah’’ Lucy said, now also starting to get her things ‘’I cooked some chicken and vegetables’’.

‘’Nice’’ Ona said as she shimmied down her pants.

Lucy gaze fell on the Spaniards behind, she shook her head, she couldn’t be looking at a client like this, ‘’d-did you have a good dinner?’’ she asked, taking of her shirt.

Ona turned around and sat down on the bench to put her shorts on ‘’yeah I had-‘’  she lagged as she saw the shirtless woman infront of her, who was currently standing with her arms up, struggling to find her arm holes it seemed, she cleared her throat ‘’uhm, I had a business dinner, it was nice but sometimes I get a bit tired of it’’.

Lucy’s head popped up and they looked at eachother. Lucy smiled, ‘’is that why you needed more exercise?’’.

Ona didn’t feel the need to explain anything, frankly, there was not really anything to explain. She had settled for one time a week as she hadn’t known the woman was hot an amazing personal trainer, now that she knew, her assistant had booked her some more time, so she settled on just saying ‘’yes’’.

‘’What branch are you in anyways?’’ Lucy asked as she switched her pants.

‘’Uhm’’ Ona said as she took of her top, ‘’I am a real estate agent’’.

‘’Really’’ Lucy stared at her, partly because she was surprised, partly because the woman looked mesmerizing.

Ona sat up and digged through her bag, it was awkward that she still had to put on her sports bra ‘’yes, I have real estate in a few cities throughout Europe’’ she said and finally found the sports bra. She figured she just had to put no attention to it and quickly get it over with.

Bronze sat down to put her shoes on, ‘’oh.. real estate in a few cities throughout Europe’’ she repeated, ‘’impressive’’.

‘’Thanks’’ Ona said as she took her bra of, ‘’your business is too’’ she turned her head to Lucy ‘’how old are you anyways?’’.

Lucy looked up and blushed when she saw Ona’s bare back, ‘’uhm, I’m 32, and you?’’.

Ona smiled at her, ‘’25’’.

‘’Ah shit, we aren't past your bedtime, are we?’’ Lucy mocked and grinned.

Ona clutched her sports bra infront of her chest and turned around with narrowed eyes, ‘’don’t mock me’’ she said sternly, like how she’d put her workers in place. She had dealt with enough age discrimination, it annoyed her that Lucy did this.

Lucy apologized ‘’oh I’m sorry.. uhm.. I didn’t mean it like that’’. Ona turned around and quickly pulled the sports bra on,.

‘’Uhm, I will start to set up some things, see you in a bit’’ Lucy said before she quickly rushed out of the locker room.

Ona finished dressing up by putting her shoes on and followed her.

‘’Hey I’m sorry, it’s just-  Ona stopped as she saw Lucy carrying a weight plate to the matts.

Lucy smiled ‘’I’m sorry too, I am a bit stupid sometimes, you should take everything I say with a pinch of salt.. i suck at talking to people that’s why I chose sports’’.

‘’-sometimes people do not take me serious because of my age’’ Ona confessed, ‘’it’s a bit of a sensitive topic for me’’.

‘’I am sorry’’, Lucy said sincerely.

Ona shook her head, ‘’you’re aloud to make jokes, I should be able to deal with them’��.

‘’Noted, see if I can help you improve on that front too’’ Lucy grinned.

‘’too?’’.

‘’Oh yeah-‘’ Lucy said with renewed energy, ‘’I mean, I was going to ask you about it - but by the way you move, I think your neck feels better’’.

Ona smiled, ‘’oh soo much, I have had the best days honestly, how could I forget - I wanted to thank you for it, I feel so… loose, uh, supple’’.

Lucy held her hands up, ‘’magic hands’’ she said with a wink. Immediately cringing at herself.

Ona laughed, ‘’they seem to be’’.

‘’So’’ Lucy cleared her throat, ‘’stretching, than exercising, which I will leave you to do a bit more on your own than last time because I need to do mine as well, and then last 20 minutes another tissue massage’’.

‘’Sounds good’’.

The stretching went well, Ona learned a few exercises she had never done before, 'good for the back and neck' Lucy had said, and had followed them all before the real work started.

Lucy finished her warm up a bit earlier than she did, which made sense, as she had been warming up all day and she went to set up some weights for herself.

When Bronze started squatting weights with her back to Ona, she couldn´t help but have peek every once in a while.

After her lunges were done Ona asked what she was doing next.

Lucy proposed for Ona to do a bit of cardio on the stair-master, a machine she hated, but Ona agreed and went on it.

Lucy kept squatting, Ona saw her adding small, little plates to the bar each time she got it.

After a few minutes, the Spaniards thoughts got interrupted, the low grunts were swapped with a yelp, she was startled and almost fell of the stair-master, luckily enough she could jump of in one piece and put the machine off.

‘’What happened?’’ Ona said as she walked towards the English trainer.

Lucy looked up as she undid her waistbelt and wrist wraps, ‘’hm?’’.

Ona came closer, ‘’it sounded like you were in pain’’.

‘’Oh’’ Lucy said as she looked better at Ona, ‘’no I just broke my squatting record’’.

 Ona chuckled.

‘’Wait did it sound like was in pain?’’ Lucy laughed now too, ‘’I don’t know what to think of that’’.

‘’Well I’m glad you’re alive’’.

‘’and broke my PR’’.

Ona rolled her eyes, ‘’how much was it?’’.

‘’139,5 kg’’ (307.5 lbs) Lucy stated as she took out her phone, ‘’let me put it in my notes real quick and then I’m all yours again, I’m sorry for just directing you to the cardio machine, I had this on my agenda for tonight’’.

‘’You have a schedule for when you’re gonna break which record?’’ Ona laughed.

After Lucy had typed it in her phone she looked up, ‘’is that weird?’’.

‘’No’’ Ona shrugged, ‘’I like when people are driven’’.

‘’How much is your squatting PR’’.

Ona laughed, ‘’not even half of what you do, I think 50 kg, and that includes the bar’’.

Lucy chuckled, ‘’want to do 55?’’.

´´Let´s see if I can do 50 first maybe?’’.

Lucy first had her squat the bar alone and with 5kg increments she guided Ona to a 50kg squat.

At 50kg Ona had trouble getting up, her legs shaking as she did a rep for the 3rd time. She felt Lucy stepping a bit closer, ''you can do it'' Lucy said, ''and if not, I got you''.

Instead of feeling more at ease, Ona became more nervous. She felt Lucy's hands hovering just above her skin.

When she remained in her squatting position, with wobbly legs, Lucy held her sides, ''together then''.

With a little help, Ona stood up again, and immediately she racked the weight and stepped forward, shaking her legs.

‘’Legs tired from the stair machine?’’ Lucy asked.

Ona nodded ‘’think so, maybe next time we can try again’’.

‘’Oh we are’’ Lucy smiled, ‘’and now you’re doing 45, 3 sets of 4 reps’’ she said as she started changing weights.

‘’I don’t know if i-‘’

‘’-I believe in you’’ Lucy cut her off, ‘’and I’m spotting you so if you can’t I’ll help’’.

Ona looked at her with dark eyes, ‘’let’s just do something else’’.

Lucy’s head tilted, ‘’no, why?’’.

‘’I’m tired of squats’’ Ona said, mostly because she was and partly because she didn’t want to fail and have Lucy saving her, as she got way to distracted by the way she felt under their skin contact.

‘’Do your other trainers just accept that?’’ Lucy asked as she finished preparing the bar of weights, she stood infront of Ona now, ‘’in 5 sessions I’ll have you squat 55’’.

 Ona rolled her eyes, ‘’I don’t care about how much I can squat’’.

The English woman grinned, ‘’no but you did ask me to help you get sore muscles, If you just listen to me I can guarantee you will not be able to walk the stairs tomorrow, how does that sound?”.

Again Ona rolled her eyes, this time with a little smile ‘’fine’’ she said before quietly adding ‘’molest’’. (annoying person).

They took positions again, but Lucy stood a bit closer then last time. Ona was almost going to make a comment about needing room to breath when Lucy whispered something, ‘’think of your most annoying rival’’.

Ona took the weights on her shoulder, she figured to just ignore Lucy and started squatting, the first 4 went easy.

She racked the bar and stepped forward to shake her legs again.

‘’See, that helped’’, Lucy said ‘’come, another set’’.

‘’Your comment did nothing’’ Ona said, getting slightly annoyed at the woman.

‘’Oh’’ Lucy studied her face, ‘’sorry’’.

Ona took place under the weights again, ‘’okay, let’s get this over with’’.

With two squats her legs started quivering again.

Lucy let her figure it out by herself, she kept close, but didn’t say anything or touch her.

Ona took a deep breath and forced herself up with a deep breath out.

"Good job" Lucy said, but when Ona tried to hang the weight on the rack she was less pleased, "uh-huh, one more rep".

Ona groaned and kept standing there, doubtful about her abilities.

‘’Ona, one more’’ Lucy said sternly.

Ona was allergic to getting ordered around and almost wanted to stop but a fire lit inside her with Lucy’s next comment, ‘’what is it with youth and giving up’’.

She bit back a grumble and did one more squat easily before racking the bar again.

She shook her legs out while still being under the bar and after a few seconds she took it on her shoulders again, squatting with pure annoyance and anger, only at the last squat she had to do she struggled again.

‘’Is your anger already used up?’’ Lucy teased, ‘’I expected more spirit at such a young age’’.

With that she groaned and came up for a last time, angrily racking the weight.

‘’Good, shake it off and we’ll head to leg presses’’.

Ona turned around and looked at her instructor, ‘’more leg exercises’’ she grumbled.

Lucy grinned, ‘’I’ll talk to you on Friday, you’ll thank me’’.

Ona rolled her eyes and followed the English woman to the leg press.

After a long session it was finally time for the massage.

‘’You can take your shoes off, I’ll massage your lower body, back and neck’’ Lucy said.

Ona didn’t respond, ‘’sounds good?’’ Lucy tried.

‘’Oh yeah’’ Ona said tiredly, ‘’perfect’’ she said as she took off her shoes.

‘’Was I too harsh?’’.

Ona looked up at Lucy, ‘’hm, no’’.

‘’Sure?’’.

‘’Yeah I am, I’ll tell you if you go too far, I’m not shy about speaking my mind’’.

‘’Okay, good’’.

Lucy started massaging Ona’s leg and Ona couldn’t help but closer her eyes at how good it felt.

‘’Okay that was that, how do you feel?’’ Lucy said as she was done.

Ona smiled, ‘’great, thank you, I’m sorry if I came across as a bitch at one point’’.

Lucy grinned, ‘’at one point? Hmm..’’.

Ona slapped Lucy’s shoulder playfully, ‘’oh come on’’.

Lucy chuckled, ‘’I’m kidding, you don’t come across as a bitch’’ she looked at Ona with a mischievous grin, ‘’just a bit spoiled’’.

The Catalans mouth dropped open, ‘’I’m not spoiled!’’.

‘’I’m joking’’ Lucy said as she rested her hand on Ona’s forearm, ‘’I’m proud you finished those sets, that proves character’’.

‘’Oh’’ Ona furrowed her eyebrows, ‘’because I had a choice’’.

‘’Ofcourse’’ Lucy tilted her head, ‘’you just said you would speak your mind if you really didn’t want to do it’’.

Ona rolled her eyes, ‘’okay, maybe I did want to do it’’.

‘’Good’’ Lucy said with a smile as she withdrew her hand, ‘’well, you go shower, I have to clean up this place’’.

‘’I can help?’’.

‘’No’’ Lucy shook her head, ‘’I like to do it myself and I want to do a couple more exercises’’.

‘’You’re crazy’’.

‘’I’ll see you Friday’’ Lucy chuckled, ‘’and then I’ll make you do even more, because you shouldn’t be able to be this much of a smartass if those exercises really were that hard for you’’.

Ona rolled her eyes, ‘’yeah see you Friday’’.

In the dressing room Ona jumped straight under the shower, after quickly washing herself and rinsing her hair out, she walked to her bag wrapped in a towel.

As she dug for clean underwear her phone rang, it was Sophia, she had a couple of questions about a client.

‘’Why are you still working Soph?’’ Ona chuckled but as she looked at the time her smile faded, ‘’no way, 22.45 already?’’.

Now it was Sophia’s time to laugh, ‘’yeah got a bit carried away exercising huh?’’.

‘’So it seems’’ Ona said ‘’anyways, for mister Potter you-

-did you ask her number yet?’’ Sophia interrupted her.

‘’Soph! that would not be professional’’ Ona said.

‘’You think she’s hot, what’s wrong with asking a number’’.

‘’Yeah she attractive’’ Ona confessed, ‘’but I don’t even know if she’s a lesbian, maybe she’s just sporty’’.

‘’So ask’’ Sophia simply said.

‘’No I-

A knock on the door interrupted her.

Ona looked up to see Lucy standing in the doorway, ‘’You forgot your shoes’’ she smiled.

Ona’s face got redder than the 2,5 kg weight plates that Lucy’s gym owned, ‘’oh uh thanks’’.

‘’No worries’’, Lucy said as her eyes lingered on Ona’s body for a second before she redirected herself to face Ona and , ‘’see you Friday’’.

‘’Yeah’’ Ona smiled, ‘’see you Friday’’.

Lucy turned around.

‘’Oh and’’ Ona called out.

Lucy turned back around with a smile.

‘’uh, thanks for my shoes’’ Ona said.

Lucy’s smile faded a little but she nodded, ‘’ofcourse’’.

The dressing room door fell closed behind her.

‘’Aahhhhhhgggg’’ Sophia screamed in her ear, ‘’I felt the sexual tension through the phone’’.

‘’Sophia!’’.

‘’What, you fumbled so hard, you said thanks twice, for a second I thought you were going to ask her number’’.

‘’Yeah’’ Ona sighed as she thought about the fact that she was originally planning too, before remembering she had Sophia on the phone, ‘’and give you a listen in on my rejection, don't think so’’.

Sophia groaned, ‘’she likes you too, why are you so uncertain’’.

‘’Why are you so sure, anyways we’ll talk about that client when I’m home’’.

...

Wednesday morning – Ona’s penthouse

It was the next day, Ona woke up in her big bed as the curtain automatically opened and stretched.

As she was completely stretched out, she suddenly shrank, ‘’merda’’ she groaned as a cramp hit her left leg, she tried to hold the muscle but it took a while before the cramp went away.

After the pain had disappeared she got out of bed, walking to the bathroom, when she wanted to lower herself to take place on the toilet she cringed, she couldn’t just normally take a seat, so she held the wall and let herself plop down.

When she got back to her room after peeing, she grabbed her phone to Google what she could do best in this situation.

A protein-rich breakfast, a warm bath and some stretching exercises later, she felt a little better and started her workday.

...

Friday morning - Bronze Fitness Forge

‘’Good morning Property Princess’’ Lucy said as Ona stepped into the gym.

Ona rolled her eyes, ‘’allright Lucy Lift-a-Lot, what are the plans for today’’.

Lucy grinned, ‘’how were your legs Wednesday?’’.

‘’Terrible’’ Ona smiled, ‘’so perfect’’.

‘’Stairs?’’.

‘’Well, I don’t really take those, but the toilet was a pain’’.

Lucy laughed, ‘’good, I suggest more squatting today’’.

Ona scrunched her face, ‘’not to much please, I have this event tomorrow’’.

‘’Work on Saturday?’’.

‘’Well no, it’s like networking event’’.

‘’Oh, is that one of those thing were you have a stand and promote your business’’.

 Ona chuckled, ‘’yeah, but i’m not there with a stand’’.

Lucy tilted her head.

‘’I got invited to look at peoples stands’’ Ona clarified.

‘’Isn’t that like..’’ Lucy didn’t finish her sentence.

‘’What?’’.

‘’Boring?’’.

‘’Yeah’’ Ona laughed, ‘’but its good for my image to show up, and the event payed me to show up’’.

‘’Really’’ Lucy said with disbelieve, ‘’so you’re actually a big name in the real estate world?’’.

‘’I guess’’ Ona shook her head as she laughed, anyways I’ll be bored out of my mind because Soph is taking this weekend off to see her family’’.

‘’Soph?’’.

‘’’Sophia, my PA’’ Ona clarified.

‘’Oh right’’ Lucy nodded, ‘’she was on the phone bribing me’’.

‘’Bribing?’’.

‘’Yeah, you wanted two sessions a week’’.

‘’Oh that’’ Ona nodded slowly, ‘’yeah, I hope she was sensible about it?’’.

‘’Oh yeah yeah, it was not actually bribing, she asked nicely’’.

‘’Good, but anyways, I will be walking around all day, so I need some power left in these legs’’.

Lucy nodded and explained some stretches they were starting with.

..

After the session, where they went a little less extreme as the last time, Lucy gave Ona a massage again. Whilst working her back she broke the silence, ‘’do you not know anyone else in London?’’.

Ona looked at her confused, ‘’what?’’.

‘’For the event, you said you have to go alone, do you not know someone you could take?’’.

Ona shrugged ‘’everyone is on holiday, it’s very last-minute anyways and I wouldn’t drag someone with, I wasn’t kidding when I said it was boring’’ she said into the table.

‘’I think it would be entertaining to see how you talk to everyone professionally’’ Lucy chuckled and acted out a conversation she imagined Ona would have with another realtor. She mockingly acted out the situation, putting on different voices.

Ona’s shoulders shook from her laughter, ‘’I think you will greatly disappointed’’ she laughed.

‘’Yeah?’’ Lucy sad as she put on a pouty face, ‘’is it not like that?’’.

‘’No not at all’’ Ona chuckled, ‘’way more boring’’.

‘’I don’t believe you’’ Lucy challenged.

‘’Well you’re free to join at your own risk’’.

Lucy’s face twisted up in a weird mischievous way, ‘’are you asking me out Batlle?’’.

Ona grinned, ‘’no, I offer you the position to be my plus one to a very boring event so you can entertain me’’.

‘’Well I am free tomorrow’’ Lucy contemplated, ‘’would you like me as your companion?’’.

‘’As long as you don’t publicly mock me’’ Ona rolled her eyes.

Lucy grinned, ‘’I’ll try to keep that for when were alone then’’.

Ona sat up and narrowed her eyes at the taller woman ‘’or like, not do it at all’’.

‘’I’ll see about that’’ Lucy grinned, ‘’what’s the dress code?’’.

‘’uhm, I think you’re best to wear a suit, a light color’’ Ona said as she studied Lucy, ‘’ if you have that’’.

‘’I don’t know’’ Lucy scrunched up her nose, ‘’I’ll have to dig through my closet’’.

‘’Send me a pic, if it’s not good I’ll send some things you could try on’’.

‘’are you going to judge if I look good enough to join your side’’ Lucy laughed, ‘’wow’’.

Ona shrugged, ‘’it’s a cruel world’’.

‘’fine’’ Lucy smiled, ‘’can I get your number?’’.

Ona looked at her with big eyes.

‘’Or do you want me to send Sophia that mirror pic?’’ Lucy grinned.

‘’Oh right, no we’ll exchange numbers, it’s more convenient for tomorrow too’’.

‘’How late is it anyways?’’.

They spoke about the details until Lucy noted that her new appointment would arrive in two minutes. With that Ona went to the changing room and got under the showers, she couldn’t hide the fact that the thought of spending tomorrow with Lucy made her feel giddy.

..

Friday afternoon – Ona’s penthouse

‘’Okay, I’ll see you Monday morning’’ Sophia said as she embraced Ona, ‘’have fun with your hot date’’.

Ona rolled her eyes but didn’t deny her PA’s words, ‘’you have fun at your parents’ house’’ she wished Soph.

‘’Mhm, I will’’ Sophia said as she walked towards the door with her suitcase, ‘’see you Monday!’’.

‘’Bye Soph’’ Ona called out as she got distracted by her phone buzzing.

An unsaved number had sent her texts, she opened her phone curiously.

@ Bronze Fitness Forge: hey, this is Lucy, hereby my outfit, hope you approve 😅

@ Bronze Fitness Forge: *mirror selfie of Lucy in a mint green suit with a white blouse*

@ Bronze Fitness Forge: ignore my bare feet, sorry, I’ll wear shoes tomorrow I promise

Ona changed the contact name to Lucy and texted back.

@ Ona Batlle: Looks good, what shoes do you plan on wearing?.

@ Lucy: sneakers?

@ Ona Batlle: no.

@ Lucy: i don’t have much else

@ Ona Batlle: what size are you?

@ Lucy: a UK size 7

Ona asked her for her address and ordered her a few shoes and a few white blouses, from a store she had great relations with, making them deliver the products before 10 o’clock tonight.

...

Friday night – Ona’s penthouse

@ Lucy: why did I just receive 4 pairs of shoes and 3 white blouses

@ Ona Batlle: fit them, see which you like best

@ Lucy: I have blouses

@ Ona Batlle: your suit is nice, can’t ruin it with a cheap blouse

@ Lucy: how can you recognize that from a picture

@ Ona Batlle: I got taste

@ Lucy: spoiled

@ Ona Batlle: do you want to come still?

@ Lucy: *3 pictures in the different blouses*

Ona admired the way Lucy’s arms looked in the blouses, the woman was well fit, with one particular blouse she swore she could even recognize the outline of abs.

She chuckled when she noticed the shorts Lucy was wearing, Barcelona football shorts.

@ Ona Batlle: nice shorts 😉

@ Lucy: shut up, which blouse.

@ Ona Batlle: deffo the one with the green buttons

@ Lucy: that one feels a bit tight

@ Ona Batlle: it looks good, but if you feel like it will rip, I’ll go for the one with the collar that’s got leaves on the inside.

@ Lucy: what shoe do you like best, they all fit

@ Ona Batlle: blouse got brown buttons so maybe the brown Loafers

@ Lucy: great, they were the comfiest

@ Ona Batlle: pic of the complete fit?

@ Lucy: tomorrow, I don’t want to put everything on again

@ Ona Batlle: lazy

@ Lucy: demanding

@ Ona Batlle: you know me so well

@ Lucy: you send a pic of your outfit then

@ Ona Batlle: no.

@ Lucy: then you’ll just see tomorrow

@ Ona Batlle: fine

Lucy was disappointed Ona didn’t ask her to send a full outfit picture more, she would’ve done it with a bit more insistence, but she guessed Ona wasn’t someone who lowered herself to such things, she was sure Ona would never beg for anything.

...

Saturday afternoon – London, network event.

The event went great, Lucy had been the perfect acquaintance. Making jokes in quiet, boring moments, but shutting up when Ona was talking to people she needed to talk to.

Lucy had on her part also enjoyed the event, there had been going around servers with appetizers and drinks, although they tasted amazing, Lucy tried to stay modest and allowed herself to accept something once in every three time she got offered something.

It was also fun to be around Ona, the woman was classy, she looked beautiful in the emerald colored dress she wore. She wore white heels and had a white bag with her, Lucy didn’t know if she had seen anyone walk as comfortable and elegant in heels as Ona did.

The event had gone by quite quickly, it was already passed eight o'clock.

‘’Oh fuck’’ Ona whispered, pulling Lucy from her thoughts.

They were standing together after Ona had just finished another conversation with an old guy, Lucy had introduced herself too and Ona had told the man they were working on a project together, it was not true but Lucy didn’t mind, and the guy didn’t ask any questions about it anyways.

‘’What?’’ Lucy asked, turning towards Ona.

‘’Don’t look’’ Ona said discretely, ‘’my ex is there, I didn’t know she’d be here’’.

Lucy suppressed her curiosity and kept looking at Ona, ‘’didn’t end well?’’.

‘’No she cheated’’ Ona grimaced, ‘’she’s the worst, she plays unfair both in business and in her private life’’.

‘’That sucks, how long ago-

-oh my god’’ Ona interrupted her, ‘’she’s coming over’’.

As Lucy stood straight again to prepare for an uncomfortable encounter, Ona leaned in and whispered something to her ‘’It was a year ago, if you like you could act like my girlfriend, that would be funny’’.

Lucy grinned and looked at Ona’s face ‘’ofcourse babe’’.

Ona chuckled at the way Lucy took on the role immediately, ‘’if she questions us we answer one after the other’’ she quickly whispered when the women almost had reached them.

‘’Ona!’’ the woman said as she looked at the pair, ‘’nice to see you again’’.

‘’Evelyn’’ Ona said coldly, ‘’how are you’’ she said as the woman forced a greeting with two kisses on her.

‘’I’m good’’ Evelyn said as she directed her gaze to Lucy and eyed the woman, ‘’you to it seems’’.

Lucy extended her hand to the woman who was also wearing a suit, Lucy giggled a little inside at the fact that it was a dark colored suit, since Ona had asked her to wear a light colored suit, ''Lucy, Lucy Bronze'' she introduced herself.

‘’Evelyn Thomas, Thomas real estate’’ the woman said, ‘’what do you do’’.

Lucy smiled, ‘’I am a sports physio, I help injured athletes with their recovery, I am currently also doing research into knee injuries''.

‘’Charity work?’’ Evelyn rudely asked.

Lucy replied with a smile, ‘’well the research doesn’t really bring in money, but that’s a passion of mine, no, I earn my money with my gym, but I get if you’ve never heard of it, it is an quite expensive membership’’.

Evelyn huffed, ‘’sure’’ she turned to Ona.

Lucy stepped closer to Ona rubbed the small of her back before she let her hand rest there.

‘’How long have you two been together?’’.

Ona smiled ‘’about half a year, right Luce?’’. She asked sweetly as she turned to Lucy, who already had her eyes on her.

‘’Best half year of my life’’ Lucy smiled, ‘’It feels like last week that we met’’.

‘’Right babe?’’ Ona sighed out and reached to pet Lucy’s face and kept looking at her, hoping Evelyn would just take the hint and leave.

‘’Allright’’ the woman said, but the pair didn’t look up.

‘’Well, great saying you again Ona’’, she tried.

Ona let her hand glide from Lucy’s face and turned back to Evelyn ‘’oh yeah, I’ll see you around’’.

Lucy smiled, ‘’nice meeting you Evelyn’’ she said in an overly sweet voice.

Lucy took two glasses of champagne from a server that passed them, ‘’here you go darling’’ she joked as she handed Ona one.

‘’Thank you’’ Ona sight as she looked around, ‘’wow, this bitch is still looking at us’’ she whispered in Lucy’s ear.

‘’Behind us?’’ Lucy asked quietly, getting a bit more into Ona’s personal space.

‘’Yeah, don’t look’’.

‘’No I was curious if I could get your consent’’.

‘’For what’’ Ona chuckled.

‘’Touch your butt, I bet she would eat herself up, she is so hung up on you still’’.

Ona grinned and leaned in to kiss Lucy’s neck softly, ‘’do it’’.

The Catalan peeked from Lucy’s neck at the woman a few meters behind them, she saw the woman had her gaze already fixed on Lucy’s hand, the hand that had rested on her lower back until now, smoothly Lucy let her hand travel south and squeezed Ona’s bum. Ona looked back at Lucy’s neck, she didn’t feel the need to watch Evelyn’s face a second longer then necessary.

Ona chuckled as she felt a shiver run down her spine from the way Lucy’s strong hand dug into her clothed flesh.

Lucy rubbed the place she had just squeezed gently and let her hand rest on the small of Ona’s back again, just a bit lower then she had been before.

‘’Thank you’’ Ona quietly said.

Lucy looked at her with a wicked grin, ‘’it was a pleasure’’.

Ona rolled her eyes, ‘’not that, for playing along’’.

‘’I was talking about that’’, Lucy said with raised eyebrows, trying to come across honest, ‘’okay squeezing your butt was fun too I guess’’ she sighed.

Ona’s mouth hang open to act as if she felt offended, ‘’liar’’.

‘’No I feel a bit like a cheap whore’’.

Ona chuckled, ‘’a cheap whore?’’.

‘’You buy me clothes in exchange for physical services’’.

‘’You make it sound like I’ll make you sleep with me’’.

‘’are you not?’’ Lucy said acting disappointed.

‘’Lucy!’’ Ona said in disbelieve, ‘’are you proposing to come home with me’’.

‘’I mean, the house of the best realtor is probably very impressive, maybe you can give me a tour’’.

‘’I thought you joined me to distract me from work, not give me more’’.

Lucy shrugged, ‘’okay, worth a try’’.

Ona grumbled on the inside, she wanted Lucy to come with her, but she wasn’t about to beg, ‘’fine’’ she stated, ‘’let’s go then, this event is dead anyways’’.

..

They were stood in the elevator of Ona’s building, ‘’how are you so bold all of a sudden?’’ Ona asked.

Lucy smirked, ‘’bold, how?’’.

‘’You straight up asked me to sleep with you’’ Ona said as she studied Lucy.

Lucy held her hands up, ‘’I’m confident in my abilities to break personal records with you in several areas, the bedroom being one of them’’.

Ona’s jaw dropped, ‘’does that work on all the girls you hit on’’.

‘’No just the one that are attracted to me’’ she answered with a smug smile.

‘’I’m not- i- how do you-

Lucy grinned, ‘’the dressing rooms are not call-proof, or at least, if it’s a private call, you should probably choose another place from now on’’.

Ona blushed and groaned, ‘’you heard that?’’ she said with a scrunched up nose and palmed her face.

The elevator stopped and with an elegant tone it indicated the arrival to the top floor.

Lucy smiled as the smaller woman walked away with cutely blushed cheeks and opened the door, Lucy followed Ona who stepped in to her appartement.

When she took of her shoes Lucy did the same.

‘’wow’’ Lucy gasped as she walked over to the windows, ‘’this is amazing’’.

‘’Thanks’’ Ona said, ‘’do you want something to drink?’’.

Lucy turned around with a smile, ‘’maybe after the tour? I had some drinks there already’’.

‘’Okay’’ Ona said as she got herself a sparkling water ‘’Okay this is the kitchen, that is the living-

‘’nooo’’ Lucy pouted and walked back to Ona, ‘’the fun way, make me want to buy this place’’ she said as she discarded her jacket on one of the bar stools.

‘’You already would’’.

Lucy rolled her eyes ‘’Like how you-

‘’don’t roll your eyes at me’’ Ona blurted out before she knew it was happening.

Lucy’s mouth fell open, ‘’says you! You roll your eyes every once 10 minutes’’.

Ona walked around the counter and stepped into Lucy’s personal space, ‘’shut up, I can do what I want’’ she said with a grin.

Lucy looked her, quiet from the sudden closeness, ‘’you shut up’’ she said, coming out clumsier than she wanted.

Ona chuckled, ‘’make me shut up then’’ she said as she traced her hand along the row of buttons from Lucy’s blouse.

‘’If you don’t stop me I’ll kiss you’’ Lucy said as she leaned in.

Ona smiled against her lips, ‘’if you don’t kiss me I’ll book you a cab home’’.

Their lips crashed in a hungry, exciting kiss, Lucy was the first to introduce tongue in their facade and Ona cupped the back of her neck as she gladly accepted it in.

Lucy’s hands travelled to the hips she had been eyeing all afternoon, the smaller woman looking delicious at the way the dress hugged her figure just right.

The English pressed herself closer against the Catalan.

Ona broke the kiss.

They both panted as Lucy tilted her head in confusion, ‘’not okay?’’.

‘’How about a quick tour of the bedroom?’’ Ona answered instead.

Lucy gulped, ‘’please’’.

Ona grinned as she took Lucy’s hand and guided her to her bedroom, ‘’wow’’ she gasped for a second time this evening.

‘’Is this enough light for you?’’ Ona asked, ‘’if you want more light we have to close the curtains’’.

Lucy quickly turned to face the woman, ‘’yes, lights on and curtains closed please, I’m not about to be on display for everyone in London to see’’.

‘’that’s why you keep the light off’’ Ona chuckled, ‘’and it can be fun you know, exciting’’.

Lucy shook her head, ‘’nah, as much as I like the view, I bet the view in here will be way better’’.

‘’Oh quite the charmer’’ Ona said as she pushed the button and the curtains started closing, ‘’ let's see if you can live up to all that big talk’’.

Lucy walked over to her and went in for another kiss, much shorter this time, ‘’just give me the green light and I’ll make you experience things you have never before’’.

‘’sure Bronze’’, Ona said as she started to undo to buttons from her blouse, ‘’you have permission do what you want, just stop if I say so’’.

Lucy grinned, ‘’always princess, your wish is my command’’ with that she attached their lips again.

While they were kissing Lucy shook her blouse off, figuring Ona wanted that as she had been tugging on the ting for minutes now. She walked with Ona towards the bed, making her walk backwards. When they were almost there Ona broke the kiss ‘’take my dress off’’ she said breathlessly.

Lucy grinned, ‘’not yet, you look so pretty in it’’ she said before planting her tongue back in Ona’s mouth, a few small sounds escaped the smaller woman as Lucy deepened the kiss and reached to pull up Ona’s dress.

She pushed Ona on the edge of the bed and started kissing her neck, ‘’do you want this’’ she asked between kisses ‘’want me to make you feel so good’’ she asked before licking and sucking the sensitive spots on Ona’s neck.

Ona whimpered, ‘’yes’’.

‘’Allright pretty girl’’ Lucy said she dropped to her knees, she looked up to meet Ona’s eyes as she started to kiss the insides of her thighs, ‘’I bet you taste so good’’ Lucy said as her hands travelled along the skin of Ona’s legs, giving her goose bumps.

‘’Can I taste you?’’ Lucy said as she latched her mouth to Ona’s other leg, she saw the Catalan fighting to keep composure, ‘’y-yes’’ she said with a breathy voice.

‘’Are you so worked up already?’’ Lucy playfully asked as she redirected her gaze to Ona’s thong, a dark-green piece of lace, with an even darker green spot right between the Spaniards legs.

Lucy kissed closer and closer towards the woman’s heat, until she could smell her wetness. Lucy groaned and sat back, ‘’up’’ she ordered as she hooked her fingers in the underwear.

Ona quickly cooperated.

Lucy dropped the thongs on the floor and went back to kissing Ona’s bare legs.

‘’Fuck Lucy, get your mouth on me’’ Ona said jaded.

With a smug face Lucy looked at her, ‘’you still think you’re calling the shots here?’’ she said as she let two fingers glide along Ona’s slick.

‘’Please’’ Ona whimpered.

This was all Lucy needed to hear, the rest of the begging could be done later, now she needed to get a taste.

She spread Ona’s leg wide with her hands as she dove in, letting her tongue glide softly along Ona’s core to make her get used to it.

She reached out for Ona’s hand and placed it in her hair as she kept up the gentle exploration.

When she had found a spot that she felt made Ona quiver, she grinned and kept Ona’s legs apart more strongly before diving in completely.

Ona’s eyes rolled back in their sockets, she head never experienced head like this before.

The skilled tongue rippling against her clit, the strong hands, making her spread out for the English woman on the edge of her bed.

With the hand that was guided to Lucy’s hair she gripped the woman’s dark brown hair, pushing her deeper against her, Ona felt the orgasm building up already. If it didn’t feel this good she would surely have been embarrassed about it.

‘’merda, se sent molt bé’’ (feels so fucking good) Ona moaned before she bit her lips as she struggled to keep herself up, leaning with one hand on the mattress.

Lucy didn’t know what the woman above her was muttering about, but she figured the words were positive. With two fingers of her right hand she teased Ona’s entrance, at this her legs shocked. Lucy looked up.

Ona groaned at the loss of stimulation and looked down at Lucy, ‘’fuck, you can use your fingers’’.

Lucy smirked as she put the fingers inside Ona’s mouth, as Ona sucked at them, covering them in her saliva. Lucy returned to what she was doing, she let her tongue dance along Ona’s clit.

When Ona opened her mouth and moaned, Lucy pulled her hand away and with very little preparation she plunged them inside of the dripping hole between Ona’s legs, deserving a loud guttural moan.

Lucy curled her fingers and searched for Ona’s weak spot, when she’d found it she started thrusting her fingers in a steady but provokingly slow pace.

The difference in paces from Lucy’s tongue and her fingers drove Ona mad, she couldn’t keep her eyes open as her eyes kept rolling back and the arm where she was leaning on was shaking.

After a few second she dropped on her, the leg that Lucy wasn’t keeping open with a hand almost crashed into Lucy but she didn’t budge.

Lucy sat up a bit more and kept working her tongue and hand as she felt Ona’s walls convulsing around her fingers.

She groaned as she felt a new gush of wetness covering her fingers, and dripping on her hand.

With a loud moan and a tight fist in Lucy’s hair, the woman below her orgasmed.

Lucy smiled as she slowly came to a stop and sat back when the hand left her head.

Ona's legs came back together and she stretched with her arms above her, "that was…" she breathed out.

Lucy grinned, ‘’quick?’’ she offered.

Ona sat up and rolled her eyes, ‘’I was going to say good’’.

‘’Both can be true’’ Lucy with a smug face.

..

After a few hours well spent, Lucy and Ona were standing under her rain shower.

‘’Do you want to sleep here?’’ Ona asked as she was lathering herself up with soap.

Lucy grinned ‘’are you asking out of politeness?’’.

‘’Maybe’’ Ona grinned back, ‘’don’t want you to feel like a cheap whore’’.

Lucy laughed, ‘’no I’ll book my own cab home, thanks’’.

‘’I had fun’’ Ona said sincerely, ‘’thanks for coming along’’.

‘’Me too’’ Lucy returned, ‘’and I’m happy for it to be a one time thing’’.

‘’Mhm’’ Ona said, ‘’perfect’’. She was amazed with Lucy’s maturity about the matter, some woman could get very offended.

‘’What do you want me to do with the shoes and shirts?’’ Lucy asked as they were drying off.

Ona smiled, ‘’keep ‘em, give ‘em away, I don’t care, it costs me more to make effort returning them, then what I would get for it’’.

Lucy shook her head in disbelieve but thought it was very kind she had bought her the things, ‘’thank you’’.

Ona nodded, ‘’it was my pleasure’’.

As Lucy walked back to the bedroom to put her suit back on, Ona just put her robe on, she was home alone anyways, she couldn’t help but look at Lucy’s back and ass, looking perfectly toned.

She bended to pick her clothes up and turned around to lay it on the bed, she looked at the clothes before looking at Ona.

Lucy caught the Catalan staring at her abs and grinned, ‘’could I borrow a pair of briefs?’’ she asked, ‘’I can’t put this back on’’, she said as she held her underwear up.

Ona gaze traveled form Lucy’s muscles to the piece of cloth and she smiled, ‘’ofcourse’’ she said before going into her walk-in wardrobe.

She came back and handed Lucy the underwear, ‘’and you can keep this too’’ she winked.

After that, Ona left Lucy to get dressed and went to the kitchen, she downed the glass of sparkling water that was still on the counter and went to her table, opening the laptop that laid there.

In a few minutes she was completely indulged with the things on her screen and hadn’t noticed Lucy been done with getting dressed, now standing infront of her.

‘’Bye Ona’’ Lucy said as she walked closer to the woman.

Ona jumped at the voice breaking the silence, but quickly got her composure back and smiled, ‘’sorry, I was reading something’’ she stood up, ‘’I’ll see you Tuesday Lucy, thanks again’’.

‘’I had fun’’ Lucy smiled, ‘’I’ll see myself out, see you Tuesday’’.

..

Tuesday night –  Bronze Fitness Forge, London

Ona and Lucy had another session. They both thought back at their one nightstand as a perfect encounter, the sex had been good and they were both on the same terms as far as relationships are concerned.

Lucy didn't think Ona was the type of girl she’d ever date, but she could say that she was absolutely perfect in terms of appearance. The fact that she was shorter, the freckles, her slightly defined muscles and most of all her perfect butt. Ona’s ass might be her favorite thing about the woman.

Ona was happy Lucy had been on the same page as her about at sleeping over, she didn’t like waking up next to people, they often looked and smelt bad and Ona didn’t like anyone in the world enough to deal with that. Ona was happy to go to the woman’s gym again this day, she felt like her sexual frustration had been cleared up and was ready to maybe even break that squatting PR.

Lucy was a little bit nervous about seeing the woman again, hoping it wouldn’t be awkward, she had gotten in a bit earlier than last time, to make sure they could at least get dressed separately. Even though she would be lying if she’d say she wasn’t at least a little bit curious if the hickey’s she had left were still there.

She shook her head, she shouldn’t be thinking about this. Ona had been perfectly clear, heck she had wanted it herself, this was a one time thing and in a month they’d maybe never see eachother again.

Ona came walking in to the gym, disrupting Lucy’s string of thoughts.

‘’Hey Ona’’ she cheerfully said, but she couldn’t help but notice the fact Ona was wearing a shirt and shorts now, rather then the sports bra she had worked out in until now.

‘’Lucy’’ Ona smiled, ‘’ready to break some records?’’.

‘’I sure am’’ Lucy said, ‘’do we go squatting straight after warm up?’’.

‘’Yes’’ Ona replied, ‘’I hope I can do more then 50 today’’.

‘’Enthusiastic, i love it’’

‘’Oh you know me’’ Ona joked.

‘’Always enthusiastic to break records’’ Lucy said, after which she cringed at herself.

They warmed up and went to the weight rack, ‘’hey have you already set it up?’’ Ona asked, smiling.

‘’Ofcourse’’ Lucy said smugly, ‘’six sessions left until you’re doing 55’’.

Ona rolled her eyes, ‘’if you weren’t hot I would’ve hired another personal trainer six sessions ago’’.

Lucy chuckled, ‘’well first off all thanks, second off all, what do you think a good personal trainer does then’’.

The Spaniard shrugged, ‘’not being annoying’’.

‘’I am not annoying’’ Lucy said as she quirked her eyebrows.

‘’How would you describe a person using insults as motivation’’ Ona challenged her.

‘’motivational’’

‘’annoying’’

‘’did you do those reps or not’’

‘’yes’’

‘’so, motivational’’ Lucy stated as if it was settled.

Ona shook her head and walked over to take place under the bar, ‘’please keep from your motivations until really really can’t go anymore’’ she stood up and took the bar on her shoulders, ‘’until then, you spot me quietly’’.

‘’yes ma’am’’ Lucy joked as she took position behind Ona, ‘’I kidding, I’ll shut up’’.

Surprisingly, Ona squatted the 50kg the first 8 reps perfectly, without any problem.

‘’I’m impressed’’ Lucy said as Ona was shaking her legs to get ready for the last set, ‘’you finally found your right mindset’’.

Ona smiled but kept quiet, she couldn’t get distracted now.

She took place under the bar again and accidentally walked into Lucy with her butt.

‘’Oh sorry’’ Lucy chuckled as she took a step back, ‘’okay last 4, let’s go’’.

Ona blushed at the way heat traveled to her core from the brief touch.

She took the weight on her shoulders for the third time and for some reason they felt twice as heavy.

Ona didn’t squat but kept standing there with the weights in her neck.

‘’Come on Ona, you can do it’’ she felt Lucy’s hot breath in her neck.

‘’I don’t know if I-

‘’You can do it Ona’’ Lucy pressed up against Ona, and put her hand under her arms, ‘’we’ll do it together’’.

Ona gulped as she felt Lucy front pushed against her.

She squatted and easily came back up with Lucy’s strength supporting her, she wanted to rack the weights as she stood straight again.

‘’3 more Ona’’ Lucy said in her ear.

Ona groaned as she did another.

‘’Good job Ona’’ Lucy said, in a voice close to a whisper. Ona couldn’t help but think the woman was doing this on purpose, she was so close, Ona could feel her abs in her back, and her thighs against her own, no other trainer had ever spotted her like this.

After the four squats Ona racked the bar and turned around, Lucy stepped back.

She studied the woman’s face, Lucy casted her eyes to the ground.

Ona ducked under the bar and stepped into Lucy’s personal space, she noticed a slight blush on the English woman her cheeks, but then again that could be from warming up.

Ona shook her head, thinking it was her mind playing tricks with her, ‘’so what next’’ she asked.

Lucy looked up at her with surprise but quickly put on a neutral face again, ‘’have you ever bench pressed?’’.

‘’Ofcourse’’ Ona chuckled.

Lucy insisted on showing Ona the best technique and did a few quick sets with the weights she had grabbed for Ona.

However, when Ona did the sets with those weights it went a lot less smoothly.

After the set Ona set up and set the weights down on the ground.

Lucy took place on the bench next to her, ‘’have you ever heard about the mind-muscle connection?’’.

‘’no’’ Ona said as she shook her head.

‘’Okay, so during an exercise touching the muscle is a great way to help increase the mind-muscle connection. When you physically touch the muscle, it provides tactile feedback that can be used to better understand which muscles are being targeted and how they should feel during an exercise’’. Lucy explained.

‘’Look’’ she said as she did a bicep curl, ‘’I am working my bicep right now, so then I’ll tap or touch the muscle and that will eventually help with increasing strength in that muscle’’.

Ona sighed, ‘’okay, so you are going to be poking my biceps as I bench press’’.

‘’With a bench press we target arms, shoulders and chest’’ Lucy said, ‘’one of the most useful exercise to work on your mind-muscle connection with, as you automatically start to use the muscles that are touched more then when you just do it, it helps with knowing from where you need to provide strength into the push’’.

‘’Okay lets do it professora’’ Ona chuckled.

While she was benching the weights Lucy poked the concerning muscles, but Ona couldn´t really take it serious, she was getting distracted with the way Lucy´s hands were resting on her chest now, just above her boobs.

´´don´t be so distracted Ona, focus´´ Lucy said, as she noticed Ona slowing her pace.

´´Allright´´ she said, and Lucy retracted her hands at her sudden harsh voice, the effect she hoped it would have, she dropped the weights besides her, ´´you sit here´´ she said as she stood up.

Lucy looked at her confused, ´´what?’’.

‘’Go sit here and do bench presses’’.

Lucy was confused but went to do what Ona ordered, as she had took the weights in her hands she started, ‘’just like this’’ she carefully said.

‘’Yes’’ Ona said as she took place on Lucy’s lap, ‘’go on, keep going’’ she said as she let her hands travel along Lucy’s arms, shoulders, chest and ended at her abs, as Lucy stopped and looked confused at her she repeated what the English woman had told her earlier, ´´don´t be so distracted Lucy, focus´´.

Lucy chuckled, ‘’I wasn’t sitting on your lap’’.

‘’I wasn’t grinding into your ass’’ Ona bit back.

Lucy set the weights besides her, ´´I’m sorry.. I couldn´t..

´´couldn´t what Lucy?’’ Ona sat as she leaned closer towards Lucy’s face, ‘’couldn’t help but wanting to feel my ass?’’.

The English woman swallowed hard, she knew it wasn’t professional of her.

Ona bit her lip as she looked at the woman squirming below her.

She leant to whisper something in Lucy’s ear, ‘’I am going to take a shower’’ she said before softly laying a single kiss in Lucy neck and getting up.

Without turning around she walked towards the changing room, hoping Lucy would follow her.

Lucy scrambled to sit up and wondered what the fuck just happened, she was very confused, a part of screamed that she should follow the woman, another part said to stay in the gym, as she had done more then enough.

-I am going to take a shower-, the words repeated over and over in her head, if Ona really wouldn’t have wanted her to follow her she would’ve surely said something else right, and not give her a kiss.

Without more contemplation Lucy jumped up, she hurried to the changing room and got in, the shower was already running, Lucy spotted Ona’s clothing on the bench.

‘’Uhm’’ Lucy cleared her throat, ‘’sorry’’.

‘’I can’t here you’’ Ona called from under the water, ‘’what did you say?’’.

Lucy  stepped closer to the shower, the shower was just an extension of the dressing room, separated by a tiled wall and a corner, in there were 4 showerheads, which turned out to be the stupidest setup ever, as only one person showered here at a time, but they hadn’t thought about it like that when she helped designing the place.

‘’Sorry’’ she tried again.

Ona chuckled, ‘’Luce come here’’.

Lucy stepped along the wall and was met with a very wet, very naked Ona.

Ona grinned and walked towards Lucy, ‘’it’s okay’’ she said before pressing the taller woman against the wall, ‘’but now you've triggered something in me’’.

‘’w-what’’.

‘’Strip’’ Ona said coldly.

Lucy did as told and stepped out of her shoes before she threw her clothes in to the dressing room, in the same undressed state as the Spaniard she walked back to her.

‘’Good’’ Ona said as she pulled Lucy by her wrist to join her under the weak beam of warm water.

Lucy closed her arms around Ona and pulled her in for a deep kiss.

Ona groaned and broke the kiss, ‘’I don’t know what it is but I feel a weirdly big amount of attraction towards you’’.

Lucy narrowed her eyes, ‘’thanks I guess, I think you’re very hot too’’.

‘’No’’ Ona rolled her eyes, ‘’I mean, I have never not been able to suppress the urge to fuck someone’’.

Lucy smirked, ‘’it’s hard when it’s that good’’.

Ona rolled her eyes again, ‘’shut up, your dumb words turn me off’’ she said before kissing Lucy again.

The English woman grinned against Ona’s lips as her hand roamed Ona’s body until they settled between her legs, ‘’Do you get wet when you’re turned off?’’ she asked with an annoying smirk on her face, ‘’or where you lying’’.

‘’I am not lying’’ Ona said as turned them around, ‘’you’re the hottest when your mouth is closed’’.

Lucy chuckled as Ona dropped to her knees and kissed along her upper thighs. ‘’Or when you are cumming’’ Ona added before tugging one of Lucy’s legs on to her shoulder.

She made sure Lucy’s other leg was planted firmly on the ground before she buried her head in between the woman’s legs. Lucy closed her eyes as the shorter woman hungrily started eating her out. Ona reached around Lucy to grab her ass and guided her to grind down on her face. The muscular woman let out a groan and gripped Ona’s hair. The groans of Lucy and humming of Ona echoed in the tiled room.

 With a hand coming down on the Catalans shoulder, pressing into her, she almost lost balance for a second, but she recovered and gripped tighter into the flesh of Lucy’s ass while she kept fucking with her tongue in and out of her entrance.

The leg that was hanging over her shoulder started jolting as Ona heard the breath of the woman above her get more and more unsteady. Lucy felt she was about to come undone and braced herself on Ona and the shower wall, grabbing the rod where the shower was connected to.

She bit her lips as she looked down at the beautiful woman bobbing her head between her own legs, she grabbed the hair she was holding and pulled at the roots as she pushed the head deeper into her core. Ona moaned at the act, a shiver traveled along Lucy’s spine at the vibration.

‘’Fuck’’ she breathed, ‘’I’m cumming’’.

At that last word her voice went up her voice went up an octave and her eyes rolled back while an electric pulse travelled through her body. Ona kept lapping at Lucy, dirty sounds filling the room, only when Lucy’s hips started jerking from sensitivity, she stopped. Only now she realized how hard she had been holding onto Lucy and she caressed the skin gently before pulling her hands back. She sat back and stood up to look at Lucy.

The English woman wore a dopey grin, with hooded eyes she smiled at Ona, ‘’that was amazing’’ she said as if she was under the influence of drugs.

‘’Good’’ Ona said, ‘’because I need this to be our last time’’.

At those words Lucy seemed to get sobered up immediately, ‘’I’m not done’’ she said.

Ona rolled her eyes but couldn’t ignore the way she felt her core pulsing at Lucy’s hungry gaze. Lucy stepped closer and kissed her. Lucy grinned as she felt the Catalan pushing herself against her, almost searching for some kind of relieve with the way her core searches for one of Lucy’s thighs.

‘’Not here’’ Lucy said as she broke the kiss, ‘’come home with me’’.

PART 2

[rogueddie]

Steve groans at the sound of his alarm, batting his hand around the side table until he hits it hard enough to shut it up. He gets up, rubbing his eyes as he moves to the bathroom on autopilot.

He's not just tired, he's exhausted. But he always is at Christmas. He struggles to get enough sleep at the best of times but, since Dustin would kill him if he's late, Christmas is the one time he has to wake up early. It's miserable, every year. The motels only add to his suffering.

As he's washing his face, he freezes. He quickly rinses his face, prodding at the skin. There's no lines, no wrinkles, no crows feet. He doesn't even have his beard. That's when he notices his hair. His hand shoots back, grabbing at the longer strands at the back of his neck.

He hasn't had his mullet for at least 30 years. Not since 1989.

Hurrying back to his room, he nearly recoils. He'd forgotten about the plaid walls and curtains. But he quickly brushes that aside, quickly looking around for anything out of the ordinary. He wishes he could just pull out his mobile, sure that Robin would-

Robin!

He darts down the stairs, to the main phone. But is immediately reminded of how bad the old phones were. He can't remember what Robins old number was and he's sure the one he does remember will be wrong. And it's not written down anywhere either.

But it starts ringing, just as he starts walking away.

"Hello?" He says, struggling to keep his voice even.

"When will you get here?" Dustin asks. "You said you'd be up by now!"

"Dustin, oh thank god, I'm so glad to hear your voice," Steve sighs, rubbing his forehead. "Something really fucking weird is going on with me, dude."

"Weird? Like... Upside Down weird?"

"What? El shut- or has... what year is it?"

"1985. Are you ok? What's going on?"

Steve laughs, high and hysterical. "Uh, well... when I went to sleep last night, it was still 2021, so... no. I'm not ok."

"Are you being serious?"

"Unfortunately. Wait, 1985... that means-"

"No! Don't tell me!" Dustin yells so loud that Steve has to pull the phone away from his ear for a moment. "You can't just tell people what's going to happen! You could change the future!"

"Good!"

"No, not good! You might be trying to make things better, but you could make them worse. Especially if you actually tell people what's going to happen. You need to be subtle."

"Subtle, right..." Steve looks towards the door, pondering. "Right... uh... I'll see you later."

"What? Steve-!"

He hangs up before Dustin can continue to scold him, hurrying up the stairs and throwing on the first clean polo and jeans he finds. His old trainers are at the bottom of the stairs, just as remembers them being- they'd lasted decades before they fell apart, even though they'd always been loose and worn enough that Steve could slide them on, even though he keeps them tied.

It takes him a while to drive to the trailer park. He takes a wrong turn, completely forgetting the way. It's been so long since he's been in Hawkins and, even then, he wasn't familiar with this route.

"Um, hi, sir," Steve says, trying to smile when faced with Eddies uncle. He's not sure if he was always so stand-off or if Eddies death did that to him. "Is- is Eddie home?"

He grunts, eyeing Steve. "Gimme a moment."

He shuts the door, but he doesn't leave Steve waiting for long.

Eddie is the one to open the door. He gently pushes Steve back from the door, gesturing for him to follow him. Steve jogs to keep up with his fast pace, too busy staring to pay attention to how tense he is.

"Alright, what do you want?" Eddie sounds annoyed. Impatient. He's glaring at Steve and crossing his arms.

He looks amazing.

"Right, sorry," Steve shakes his head. "Sorry. Uh, this... ok, there's no way I can say this without sounding insane, so I'm just gonna say it, alright?"

"... Alright?"

"Chrissy Cunningham is going to try and buy from you in March. I don't know what she asks for, but if it means you bring her back here, don't. Just- sell her some weed, whatever you can carry on you. Don't bring her back here."

"She your girlfriend, or something?"

"No. God no. I just... something bad will happen. I'm sorry, I know that's... I sound stupid. But please, please," Steve can't help but step forward, grabbing Eddies hand. "Please don't bring her back here."

"Ok, alright, I won't sell to her," Eddies eyes are a little wide. "Jesus. I'll take your word for it."

"Thank you. Thank you so much."

Eddie stares at him for a moment, raises a brow. "Is that it? You, uh, gonna let me go now, big boy?"

"Oh! Right, sorry, yeah. Um. Merry Christmas?"

"Yeah," Eddie laughs, starting to head back to the trailer. "Merry Christmas."

Dustin yells at him for an hour straight once he drives to his house. He's red in the face by the time he finishes and looks one wrong word away from hitting him. But Steves already done what he wanted to do, he won't change it now and he won't tell Dustin what he said so he can either.

But he does tell Dustin the time to start paying attention. Without Eddie to get them on the case, they won't figure out how to save Max in time. He doesn't tell Dustin anything either, just the date of Chrissys death. He wishes he could think of a way to save her, but his mind runs a blank. And Dustin won't let him ask him. And Dustin refuses to leave him alone long enough to ask anyone else.

By the time he goes to bed, he's happy to think that he's done enough. Though, like Dustin, he wonders what will happen next. If he'll stay in 1985 or wake up in the changed future. Wonders what that would mean for his past self.

He wakes up warm, comfortable, and well rested. Someone has their arms around his waist, pressed fully up behind him, light kisses trailing up his neck, along his jaw.

Steve hums, yawning. "Who's 'at?"

"Morning to you too," the person behind him snickers.

Curious, Steve turns. He freezes, eyes wide. "Eddie?"

"Who else would it be?" Eddie smirks, but that slowly drops, realization dawning on him. "You were just in the past, weren't you? Wait- shit, no, hold on, do you remember anything past that?"

"I don't- ow!" Steve squeezes his eyes shut, head throbbing. "Fuck. Ow, fucking... shit."

"What? What is it? Baby, what's wrong?"

"I don't know," Steve whines, clutching at his head. "You were dead but you- got a job at the record store?"

"Oh, ok, this is good," Eddie curls his arms around him, pulling him close. "This is good. Dustin said this might happen. It's the conflicting timelines or whatever. Your timeline catching up with the new one."

"What the fuck does that mean?"

"Honestly? I don't know. I just know that, like, you might have two sets of memories- or your original ones get forgotten, or something. But this... this is good. God, Stevie, the idea that you'd forget this current timeline..."

He tries to think of what might have changed, new memories or old ones he can't recall. It just makes his head hurt. "How long will it be until I, like... remember everything? I barely remember the 86 with you alive."

"Who knows. Weeks, maybe? Might always be confusing. But... um. I died? Was that... why you were so adamant that I didn't sell to Chrissy?"

"Yeah, it- it got you caught up in the, uh... stuff."

"The Upside Down? Yeah, I did get caught up in that. Hard not to when your town suddenly rips apart. So, what, I originally got caught up earlier?"

"Right at the start. You, uh... you died to save us."

"Now I know you're lying. I'm not one for the big hero moves, that's your job."

"Shut up," Steve snaps. He lifts his head so he can glare. "Shut up. You were a hero. You were- you are. You- you-"

"Hey," Eddie wraps him up in his arms, one hand coming up to brush through his hair. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that, Stevie, I'm really sorry. I'm ok though, yeah? You made sure of that. It's ok. I got you. I've got you. We're safe."

Steve sniffles, grimacing at the snot he leaves on Eddies top. The sight brings forth vague, distant memories- his but also... not.

"You do this a lot, huh?" Steve asks.

Eddie smiles, cupping his face, thumb brushing some tears off his cheek. "Yeah. It's not always easy, but I'm always here."

"Oh, wait... have I missed Christmas?"

"Just the day. Dustin remembered that you said 2021 so... we all wanted to wait. We're doing Christmas today."

"Really? Why?"

"Mostly because they wanted to be here, just in case. You made us promise, too."

"Just in case?"

"In case you forgot, baby. We don't know what you changed. Sandy is going to be very disappointed- she was excited to meet you again."

"Sandy?" Steve frowns, but the memory almost immediately hits him.

A baby, premature, and so small that she was barely bigger than his hands. Dustin's face, wet with tears but so proud, introducing the baby to Uncle Steve.

"Oh, Sandy," Steve whispers the name with reverence.

Eddie kisses him, almost desperately. He pulls back fast though. "Sorry, that was- fuck, Stevie. You're really remembering."

He sobs, startling Steve. "Woah, hey, Eds."

"Sorry. Fuck, we prepared so much but it... God, Steve, I don't think I'd be able to handle it if you never remembered again."

Steve presses a small, hesitant kiss to his cheek. "I don't think you'd have too much to worry about."

"Yeah, that's great," Eddie laughs. "My husband would've found me attractive even with amnesia."

"We're married?"

Eddie groans, flopping onto his back. "Of course that's what gets you excited. Time travel? Too boring for Steve Munson! Where's the adventure? But marriage?!" Eddie gasps dramatically. "Oh my, mister, that sounds mighty exciting!"

"Hey, I'm supposed to be the love of your life, stop being mean to me."

"Oh, don't go pouting at me like that, big boy. Even you should know that I have no self-restraint."

"Promise?"

[sofasoap]

Accidental meet cute

Pairing : Kyle “Gaz” Garrick x F!reader

Summary: What happens when your friend tries to be a cupid behind your back?

Part of Gaz Fest 2023

Warning : M rating. Semi-crack, meet cute. Coarse languages.

A/N: Thank you @glitterypirateduck for organising the writing festival!! * cheering *

Thank you @siilvan and @jynxmirage for listening to my brain storming blabberings :) Based on real life event ( ..80% of it ) see End A/N.

Enjoy!!

Moving away from the crowd as you finish watching one of the bands onstage, in search of some beverages to quench your thirst. 

You were dragged along to the music festival by your friend, which to be honest, you had no interest in attending at all. After being nudged and bribed ( well, thinking back, more like coerced) by your friend and with promises of staying in a caravan instead of roughing it out in a basic tent and possible muddy floor, you gave in.

“Come on! My parents said they can lend us their old caravan, there’s enough space for four of us in there. There's a toilet and a basic shower.” your friend trying hard to sell you the idea. “ Plus, you seriously need to get out and experience the sunlight. You can’t coop up at home all the time, and complain about you never getting a chance to find your ‘soulmate’ “ putting her hands up and doing an air quotation mark, she exasperated. 

Well, that is true. You aren’t the most outgoing person, and it is time to finally do some socialisation, to enjoy life a little bit, and maybe, just that maybe, you can break your record of partnerness life. 

You didn’t quite expect the tricks and plots your friend went to trying to find you a date.

As you were ordering a glass of wine from the mobile bar not far away, your phone started ringing. Frowning as you stare at the unknown number, you hesitated for a few seconds before picking it up. 

“Hello???” 

“Heyyyyy is this uh…what’s her name again??” the speaker on the other side of the phone turned away to call out to someone in the background, and you heard a mumble which sounded like your name as a reply. Is that your friend Emma’s voice???

“OH yes hey hey.” They greeted you again with your name. “I got this number from your friend, and my friend Kyle, who I might add is a very handsome fellow, is quite willing to meet up with you.” A vague muffled protest could be heard in the background, but was quickly shushed by the speaker on the phone. 

You pull your phone away, staring at the screen, utterly confused. What the hell is this about??

“Hey handsome!! Take this!!” 

Kyle looked down at the wrist band a random passerby just threw into his hand, with what seems to be phone numbers written on it.

“If you are interested, ring the number!!”  Ah so he was right. “Wait,” Pulling the girl back, “Interested in what?” 

The girl giggled, “My friend! We are trying to get her out of the dating desert.” Holding up the wristful of bands, “We made a whole lot of these and now giving it out to people, see if we will get some luck. Oh, she doesn’t know about it though.” Kyle cocked an eyebrow, silently questioning the girl’s method without the said person’s consent. 

“OH he is definitely interested, you got a picture of her?” Kyle’s friend perked up beside him,leaning his head onto his shoulder as he wrapped his around around the other. “What a coincidence, we are trying to get our good buddy here,” patting Kyle’s shoulder and in the process nearly spilling the beer in his hand. “Some actions as well. He’s been wayyy too busy with work to brush some rust off his dick.”

Trust his good friend to say something decent. 

The girl just laughed, and took out her phone, scrolling through the photo album and flipped the screen towards Kyle and friend. “There, that’s her, third from the right. What do you think?” 

“Sorry but who the hell is this and how in the hell did you get my number??” You semi yelled into the phone, as the background crowd noise and the band on stage started playing again.

“Your friend Emma! She was giving out numbers to people!” 

OH that bitch… you turned around to look at your two other friends, who are currently holding drinks in their hands, with a stiff smile on their face, looking semi guilty but not sorry at all. 

“Surprise!”  One of your friends laughed nervously as you glared at them, hands up trying to defend themselves. “We just want to help you..”   

“Hello?? Hellooo? You still there?” you turned back to your phone, ignoring your friend’s comment. “ Put Emma on the phone for me, PLEASE.”  You try to sound as polite as possible to the stranger on the phone as you requested for your friend, but a hint of anger still sips through. 

“So, explain yourself.” You growled. 

“Oh, you’ll like him, I promise.” Dodging your anger, Emma quickly put forward her case, “Look, I can see him right in front of me, I chatted to him for a bit, and his friend, who is equally as cute,” she sighed, “ come on, just come over to meet him! He fits all your criteria, plus, he did mention you are his type. So, just pop over to the beer bar on the other side of the main stage, he will meet you there.” 

“I don’t think your friend is that interested in me by the sound of it… ““Relax! She is TOTALLY interested!” Just before you hung up the call you briefly overheard Emma reassuring… Kyle? 

Ah well. Why not? Let’s give it a try. This isn’t much difference to some blind date or meeting up through a dating app right?

And for the second time, you gave in to your friend.

“What did Emma say he looks like??” your friend whispered into your ear, as the three of you looked around the bar area, trying to spot the guy.

 Looking down at her phone, checking the message Emma sent through; “Let see.. Uh, Dark skin, short curly hair..taller than you? Brown eyes.. And.. scar on his cheek on the left? How vague can this woman be…”she mumbled. 

Your eye stopped at this tall dark man standing at the corner of the bar. 

There he is, in a simple white singlet, ¾ blue jeans and matching cream colour shoes and jacket tied around his waist. 

Casual, yet stylish. And wooah boy, the tight fit clothing definitely shows off his lean but well toned muscles beautifully. Is it suddenly getting hotter in here?

“I think that’s him there….” you whispered into your friend’s ear as you pointed to him.”he is the only one that fits all the description…” 

“Let me go scout him out.” Before you can say anything or pull her back, she marched towards the bar, full of purpose. 

She subtly slid into the gap between him and the patron next to him, ordering a drink, while trying to side eye him at same time. 

Her eyes brighten up as she spotted something, and turn towards facing you and your other friend, nodding furiously. 

“OH! Is that the wristband Emma gave you?” you heard your friend speak loudly. Gosh, how much more embarrassment would your friend bring you? You mentally facepalm yourself as your other friend drags you towards the bar. “You must be Kyle! Where is Emma and your friend??”

You can see him getting startled as he jumps slightly, turning around to face her. “Um, they took off about ten minutes ago, saying there was a band that both of them needed to check out…um, who are you?” Waving her hand dismissively, “It doesn’t matter who I am, it matters who SHE is. Come come, come meet my friend, the mysterious lady you are going to try woo tonight.” She stepped forward and half pushed you towards the bar area, “Alright, two of you have fun! We are going to check out the food stalls outside!” 

With that, your friend just left you and Kyle, standing in the middle of the bar, staring at each other awkwardly. Fidgeting with your hand, you decided to break the ice first. “Hey um, So, you are Kyle?”  holding your hand out, you introduced yourself. 

“Kyle, Kyle Garrick, but everyone calls me Gaz,”  you raised your eyebrow, confused. He chuckled, “Inside joke. Don’t worry.” waving towards an empty seat right beside you, “you must be tired walking all the way from the otherside of the festival ground in the mud. Take the seat.” Oh a gentleman, you thought, tick a box. 

“Thanks Ky… Gaz.” After turning around ordering yourself a drink, you start asking him questions. “So.. seen any bands you like?”

Gaz shrugged. “ I’m not familiar with any of them to be honest with you. I got dragged here by my friend because he said I need, ah, more, ahem, companionship.” Gaz quickly took a sip of his beer, hiding his embarrassment of hidden meanings of his words. 

Eyes wide, you perked up, “OH I thought I was the only victim!! My friends, the ones you just met,” waving into the air into nowhere while rolling your eyes. “dragged me here because they said I need to find someone to relieve my sexual frustration.” 

Gaz burst out laughing at your bluntness. “Sounds like we have much in common. Should we form a self-help group to recover from the trauma our friend has bestowed upon us?” Gaz gives you a wink and flashes you a wide smile as he jokingly suggested. 

Very cute smile too. How perfect can this man be? Got humour,physically attractive, a gentleman.. You have to admit, Emma might have helped you to hit a jackpot here. 

“Well, to form a group, we have to start up a member list.” You tilted your head as you whipped out your phone,smirking. “And better set up regular meetings to talk about our problems right?” Using all the flirting energy you haven’t had a chance to use.. At all? You are going all out. 

“So, we should set up a date then?” There’s a mischievous yet excitement in his eyes and bright smile as he takes your phone to enter his own number in there. 

“It’s a date.”  

“You going to shag him tonight?”

“Shut the hell up Emma… and Thanks.” 

Ok. so I said it's based on a true event. and 80% of it's truth. idea came from my receptionist, who excitingly told me about her experience at a country music festival she went to last week. She made up a whole lot of wrist bands with her name and phone number on it, and both her friends and her were handing it out during the festival. she did end up striking a date :) which is happening this week LOL. So.. it works??

tag list :

@deadbranch

@kaplerrr

@homicidal-slvt

@lia0-0

@floral-force

@saltofmercury

@siilvan

@rileyslibrarian

@mistydeyes

@okayyadriana

@a-small-writer-in-a-big-world

@jynxmirage

@nrdmssgs @schr-torta @glitterypirateduck @cumikering

@roosterr

@groguspicklejar

@obsolescent @whydoilikewhump @b1rds3ye @devcica

@caramlizedtomatos

@argella1300 @tiredmetalenthusiast @liyanahelena

[thatsonemorbidcorvid]

5 minute read

Women who are groped on trains in East Asia face the further threat of their assault being filmed and uploaded for sale online. In a year-long investigation, the BBC World Service's investigative unit, BBC Eye, has gone undercover to unmask the men cashing in on sexual violence.

It was the morning rush hour in Tokyo. The train was packed and rocky.

Takako (not her real name) was on her way to school. The 15-year-old tried to hold on to a grab bar.

Suddenly, she felt a hand pressing on her behind. She thought someone had accidentally bumped into her.

But the hand started to grope her.

"That's when I finally realised - it was molestation," Takako recalls.

The hand quickly disappeared in the crowd. "I couldn't do anything about it." She arrived at school in tears that day.

That was her first time being sexually assaulted on public transport, but Takako was molested almost daily for more than a year on her commute. On countless nights, she went to bed crying. "I felt like there was no hope in my life," she says.

Many women like Takako are targeted in public by sexual predators. In some cases, they face another violation - the attack is filmed and the videos are sold online.

Most videos follow the same pattern - a man secretly films a woman from behind and follows her on to a train. Seconds later, he sexually abuses her. The men act discreetly, and their victims can seem totally unaware. These graphic videos are then listed on the websites for sale.

In a year-long investigation, we traced the men behind three websites which sell and produce thousands of these sexual assault videos.

An epidemic in Japan

Encountering sexual abuse almost daily, Takako found herself unable to speak up during the act due to fear and shame. But every night, she covered her mouth with a towel and repeatedly practised in front of the mirror how to call out a harasser: "This person is a 'Chikan'!"

"Chikan" is a Japanese term describing sexual assault in public, especially groping on public transport. It also describes the offenders themselves.

Chikan perpetrators typically take advantage of crowds, and the victims' fear of causing a scene. In Japan, speaking too directly and openly may be seen as rude.

Thousands of arrests are made every year for Chikan offences, but many more go undetected and unpunished. Saito Akiyoshi, mental health professional and author of a book about Chikan, says that only about 10% of victims report the crime.

The Japanese police encourage victims and eyewitnesses to speak up, but the crime is far from being eradicated. The problem is so widespread that even the UK and Canadian governments warn travellers to Japan about it.

Chikan has been normalised by its prominence in Japan's adult entertainment industry. One of the most popular types of pornography in the country - the Chikan genre - has spread to other Asian countries.

Chikan websites

One Chinese-language website called DingBuZhu (which means "I can't hold it" in Chinese) immediately caught our attention.

It's a marketplace for Chikan videos, filmed secretly on mobile phones in crowded public places, such as trains and buses. They are shot across East Asia, including Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and mainland China.

Some videos cost less than a dollar. The site even once allowed users to order tailor-made abuse videos.

We also found links on DingBuZhu to two other websites - Chihan and Jieshe - with the same type of content.

There is a Telegram group with 4,000 members who share tips on how to sexually abuse women.

One name kept coming up on the Chikan websites - "Uncle Qi".

He was hailed as the guru in this community. Dozens of abuse videos were labelled as his work. On Twitter, he put up teasers of the websites' videos to his 80,000 followers. But who was he?

The Telegram group we had been monitoring revealed a clue. One day, an admin claimed in a series of messages that he had abused a woman with Uncle Qi.

The messages were accompanied by photos of a woman standing on what appeared to be a metro platform.

Within hours, we found a match for the location - Ikebukuro station in Tokyo.

And there were more leads pointing us to Japan.

The websites listed a Paypal account receiving Japanese yen which was linked to a Gmail address. When we put the address through Google Contacts, the profile picture that came up was a young man with an elaborate hairstyle and theatrical makeup.

A reverse image search put a name to the face - Noctis Zang, a 30-year-old Chinese-born singer living in Tokyo. He was the frontman of a metal band called The Versus.

Noctis had a glamorous public image, but we soon found something hidden behind it.

In early 2022, The Versus' photographer had alleged on Chinese social media platform Weibo that Noctis built "porn websites" alongside another band member, Lupus Fu.

He had posted pictures of a notebook, which showed some accounting and video categories similar to those on the websites. The photographer had also posted a video which appeared to show Noctis's browsing history, with links to Chihan, Jieshe and the admin pages of DingBuZhu.

Could this rock singer be Uncle Qi?

Unmasking the admins

Posing as a music talent scout called Ian, our undercover journalist met Noctis at a fancy rooftop bar in Tokyo.

They first talked about music, but the chat soon moved on to the subject of sex. When Ian said his company used to make porn films, Noctis's eyes lit up.

The two met several more times, and they even celebrated Noctis's birthday together.

Noctis introduced Ian to his fellow band member Lupus Fu, whose name had been mentioned by The Versus' photographer. Lupus, also from China, was studying sociology in Japan.

Ian said his company planned to invest in porn sites and asked if they knew anything about this business.

Noctis confessed he had "some exposure" through a friend, "Maomi", who had created his own porn sites with "metro" content.

Ian then casually brought up DingBuZhu.

Lupus and Noctis both laughed: "That's Maomi's website!"

They revealed that the person behind the Chikan websites was a Chinese man in Tokyo nicknamed Maomi. They said Maomi was reclusive and paranoid.

Noctis and Lupus also admitted that they played admin roles for the websites.

They spelled out their business model.

"In China, sex is the most suppressed," Noctis said, "Some men are very perverted, they just want to see women getting…" Lupus finished the sentence: "screwed over."

Lupus said he was in charge of promoting abuse videos on Twitter. Noctis revealed that he had uploaded more than 5,000 videos on the websites, received payments for the business and taken 30% of revenue. The rest he had transferred to Maomi.

Lupus also said he could help connect Ian to Maomi.

The Chikan club

On a quiet back street in the red-light district of Yokohama, a storefront decorated like a metro station catches your eyes. A sign spells out its concept: "legal Chikan trains".

In this sex club, called Rush Hour, customers can pay to enjoy the Chikan experience legally.

Its manager Hasuda Shuhei welcomes us on board. "We let people do things that can't be done outside. That's why people come here."

Inside, a sickly-sweet smell of cleaning products permeates the air. Private rooms are decorated like train carriages and equipped with a sound system that plays train announcements. Even the club's membership cards look exactly like Japan's transportation cards.

"I think it's important for men to be able to pay to vent in place like this, so they don't commit rape and other forms of sexual assault," says Hasuda.

Mental health professional Saito says that the matter is not as straightforward as Hasuda claims. He says that most Chikan perpetrators are aroused by the idea of domination over and humiliation of their victims.

"They do not treat their victims as equals, but as objects."

It's an opinion that rings true with Takako.

After months of assaults, she fought back one day. As she felt a hand reach for her skirt in a packed train carriage, Takako shouted at the top of her lungs and grabbed the assaulter by his wrist.

Takako took the man to court, where he only got a suspended sentence, even though he had previously been caught for Chikan offences.

Disappointed by the outcome of her case, Takako went on to start an anti-Chikan campaign, producing colourful badges reading "Chikan is a crime!" People can wear them to show they will not keep silent.

"It's a deterrent for criminals," says Takako, who is now 24. There is now an annual anti-Chikan badge design contest among Japanese high school students.

The hamster

Maomi means "kitty cat" in Chinese. However, Lupus said his personality was more like a hamster. "He's harmless, but cautious of everything and he sometimes overreacts."

Lupus was right. Maomi repeatedly refused to meet Ian.

But on Chinese New Year's Eve, Ian's luck changed. Maomi agreed to a meeting at a karaoke bar.

The air was thick with cigarette smoke, the sound of clinking glasses and Chinese pop songs.

The person who turned up was not who we expected. A skinny young man wearing half-rim glasses and a dark trench coat, Maomi looked like he could be a college student. He said he was 27.

Showing an interest in investing in his business, Ian asked how much he made.

"Our daily turnover is around 5,000-10,000 Chinese Yuan (US$700-$1,400; £565-£1,130)," Maomi said proudly, showing the transactions on his phone. "Very stable income, right?"

Ian acted impressed, and mentioned the name Uncle Qi.

Maomi admitted: "I am Uncle Qi."

But to our surprise, he revealed Uncle Qi was not just one person.

He managed a team of 15 people, including 10 in China who made videos under the same name. Maomi received 30 to 100 videos from them each month.

The videos were then sold on the three websites which Maomi confirmed he owned. They had more than 10,000 paying members, mostly Chinese men.

"The key is to be authentic. It has to be real," Maomi said. He later told us his websites even sold videos of drug-facilitated rape.

Maomi talked about his business as though it were any other budding start-up. He described his team as "passionate" and "brave". He even casually mentioned he had been training others to carry out and film sexual assaults.

But there was one thing he never mentioned - the women in his videos. It was as if they didn't matter to him at all.

Maomi exposed

We wanted to know Maomi's real identity. At another meeting with Ian, he opened up about how he got into this business.

Like many boys, Maomi liked Superman, anime and video games growing up. But when he was 14, he started watching sexual assault videos like the ones he sold now.

He knew his business was not risk-free.

"I am so cautious," Maomi said. "Safety first." To avoid scrutiny from the Chinese authorities, he planned to naturalise as a Japanese citizen.

However, as careful as Maomi was, he made a mistake.

When Ian asked where to send the investment funds, Maomi pulled out his bank card and handed it to Ian.

The card revealed his real name - Tang Zhuoran.

Later, we confronted Maomi with our allegations.

As we approached, he tried to cover his face and walked away. And all of a sudden, he snapped, hitting out at our camera and crew.

The next day, by coincidence, we spotted Maomi at the airport. He was leaving Japan.

Uncle Qi's Twitter account, where he openly promotes the abuse videos, is still active.

Twitter did not respond to our request for comment. Instead, they sent us a poo emoji, which has been an automatic reply to any inquiry directed to their press email since March.

We also put our allegations to Noctis and Lupus. They did not respond. We have since learned they no longer work with Maomi.

On a spring day, we meet up with Takako to tell her about our investigation. Appalled, she says: "We women are just content in their videos. They see us as objects. They don't think we have a heart."

Takako advocates for tougher laws against these crimes.

Japan is set to reform its sexual assault laws. However, campaigners say these changes don't go far enough.

But Takako will not give up. "We will not cry ourselves to sleep."

Additional reporting by Chie Kobayashi, Ryuzo Tsutsui, Hanae Arrour Takahashi and Joel Gunter

[studentinpursuitofclouds]

Hello again, Mousey~ ^^ I hope you're doing well. My questions are quite long, and my english sounds messy, it's not my first language. So apologise in advance

I'm always curious about the world building in Stardew Valley, especially the expanded mod. The game let you know the existence of celtic fantasy-liked society (Castle Village) coexist with seemingly, modern present days society (Ferngill Republic) like us.

So, with that long introduction, my questions:

How do the health sector of both social cultures would respond? (Example: how would a pharmaceutical company react to elixirs?)

In terms of technology, how would people in Castle Village deal with it? If they did, do they have the basic one, like television or wired phones? (If you think they did, would they at least follow the development of it? We know that analog broadcast television had been terminated, so did the people in Castle Village switched to the digital one?)

Would both of these different social cultures people influence each other through art, music or fashion?

Do you think anyone in Castle Village ever suggested to open tourism sector for Ferngill people? (This is just a weird question for me 🤣 I could imagine Camilla randomly asking this, and smirking while everyone try to convince her not to do it. Of course she knew not to do it. Duh)

Thank you very much for reading my unnecessary in-depth Stardew Valley world building. I really love the way you write stuff about SVE. There aren't many that do it the way you do, and reading everything you write after my hectic college life is just therapeutic for me.

Hello again! 💕 And oh boy, get ready, for I have written a lot..... More than I had previously planned 😅 Thanks for the question, and enjoy my rant about SVE! 🫰

_________________________________________

1. How do the health sector of both social cultures would respond? (Example: how would a pharmaceutical company react to elixirs?).

I remember that someone raised this topic, but I can't remember where this post was. In general, it's quite difficult to say, because, on the one hand, I always thought that modern medicine denies all kinds of elixirs or healing spells, considering them pseudo-medicine, which charlatans try to sell to ordinary people, and therefore - censured by society. And in the meantime, that real mages and witches themselves even somehow support this idea, because if all people recognise elixirs, it will upset the balance of nature, there will be a mass hunt for rare ingredients, exploitation of resources, etc. I always thought that all wizards and the Ministry of Magic itself are conservative people, strictly obeying the old laws of magic, so revealing secret knowledge to everyone and mixing it with modern technologies is unacceptable in their eyes.

On the other hand, by this logic, Harvey, as a doctor, should hate life elixirs. Yet this elixir is almost everyone's liked gift. You can blame mechanics of the game here, but still. It seems to me that a society of adventurers and mages like Castle Village might allow modern medicine at some points, but still, I'm sticking to the idea that the two societies will not allow modern medicine and ancient healing magic to mix, and people who try to do so are publicly censured by both societies.

2. In terms of technology, how would people in Castle Village deal with it? If they did, do they have the basic one, like television or wired phones? (If you think they did, would they at least follow the development of it? We know that analog broadcast television had been terminated, so did the people in Castle Village switched to the digital one?)

Well, if Castle Village even had wired phones, let alone mobile phones, Sandy wouldn't have to communicate with Emily through letters, would she? OK, there's definitely got to be at least some electricity in the village, fuelling the street lights, the houses and the fridges.

But at the same time, it can't be. As I said earlier, the Ministry are conservative people (my headcanon, not sure how they would behave), and they're not very happy to see ancient magic mixed with digital gadgets. So they may order other magicians to find an "alternative". Need electricity for your fridge to store food? Why, when you can have a small ice crystal that keeps your food cold. Want to talk to a person who lives on the other side of the world? Telepathy for mages, letters and mail animals for common folk. Lighting up the streets of the village? Magic lights that never go out. TV and smartphones? Well, this is optional, but no one will cable you and no one will make you wi-fi here. Moreover, the Ministry can, in addition to traditions and other stuff, write it off to save resources. After all, why pay someone for electricity when there are plenty of free alternatives?

3. Would both of these different social cultures people influence each other through art, music or fashion?

Mmmmmm, yeah. But somehow I think it would be one-sided.

The inhabitants of Castle Village know for the existence of other cities not like their Village: huge megacities and stone jungles. And as far as I understand, residents who were born in the Castle Village itself, as well as other people who proved their courage and right to enter through the barrier, can safely leave the village. And they can visit the same cities like Pelican Town and Zuzu City without any problems. Naturally, there will be culture shock, but also at least one person will want to visit a modern art museum, listen to local music, try local food, and then want to take that bit of it home with them. Buy a recipe book of popular Zuzu City dishes, for example, buy a small statue or souvenir, or draw a picture inspired by a new place, you get the point. It's unclear, though, how strict the Ministry will be about this, but I think that when it comes to art and entertainment, Camilla will definitely give the okay. Even the same Lance knows for the cinema and quite enjoys some films.

Whereas in the opposite case... There's none of that. The residents of Stardew Valley get nothing from Castle Village. Because who among the locals even knows about the existence of the Castle Village? I'd understand if there was at least a couple of dialogues from someone along the lines of "there's a village where monster hunters gather, but there's a barrier and only one person decides who can enter". No detailed information, but at least showing that people know or guess about the existence of the village. And here we have nothing. Victor still somehow talks about the The First Slash Clan adventurers themselves and about the authorities' desire to cut down the magic Cindersap Forest, but nothing about the Galdor Continent or the Castle Village. Maybe I missed dialogue somewhere in the game, but- wait, Morris, being the mayor (Joja path), does talk about them, but that's it. So what art and music is there to even talk about if many of the residents don't even know there's such a town.

But on the other hand, barring one village specifically, a society of wizards and adventurers might (limitedly) share their music or art. However, this would not be much.

4. Do you think anyone in Castle Village ever suggested to open tourism sector for Ferngill people? (This is just a weird question for me 🤣 I could imagine Camilla randomly asking this, and smirking while everyone try to convince her not to do it. Of course she knew not to do it. Duh)

Not exactly tourism, but I had a thought that Camilla would one day (or even a whole week) allow vetted vendors and merchants from all parts of the world to visit Castle Village. And I like to think that something similar could be in the future 2.0 as an event (or just as a headcanon).

And the funny thing is, Camilla would be the originator of this idea. The witches and wizards running Castle Village before her were definitely upholders of the old traditions, and so no one could enter except warriors who had proven their bravery, courage, and desire to help the Castle Village community. To which young Camilla looked and said "fuck your rules" and started to get her way. Eventually, she and the Ministry came to a compromise, believing that a once-a-season or once-a-year vendor of useful items is not a bad event after all. And some members of the Ministry don't need to get the goods they want through smuggling (because I truly believe that someone sitting there is definitely corrupt).

_________________________________________

A small lyrical digression, but while I was writing the answers, I had a question: why is there such a thing at all, I mean allowing only verified people to pass? I understand the point of a barrier against monsters, but why the complication? Is it adherence to tradition, as I mentioned earlier, or is the Castle Village hiding something so powerful that the rest of the world shouldn't know?

Generally, to prove the theory that a society of magic and sword hiding more from a society of advanced technology is that humans are afraid of repeating the fate of the elves who lived before them. Dwarf mentioned in their mature SVE event that the elves mixed technology and magic together, creating a weapon so powerful that it wiped out the creators themselves. Could it be that the Ministry and other mages are afraid of repeating such a fate, which is why they impose such strict rules? There are loads of theories, so I'll stop, otherwise this is going to be a whole dissertation 😅

Thanks again for the question! Write if anyone else has more theories on this, I'm interested in reading them too 👀

[gay-milton-quotes]

I'm Unpeeling Myself from Big Tech!

"Unpeeling" being any act you take that limits the amount of data a large tech corporation can gather from you, decreases your reliance on products of those corporations, or increases autonomy over your technology. I'm ripping the term from a line in this review by Joanna Nelius, where she writes, "People are looking for ways to peel their eyes from their smartphones like a layer of Elmer’s glue from their hand — to remove a part of themselves that really isn’t a part of themselves." It's different than "unplugging" because the goal isn't to go off the grid, or even to limit one's technology usage. The goal, instead, is to extract from the invasive, addictive, destructive capitalist vision a set of tools that are useful to YOU.

It started when I realized I don't need a smartphone. I've deleted most social media from my phone, and the stuff I still have I prefer to check on my laptop. Not all "dumb phones" (I hate this term) offer the same features, though, so I began to think on a granular level about what I need from a cell phone. Eg, not all "dumb phones" provide MMS, but my family lives 3k miles away. I wanna still talk in the groupchat.

On the more complex end, I write on my phone. I've been using Google Docs to move seamlessly from scribbled writing drafts on my phone to formatted, finished works on my computer since I was fourteen.

Except, Google Docs is useless now. I've been unable to use it since they lowered the storage capacity. The only other cloud storage writing thingy with similar functionality is Office 365, which sucks.

Could a dumb phone with a basic "notes" feature work? Maybe, but I'd have to re-type everything to get it into a formatted document. Ideally, I'd have like, a mini-laptop just for writing - something I could fit in my pocket or in a small bag, so I could bring it to work without looking like a dick - and then, in addition, a basic phone for calls/texts/GPS stuff. But does a device this specific to my use case even exist?

Yes. Yes it does.

This is a GPD Micro PC. GPD mainly sells handheld gaming machines, though this product is designed for mobile IT professionals. It's probably too chonky for a pocket, but mark my words, I will figure out how to make it work for me.

It's stupid, but this gave me a rush. I've been struggling along, tied to the bloated corpses of three gmail accounts, for years, because I needed Google Docs for my writing workflow. But now I don't. I have the power to actually tailor my tech for my life.

By this point, I was like, alright, I don't need Google Docs anymore, I don't need a smartphone, what else? Do I need Windows? No, probably not, right? I can use Linux Mint on this new guy, especially since he'll mostly be a basic writing machine. LibreOffice is less intrusive and bloated than MS Word - a better experience for free than I'd have from the paid program. If I go all the way and install Linux, I also won't have to deal with ads in my start menu, or pre-installed spyware screenshotting my activities.

In fact, if I back everything up on an external drive, I can delete my old Google Drives and switch my main computer to Linux, too! So, I finally bit the bullet and invested in an external hard drive.

This is the problem with "product ecosystems," by the way. When one part of that ecosystem - Google Docs - fails, the whole thing collapses. All the bloat and corruption you dealt with just stops being worth it, and it's easier to make a radical change to a new system. I witnessed something similar happen with comedy tech youtuber Dankpods earlier this year, except with Apple's ecosystem: he was a lifetime Apple guy - seemingly not in a worship way, but he liked their products, and was certainly in Apple's ecosystem. Then a couple things went sour for him, and now he runs Linux.

I'm doing this for personal and ideological reasons. I'm personally sick of Clippy - I mean, Copilot - peeping in to tell me how to write what I'm writing on Office 365. I abhor the idea of paying Google for a service they offered for free until recently, knowing they can flip the script at any point. And while we're talking ideology, I'm a communist, and even though this is far from a shift everyone can make, I believe that taking any available steps towards shutting Big Tech out of our lives is a net good. If all you can do is delete Instagram, or use a screentime tracker, or switch to Firefox, do it. I'm finally in a position to make this more drastic change, and I'm excited.

Get in the weeds about how you use technology. Do you need everything at your fingertips, all the time? If not, what, specifically, do you need? Is there a way that you, now or in the future, can trim out the parts you dislike? And what can you change now?

[fantasies-fairytales-n-fics]

Code Blue Ch. 39- Seeing the Light

Summary: Jo's anxiety takes it's toll on her as she and Lee converse over new upsetting information. EMERGENCY. A race against time takes place. Lee gets a clue. He also gets a huge wake up call and asks someone important a very serious question.

*Warnings* language, angst, anxiety, graphic depictions

Stories Stories Stories Masterlist

Chapter characters: Lee, Josie, Orlando, Britt, Angel, Margaret

Salem, Massachusetts

March 15, 2023

The smell of maple sausage and pancakes filled every crevice of the haunted house while a morning thunderstorm rumbled on. Lee was cooking Jacob's favorite breakfast food in hopes that it would draw him out again and it was a good way to try, for they say spirits are attracted to things that they loved and are familiar with, such as the house itself. It was the only home Jacob had ever known and you knew that was the reason Lee wanted to spend some time here, hoping to see him again.

You both spent the past two days once again being hermits, wanting to spend as much time as you could with each other before Lee went back to work at the start of next week because then, you wouldn't see as much of him and it was going to drive you bat shit crazy. You were going to have to learn all over again to readjust to the long hours of a doctor's schedule. Although Lee was happy to have his career back in full swing, he wasn't much for celebrating it after the incident with Mr. Carpenter. He truly did feel sorry for the grieving man considering he knew what is what like to lose a child but he certainly didn't feel bad for socking the mourning monster straight in the jaw for his uncalled perverted comment to you. For the time being, you and Lee both thought it best to remain desolate for awhile with so many crazy people on the loose and this time you chose to do so at the home he shared with Jacob...even still.

Lee had kept his promise to you and made sure Ethan couldn't contact him via phone by changing his numbers entirely, both mobile and landline and only those he trusted were permitted to have it. You didn't know what good it would really do though since Elizabeth and Cyrus both worked at the hospital and could easily access that information....and now Lee would have to deal with both of them almost on a daily basis. He had even contemplated changing hospitals but you convinced him to not let them run him out of a place he had invested so many years in and so much time to. Was that the right thing to do? You weren't sure anymore. Everything always seemed to be one step forward and two steps back.

You had spoken to Gerry. Victor was not improving and he feared the worst for the Greek tycoon. What would Gerry and his brother do with that big old mansion all to themselves? For they knew they would inherit it and all the forestry of acres that a small town could be built upon. Gerry didn't even live in the main house. He resided solo in the guest house on the lake that was damn near a fortress all in itself. Anywhere there was water, one would find Gerry for he was an avid surfer and damn good at it.

They certainly would never sell the place since it was a Kiriakis legacy dating back as far as a century or more and Vic would surely haunt them from the grave if they tried, or most likely hell considering his mile long list of sins. You certainly believed in the afterlife now because of Lee's experiences but it actually all started when you met Dave.

Dave was someone you considered quite special in that area. He had a secret that only you knew because he didn't exactly enjoy it, nor was it something easily believed or accepted, but he trusted you, knowing how open you were. Ever since he was a child, he could see spirits and even talk to them and it wasn't always a pleasant experience. It could be down right terrifying as he sometimes would suffer with sleep paralysis in his adolescent years. Dave would be the first to tell you that monsters were real. He never knew why it was happening to him and the older he got, the visits lessened which led him to believe it was just the typical phase of imaginary friends, but when it didn't cease in his adulthood years, he then knew he had a gift of clairvoyance, one he didn't ask for, nor want and working in a hospital where people died all the time didn't help the problem. He would never leave there though. He was too much like Lee, so compassionate and loving of what he did for others. Now, if you could only get him to talk with Lee about it and vice versa, but...it wasn't your place to tell either of their secrets. Except about Liz...if Dave didn't tell Britt, you would. It was for his own safety and Dave could be pissed at you all he wanted.

You had told Britt you wanted to speak to her soon after the whole Cyrus surprise, but now you were sort of avoiding it because after your almost slip up with Dave of mentioning Jason in the present tense, you feared you wouldn't be able to keep it from her of all people, the woman Jason loves and she does him. The more you thought about it all, the more pissed you became at your brother. Britt deserved to know he was alive. She was hurting so bad and you couldn't even imagine such a pain, for if something ever happened to Lee, it would tear your soul straight from your body. Hence, your dream. You couldn't shake it, the feeling of despair in the pit of your stomach. Ethan, Liz, Johnny, Cyrus, even Mr. Carpenter...they all walked about freely to do as they pleased. Sure, you had Jason, wherever the hell he was, and Gerry or Luke, even Craig to handle them if it came down to it but you didn't feel much relief in that because it wasn't like they were standing guard at your door 24/7. All these thoughts raced through your mind while Lee sat to read the morning paper.

"Lee...maybe...maybe Landy wouldn't mind if we stayed with him for awhile since Luke will be there until he finds his own place?" you asked as you both sat at the kitchen table eating a breakfast appetizer, consisting of Lee's favorite cereal...grape nuts.

His crunching stopped as he gave you a befuddled look.

"Ok? baby...why would you want to stay there?"

"I..I don't know. For some...extra security I suppose? I mean...Luke...he has a gun and..."

"Jo...sweetheart. What's going on? Why do you feel we need protection? Besides, Landy only has two bedrooms and...you don't like guns."

"I..I know I don't and with good reason but...I like you being alive more."

"My girl...Jo Jo...is this about your dream again?" he asked as he reached across the table and laid his hand upon yours.

"Some yes...and just everything else...everyONE else. Ethan is going to lose his shit when he realizes, if he hasn't already, that he can't contact you and that means he's going to start coming around. He tried to run us off the road for christ's sake. In broad daylight, so I can only imagine what he'll do now."

"Baby, you wanted me to do something and I did. What else can I do? A civil protection order? It's a piece of paper with NO protection and there's no proof of anything he did except make a few unwanted phone calls to even get one granted. Ethan lives to break the law. It won't stop him but I'll do it if it makes you feel better."

"Damn it!!!" you shouted and grabbed your coat as you went out to the porch swing with Lee immediately following.

"Babe, hey, hey. We'll figure this out. He hasn't even been around lately. Maybe he really likes your sister and will move on. I know, I know, that's far from comforting but as we know, stranger things have happened. You gotta admit, they're a match made in Hea...Hell." he snickered as he sat beside you and smiled.

And of course, Lee made you smile. He always could even when you didn't want to.

"Yeah...I suppose you're right and...I kind of feel Mr. Carpenter is going to be more trouble than Ethan. Gerry texted me this morning. I guess he went to the police station raising hell about what happened but Gerry said no worries, that he handled it and it just looks like it was a revenge tactic over losing the negligence claim. Gerry also did some digging on him. He's been arrested multiple times for domestic violence with the mother and alcohol was always a factor. And get this...his daughter, Henrietta, that he is so upset over...she was a victim of it as well, but would never "tell" on him?. He has a son too who's always in trouble."

"Wow...it...it almost makes me think...."

Lee stopped and stared at you in thought for a moment.

"Lee? What is it?"

"Well...it's just that...Henrietta had meningioma. It's the most common type of primary brain tumor. Most cases are benign, which hers was, but it grew quite large and became life threatening....but the thing is....there's some studies that link head trauma with this type of tumor."

"Oh my god...do you think that her own father...could have caused that?"

"I don't know Jo. I suppose it don't even matter now."

"Oh yes it does because now we know what he's capable of Lee. He's a control freak and when people like that don't have it, bad things happen. I know the kind. And...how did he know so much about all of us? A lot of what he said wasn't exactly public information."

"Yeah, you're right. My guess would be he hired a really good P.I....or....Liz?"

"I really wish I knew where Jason is right now. He could literally make it all go away. I can't believe I'm even talking like this but Mr. Carpenter's angry, he's violent, and he drinks. If he knows all of that, he knows where you live. I don't like this Lee. God, when...when Lee, will it ever end???"

Lee watched as you angrily wiped your tears away and then his eyes fell. It was killing him inside to see you so distraught. Things were supposed to better now, not worse. You were supposed to feel safe with him, not afraid. You were afraid, yes...but not for yourself.

"I'm so sorry Jo." he softly and solemnly whispered. "I should have never attacked him. I just made everything worse, but...I..I couldn't help it. I'm not a confrontational person, you know that but when he began to say things like that about you....I..I just snapped."

You brought your hand to his face which coaxed his shameful eyes up to yours.

"Hey...I'm not angry with you. You did nothing wrong baby. I wanted to do the same thing for the way he talked shit about you. He is so incredibly wrong...and I...I tried to let it go because he's grieving but you know what? Knowing what we know now, I honestly don't think it's all about that. I truly think the man is deranged and I don't think he's going to just walk away, especially now that the police won't do anything. I think he wanted you to go after him, to try and show his unwarranted claims about you. But this is not your fault Lee. I mean, you certainly didn't know Gerry was going to do what he did. Hell, neither did I. Normally, he would have jumped at the chance to arrest you because he is definitely a law abiding citizen and cop."

"I appreciate what Gerry did. I really do but Jo...I still shouldn't have hit Mr. Carpenter. I let him pull me down to his level and I think it's exactly what he wanted, just as you said. I don't know Jo, who am I to judge him? I did some pretty fucked up shit when I lost Jacob and I just continued to do it all these years later. Look what I did to you?"

"The ONLY thing you will ever have in common with that man is the loss of a child. Your pain is genuine. His is like some kind of vendetta. I could see it in his eyes. There's something severely off with him and I'm usually spot on about gut feelings with people. Even Ethan. He completely rubbed me the wrong way when we met until you....I...I don't even want to talk about him anymore."

"Until I stupidly defended him? Telling you he was a good guy when I knew damn well what he was like and I kept all of that from you and I damn near lost you over it...."

"Lee, please stop punishing yourself... what he did to you...I understand it all now and...and......."

A familiar feeling rushed over you. Lightheadedness and warmth.

"Jo...baby??? Your nose..." Lee frantically said as his arm reached around you, securing you in place.

"What? Oh...oh gosh..."

You brought your fingers to your nose, in shock to feel and see the hot red liquid seeping out of it.

"Let me get you something, don't move."

"No, no Lee. I have a tissue in my pocket. It's fine. Really."

"No, it's not fine Jo. You said this happened at your mom's too. Baby, what's going on?" he direly asked as you dabbed away at the annoying and embarrassing leak.

"Tell me Jo. How long has this been happening?"

"Lee...it's just a nose bleed. You don't need to go all 'who's the doctor mode' on me."

"Don't. Don't do that. I WILL play the doctor card because that's what I am and I happen to love you as well."

You squished the kleenex against your nose and began to sob.

"I know" you squeaked. "I'm so sorry."

"Don't do that either. Don't be sorry. Come here sweet girl."

Lee pulled you into his arms, kissing your head as you continued to cry. "Here...lean your head back on my arm. I've got you."

You gazed up at him as he cradled you like a child and took over the tissue dabbing. His lips softly smiled as his shining sapphires danced inside your sunsets with such love and then he kissed the tip of your nose.

"Let me take you to the hospital. Just to be checked out."

"Lee, no. I am fine right here with you. It's stopping. I'll be fine. I'm just stressed, which is when it seems to happen."

He sighed and closed his eyes. "Here's the deal. If it happens again, I'm throwing you over my shoulder like a caveman and you're going."

You couldn't help but to burst out in laughter.

"Well you could just do that anyways and take me upstairs instead." you said with a seductive grin.

"Ohhhh....so damn tempting...but no. Babe, I think you need some rest. Come on. I'll make some hot sleepy time tea and we can snuggle on the couch with a movie and our cold pancakes and sausage, yes?"

You giggled. "Cold is better than burnt. But, yes. That sounds good. The microwave will work. You do that and I'll do the tea. I haven't managed to burn water yet."

"Is that even possible?" Lee asked with a hearty laugh as he followed you to the kitchen, pulling a hoodie on over his shirt from being chilled by the outside rain.

"We're about to find out."

Lee let out a sigh and made the sign of the cross and then flinched with a chuckle as you playfully smacked his arm.

As the water came to a boil, you thought about how much you loved these sweet little moments with him and wished it could be like that forever. No more worries, just lost in each other like high school sweethearts. You used to think challenges made you stronger but that couldn't have been further from the truth now.

You poured two cups of the piping hot herbal liquid and took them to the table as Lee finished up plating the food. During the process, you felt something trickle down your neck and heard a clinking noise on the wooden floor at your now bare feet. It was your silver chained "forever" glass seashell necklace that Lee had given you and it was just enough to set your superstitions and stress levels into high gear.

"Noooooooo...no..no..." you squealed as you knelt down to pick it up.

"Babe?? What is it??"

Lee quickly set the plates on the table and rushed to your side.

In a soft, child like whimper, your voice stuttered out as your eyes gaped with oncoming tears.

"Your...my...neck...necklace...it...it...it's...it broke...it just...fell..."

"No, no baby, it's alright. Let me see it."

Your trembling hand allowed Lee to remove it and look it over as you stood anxiously biting your bottom lip.

"My girl, it's just the clasp. I can fix it baby, don't worry." he assured you in the kindest voice and stroked your hair.

"It's not the clasp! It's the small chain links beside it. They must have snagged on my sweater. It's broken Lee! It's some fucking omen and don't tell me I'm crazy after everything."

"Jo Jo, sweetheart, please calm down. I promise you I can fix it and..."

"That's not the point! It's a symbol of forever and now it's a sign that it's broken!!" you cried, now chewing at your nails as you stared at the jinxed jewelry.

"Josie, baby! Look honey, the glass didn't break. Forever is sealed safe and sound inside. Sit down and sip your tea. I'll go fix it right now alright?"

"O...ok..." you replied in a frightened whisper and did as he told you.

Lee had only been gone a few minutes but it seemed like hours. You swore you could hear the grandfather clock ticking from clear in the other room. What the hell was happening? You couldn't relax. The sound of your heartbeat was now becoming the prominent sound, thumping through your head. You picked up your ceramic mug with unsteady hands and without thinking, you took a gulp of the boiling brew. The scold to your tongue sent you flying out of the chair and the mug shattering on the floor.

"JO!!" Lee shouted and came dashing up the stairs from the basement to find you shaking and clinging to the kitchen counter with broken shards of the mug at your bare feet.

"Baby don't move!!"

You couldn't if you wanted to. You felt paralyzed as the pressure in your head pulsed like storm waves crashing on the beach. Suddenly, Lee was hoisting you up and moving you to a dry, hazard free zone when your nose began to bleed again and you fell limp in his arms.

"Jo baby!! Baby what's wrong???!!"

When you didn't and couldn't answer him as you stared blankly into his petrified eyes, he scooped you up and rushed you out to his car, placing you into the front seat and tilting it back, then he sped off.

"Baby, can you hear me??" Lee pleaded multiple times as your eyes fluttered to stay open. His voice echoed as if it were inside of a seashell and your hand was numb to the touch of his. You heard the train horn again and saw the bright light coming towards you and then...you saw Jacob again, smiling with his big blue eyes beaming up at you as he took your hand. Then the light went dark.

"JO!! Fuck...baby wake up!!" Lee frantically shouted as his fingers raced to your neck to feel for a pulse. It was there but faint.

"That's it baby doll, stay with me!! Don't you fucking leave me. Forever baby...forever. Do you hear me?? Breathe Jo....breathe."

Lee was now fighting his sobs as he struggled to drive but he knew he had to focus to get you to the hospital safely. He freed his android from his pocket and used the voice command to call Orlando.

"Ok google, call Orlando!"

"Showing results for Orlando, Florida."

"Not fucking Florida you stupid piece of shit!" Lee shouted and then swerved as he heard the loud bellow of a semi horn and looked up to find himself in the oncoming traffic lane.

Lee whipped back into line, trying to catch his breath as he just missed the truck by only a few feet.

"Shit...focus Lee!" he scolded himself and then remembered that he didn't even have Orlando listed under his given name.

"Ok google, call LANDY!!"

"Calling Landy."

"Come on, pick up, pick up Landy!!"

"Hey what's up Lee Lee the Bee Gee."

"Lando! Man, where are you?? The hospital??"

"Yeah, Lee? What's going on?? You sound..."

"It's Jo man...I'm on my way there. She...she just collapsed."

"Oh my god what?? I'm on my way down to the ER now. Where are you?? Is she breathing??"

"Yeah..yes....thank god. I'm about ten minutes away and....no. Fuck."

"Lee??!!"

"I gotta go man, there's a fucking train coming and I have to beat it."

"Jesus, Lee. You need to calm down and....L..Lee???"

Lee dropped his phone and put the pedal to the metal on his classic Dodge Dart as the gates were starting to come down.

"Not today train. You can't have her too!!"

Over the tracks he sped, luckily with no cars in his way as the gates missed his car by merely inches. He caught sight of the train in the distance, the large headlight blinding his widened eyes as it blared it's deafening ominous horn.

"WOOHOOO! We made it baby!" Lee reeled as an adrenaline rush flooded his body. "We're going to make it. You are going to make it. I love you, do you hear me???"

The tires slid as he whipped into the emergency room parking lot and then he came to a screeching halt at the doors, quickly abandoning his car as he carried you inside.

"HELP!! Help!" Lee called out to whomever would listen as he searched for Orlando.

"Lee!!" Orlando shouted as he came running out from a room he had being prepared for you. "Bring her in here!"

Britt rushed in as well as Lee gently laid you upon the bed, scared as hell to let go of you.

"It's ok baby. I'm right here Jo Jo...you keep breathing, do you hear me?"

"Lee, tell me what happened?" Britt asked as Landy began tending to you with another nurse.

"I...I...don't know. She...she had a nose bleed. She said...she said she had one before, about a week ago. I got it to stop and she swore she was fine and she seemed fine and then she just collapsed in my arms and..."

Lee bent over to lean on his knees as he himself was trying to breathe.

"Alright. Anything else you can think of? Did she mention any other symptoms? Did she take any medications?"

"No Britt. Nothing. She's...she's stressed out, that much I know. We found more things out, disturbing things about Mr. Carpenter and that's when she got the first nose bleed today and then...I don't fucking know. Her necklace broke and she became all anxious about it and the next thing I knew, this happened. She...she just stared at me. She couldn't speak. Britt, what if she had a stroke??"

"Ok..ok. Let's not think the worst. I'm going to order labs, a CT and start an I.V. and we'll go from there. Dr. Bloom, how's her vitals?"

"Her blood pressure is high. 175/80. Oxygen is normal. Pulse rate high, pupils constricting."

"Ok. Let's get her blood work and get her on some fluids, then take her down for the CT. Lee, I need you to wait in the waiting room please, while the nurse..."

"What?? NO! I'm not leaving her Britt! Let me help. I'm a fucking doctor for christ sake."

"You're not her doctor nor are you on duty and you're in no state of mind to assist. You're too close to this Lee and you need to give the nurse room to work without you hovering. You know the rules and how this works. She's in good hands. I'm sorry but you need to let us do our jobs and go collect yourself. You're no good to her like this."

"Fuck your rules Britt. She needs to hear my voice and know I'm here! You're too close to this too, so is Landy!"

"Look...Lee. I know how much you love her, I really do, which is why you can't be objective. I love her too and I promise you she will be taken care of and we will come get you as soon as we get her situated and know what's going on. Now please...go try and calm down, maybe call her mom."

"Lee. man. I swear it. I'll take good care of her. You know I will." Orlando assured him and gave his best friend a hug, which caused Lee to break down.

"I'm scared man. I'm scared to leave her. I've never been so scared of anything in my life. I can't lose her. I can't....just...just let me talk to her for one minute. Please."

Orlando smiled and nodded as he patted Lee on the shoulder. By this time, the nurse had the I.V. line all taped up to your wrist and was drawing your blood as he went and tenderly held your other hand.

"My beautiful sweet girl. If you can hear me, I need you to know that I will just be right down the hall. I swear I will never leave you. You're my entire world so you can't leave me either ok? I love you Miss Massachusetts, in ways you've never been loved, for reasons you've never been told, for longer than you think you deserved and with more than you will ever know existed inside me. It's always been you. And I'd choose you in a hundred lifetimes, in a hundred worlds, in any version of reality, I'd find you and I'd choose you all over again."

You heard him. Every word but you couldn't open your eyes or speak, but you did manage, with everything inside of you, to lightly squeeze his hand.

Lee cried and kissed your cheek over and over and then he placed one small soft kiss upon your lips as he whispered "forever" over them. He then reluctantly let go of your hand and sobbed all the way to the empty waiting room that he was very thankful for.

He paced about the large room, stared out the window for awhile and then he was startled awake by someone's touch.

"Hey. Lee."

"Jo??...Oh....sorry. Is she..."

"She's fine, awake and has been admitted for observation." Nurse Angel, his neighbor, told him.

Lee closed his eyes and sighed loudly in relief. "Angel...what...do they know what happened? Can I see her now?"

"In just a few minutes, I'll take you down. They're just settling her into a room. I'll let them tell you what they found. I just got on duty and heard what happened, so I came looking for you at Dr. Bloom's request. He said to tell you he had your car parked and he has your keys and he will be back to see you both when he finishes rounds."

"Oh...yeah...I..I forgot all about my car. God, I don't even remember falling asleep. What time is it??"

"It's 11 am."

"Jesus, it's been two hours?? You..you said she's awake. Did you see her at all? How did she seem?"

"Well...she was sitting up and definitely asking for you, so I'm guessing she is alright, nothing too serious. Hey, I heard all about your hearing the other day. Congratulations and welcome back. We've missed you something awful. It has definitely not been the same without you here. Don't let Mr. Carpenter get to you. He's just sad. That poor man. I guess that his marriage is on the fritz. He told me a lot about Henrietta and how close they were. I couldn't imagine losing a child. Dash means everything to me. Oh god...I...I'm sorry Lee, that was so insensitive of me to say to you."

"No. It's fine. So uh....Mr. Carpenter spoke to you about her...and..his marriage??"

"Oh...I...umm. No, no. He talked a lot to all the nurses. Trust me. I just overheard things. You know, the gossip and stuff. I just wish he wasn't hell bent on making you suffer. It's such a good thing you have Jolene to help you through it all."

"It's Josie...remember? and yeah...I'm pretty much his scapegoat it seems."

"Oh gosh, that's right. I always get her name screwed up. So, what do you mean by scapegoat? I thought they ruled out any wrong doings from the autopsy and that no one caused it?"

Lee gazed at her for a moment and something began to click regarding the conversation you and he had earlier about someone leaking personal information....and Angel knew more than she should because of Liz.

"Nah, it's nothing. I don't even want to talk about this really. Can I go see Jo now?"

"Well, if you ever want to talk about anything at all, I just live right next door. I miss seeing you. So does Dash. So, yeah, come on. I'll take you to her."

Angel then led Lee out of the waiting room and down the hall, lightly rubbing his back as she did so.

The minute the door opened, Lee's anxious eyes and yours immediately connected as he paused his steps, then he bolted right to your reached out arms, both of you crying as you held each other so tight for the longest time.

"My god, my girl." Lee gasped in and kissed you all over your head and cheeks as he held your face. "Are you ok??? Please tell me nothing is wrong. I've been out of my mind. They, they wouldn't let me stay with you and....god I love you so much, I...I don't ever want to feel that way again." Lee sobbed, his tears freely flowing.

"Heyy, shhhh. I'm here. You're here. All is right again." you whispered with compassion as you also held his face and then kissed his tears.

"I'm so sorry I scared you like that. I swear Lee, I felt ok and then all of a sudden, I didn't. I don't know what happened."

"Where's Britt? Did she tell you anything? Jo, I was so scared that you had a stroke. You couldn't speak to me. and you passed out and I drove like I never did before to get you here and..."

"Baby, try to calm down. I know what you did for me. Landy told me...and...I could still hear you Lee. Your voice is what I focused on. Britt was here yes. Obviously, it's no stroke, thank god. I'm getting my fluids with added electrolytes. I was moderately dehydrated and my blood work also showed that I have an iron deficiency."

"You're anemic? Makes sense Jo. Your diet has not been the greatest lately and then there's the blood loss from the nose bleeds. Is that....all...it is?"

"Well, of course it's my anxiety and stress too. Hence my blood pressure spike, but it's normal now. Good old Britt saying I need to reduce my stress levels and take my meds. Easier said than fucking done when she don't know how much worse they make me feel, nor does she live in my world of psychotic people. And to top that off, my mom is on the way and I'm stuck here for at least another day."

"Sorry baby. I called her earlier and left a message. I...I didn't know what was going to happ..."

"Lee, it's ok. I love you so much for taking care of me and everything else. You know you saved my life."

"If I had been alone...god, I don't even want to think about it....OR the train you tried to beat."

"Yeaaah uh that...well, I DID beat it. I had to try Jo. The rails were still lowering and I could see the train and..."

"Ok, ok, enough about trains...please. I get it though...I would have done the same for you. Love makes us crazy huh?"

"Mmmm yes it does. Come here."

Lee gave you a series of soft and short deep kisses and then moved up to sit beside you, placing his arm around you and pulling you to his chest as he kissed the top of your head.

"Welp...if you're a prisoner here for another day, so am I. You're stuck with me so don't even try to make me go, for it would be futile."

You peered up in his worrisome blues with a most critical look.

"I like being stuck with you. I don't want you to go. Ever."

"What if I have to go to the bathroom."

"You giggled and kissed him. "I guess I can allow that....and maybe to go sneak me some sugar."

"Nope. It's all liver and spinach dinners for you."

"BLECKKKK!!! Lee Pace, that's not even funny. They already brought me a tray of turkey, peas, peaches, wheat bread and...wait for it...prune juice that I haven't touched. Like...I'm pretty sure I'm not constipated....now that part IS funny."

"It was just a little bit funny to see you frown that cute ass frown that I thought I'd never see again. You know? Kind of like a prune." he chuckled. "I promise, I will make you better dinners when we blow this popsicle stand, but babes, you need to eat...for me please. Especially the juice."

"I just want to go now and lay in bed with you and eat your food. I already feel better and I have my own personal doctor...you."

"Yeah well that's the fluids giving you that boost. I don't want you here anymore than you want to be here, but I really feel it is best. I can lay in bed with you here. I'll probably take up the entire bed but you can lay on top of me."

Lee's grin was deviously adorable but quickly fell flat as your mother came bursting in with her anxiety and scarlet hair a fray.

"Josephine Leeann! What in the world happened sweetheart?? I didn't see Lee's message until in the middle of my hair appointment and I had to leave looking like this!"

"Mom...mom....calm down. I'm fine as you can see."

"You're not fine! You're in a hospital bed AGAIN! How can I calm down after what happened to Jay??"

Your heart sank. Damn your brother for doing this to all of you. DID he even know you were here? You just wanted to blurt it out that he was alive, but then she would just think that you were delusional and high on meds....and it would break her heart too. You decided that Jason would have to be the one to do that....once again.

"I know Momma. But I swear...ask Lee...I'm ok."

Lee took a moment and sat with your distraught mom, filling her in on everything, in which she then seemed to relax some after his gentle way of words. She liked Lee a lot and trusted him, especially knowing your dad had once been Lee's colleague and Jacob's pediatrician. You could see the respect in her eyes and that meant the world to you....because if Margaret March didn't like someone, they would know it.

"Thank you Lee. I tell you, my kids are going to be the death of me." she said, rolling her eyes with a soft sigh.

"MOM, don't talk like that."

"Well, YOU don't have to live with Megan anymore for one thing. All that damn smoking in the house that she thinks I don't know about and in and out at all hours of the day and night like a freaking cat. The girl can't even pick up a broom to earn her keep."

"She can sure ride one though." you snarked, making Lee lower his head to hide his smirk.

"Hilarious Joey Lee. You know, nothing's the same anymore. You're gone, Jay's gone, your dad's gone. Bo's gone and Megs only cares for number one. At least one of my sisters still comes around. Livvie was asking about you the other day. Oh, and Gerry called me about Victor too. He's not doing well. I...really want to see him...but...well anyways, I'm pretty much alone anymore."

Margaret paused. You knew she would feel guilty, like she was betraying your father all over again.

"I know Mom...but you're not alone. Our family is bigger than the state of Texas even though most are scattered all around. Olivia will always be there. I'll always be there. I'm sorry I haven't been lately though. I've just had a lot going on. I was at the house last week but you weren't home."

"Yes, I know. I found your note and your half eaten sandwich that Marmaduke was about to devour when I walked in. He needs a bath, which he hates by the way and I can't handle that big oaf. Smells like a horse's ass. What's with your car in the garage anyways?"

"Its... just temporary until..."

"Until I get my garage cleaned out and then she can store it there." Lee cut in with a hidden wink at you to save you from trying to think of something other than the truth.

"I'm so glad the two of you met Lee and that you're always there for my little girl, especially today and getting her here so quickly. It's such a bonus that you're a doctor too. Maybe you can get her to take her medicine for once so this don't happen again. Oh! I saw Amy on my way in. She says she'll be in to see you and Em is coming too. I suppose Gerry is around here somewhere. I don't know if I should go see Victor or not. I told Megan but, well you know how that went."

"I don't want her here anyways. I need to be stress free, remember?? Every time I see her face, all I want to do is..."

"Ok Josephine...don't remind me how my only daughters despise each other."

"Sorry mom. You should go see Vic. Maybe it would help him if he knows you're there? It's ok mom, to do that. I know what he means to you."

"Do...you really think it might help him? I..I mean, I really would like to go."

"Go mom. Don't put these things off. I have Lee here with me and it seems it will soon be grand central station here as well cause Britt and Orlando will be here too, so I'll be ok."

"Welllll....I....I suppose I could...just for a little bit...but I'll be back Joey. I love you." she said and came to kiss your cheek.

"Love you too Ma. If Vic is awake, tell him I hope he feels better soon and please don't tell him about me being here. He don't need to be worrying about anything."

"Come on Margaret, I'll walk you out and point you in the right direction. Be right back sweetheart." Lee sweetly smiled, then mouthed 'I love you' as he led your mom out in the hall. It made you so happy to see the growing bond they had because you knew how much he missed his own mother.

"Margaret...can I...talk to you for a moment?" Lee quietly said after he closed the door.

"Sure Lee. Is everything alright? Is there something you didn't tell me about Joey?"

"Oh no, all seems to be ok now...but...I...hmmm...I umm..."

"Lee? What is it? You seem awful nervous?"

"Whew." he softly sighed, then began. "Well, I'm sure you already know what Jo means to me. But I just wanted you to hear it from me. I love her...so very deeply and I...I had one hell of a wake up call today and it put some things into perspective. Like Jo said...don't put things off. I...I can't imagine a world without her in it, without her in mine. I just don't want to waste anymore time. But I do...want to waste it with her if that makes any sense. I guess...umm....what I am trying to say is..."

Margaret interrupted with a gasp. "Oh my...why Lee...are you....are you...asking for my daughter's hand in marriage??"

Lee stared at her blankly for a moment and then a huge smile formed on his lightly trembling lips.

"I....yes....yes I am."

@redeemer46

[synthsays]

Red Dead Modern AU: Synth Edition!

Sorry it took me so long to get it out there but it's here now and I love what I've made up so far >:D

They live out in the country first of all. Let's just say the town is Valentine (cuz I like the name). Dutch Hosea and Susan all co-own a big two story house (similar to the shady belle one but smaller and better kept together) and they own a decent plot of land where there's a handful of mobile home style smaller houses that the rest of the gang live in (some have tents and cars and stuff like that too) They also have cows and horses on their land too. There's and old run down church not far from the camp that's near a creek so they had a stock hold of stuff there (Reverend chills there too cuz I said so).

Now to get into the individual peeps.

So the town of Valentine is pretty far out there so they don't have a fully functioning police system, Dutch offers his men to help with standard stuff and to still have crime control without having to call out an actual squad of police (kind of like in Rhodes with the Grays) Colm Odriscoll also has a couple of his men in the basically volunteer police department so there's some rivalry there. The real rivalry started with a bar fight in the 90s between Colm and Dutch that ended with Annabel and Colm's brother both dying (they "took it outside" into the woofs so there were no witnesses besides them and Hosea) Basically they were both like "I won't turn you in if you don't turn me in" so it was a stalemate. Colm ODriscoll owns one of those all boys reform school ranches that turn out to be abusive, that's where Kieran works as a stable hand of course (Colm has his gang of people aside from the school). So basically Ducth has somewhat control over this town plus a rivalry with Colm. He's still a little crazy so he basically how they get Kieran to join there side is threatening him with incriminating evidence agaist him (dutch knows the reform school is bad so he's like "Hey kieran ur gonna get arrested big time cuz u work there even tho you didn't do anything we have this fake evidence agaist you so join us instead) so now he just is a stable hand at a different place. Now as I mentioned Strauss is the most tech savvy of them all (surprising ik) because he basically scams people online. So strauss is usually on the family computer which is just a clunky 2000s pc Hosea bought cuz he wanted to be cool and impress the kids. How they met John is that he was about to get dragged away by some police officer cuz he didn't have a guardian around or something but Dutch ran up to him like "That's where you are! Moms worried sick. Don't you ever run away again r- uuuuh *looks to Hoseas* rrrip...Van Winkle! Let's get you home, thank you officer." And the rest was history ig

Arthur: helps mostly on the farm with the cows and stuff (cowpoke lol), owns a really beat up truck (John crashed it)

Dutch: no license lol, manages money for the farm, selling etc., is a conspiracy theorist he has one of those red string boards, probably stays up all night looking at his phone (facebook), tries to be "hip" but fails miserably, infinite amount of Hawaiian shirts where dies he keep getting these-

Hosea: used to own a motorcycle, crashed it unfortunately, shoplifts because he thinks it's funny, is actually cool unlike Dutch, has a garden.

John: dropped out of highschool rip, ran away 100 times as a kid but always called when he was like somehow 15 miles away like "mom come pick me up I'm scared", duct tapes whatever is broken no matter what it is. Works with cows on the farm but usually let's arthur do the actual work

Tilly: most put together of the main family. Student teacher at the school, likes hunting and has deer antlers in her room, helps mostly with the horses on the farm.

Charles: national park ranger (works at the nearest one even though it's still a 2 hours drive or something like that so he wakes up really early), has a blog about nature and park rangers stuff.

MaryBeth: has a book club (they meet in the cafe every Friday 3 pm), fanfic writer, would have a pretty huge following

Pearson: owns a cafe (saves a table area for Mary beth on fridays), has a huge postcard collection, watches cooking TV shows religiously lol

Susan: facebook gossip (has one of those old lady groups), principal at the school, cigarette mom

Sadie: Works for animal control, owns a cabin with Jake

Kieran: loves bass pro, works as a stable hand, plays those stupid horse care mobile games, has a yt channel (centered around horses)

MaryBeth: has a book club (they meet in the cafe every Friday 3 pm), fanfic writer, would have a pretty huge following

Susan: facebook gossip (has one of those old lady groups), principal at the school, cigarette mom

Sadie: Works for animal control, owns a cabin with Jake

Kieran: loves bass pro, works as a stable hand, plays those stupid horse care mobile kids games, has a yt channel (centered around horses)

Trelawny: van life style travels around the country in a caravan, also has a yt channel the videos usually only have a couple likes, maybe one or two comments (centered very random stuff mostly magic tricks)

That's all I've got but RARARRA THE LORE I WILL GO INSANE PLZ ASK ME ABOUT IT!

[kakiastro]

Gemini 5h

The 5h is the Sun house. It rules the things we like to do for fun. It’s the house of joy and creativity. It’s the house of passion, romance, and dating. It’s how we openly express ourselves. It’s of the fame houses but this represents the world stage.

Fred and George are perfect examples of this placement 😅

For fun, they tend to be down for whatever as long as it’s mentally stimulating to them

-they may like doing fun things with their siblings or best friends they see as siblings.

-these are the people who probably went to all the school dances or school fun activities as long as their friends were going lol

- may have been the class clown or the jokester in class. Even if the class was boring, these people know how to liven things up at least, maybe the teacher favorite lowkey lol

-they love reading books, they may take an interest in blogs or sites like tumblr and if you’re old enough to, MySpace lol

-may also love writing for fun, it’s a good creative outlet for them.

-may be good at selling fun or cool merchandise for their businesses

-may like to participate in the local neighborhood activities such as block parties, yard sales, bbq cookouts, going to the local markets

-may like to hang out at the library or bookstore.

-may date a variety of different people, some of their partners may have been their best friend or was a friend of their sibling

-loves video games and may find it relaxing. May have a few mobile games on their phone

-in fame, they’ll be in the media a lot, paparazzi will be all over you. Gemini rules over news media and cameras.

-this placement can also indicate having a famous sibling, aunts/uncles or cousins as well

-their children might have Gemini , 3h or mercurial dominant/aspects

Im open for birth chart readings!

[ziamalikindia]

Can Your Bitcoin Address Change on Cash App? Tips for Managing Your Wallet

As cryptocurrencies grow in popularity, platforms like Cash App have made it easier for everyday users to buy, sell, and send Bitcoin. Whether you’re new to crypto or a seasoned investor, you may have noticed that Cash App assigns you a unique Bitcoin wallet address. But what happens if you need a different address or wish to know whether a Cash App Bitcoin wallet address change is possible?

In this guide, we’ll take a deep dive into how the Cash App Bitcoin wallet works, whether you can change your Bitcoin address, and some essential tips for managing your Bitcoin transactions on the platform. We’ll also answer common questions about Bitcoin addresses on Cash App to help you understand how to keep your funds safe and transactions smooth.

Introduction: How Bitcoin Addresses Work on Cash App?

Cash App isn’t just a mobile payment app—it also offers crypto trading features, allowing users to send, receive, and store Bitcoin directly within the app. When you create a Bitcoin wallet on Cash App, the platform assigns a unique Bitcoin wallet address. This address acts like a digital identifier for your wallet, enabling other users or platforms to send Bitcoin to your account safely.

However, users often have questions about whether their Bitcoin address can be changed. Perhaps you are concerned about privacy, wondering if your wallet can have a new address to limit exposure of past transactions. Or maybe you want to reset the address for security reasons. This blog will explore how Bitcoin addresses on Cash App function and if you can request a Bitcoin wallet address change within the app.

Can I Change My Bitcoin Address on Cash App?

The answer to the question “Can I change my Bitcoin address on Cash App?” lies in how Bitcoin wallets are designed. Cash App automatically assigns a new Bitcoin address periodically for security reasons. So, the good news is that you don’t need to manually change your Bitcoin address because Cash App will provide new addresses on your behalf over time.

Bitcoin addresses on Cash App function similarly to how Bitcoin addresses work on most crypto platforms:

You can receive Bitcoin using the latest address assigned to your account.

Your previous Bitcoin addresses remain valid—so even if your address changes, funds sent to old addresses will still arrive in your wallet.

The platform may issue a new address whenever you perform certain activities, such as requesting a deposit address.

This dynamic address system ensures enhanced privacy for users by making it difficult for outsiders to trace a user’s entire transaction history based on one address.

How to View or Use Your Bitcoin Address on Cash App

If you’re using Cash App for Bitcoin transactions, it’s essential to know how to access your wallet address. Here’s how to find new Bitcoin wallet address on Cash App:

Open the Cash App on your phone.

Tap the Bitcoin (₿) icon at the bottom of the screen.

Select Deposit Bitcoin to display your current Bitcoin wallet address.

You’ll see both the alphanumeric address and a QR code that others can scan to send Bitcoin to your wallet.

This address can be used to receive Bitcoin from other wallets or platforms. Even though Cash App periodically updates your Bitcoin address, older addresses assigned to your account will still function for incoming transactions.

Why Does Cash App Change Bitcoin Addresses?

There are several reasons why Cash App assigns new Bitcoin addresses periodically. These changes are designed to enhance the security and privacy of your transactions:

Privacy Protection: Bitcoin addresses are public, meaning anyone can see all transactions associated with an address on the blockchain. By issuing new addresses periodically, Cash App helps prevent someone from easily tracking all your activity.

Security Enhancements: Using the same Bitcoin address repeatedly increases the chances of it being linked to fraudulent activities. Regular address changes lower these risks.

Compliance with Blockchain Standards: Bitcoin networks encourage wallet providers to use hierarchical deterministic (HD) wallets, which generate multiple addresses under a single wallet to enhance user security.

This automatic address update ensures that you don’t need to worry about changing your Bitcoin wallet address manually.

Can You Request a Specific Bitcoin Address Change?

Although Cash App generates new Bitcoin addresses regularly, there is no manual option for users to change the address on demand. The system is designed to automate this process, ensuring that each user’s account remains secure and compliant with blockchain standards.

If you have concerns about a previous Bitcoin address being compromised, you can still use the newest address generated by Cash App for future transactions. However, your old addresses will continue to receive Bitcoin without any issues.

Managing Multiple Bitcoin Transactions on Cash App

You don’t need to worry about managing different addresses yourself, as all Bitcoin received via old and new addresses will reflect in your Cash App Bitcoin balance. Here are some useful tips for seamless Bitcoin transactions on Cash App:

Use the latest Bitcoin address whenever requesting deposits from another wallet or exchange for added security.

Keep track of transaction confirmations on the Bitcoin blockchain to monitor the status of your incoming funds.

Make sure to verify the amount and recipient address before sending Bitcoin, as transactions on the blockchain are irreversible.

What Happens if You Share an Old Bitcoin Address?

If you’ve already shared an older Bitcoin address with someone, there’s no need to worry. Bitcoin sent to any valid address associated with your Cash App wallet will still arrive safely in your account.

Unlike some traditional payment systems, the blockchain ensures that all past addresses remain valid indefinitely, so even if your address changes, older ones will still work for receiving funds.

FAQ

Can I change my Bitcoin address on Cash App manually?

No, Cash App does not allow users to manually change their Bitcoin address. However, the platform periodically generates new addresses for your wallet to enhance security and privacy.

How often does Cash App change Bitcoin addresses?

There is no fixed schedule for Bitcoin address changes. Cash App issues new addresses automatically when needed, such as when you request a new deposit address.

Will my old Bitcoin address still work after a new one is assigned?

Yes, all old Bitcoin addresses linked to your Cash App wallet will remain valid and functional. Funds sent to any previous address will still arrive in your Bitcoin balance.

How do I find my Bitcoin wallet address on the Cash App?

To view Cash App Bitcoin wallet address, open the Cash App, tap the Bitcoin (₿) icon, and select Deposit Bitcoin. You’ll see your current address and QR code for deposits.

Why does the Cash App change Bitcoin addresses periodically?

Cash App updates Bitcoin addresses to protect user privacy, enhance security, and comply with blockchain best practices. Regular address changes prevent others from tracking your entire transaction history.

Can I have multiple Bitcoin addresses on Cash App?

Yes, Cash App assigns multiple addresses over time, but you don’t need to manage them separately. All addresses remain linked to your Bitcoin wallet and can receive funds.

[platoapproved]

I’m going to go the book route for the ask meme with: Armand/Riccardo, Santino/Armand, and Lestat/Akasha.

Answering on mobile now so apologies for any typos I’m old and so bad at phone typing:

Armand/Riccardo: makes sense compels me (is there any iwtv pairing that makes me sadder than this? I love them I can hardly stand to think about them. All I wanted for the first half of TVA was for them to run away together and find a place to be safe and happy even though I always knew where it was headed. the ultimate heart breaker to me)

Santino/Armand: makes sense, doesn’t compel me (in my head this is barely a half-step down from Marius/Armand. It makes sense to me why people would ship it because examining abusive dynamics can be cathartic or interesting and like. Boy does Santino ever abuse that boy. I was really shocked reading TVA when Santino kisses Armand after All The Torture™️ because in discussions I’d never seen any of That referenced when people were talking about Armand’s past…. So I get the grounds for it entirely as a like “ugh this makes me want to hurl” kind of ship and those have their place and always have. For me though there’s plenty of that in the books and for fanfic or the like I drift towards different dynamics. Ugh Santino. I need to just look up the book scene where he dies actually this is a great reminder.)

Lestat/Akasha: doesn’t make sense doesn’t compel me (it’s hard to sell me on a m/f ship I’m gonna be honest and the book is so wishy washy with akasha and her violent ideologies. I’m curious how it’ll go in the show if they get there? There’s potential. But as is in the novel akasha doesn’t get to like, be a person whose actions and affections make sense, 99% of the time she’s just a mouthpiece for outdated gross gender essentialism that has me rolling my eyes and skipping forward. Yknow? I would be interested in lestat and the akasha that maharet describes, who makes up morals to suit her whims and is terrified existentially. More of that manifesting in their interactions and I might be persuaded. But also I might not. Like i said it’s a high bar for me for m/f that’s just how I am )

[ghousttm]

Around 5-7 years ago i downloaded a restaurant idle game on my old phone where the more i serve the right foods to one of the 5 main character boys the more scenes and hearts I'll gain and with each heart I'll unlock scenes and endings with that boy

That game is gone.

No matter how hard i look for it in playstore i cant find anything similar

I think the creator removed it or has been removed

I've searched for this game 3 times before all to no avail

I searched keywords on youtube, google. Just anything to at least see the scenes and endings of this game

"coffee boyfriend all endings" "cafe boyfriend all endings" "cafe boyfriend mobile game" "love cafe all endings" "love cafe mobile game all endings" "love cafe mobile game" "love restaurant mobile game"

This apk right here

Is the only thing where the icon's profile resembles what little i remember of that game's general artstyle

But i cant even open it. It was last updated in 2016. It just won't work with my version at all

Please. I'm so desperate. If anyone has any idea how to find this game, have any screenshots of it, or even remember it, contact me. I need to see it again at least once

I remember the icon is of one of the main characters. I remember the scene i got, the boy confessed to me on a highschool rooftop and started crying. I'll try to illustrate how i the format of the game looked like from my memory eventually but it was 2 dimensional, like flat, and not like a cube like some restaurant games are

In the gameplay i can hire people to work on taking orders and serving

I was able to customize by picking one out of a series of furnitures for specific slots

I also remember being able to only serve the foods i bought the ingredients for

I remember if i buy the ones a boy likes, or use specific decorations a boy likes, it'll increase their heart every time they come. Or no wait actually i get decorations from raising their hearts i think

It had a soft cozy color palette and simple artstyle for the gameplay part and switches to an anime artstyle in the scenes. Though the chibi isnt simplified or made to match the color palette i think ..?

There's also slots for multiple booths where i can change what they sell on those booths

There's also a thing with mixing these charms thingies to make eventually.. when i unlock the second room to the left