#op was camped at the airport

[sunshineandlyrics]

🇨🇭 Louis and team arriving at Zurich airport for Zurich Open Air Festival, 24 August 2024.

[stormblessed95]

Do you know, all I keep thinking about re these negative anon asks is how all of what Jimin supposedly said was filmed probably April 23, when he was in NYC. Did he seem unhappy to anyone in that video? Did he seem unhappy in 2023 as a whole. No.

So after this interview (no we have it) we got Jimin travelling to NY to meet with JK, (all waxed.. sorry I digress), to go in a date on silver day to a very romantic looking restaurant, to then spend time travelling around CT, including a stay in a very romantic LGBTQ+ friendly cabin, camping under the trees, to them flirting in front of our salads a week or so later, JK naked in bed, as you do. Then we got the back selca of the century from Jimin on JKs birthday (everyone say thank you to Jimin), to Jimin posting a picture of a whale they both drew, and now we know they did that in the back of a boat watching a very romantic sunset. Then we got JK walking in on Jimins production diary live, and Jimins smile that could light up the sky it was that big and bright. Then if that wasn’t all, we got 2017 Jikook cosplayers going to Japan together all cosy in the airports, and then, then, the biggest most loudest thing they have done in my opinion, the buddy enlistment. 

I mean seriously people. We may not know, or ever know, the true nature of the relationship between them but do you know what? We don’t need to know do we. Mainly because it’s non of our business, but also because no matter what, the love and devotion these two have is unparalleled. They have a truly beautiful bond that is unique to them. They know what they mean to one another, we get to peak when they let us, but that’s all. It’s not our right to debate and seek the truth, that’s their right. It’s not up to us to decide what they are, or what the truth is, that’s up to them. It’s called plausible deniability for a reason, they allow us in a bit, but then pull back equally as fast. As is their right. 

I’ve been watching BV3 to pass some time and even in the short clips we see of them in that season, you can see their special bond. They say it themselves in their ending interviews. They click, they are similar. In AYS we are going to see hours of just them, no other members to pan to, or Segway to, just them, together. Do people realise what a privilege that is? I hope so. 

I for one wish people would just stop with speculation and inane asks and either bogg off if you are an anti, or stay and appreciate what they do allow us to see if themselves, especially during AYS, because if that twitter op is anything to go by, we are in for something really special. 

Hey, you know anon. I love you. I adore you. Come be my friend? 💜💜

Thanks for sharing!

[everydayyoulovemeless]

Fo4 Companions Favorite Settlements To Stay At

➼ Word Count » 0.7k ➼ Warnings » Slight spoilers in MacCready's

MacCready really likes the Finch Farm. It has always been a place of comfort for him. There's something about the family that lives there that almost reminds MacCready of the family he and his son are never likely to get. He hopes that one day when his son makes it to the Commonwealth that they could hang around the place for a little while longer, maybe even live there with them permanently.

Nick's always been fond of the Starlight Drive-In. Human Nick spent a lot of time in these types of theatres, so he's always felt weirdly connected to them. Nick also likes to stand behind the counter and serve drinks while all the other settlers gather around on the stools. It's just a naturally nostalgic place for him.

Cait has never been particularly excited to visit the settlements, they're all too open and the settlers are wayyy too in her face for her to have fun. That's why Hangman's Ally is the only one she ever agrees to go to. Not many settlers like living there, and it's almost invisible to the rest of the world.

Danse's favorite settlement to be at will always be the Boston Airport. There's nowhere he'd rather be than near his fellow soldiers—they're like his family.

Preston loves all the settlements you work on, but The Castle always wins. In his opinion, there's nothing better than the space, people, and artillery that the Castle holds. It's a natural place for any Minuteman to want to be in. He especially loves the history of it all. Looking back at old pre-war artifacts that have been scattered across the castle makes him feel so intrigued.

Codsworth loves sanctuary for sentimental reasons, but greygarden is a place he really feels at home. It's just him and all the other Mr. Handys, cleaning and gardening, his favorite things to do <3 (and sometimes they have really good gossip)

Piper spent a good while trying to solve the mystery in Jamaica Plain, and in doing so, set up her own little shack to call a temporary home. She made pretty good friends with the settlers who currently resided there and likes to visit every now and then to see the home she lived in for a week serve a different purpose.

Curie's very interested in all the ghost stories that surround the Croup Manor. She can't help but get excited at the thought of spending the night there or starting a little campfire just outside the place and going back and forth telling each other myths and legends.

Strong likes a lot of the settlements, but Sunshine Tidings Co-Op always makes him satisfied due to all the raider camps that are scattered nearby. Even Nuka-World's close. He can eat as many people as he wants down there, what more could he ask for?

Hancock loves supporting his fellow ghouls, so the Slog is a personal favorite of his. He always tries to help the group down there out as often as he can, especially security-wise. He wants to see this group prosper. It's refreshing to see others working toward the same goals as him.

Deacon, against Desdemona's wishes, turned the Taffington Boathouse into a frat house of sorts. He's always trying to recruit people but he's only managed to convince Tinker Tom to get on board. He's also the only one who knows what a frat house actually is so everyone just ignores him.

X6-88 hates them all. They're all too grimy for him to ever willingly be near. Although, if he had to pick, it'd be Covenant, only after he's killed everyone else in it. He'd much rather it be just the two of you in that semi-secure township. 

Dogmeat likes all of them, although Sanctuary and the Red Rocket Station are his favorites. Both settlements always hold such friendly people and tons of junk for him to play with!

Naturally, Old Longfellow prefers his cabin. He has the most detailed mental map of his little island—knows where all the traps are set and everything. Besides all his weapons and alcohol being stored there, why wouldn't it be his favorite?

Gage doesn't have much of an opinion on any of them, although, he thinks Hangman's Ally has the best cover. It doesn't matter to him though, everywhere's home if you can take it from the original residents.

[lindszeppelin]

I think if we don't see any pap walks from Austin in NYC today/Monday, he will probably not go to the Met. I've been seeing a lot of celebs doing airport photo ops, leaving hotels, etc in the past few days (obvi including Kaia), so that is a way to hype up the attention. A lot of celebs have also mentioned/hinted at going, Austin has not. Again, not 100% indication he won't go, but I have seen how celebs move in the media enough times to see a pattern. I knew Kaia would go just by how she all of a sudden started popping up again after being absent for a few weeks lol Daily Mail on payroll 24/7

for sure im still in the camp of Austin not going. i think Kaia is set to go by herself. and those pap pics were calculated so that she can skate off the breakup rumors that would have happened had she not had these pap pics taken.

but just because he might still be under her thumb doesn't mean that she won the damn battle.

[twistedingenue]

The hardest point of something like GenCon for me, with chronic pain and social anxiety isn't the event itself. Don't get me wrong, that's hard (hello extra painkillers and xanax just to enter the vendor hall), but the need to take the day AFTER I get home off is the worst. Because there are things I need to do (cleaning, cooking, unpacking) and all my body wants to do is recount every bit of soreness and strife from the last Best Four Days in Gaming.

Anyways, next year we are going to try to get a connecting hotel because I'd really like to go to some of the later events. Being by the airport meant condensing the day together. What helped was actually scheduling some events this time and accessibility services.

I got to skip the will call line since I started with my cane (another good call on my part) and not having to stand for an hour was wonderful.

FYI: We stayed at Crowne Plaza --Airport. Our AC was struggling, but the rooms were clean and quiet. The hotel seems to be at the tail end of some big renovations, and we never quite knew what new thing would open up. We ended up eating there every day -- the breakfast buffet was WONDERFUL and well priced. It wasn't a huge buffet but everything tasted good. Their lounge was open and had a small dinner service, that was a little more uneven. A salad was underdressed but my ribeye with a sriracha glaze was amazing. If they added a shuttle service towards the convention center, it would be a great budget option.

Next year, more writing workshops and seminars. Those were fun. I really enjoyed the worldbuilding one and one on children's lit. I've got an idea for a novel percolating right now, and I hope I can actually start writing with it soon.

We also tested out the following games, all co-op: Sail- a wonderful 2 person card game. Very simply to pick up the rules (even I could do it). A great game to have around for like -- internet or power outages, camping. They didn't have any copies available (shipping delay), so we'll be looking out for it at our local game store.

Conquest Princess: Fashion is Power: Do you like sci-fi? magical girls? mechas powered by your pets? Fashion is Power? TRANSFORMATION SEQUENCES? And arcade game mechanics? This is your game. The mechanics are a little more complicated than I usually like, but I picked up on it by the end of the hour. It's a bag builder game, the artwork is lovely, and both my husband and I thoroughly enjoyed it. We played a demo copy, but the game is fully funded and in production. You can late pledge for it here.

Avatar the Last Airbender: Crossroads of Destiny: A rehash of the series in board game form. There are 12 plot-point scenarios to play through, in any order, and you can do one or two at a time. Mechanics are pretty simple and easy to learn, and it really encourages the co-operative behavior. By the time we tested it, Funko had sold out of what they brought with them, but we ordered it off of Amazon because I really want to play more of it.

Other than that, I bought a few gifts, tea, enamel pins and small bits of artwork and books. Husband bought tshirts and pre-ordered a modular backback system that will probably arrive in time for next gencon, lol.

I wasn't planning on going back next year, instead doing a resort type vacation, but it looks like we're getting a group together and let's face it, that's more fun.

[fogspecs]

Legit question for OP: Let’s say you work some middle-class IT office job and save up $600 to buy a ticket and fly overseas for vacation. (Anywhere in the world you want to go most, idk, take your pick.) Plenty of childless people in their late 20s are lucky enough to find good jobs and are able to save that much. My point is you don’t have to be anywhere close to a millionaire to save up 600 bucks, even though I guess that’s how we of little means often see things. Anyway, while on your way to the airport, you happen to see some protestors who are picketing airline carbon emissions; they inform you that your flight will contribute to the airline industry’s yearly 1 billion tonnes of carbon waste. You feel a bit bad, but pass them by. If your plane then got stranded somewhere in the middle of nowhere and you got really sick, would you say you “deserved” it? Was it karma? Meanwhile, a private jet soars above you.

Well —

I know a close family friend in his mid 50s who works as a civil engineer / urban planner on the west coast. He’s an aging nerd who collects old IBM computers and model trains. The man has also gone to Burning Man several times (though not this year). He doesn’t “glamp” — he puts up his own tent and it’s amazing to see him set up the frame, tie the knots, and set the stakes, just like his dad taught him to do on countless camping trips when he was young. To me, a lost art. You could say it’s cringe and wasteful for him to go to Burning Man, but that’s true of a lot of things that someone in a wealthy imperialist country can do, whether it’s going to Burning Man or Disneyland.

I want to laugh at rich people getting karma. I don’t particularly want to imagine Jim’s feet swelling with water and erupting into bacteria-infected sores as he wades through mud outside his tent. In reality it’s not the rich who are getting those horrible diseases — they’re lounging around in their luxury campers with private latrines — it’s probably the people who brought small tents or applied as volunteers in order to get into Burning Man for free. And that’s the tragedy, isn’t it, that the rich can always find a way to escape even in these situations where we believe we can laugh at victims of conspicuous consumption. This catharsis, the righteous cleansing flood, is a fantasy. Like always, a natural disaster washes away only the most vulnerable in its sea of shit. And yet we laugh.

The sea monkeys are finally awake. Are you?

burning man 2023 explained

burning man is a festival for rich white people who want to smoke weed and trip acid in the nevada desert and pretend they're one with the earth. it's not a music festival or anything that serves any purpose, it's just vibes

a hundred year flash flood just hit nevada, including where burning man is being held this very weekend

dry desert ground can't suddenly absorb water, let alone that much water all at once, so now burning man is a giant mud pit with THICK deep mud

nobody can get in or out, so they closed all the roads

FEMA just told the *73,000 PEOPLE* stranded at burning man to shelter in place, ration food and water, and essentially "you're on your own, good luck"

the port-o-potties are overflowing into the mud they're all walking around in

the official CDC twitter account tweeted (and then deleted) that there's a confirmed ebola outbreak at burning man, but people are pretty sure it's just trench illnesses. like actual WWI trench illnesses

earlier this week, climate activists protested against burning man, and all the attendees drove right past them (and yelled at them, and tried to get them arrested, etc)

there's a private jet at burning man where people can join the mile high club. it just takes off and lands all day and lets people fuck in it. no word yet on the fuck plane's current status/location

and lastly: when the ground here gets wet, the sea monkeys hatch

[tajmirrortours0]

Royal Rajasthan Tour by Taj Mirror Tours Company.

Taj Mirror Tours Company's Royal Rajasthan Tour

One of India's liveliest and most culturally diverse states is Rajasthan, sometimes known as the Land of Kings. A window into India's royal past is provided by Rajasthan, with its magnificent forts, opulent palaces, and ageless customs. The carefully planned Royal Rajasthan Tour, offered by Taj Mirror Tours Company, takes you into the center of this magnificent country and leaves you with a remarkable experience rich in regal splendor, history, and culture.

Why Select the Tour of Royal Rajasthan? In Rajasthan, one can find some of India's most exquisite and immaculate historical sites. With the Royal Rajasthan Tour, you can experience the warm hospitality that the area is known for while touring opulent palaces, ancient forts, and vibrant markets. You may experience a sumptuous, meticulously planned, and culturally engaging tour with Taj Mirror Tours without having to worry about the little things.

Principal Attractions on the Royal Rajasthan Tour A preview of what to expect on this amazing trip to Rajasthan is provided here:

Discover Jaipur's Pink City See the Jaisalmer Golden City. Explore Udaipur, the City of Lakes, and its splendor. Admire Jodhpur's historic forts. Discover Bikaner's vibrant culture. Savor Mandawa's peace and quiet Spend time at historic hotels that were formerly royal residences. Travel schedule for the Royal Rajasthan Tour Let's go into the specific schedule for Taj Mirror Tours Company's Royal Rajasthan Tour.

Day 1: Getting to Jaipur The starting point of your trip is Jaipur, the Pink City, which is the capital city of Rajasthan. An official from Taj Mirror Tours will meet you at the airport and take you to your accommodation. You may choose to take in a traditional Rajasthani meal at a heritage restaurant and tour some of Jaipur's local marketplaces, depending on when you arrive.

Day 2: Sightseeing in Jaipur The first activity of the day is a visit to the well-known Amber Fort, which is located outside of the city on a hill. With a blend of Mughal and Rajput architectural styles, this magnificent fort has panoramic vistas. Inside the fort is the Sheesh Mahal (Mirror Palace), a room totally adorned with thousands of tiny mirror pieces. Don't miss it.

You will visit Jaipur's royal family's home, City Palace, after seeing Amber Fort. Along the way, you'll visit the magnificent Hawa Mahal (Palace of Winds) for a photo op and tour the Jantar Mantar, an astronomical observatory from the 18th century.

Jaipur to Jaisalmer on Day 3 The trip to Jaisalmer, commonly referred to as the Golden City because of its structures made of yellow sandstone that sparkle brilliantly in the desert sun, will come next. You'll spend a quiet evening in this desert city under the stars after checking into a classic heritage hotel upon your arrival in Jaisalmer.

Visit the Desert Beauty of Jaisalmer on Day Four. One of the world's largest fully maintained fortified cities, Jaisalmer Fort, is a great place to start the day. Because people still live there and occupy its little lanes, the fort is special. You will tour the many havelis (mansions) in the fort, such as Patwon Ki Haveli, which has beautiful interior design and elaborate sculptures.

Sam's sand dunes will provide the backdrop for your evening camel safari. A traditional Rajasthani cultural show will take place in a desert camp after you ride your camel through the huge desert and take in a breathtaking sunset.

Jodhpur to Jaisalmer on Day 5 Your next destination after relishing in Jaisalmer's golden sands is Jodhpur, popularly referred to as the Blue City due to the indigo-hued homes along its ancient town. You'll have some downtime after checking into your accommodation upon arrival.

One of India's most magnificent forts, Mehrangarh Fort, will be your destination in the afternoon. With breathtaking views of the city below, the fort looms over Jodhpur. There is a museum within that holds a variety of royal relics, such as paintings, armor, and palanquins. Following the fort, you will visit the placid Jaswant Thada, a marble memorial erected in Maharaja Jaswant Singh II's honor.

Jodhpur to Udaipur via Ranakpur on Day 6 You will depart Jodhpur on Day 6 and go to Udaipur, often known as the City of Lakes. During the journey, you will stop at Ranakpur, which is well-known for its exquisitely carved Jain temples. Known for its 1,444 individually carved marble pillars, the Ranakpur Temple is a masterpiece of architecture.

When you get to Udaipur, you'll stay at an opulent hotel with a view of picturesque Lake Pichola.

Day 7: Sightseeing in Udaipur Because of its gardens, lakes, and palaces, Udaipur is among India's most charming cities. See the magnificent complex known as City Palace, which provides amazing views of the surrounding city and the lake, to start your day. You may tour museums, royal rooms, and courtyards within the castle.

The Jagdish shrine, a Hindu shrine devoted to Lord Vishnu, and Saheliyon Ki Bari, a lovely garden created for the queen and her maidens, will be your next stops.

Savor a peaceful boat trip on Lake Pichola in the evening, where you can see the lake's islands, home to Jag Mandir and the renowned Lake Palace.

Eighth day: Bikaner to Udaipur You will now drive to Bikaner, a city renowned for its palaces, forts, and camel breeding farms. Once you reach Bikaner, you will pay a visit to the Junagarh Fort, an impressive collection of antiques housed within a stronghold with a long history.

Day 9: Touring the Bikaner area You'll discover more of Bikaner's cultural gems on Day 9, such as the museum-now-laid-out red sandstone palace known as Lalgarh Palace. You will also go to the Rat Temple, or Karni Mata Temple, where thousands of rats are considered sacred.

Tenth day: Mandawa to Bikaner Known for its exquisitely painted havelis, Mandawa is a hidden gem in Rajasthan. Discover the region's cultural legacy by spending the day touring the vibrant houses that are embellished with detailed frescoes.

Day 11: Mandawa to Jaipur and Final Arrangements You will leave for Jaipur and return there on your last day. Prior to your departure, you might have some spare time to take in a leisurely supper or visit Jaipur's marketplaces, depending on the timing of your flight.

The Taj Mirror Tours: Why Make a Reservation? 1. Expert Reference Books With extensive knowledge of Rajasthan's history, culture, and architecture, Taj Mirror Tours provides knowledgeable guides. Your tour will be enhanced even further by their love of storytelling.

2. Plushness and Coziness With air-conditioned cars for transportation and accommodations in historic hotels, Taj Mirror Tours makes sure your trip is both memorable and comfortable.

3. Customized Travel Plans With Taj Mirror Tours' flexible trip packages, you may tailor your schedule to your own interests and tastes.

4. Interaction with Culture You'll get a sense of Rajasthan's true nature that goes beyond its sights by visiting traditional markets, local villages, and cultural events.

5. All-inclusive Set Deals Taj Mirror Tours offers comprehensive packages that include everything needed for a hassle-free vacation, including lodging, meals, and admission tickets.

In conclusion You can have an unparalleled taste of Rajasthan's magnificence with the Taj Mirror Tours Company's Royal Rajasthan Tour. This tour takes you on a journey through India's regal past, from the pink colors of Jaipur to the golden dunes of Jaisalmer and the blue tones of Jodhpur. In addition to taking in the elegance and coziness of historic hotels, you'll see impressive forts, tranquil lakes, and lively marketplaces. This tour will undoubtedly leave you with enduring memories of the Land of Kings, regardless of how experienced you are as a tourist.

1. What is the ideal time to travel to Rajasthan? The milder months of October through March, when the weather is suitable for touring, are the ideal times to visit Rajasthan.

How much time does the Royal Rajasthan Tour last? Though you can alter the schedule to suit your needs, the typical Royal Rajasthan Tour lasts between ten and twelve days.

3. Are guests of today comfortable in historic hotels? Indeed, while retaining the allure of classic Rajasthani palaces, the heritage hotels included in the tour provide contemporary conveniences.

4. What should I bring with me on the tour? To protect oneself from the sun, bring light, breathable clothing, cozy walking shoes, sunglasses, sunscreen, and a hat.

5. Is it possible to alter my Royal Rajasthan Tour? Without a doubt! To ensure that your trip meets your needs and interests, Taj Mirror Tours offers customised itineraries.

ALSO READ

The Miami Dolphins and the Seattle Seahawks are two NFL teams known for their exciting style of play. When these teams face off, fans can expect a thrilling contest that showcases dynamic offenses, athletic defenses, and strategic play-calling. The Dolphins, representing the AFC East, and the Seahawks, hailing from the NFC West, both have unique strengths that make their matchups competitive and entertaining.

Miami Dolphins Key Players and Stats

Tua Tagovailoa – Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is the Dolphins' young and talented quarterback. Known for his accuracy and quick decision-making, Tua has become the focal point of Miami’s offense. In a game against the Seahawks, he could put up stats like 250-300 passing yards with 2-3 touchdowns. His ability to connect with speedy wide receivers like Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle makes him a constant threat to any defense.

Tyreek Hill – Wide Receiver Tyreek Hill, also known as "Cheetah" for his blazing speed, is the most dangerous deep-threat in the NFL. Against the Seahawks' secondary, Hill could post impressive numbers such as 5-7 receptions for 120+ yards and a touchdown. His ability to stretch the field and make explosive plays puts pressure on any opposing defense.

Xavien Howard – Cornerback On the defensive side, Xavien Howard is one of the best cornerbacks in the league. Known for his ball-hawking skills, Howard could potentially grab an interception in a game against Seattle while also limiting their top receivers. His presence in the Dolphins’ secondary often forces opposing quarterbacks to think twice before targeting his side of the field.

Seattle Seahawks Key Players and Stats

Geno Smith – Quarterback Geno Smith took over as the Seahawks’ starting quarterback after the departure of Russell Wilson. Smith has shown improvement, particularly in his decision-making and accuracy. In a matchup against the Dolphins, Smith might post stats like 250-300 yards passing, with 1-2 touchdowns. His connection with receivers like DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett is crucial to the Seahawks' offensive success.

DK Metcalf – Wide Receiver DK Metcalf is one of the most physically imposing wide receivers in the NFL. In a game against Miami’s secondary, Metcalf might record 5-8 receptions for 100+ yards and a touchdown. His size, speed, and athleticism make him a matchup nightmare for opposing defenses.

Conclusion

When the Dolphins face the Seahawks, the game is always a must-watch, featuring explosive offenses and aggressive defenses. Both teams have playmakers who can change the course of the game in an instant, making every Dolphins vs. Seahawks matchup a showcase of athleticism and strategy.

[casbooks]

Books of 2023

Book 73 of 2023

Title: Only The Light Moves Authors: Francis A Doherty ISBN: 9781399057011 Tags: A-1 Skyraider, AH-1 Cobra, B-24 Liberator, B-52 Stratofortress, Boeing 720B, Boeing Stearman, de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver, F-4 Phantom II, FAC, GER Bavaria, GER Germany, GER Kirch Gons, HKG Hong Kong, HKG Hong Kong - Kai Tak Airport, KHM Cambodia, KHM Cambodian Air Force (Cambodian Civil War), KHM Cambodian Civil War (1967-1975), KHM Norodom Sihanouk (King / Prince / Prime Minister), KHM Operation Daniel Boone / Salem House (1967-1975) (Cambodian Civil War) (Vietnam War), LAO Laos, LAO Pathet Lao, LAO USA MSS Leghorn (Eagle's Nest / Gibralter / Golf-5) (Vietnam War), Lockheed Constellation, McDonnell Douglas MD-88, MMR Burma, MMR Yangon/Rangoon Harbor, Nungs, O-1 Bird Dog, O-2 Skymaster, OH-6 Cayuse/Loach/LOH, T-28 Trojan, THA RTAF Royal Thai Air Force, THA RTAFB Ubon Royal Thai Air Base, THA RTN Royal Thai Navy, THA RTNAF U-Tapao Royal Thai Navy Airfield, THA Thailand, U-1 Otter, U-6A Beaver, US CA California, US CA Los Angeles, US CA Los Angeles - LAX Airport, US CIA Central Intelligence Agency, US NY JFK International Airport, US NY New York, US OH Kent State University, US OH Kent State University Shootings (1970) (Vietnam War), US President Richard M. Nixon, US TWA Transworld Airlines, US USA 185th Reconnaissance Airplane Co (RAC), US USA 185th Reconnaissance Airplane Co (RAC) - Pterodactyls, US USA 18th Aviation Co, US USA 219th Reconnaissance Airplane Co (RAC), US USA 219th Reconnaissance Airplane Co (RAC) - 2nd Plt, US USA 219th Reconnaissance Airplane Co (RAC) - 4th Plt, US USA 219th Reconnaissance Airplane Co (RAC) - Headhunters, US USA 220th Aviation Company (RAC), US USA 220th Aviation Company (RAC) - Catkiller, US USA 223rd Aviation Bn., US USA 3rd Armored Division, US USA 4th ID - Ivy Division, US USA CCC RT California (Vietnam War), US USA CCC RT Pennsylvania (Vietnam War), US USA Fort Knox KY, US USA Fort Knox KY - Armor Officer Basic Course, US USA Fort Lewis WA, US USA Fort Ord CA, US USA Fort Ord CA - USATC US Army Training Center, US USA Fort Rucker AL, US USA Fort Stewart GA, US USA United States Army, US USA USSF 5th SFG, US USA USSF Green Berets, US USA USSF Special Forces, US USAF 20th TASS - Covey FAC,

US USAF 7th ABCCC Airborne Command and Control Sqd - Hillsboro, US USAF MAC Military Airlift Command, US USAF United States Air Force, US USAF Wright-Patterson Air Force Base OH, US WA Spokane, US WA Spokane - Menock Bridge, US WA Washington, VNM 1968 Tet Offensive (1968) (Vietnam War), VNM Ban Me Thout, VNM Batangan Peninsula, VNM Ben Het, VNM Camp Holloway (Vietnam War), VNM Central Highlands, VNM Chu Lai, VNM Command and Control Central/FOB-2 (Vietnam War), VNM Command and Control North/FOB-1 (Vietnam War), VNM Command and Control North/FOB-4 (Vietnam War), VNM Command and Control South/FOB-5 (Vietnam War), VNM Da Nang, VNM Dak Bla River, VNM Dak Seang, VNM Dak To, VNM DMZ Demilitarized Zone - 17th Parallel (Vietnam War), VNM Dong Ha, VNM DRV NVA North Vietnamese Army, VNM DRV VC Viet Cong, VNM Duc Co, VNM Duc Co Special Forces Camp (Vietnam War), VNM Hill 484, VNM Ho Chi Minh Trail (Vietnam War), VNM Hue, VNM Hue - Tay Loc Airfield (Vietnam War), VNM Hue - The Citadel, VNM I Corps (Vietnam War), VNM Ia Drang Valley, VNM II Corps (Vietnam War), VNM III Corps (Vietnam War), VNM Kontum, VNM Kontum - MACV Advisory Compound (Vietnam War), VNM Marble Mountain, VNM Montagnards, VNM Montagnards - Rhade, VNM My Lai, VNM Nha Trang, VNM Operation Arc Light (1965-1973) (Vietnam War), VNM Operation Prarie Fire, VNM Paris Peace Accords (1973) (Vietnam War), VNM Phu Bai, VNM Plei Djereng, VNM Plei Djereng Special Forces Camp (Vietnam War), VNM Plei Trap Valley, VNM Pleiku, VNM Polei Kleng, VNM Polei Kleng Special Forces Camp (Vietnam War), VNM Project Ford Drum (MACVSOG - OPS-32) (Vietnam War), VNM Quang Ngai, VNM Quang Ngai Province, VNM Qui Nhon, VNM RVN ARVN Army of the Republic of Vietnam, VNM RVN ARVN LLDB Luc Luong Dac Biet Special Forces, VNM RVN ARVN Vietnamese Rangers - Biet Dong Quan, VNM RVN SVNAF South Vietnamese Air Force, VNM RVN Vietnamization Policy (Vietnam War), VNM The Bra Area (Vietnam War), VNM US MACV Military Assistance Command Vietnam (Vietnam War), VNM US MACVSOG - OPS-32 Air Operations (Vietnam War), VNM US MACVSOG - OPS-32 SPAF Sneaky Pete Air Force (Vietnam War), VNM US MACVSOG (1964-1972) (Vietnam War), VNM US MACVSOG Hatchet Force Teams (Vietnam War), VNM US MACVSOG Spike/Recon Teams (Vietnam War), VNM US USA Pleiku Air Base (Vietnam War), VNM US USMC DHCB Dong Ha Combat Base (Vietnam War), VNM US USMC MMAF Marble Mountain Air Facility, VNM USAF DASC Direct Air Support Center (Vietnam War), VNM USAF II Corps DASC / 505th TCG - Carbon Outlaw (Vietnam War), VNM VC Valley, VNM Vietnam, VNM Vietnam War (1955-1975), Vultee BT-13, Walter Cronkite, WW2 CBI China Burma India Theater of Operations (1937-1945), WW2 World War 2 (1939-1945)

Rating: ★★★★★ Subject: Books.Military.20th-21st Century.Asia.Vietnam War.Aviation.US Army.FAC, Books.Military.20th-21st Century.Asia.Vietnam War.Specops.MACVSOG

Description: About the Author: Francis Doherty, a former U.S. Army captain, piloted a small, unarmed, airplane over sections of the Ho Chi Minh Trail during the war in Vietnam. Captain Doherty spent ten months flying in support of a covert unit of the Army’s Fifth Special Forces, which waged a clandestine war against the North Vietnamese Army, interdicting their supply line through Laos and Cambodia. Only the Light Moves is his first book. After leaving the military Captain Doherty spent thirty-two years as a commercial airline pilot. His essays have appeared in The Journal of Creative Nonfiction, Afterwords, the Veterans Writing Workshop Journal, 0-Dark-Thirty, the publication of the Veteran’s Writing Project, and several essays for The Bark, a monthly publication by the International Bird Dog Association. Additionally, the essay published in the Journal of Creative Nonfiction has been nominated for the Pushcart prize.

[iamprchung]

Reposts: Complimentary Mints (1/3)

Reposting the series, both here and on my blog (www.skinnersbriefs.com where there's a bunch of extras and other work). This is roughly between seasons four and six... approximately.

Complimentary Mints (1/3)

Teaser for Part One of "Complimentary Mints"

Caught in the grip of a relentless snowstorm, Scully, Skinner, and Mulder find themselves grounded in Wichita due to diverted flights. The trio, forced into an unexpected layover, faces the added challenge of booking mishaps that leave them sharing a cramped hotel room. The situation takes a humorous turn as Mulder, unable to resist pushing Skinner's buttons, finds himself sharing close quarters with his austere superior. As Mulder's irreverent humor clashes with Skinner's stoicism, Scully can only observe the unfolding dynamics, and amidst the chaos, an unexpected undercurrent emerges—an uncomfortable attraction between Skinner and Scully. The frosty weather outside mirrors the growing tension within, and complimentary mints offer a hint of irony in a situation where the only thing colder than the weather is the brewing dynamic between the agents and their formidable boss. Oh and it's just Thanksgiving...

Complimentary Mints

by P.R. Chung

Seated uncomfortably in a plastic chair, the last available seat in the Salt Lake City airport, FBI agent Fox Mulder shook his head and smiled ruefully thinking again of the absurd events of the past six days. It had all been one big fiasco for the ATF and FBI, an embarrassment for the bureau heads and a study in frustration for the hundreds of agents involved in the unified field operation.

Solomon Sloan's reportedly well-armed militia group had held up in their converted summer camp compound straight through the Thanksgiving holiday. Sloan and his group had kept hundreds of ATF and FBI personnel away from their families, showing just enough firepower being managed throughout the compound to lead everyone into believing the validity of their reported stockpile of extensive weapons.

Perhaps moved by the spirit of the holiday or some need for warmth after the power was cut, Solomon and his group surrendered just in time for nearly everyone to miss dinner with the folks.

Shortly after their surrender it was discovered these were the most ill-prepared fundamentalists the government had ever dealt with. They had maintained a standoff with seven ammunition-less guns relayed between coming and going group members who had been eating little more than condiments from the look of the bare cabinets. It wasn’t going to be a decent holiday for anyone, except perhaps Scully.

At least she had gotten a flight out early, Mulder thought while watching the growing number of zombie travelers mulling around the terminal on the eve of Thanksgiving. She would likely make it home to D.C. just in time for dinner with her mother and the rest of the Scully clan.

"Boarding for Castle Air flight 418 to Dulles is now beginning."

Mulder listened to the announcement, waiting for his seating assignment to be called and watching the stream of people lining up for boarding. There was no use in standing and waiting, he didn't feel like it and besides people-watching from a seat was much easier and entertaining.

Looking around the terminal, Mulder spotted Assistant Director Skinner among the crowd of dazed looking holiday travelers. He was mildly surprised and a bit relieved to see a familiar face. Mulder had been surprised that he hadn’t seen more of the agents that had been part of the field op in the airport.

Mulder observed his superior, noting that while everyone around the man seemed flustered and bewildered, Skinner appeared composed but also looked as tired as Mulder felt.

“No reason to be unfriendly,” Mulder murmured to himself and got up to go greet Skinner.

"Sir." Mulder drew Skinner’s attention, seeing a momentary look of surprise pass over his expression that was replaced by… relief? Was Skinner actually relieved to see him, Mulder amusedly thought of the irony. “Are you on this flight?"

Skinner nodded, "Four eighteen, yes. Are you?"

“By the skin of my teeth.”

Skinner nodded scanning the line of boarding passengers. "I’ll be amazed if the weather holds. Do you know if Agent Scully got a flight out?”

"Yes, she got an early flight."

Skinner nodded, pensive.

"The weather wasn't too bad when she left, she probably made it in time. But I’ll be surprised if we make it to D.C without being diverted," Mulder commented gesturing toward the flight information monitors where flight updates were changing to canceled by the second.

"Diverted where though?” Skinner wondered.

----------- X ----------

"Ladies and Gentlemen, due to the inclement weather we will be landing in Wichita..."

A muddled round of jeers rolled through the cabin of the 737. "Connecting flights to your destinations will be arranged weather permitting..."

Mulder leaned toward the aisle, glancing in the direction of Skinner's seat. The AD was coming down the aisle, his jaw set as he met Mulder's inquisitive gaze. "And we have our answer," he grumbled as he passed Mulder, heading to the lavatory.

In Wichita, mass mayhem filled the airport. Luggage and stranded passengers clogged the terminals, restless screaming children clamored while parents tried to soothe or correct them. Crowded lines from at the ticket counters and phone banks where everyone received the news mirrored by the flight status monitors; all flights were canceled. Everything east of the Mississippi was shut down due to the snowstorm. And to the south ice had all but completely shut down Dallas and even Austin airports. No one would be going anywhere for quite some time.

While Skinner tried to locate rooms for the night, Mulder was on his cell phone to his mother, then Scully. His mother was disappointed and sympathetic to her son, wishing him a safe trip and the promise of a postponed Thanksgiving. But all he got from Scully was the greeting of her answering machine. Figuring she was still with her family he decided not to disturb her by trying her cell phone and went to find out how Skinner was doing.

The A.D. had done well, finding two rooms at a local hotel with an obscure name that promised little more than a bed and shower. At this point in their never-ending journey, which was all either of them needed. The prospect of finding a meal would be next on the list.

Outside, cabs slogged through a slush of snow at the curb, quickly grabbed by desperate travelers. Skinner and Mulder hustled among the crowd, waving for the cabs to no avail until they noticed the one cab sitting at the curb that seemed ignored by or turned away from by every other person.

Both men approached the vehicle, hopeful and eager. Mulder opened the door to speak to the driver and was greeted by a drift of pot smoke and the sound of low based music.

“Where to?” the driver asked, blasé and blurry eyed.

Mulder glanced back at Skinner who winced. Did they risk it? Did they deal with it? Mulder knew they were both too tired to be choosy at this point in the night. “Tanglewood Inn.” Mulder told the driver.

“Motor Lodge.” The cabbie said.

“What?”

“It’s the Tanglewood Motor Lodge.” He explained.

Mulder nodded anxiously, “Okay, motor lodge.”

“Hop in, fellas, I’ll get you there liceity split.”

Mulder looked back at Skinner, both repeating, “liceity split.” How could they turn down such an efficient offer?

During the drive, the driver introduced himself as Fred, the soul employee of the self-owned Local Motion cab company of Wichita, Kansas proper. His passengers also learned about his native American heritage on his father’s side, a range of career changes that led to self-employment, and his lobbying efforts to legalize marijuana.

Peppered among Fred’s unending dialogue were the affably curious questions about what brought Skinner and Mulder to Wichita. Neither of them admitted they were federal agents, but Skinner did request Fred put out his doobie due to his “asthma.” They wouldn’t likely get a contact high or get enough in their system to fail a random drug test, but their clothes were going to smell of the cabby’s odorous recreational use, not to mention the obvious danger his impairment posed while driving.

Miraculously deposited safely in front of the Tanglewood Motor Lodge, Mulder gave the rundown exterior a sweeping glance, remarking, “I don’t know about you, sir, but I have the munchies.”

Skinner just shook his head, wordless, and started into the lobby. The man was holding it together, but Mulder didn’t know just how much more he could handle before he lost his cool. There was quite a laundry list of scaling annoyances, and some of which Mulder was nearly certain he wasn’t aware of but was certain were contributing to Skinner’s lava dome. Mt. Skinner was building toward an eruption.

The lobby presented a shabby atmosphere, adorned with worn-out, threadbare carpeting and a collection of mismatched furniture showing signs of age. Mulder, however, couldn't help but think that it wasn't all bad, as his eyes caught sight of a sign proudly advertising the availability of pay-per-view movies. Despite having experienced worse conditions before, that small detail offered hope that the night might be bearable.

In the corner, a group of people had congregated around a television, their expressions concerned as they watched the weather report. The map displayed on the screen depicted a winter storm engulfing the mid to eastern two-thirds of the United States.

Meanwhile, those not fixated on the television were on their phones, engaged in conversations with airlines or, from snippets of dialogue Mulder caught, calling other hotels and motels in the area.

Amid the commotion, Skinner and Mulder made their way toward the front desk. The night manager appeared overwhelmed by the surge of people seeking to check-in, multitasking with a phone pressed against his ear and shoulder, desperately informing someone that the hotel was fully booked.

As the night manager hung up and turned to greet the agents, Mulder's cell phone rang. Seeing that it was Scully calling, he motioned to Skinner, and waved his phone briefly, saying, “Scully.”

"You got your turkey stuffed and now you're calling to gloat?" Mulder immediately teased as he answered her call.

"Actually not," she announced. "I haven’t made it back. The weather shut everything down and my plane was diverted."

"Ours too."

"Ours?" Scully wondered.

"Yeah, Skinner and I were on the same flight out of Salt Lake. We're checking into a hotel in Wichita right now."

"Wichita? I'm in Wichita."

Mulder grinned. "No way," he said and laughed. "Have you got a place to stay?"

"Yes, this little rundown place called the Tangle Inn."

“Tanglewood Motor Lodge,” he corrected, emphasizing ‘motor lodge’ a laugh.

"You're here?" she asked in disbelief.

"Sir," Mulder drew Skinner’s attention, putting his cell phone away.

"What is it?" he asked, turning just in time to see agent Scully rounding the corner in the hallway. He frowned looking at Mulder.

"Her flight was rerouted here," he explained. “Now it’s a party.”

"Sir," Scully greeted her superior as she walked up to them, appearing less entertained with the situation than Mulder.

"Agent Scully," Skinner said with his customary nod of acknowledgment and sounding jaded.

"Have you gotten your rooms yet?"

"Room," Skinner corrected. "I asked for two to be held on my credit card when I called from the airport, but apparently there was a misunderstanding." Skinner raised his voice as he finished to assure the manager heard him. Scully turned to Mulder grimacing. "A double, right?" he asked the manager firmly.

"Oh, yes," the man assured him and smiled nervously.

"When did you get in?" Mulder asked her.

"About two hours ago. I keep checking on the weather and flights, but it doesn't look like it's going to get any better before it gets worse. Everything's canceled."

Mulder nodded. "I don't think we'll be getting out of here anytime soon."

"They've got pay-per-view, Mulder" Scully said, smiling. "You'll make it."

"All right," Skinner suddenly said from behind them. With the room key gripped in one hand and his carry-on clutched in the other he headed off for the room, leaving Mulder and Scully to trail along in his irritable wake.

Mulder accepted the fact that this stay with Skinner was probably not going to be a pleasant experience. Not only had the man been the co-head of a farcical government operation in the bitter cold of BFE Utah, but he had also now been rerouted into BFE Kansas and was facing an undetermined stay in a low rent hotel.

At least Scully was there, Mulder thankfully thought. Her company would be invaluable during this side-tracking into the ultimate travel nightmare, sharing a room with one’s boss.

Skinner unlocked and opened the door to room 138, started in then stopped abruptly. Mulder stepped around his superior, stopping abruptly as well when seeing the room—and more specifically—very specifically—the bed. The one bed.

Mulder glanced at Skinner who just stood there with frustration tightening every muscle in his face except for his mouth, which had gone sort of slack. This would be interesting, Mulder mused walking the rest of the way in putting his bag down. Was this what sent the man over the edge?

The AD just stood there, forcing Scully to step around him. “Is everything all right—” she broke off, looking at the bed.

"Which side do you want?" Mulder asked with forced innocence as he went to inspect the Magic Fingers machine on the bed stand.

Scully pursed her mouth trying not to smile or worse, laugh. "I thought this was a double room?" she managed to say.

"Double bed," Mulder stated glancing up from the Magic Fingers. "Single room. You know this says it feels like a thousand little fingers caressing your spine?"

Skinner worked his mouth soundlessly a couple of times before he went straight for the phone.

As the AD called the office Mulder picked something up from the pillow. "Complimentary mints," he said turning to Scully, holding it up for her to see. "Place can't be all that bad with this kind of service."

"This is Walter Skinner in room 138," he grumbled into the phone. "I was under the impression this room was a double...

Scully and Mulder exchanged glances; Mulder shrugged one shoulder.

"I… I’d offer to switch, but I only have one bed in my room," she offered, apologetically.

"But we need a double room, not a double bed..." Skinner scornfully informed the person on the other end of the phone line.

"I'm, uh, going to go back to my room now," Scully told them as she backed out the door. "Let you two get settled."

Mulder nodded, popping the mint in his mouth. "Have you eaten yet?" he asked around the confection. Scully shook her head glancing at Skinner with a little grimace.

"You want to grab something in a while, I saw a place across the road?"

"Uh, sure," she answered as Skinner audibly hung up the phone.

"This is it," he announced going to his bag. Opening it he began to rifle through his things. "There's no other rooms available."

Scully was experiencing the growing uneasy feeling that she was about to find herself a buffer zone between these two men. She gave Mulder a cautioning nod of her head before she began to retreat once more. "I'm going now," she announced, backing out the door, shutting it quickly behind herself.

She stood there a second, listening. For what she wasn’t exactly certain, but there was a vague anticipation of… She shook her head. They were grown men; they could figure this out on their own. They didn’t need her mediation.

----------- X ----------

Battling the miserable weather, Mulder and Scully trudged through heavy snow and across the slushy pavement, their clothes, and shoes ill-suited for the conditions. Their travel plans had not included dealing with any of this mess. Their destination, Risky's, a steak and roadhouse establishment, seemed fittingly named after their treacherous journey across the highway. Despite the unfavorable weather and it being the eve of Thanksgiving, the pair were just grateful the place was open.

The place wasn’t exactly packed, but busy and lively enough to create a moderate level of noise. The crack of billiard balls colliding and the friendly banter from a dart game blended with the twang of a country song playing on the jukebox in one corner.

Taking their seats in the center of the dining area, which doubled as the bar, Mulder and Scully paid little attention to the curious gazes they received upon entering the establishment. As they glanced around, both recognized faces from the inn, fellow stranded travelers who seemed cautious, fatigued, and guarded.

A woman in an apron came over from the bar, greeting them as she handed out menus. "Eve’nin'," she said, "how you doin’?"

"Fine, thank you," Scully answered noticing Mulder's gaze fluxing between the menu and a woman seated at the bar.

"Can I get you something to drink?" the waitress asked and pulled a note pad from her apron pocket as if expecting a huge order. Scully found it amusing considering there were only the two of them.

"I'll have a beer," Mulder said, surprising Scully.

"Well, what kind, hon," the waitress asked. "We've got lots of it and all different kinds."

"Heineken."

"Are you sure?" The waitress asked him.

Mulder chuckled. “Pretty sure. Do people send their beer back often around here?”

“You’d be surprised what people do around here.” She said sounding tired and disgusted as she turned to Scully. "What about you?"

"I'll have a root beer."

The waitress shook her head. "Nope, no root beer. It’s either coke or Dr. Pepper."

Scully hesitated, taken aback, then, "Uh’ll have coke then," she decided.

"You two know what you want to eat?"

Mulder also hesitated, looking at Scully, concerned for what kind of response ordering food would bring from the woman. "What's the special?" he asked.

"We've got a six-once steak with two side orders of either confetti rice, corn, mash potatoes, country fries or okra." Mulder grimaced at the last side item which did not go unnoticed by the woman. She paused looking at him scornfully, finishing with, "and Texas toast.”

He looked at her with deliberate seriousness. "Texas toast. We're not in Kansas anymore?" The waitress stared back at him with a barely contained tolerance that reminded him of… “Are you married or dating – and the reason I ask is not based on my interest, but that I think you would get along with a friend of ours.” Mulder told the woman with a brief nod to Scully. “In fact, he’ll be joining us shortly—”

Scully jutted her jaw, looking at him urgently, and mouthing, “stop.”

“I’m married, thank you.” She interrupted him, unamused, and looked at Scully. “Rice?”

"Yes, please." Scully answered.

The woman scribbled on her pad, then shot Mulder a daring glare, "and how ‘bout you, Toto?"

“Yes, thanks.”

As the waitress turned and marched away from the table Scully leaned forward, addressing Mulder. “You know, if our food isn’t tainted after the way you irritated her, I will be amazed.”

“I am not taking responsibility for the food here being tainted.”

 “Mulder,” Scully began, almost pleading, “don’t start pushing buttons when Skinner gets here.”

“What?” He laughed in disbelief.

“You know what I mean.” she declared. “I’m tired—we’re all tired, and… you know what I mean.”

“But then may I ask, what is the purpose of buttons if not to push them, Scully?” he questioned. “Testing human nature— the essential boundaries of the psychological predisposition and acceptance of humor in its purest form – mockery and chiding-- that exposes a level of intellect and comprehension upon which comrade is established and solidifies a quintessential depth of understanding.”

Scully looked back at him, she was too tired for this. “Are you stoned?”

He laughed. “That,” he answered with a defined nod, “is not outside the realm of possibilities.”

“What?” Scully confusedly began to question him and was distracted by Skinner walking up to the table.

"Have you ordered yet?" he wondered taking his coat off.

"Yes, unfortunately," Scully answered.

"Unfortunately?" Skinner questioned the statement as he sat down. "Is there a problem?"

"You'll see," Mulder said seeing the waitress heading back with their drinks.

Noticing a third person now at the table the waitress hesitated an instant before continuing over to them, looking troubled. "One more, huh?" she grumbled, sitting the drinks down hard and pulling out her pad again. "Would you like something to drink?" She asked Skinner.

Anticipating the worst, Scully began toying with the straw in her drink while Mulder just put his forehead in his hand. She knew Skinner wasn’t going to be in any mood for antics, and she anticipated the worst out of Mulder who seemed to be in one of his own moods. Everyone was in a mood.

"What's on tap?" Skinner asked casually, as if he hadn't heard the woman's tone at all.

"Coors Light, Bud, Bud Light-"

"Coors," he answered before she finished.

"I said Coors Light is what we have, do you want a bottle?"

Mulder coughed, lamely disguising his laugh.

Skinner was silent for a second or two as he studied the sour expression on the woman's face, then said firmly, "No. I'll have the light."

"Anything to eat, our special's a six-once steak with the choice of two side orders of either confetti rice, corn, mash potatoes, country fries, or okra," she paused, looking at Mulder. "And Texas toast."

"What's the chance of getting a baked potato?"

"Bad," she flatly answered Skinner.

Mulder and Scully looked at each other, wide eyed.

Skinner took a breath. Mulder and Scully held their breath.

Then, "All right, " Skinner told the waitress, repositioning himself in the chair. "The steak with just the toast."

"Just the toast?"

"Just the toast."

"Just the toast it is," she agreed and turned to walk away.

Silence settled over the table, filled by the sound of the juke box playing and the folks carrying on in the bar. Each of them internally processing the day, the week, and the present. Grateful that they had found a place that was open late on Thanksgiving Eve, but the unspoken question still stood as for where in the days to come they would be.

Mulder gave thought to an insightful commentary their current situation but decided to take a draw on his hard-won beer instead and check out the woman at the bar once again. Scully stirred the ice around in her drink, praying for peace and tranquility in the unforeseeable future, be it the next few minutes, hours, or days. As for Skinner, his equanimity was at premium.

Their meals were, after the problematic interaction with the waitress, served hot and consumable. Although, Scully did give her food a modicum of extra attention before digging in after Mulder’s taunting of the underserving waitress. When all was said and done, they shared companionable moments of small talk about the weather and their chances of getting a flight back to D.C., and eventually, it was agreed that their meals weren't, as Skinner had appropriately stated, "anything to write home about.”

Scully agreed, but Mulder had wolfed his food down too quickly to have noticed the lackluster quality of the cuisine, besides, he'd been preoccupied by the glances the young woman at the bar had started throwing his way. She couldn't have been alone, he had thought. Not the way she looked. She wasn't stunning, but she wasn't plain either. Dressed casually in sweater and slacks, with dark short hair and huge brown eyes cradled in generous lashes, she had a striking air about her.

Mulder had surveyed the bar and saw no one who seemed to be with her. She was seated next to two trucker types, but they were apparently too deeply involved in their own conversation to have noticed the lovely lady seated near them.

"I think I'd like another soda," Scully commented glancing around for the testy waitress. "If she ever comes back around..."

Mulder heard opportunity knocking and jumped for it. "I'll take care of it," he said standing. "Would you like another beer, sir?" he asked Skinner.

Skinner started to say no, he wanted to go back to the room and just forget the whole day- the last six of them. But then thinking of the last six days... "Yes," he answered, then changed his mind, "no, a bourbon."

Mulder headed to the bar as the jukebox began choking out another country song.

*"There was a time, I could drink my fears away,

drown out all the heartaches that hurt me night and day..."*

Silence fell over the table. Scully toyed with the straw in her empty glass, glancing at the AD who seemed to be studying the place in a discriminating fashion, his gaze returning to the dart game.

"Do you play?" Scully asked him.

He looked at her, as if taken off guard by her observing him. "I used to," he said and looked toward the bar. Mulder had saddled up there next to the young woman he'd been watching through dinner. So much for those drinks, he thought off handily.

"I threw darts a few times in college," Scully offered conversationally. "I think almost anyone who's stepped inside a typical college bar has."

*"They knew my name at every bar in town,

and they knew all of the reasons why I was coming 'round..."*

“That sounds about right," Skinner responded to Scully, sounding distracted.

She turned to see what he was looking at, finding Mulder talking to the young woman he'd been surreptitiously ogling all through dinner. So much for the drinks, she thought and started to turn back and inadvertently locked gazes with a grizzled looking man at the end of the bar, who grinned dumbly back at her. She closed her eyes, turning the rest of the way back to the table before opening them again to see their waitress had returned.

"You folks want another round?" she asked, the smell of cigarette smoke clinging to her, which likely accounted for her sounding more pleasant than she had the entire night.

"Uh," both said in unison glancing toward the bar.

"No, not for me," Skinner finally said, and was handing the woman a credit card. “Everything at the table goes on this,” he instructed, carefully adding, “but not the bar.”

"How about you, hon?" the waitress asked Scully.

She hesitated, looking between Mulder and the grizzled man still smiling at her from the bar, then at Skinner who was pulling his wallet out. She wanted to go also, and although she felt uncomfortable about leaving Mulder here, she knew she could take care of himself. Plus, she'd just be a hindrance to his current endeavor at the bar if she did stay. "No, thank you," she decided.

While they waited, plans were put in order. “We’ll let Mulder know we’re leaving,” Skinner said.

Scully made a silent face, glancing toward the bar that Skinner noticed. He considered the reaction a second, glancing at Mulder chatting and laughing with the woman at the bar. “On second thought,” he said, “I’ll let him know now, you wait on the check and my credit card.”

“Yes,” Scully almost too quickly agreed to this decision. “I’ll… I’ll wait for the check, sir.”

Skinner made his way into the bar, approaching Mulder from behind, seeing the young woman lightly laughing and patted his arm. Skinner stepped up to them catching Mulder’s attention. He nodded to the woman in brief apology before he addressed Mulder, “We’re headed out. Dinner is on the bureau card.”

“Sir, thank you. Are your sure you and Scully won’t join me and…” he looked at the young woman, “ah, Wendy, right?” She nodded and smiled. “Yeah, okay, Wendy this is Walter Skinner – excuse me, Assistant Director Walter Skinner.”

“Oh wow, so nice to meet you, Walter.” Wendy said, reaching out to shake his hand. “Fox told me about everything you all have been through trying to travel in this weather, and I’m so sorry. You should join us and try to relax some.”

“Thank you, no, it has been a long day. I will be relaxing at the hotel.”

Mulder wasn’t paying attention to his superior and Wendy, and instead was looking around the bar and then toward the restaurant, asking Skinner, “where is Scully?”

“She’s waiting for the check.” Skinner informed him.

“All right… all right.” Mulder murmured, seeing her across the room talking with the waitress at the table.

“Mulder,” Skinner caught his attention again, “don’t stay too long, could be an early day tomorrow.”

“Understood, sir.”

----------- X ----------

Scully awoke to the sound of a television playing somewhere nearby. Groggily she glanced toward the television set in her room seeing it wasn't on, then was confused she could see it, and realized the lights were still on. She had to think for an instant about where she was. Sitting up she felt thirsty, and cold. The heat was on but in her state of undress it wasn't making much of a difference in the drafty room. Even if she'd been willing to wear her overly worn pajamas to bed, she didn't think they would have made much of a difference. Looking at the garments lying beside her travel bag she considered wearing them despite having worn them for the past six days without the opportunity to wash them once.

Still opposed to the idea, she got out of bed and went to the bathroom where she drank three glasses of water before she realized plain old water just wasn't going to do the trick.

There was a vending room just on the other side of the lobby, she remembered while looking at herself in the mirror. Leaving her room just for a drink didn't seem worth the trouble of dressing and undressing. She glanced at the reflection of her coat hanging in the closet alcove and she thought how easy it would be to just throw it on, hurry there and back. But how lazy could a person get...?

To hell with it, she decided and took the robe off. It was late and she was tired and thirsty, she justified pulling the coat on, the sheer lining chilling her bare skin.

Getting the stubborn room door open she hurried for the vending room. Coming down the hallway toward the lobby she noticed a man in a t-shirt and sweats asleep on the tacky vinyl sofa, his feet propped up on the imitation wood grain coffee table. Reaching the lobby, she realized it was AD Skinner.

She hesitated, wondering why he was here and not in the room. Judging by the magazine open across his lap he'd fallen asleep reading, but still why out here? This was undoubtedly to do with sharing the room with Mulder. Had he been pestering Skinner like she'd suspected he might? She wondered then began wrestling with whether to wake him. He couldn't be very comfortable or warm out here in this drafty lobby, she knew she wasn't. Every little chilly draft kept finding its way up under her coat.

"Sir," she gently said, sitting on the edge of the coffee table, taking the magazine from his lap. The motion of the magazine seemed to rouse him more than her words, startling him. He looked at her, then around the lobby a bit confused. "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," she said quietly.

He straightened up on the sofa, "what time is it?"

"After midnight," she answered, hesitating before she ventured where he wouldn't, "why are you out here?"

He looked at her. "I felt like taking a walk," he answered vaguely, sounding aggravated by the question, or more so having to answer such a question. "Why are you out here?" he countered.

"I was going to get a soda," she said glancing in the direction of the vending room.

Skinner stood and stretched a bit. "I'll go with you."

“Oh,” Scully reacted, not expecting that. “All... right.” She agreed, gathering her coat a bit tighter.

The pair headed to the vending room, where Scully quickly made her selection, finally getting the root beer she’d been craving, and followed Skinner out of the drafty room. She impatiently popped the top on the can just as the heavy door nearly hit her as it swung shut behind her. She was just about to take a sip from the can when she was suddenly pulled awkwardly backward. Looking back, she realized she was caught, the door was shut on the tail of her coat.

She turned as best she could, trying to pull free, then to open the door that was quite solidly jammed. She looked around seeing that Skinner had already started down the hall without her. She pulled on the coat, and tried the door again, and the all the while a certain undefined level of horror was beginning to build within her about this situation. Did she call him back to help, did she let him go, and hope that he totally forgot about her, and some stranger would thankfully come along to hel—

���Agent Scully?” She nearly jumped at the sound of his voice at her side. “Is there a problem?”

"Uh," she laughed, embarrassed, "my coat's caught in the door."

“What?”

“I’m stuck,” she explained.

Reaching around her he tried the door with increasing amounts of force, finding it jammed as well. "Take it off and I can get in here better."

Scully froze, mortified by his instruction.

"I, uh, I- I can't, sir," she faltered.

“What?”

“All my clothes are dirty, and…” She dropped her head in disgrace. “Just understand that I can’t.”

He looked inquisitively at her a moment before understanding washed over his ridged features.

Scully sipped at her root beer, thoroughly humiliated. She heard him exhale and didn’t know what to expect. How could she explain herself? What must he think of her?

“Stay… still,” he said, and uncomfortably maneuvered around her as best as he could, pushing the door a couple more times but couldn't get any leverage from the position he was working from. “It’s not budging.” He declared and stepped back. He looked around the hall and toward the lobby, thinking.

He could get the night manager, but he wouldn't be able to do much more than he could which wasn't much with Scully in the way. And he didn't need to see the man's face when Scully said for the second time, she wouldn't be able to take the coat off... But she was going to have to take the damned thing off, the thought harassed him.

Resigned to the awkward fact of the situation Skinner exhaled hard. "Here," he said taking his glasses off and handing them to her, "hold these."

Scully did as he said, taking his glasses from him, taken off guard and not knowing what the man had in mind until she looked around saw him take a step back and began pulling his tee shirt off. This isn’t happening, Scully thought, speechless. Why is this happening?

Skinner handed the shirt to her, taking his glasses back. "Get out of the coat and put this on," he told her brusquely, turning his back to her.

A whole new sensation of chagrin swept through her as she put her drink on the floor and unbuttoned the coat. All she wanted was a soda, not much to ask for. Neither was a clean change of sleep ware either, she agonized stepping out the coat into the chilly air.

Keeping an eye on the hall and awkwardly searching for something to preoccupy his attention, Skinner inadvertently caught sight of their reflection in the glass of the fire hose case on the wall.

Struck, he found himself respecting dominant curves and swells cast in the glass that proclaimed the statement "for emergency use only." A disturbing sense of exuberance promptly struck him, followed sluggishly by a more rational awareness of station that made him look away from the... illuminating reflection. He looked away, taking a deep settling breath to recenter his thoughts.

"Okay," Scully said as she checked the length of the tee shirt. With the sleeves nearly to her elbows and the tail falling just above her knees she was nearly lost in the black shirt that had been almost too tight on him.

Hesitantly, he turned back to the door and agent Scully. After a couple of hardy shoves, he got the vending room door open, and her coat fell to the floor.

"You don't mind if I wait to give you this back until I get in my room?" she asked, referring to the shirt and already knowing the answer.

He nodded wearily and they started toward Scully's room, hearing spectral voices and televisions through the hall and feeling a draft biting at them along the short distance. He really didn't care if he got the t-shirt back if he just got out of this suggestive state of appearance. Strolling around a hotel bare chested with a subordinate who as well was barely covered wasn't something he wanted to make a habit of doing.

Scully got the key from her coat pocket and put it in the lock, and he thought he was free. As soon as she got that door open, he was going back to the room, maybe he’d even get lucky, and Mulder wouldn't be there yet. The bothersome agent hadn't come back yet by the time Skinner could stand the confines of the room no longer and had to stretch his legs. He was surprised he'd fallen asleep so easily, he'd only sat down for a moment and then he was awakened by...

The sight of Scully shoving the door with a demure amount of force and working with the key cut off his thought. Now what, he wondered hearing the muffled sound of a television in the hall.

"This door," she declared, annoyed. "What is it with doors tonight?"

"Let me see," he said stepping up to try it just as someone rounded the corner in the hall, the person stopped abruptly drawing his attention.

Scully saw Skinner look and turned to see Mulder in the hall. He was gawking at the two of them, his expression shifting between awestruck abashment and total amusement.

"Mulder?" Scully said, startled and sounding randomly guilty.

The muffled sound of group laughter wafted into the hall from the unseen television.

An insipid grin formed on Mulder's lips finally as he started walking toward his scantily clad partner and superior. "I thought I was having all the fun across the road..." he said with the slightest of slurs. "Weird weather we're having?"

"Mulder, we- I, my coat," Scully tried to get an explanation out, breaking off the stammering as Mulder raised his hand dismissing the scene.

"Don't mind me," he said staggering a bit past them, "I'm just passing through... or maybe out... Wake me when we get to DC."

"Mulder?" Scully called to him, aggravated by his insinuation.

He kept going, shaking his head to himself as he said, "Cause I know this is the weirdest dream I've ever had…” he laughed, and drifted into half-hearted singing, “Mama told me not to come…"

Behind her, Skinner let out an intolerant breath that grazed her neck. This was an assumption of the worst kind, and this was one of those times that nothing was going to sound truthful or let alone believable.

"Forget it, Scully," he told her, shoving the obstinate door open with more force than warranted. The door swung wide open and slammed against the wall with a loud sound that made Scully flinch. "Sorry," Skinner apologized, but his voice lacked sincerity as he gestured for her to go in and followed. He tossed her coat across a chair back as he shut the door and checked the wall for damage.

Scully went straight into the bathroom. Shutting the door, she double-checked to make sure her robe was there before pulling off the T-shirt, she didn't need to find herself in another situation. It was enough that they'd been caught by, of all the people, Mulder in the hallway.

But caught, she thought pulling the shirt over her head. Caught doing what? Nothing in the least was going on to dictate the slightest bit of guilt or embarrassment. So why did she feel both in varying degrees of intensity? She wondered about it, catching the slight scent of a discreet cologne on the garment, and paused.

Unsteadily, she was suddenly aware of the fact that she was wearing a man’s T-shirt and now enjoying the heady hint of cologne on it. But this wasn't just any man and therein lied an unsettling concern for her sudden twinge of... exhilaration.

Pulling the shirt off quickly and putting her robe on, she dismissed the base thoughts, recognizing their reasons for surfacing. She was only human and a definite lack of intimacy in her life as of late couldn't help but create certain notions toward even...

"Sir," Scully said coming out of the bathroom, appearing to extend the shirt from herself as far as possible when handing it to him. "Thank you," she told him feeling secretly guilty and uncomfortable at the same instance.

Taking the shirt, he just looked at it for an instant. Scully could have sworn she saw a hint of a smile on his lips before he took his glasses off and pulled the shirt back on.

"Next time you go to the vending room, agent Scully," Skinner began, moving to the door, putting his glasses on, "try to dress more appropriately."

She started to apologize but enough was said and done, and it was better left alone.

"Good night, sir," Scully hastily said, nearly leaping at the door to let him out.

Jerking on the stubborn door she noticed him eyeing her incredulously and knew how frantic to open the door she must have appeared. She stopped, laughing at herself. "What is it with the doors tonight?" she asked herself.

"Must be the weather," he offered with a hint of astute awareness in his tone and opened the door with less zeal than she had employed.

Stepping into the hall he hesitated before closing the door, looking at her reflectively. "Good night, Dana," he at last said quietly and shut the door.

----------- X ----------

Continued in Part 2: Brief Encounters

[tourist-destinations]

Five Famous Desert Safari Destinations in the World

We all seek thrills while on vacations, and while some crave peaceful beaches or hills, there are few places where the desert can throw in a surprise. Explore here the best desert safari around the world.

White Sands National Monument, USA - Chihuahuan Desert

Best time to visit: The desert is best suited to explore from March to May and then from August to October. 

Weather: The average maximum temperature goes up to 35 °C and the minimum touched down to 4 °C

Located in New Mexico, USA, this lovely oasis of white sand should be on every traveller's list. Due to high moisture retention, the white sand is a pleasure to walk on and can be explored for various thrill activities. People can opt for great photo ops in the white backdrop as the gypsum sand gives a mirror-like finish to the entire arena. Activities like camping, horse riding, walking, and photography can be included along with sand boarding or skating across the desert planes. The best way to reach this fantastic place is via the nearest airport in El Paso, Texas, from where it is a 4-5 hour ride to the park. Also, the highlight of this trip is undoubtedly how the moonlight shines up on the dunes and the sky; it is an image you will cherish forever.

Dubai Desert Safari, UAE - Arabian Desert

Best time to visit: This incredible desert is open almost half a year, from October to April.

Weather: As with the weather here, the maximum average goes up to 47 °C and the minimum ranges up to 10-11 °C.

Dubai desert safari is one of the world's best, loaded with activities for everyone. A romantic night under the skies, the thrill-seeking dune bashing or just a family gathering over a barbeque and some fantastic, soothing music. For the soul seekers, head for a camel ride and experience the sunset, which will take your breath away. With all such activities, this Dubai desert safari makes a strong contender for the best among the desert safaris in the world. So, what stops you from planning your life trip and enjoying it with your loved ones? Explore the deserts of Arabia.

Jaisalmer, India - Thar Desert

Best time to visit: Though India has many tourist destinations, Thar has a charm of its own. The best time to visit is from October to March.

Weather: As expected, the temperature soars to an average of 44°C during summers and touches lows of 3°C during October till March.

The Thar desert lies on the western side of India and is one of the rare areas with less rain. Come and explore these lovely dunes with your loved ones. The spectacular experience is ranked among the best in desert safaris across the world. Make your plans in sync with the amazing Desert Festival for a firsthand experience of desert life.

The Sam dunes appear like mirages for the beholder and are a great way to explore the area. What else justifies riding ornately decorated camels and being with nature at its best? Opt for a full bouquet of services and get mesmerized with great options to stay and local delicacies, along with soothing folk music for a perfect romantic getaway. The best way to reach is by flight; Jodhpur is the nearest airport. From there, it is a six-and-a-half-hour drive to this magnificent place, and the drive will amaze you the most.

Muscat, Oman - The Wahiba Sands

Best time to visit: As with other deserts, this region also shares the best time between October to March

Weather: The average maximum temperature ranges between 40-45°C during summers and comes down to 15-18°C.

The Wahiba sands offer a charming notion to this sandy affair and give the tourists a great view of the marvelous sand dunes adorned by many colors. Various flora and fauna support the arid region, much to the delight of the patrons. Also, you can get up close with the local tribe and see how the desert has molded their way of life. 

From walking under the glittery sky filled with stars to delicacies form the Arab world, Wahiba sands will surely be a lifetime experience. Do make the stay in the lavish tents, which are laden with some fantastic workmanship for the carpets. The best to experience this lavish offering is via flight; the Seeb International Airport in Muscat is well-connected throughout the world. The drive to the desert will take you four hours as the distance is almost 300 km.

Erg Chebbi, Morocco - Sea of Dunes

Best time to visit: This amazing place can be accessed from March to May and August to October.

Weather: The maximum average temperature rises to 45°C, while the minimum hovers around -5°C.

Lying on the edge of the great Saharan Desert, this lovely patch is famous due to its popularity among movie makers as it offers grand fire-golden/ orange dunes. The ever-changing landscape is a treat and must be an excellent outing for the entire family. The wind out here shapes the dunes, which gives this a mystic feeling. The vastness of nothing makes our lives so easy, and a camel ride makes the day even more beautiful. If you seek more thrill, an SUV is the option to try, but make you eat light.

Along with these, you will also have numerous options like evening walks, bonfires, music, and some amazing cuisine to make the entire trip memorable. Do plan to avoid the rush. The best way to reach the picturesque location is from the nearest airport, Marrakesh Menara in Morocco. However, it is a ten-hour drive, and you will witness some amazing local settlements and architecture, giving insights into a lovely paradise hidden among the sandy venues. 

Summary:

The desert safaris are a unique way of witnessing the world and having a good time. Though the experience can be daunting for older people, the young will have a lifetime experience. So, plan this holiday season with your loved ones and choose from various options.

[everestassistance]

Embarking on the Adventure of a Lifetime: Mt. Everest Base Camp Tour by Helicopter

If you're an adventure seeker with a thirst for breathtaking views and exhilarating experiences, a Mt. Everest Base Camp tour by helicopter should be at the top of your bucket list. This once-in-a-lifetime journey combines the thrill of flying among the world's tallest peaks with the awe-inspiring beauty of the Himalayas. In this comprehensive guide, we'll take you through every aspect of this remarkable adventure, from the logistics of the trip to the mesmerizing sights you'll encounter along the way.

The Pinnacle of Adventure: Mt. Everest Base Camp by Helicopter

What Makes this Tour So Special?

The Mt. Everest Base Camp by Helicopter is an unparalleled adventure that promises a unique perspective on the world's highest mountain. Unlike traditional treks, which can take weeks to complete, this expedition offers a shortcut to the heart of the Everest region. Here's why it's so special:

1. Time Efficiency: Traditional treks to Everest Base Camp can take up to 16 days, but the helicopter tour allows you to reach your destination in a matter of hours. This means you can experience the beauty of the Himalayas without a lengthy time commitment.

2. Spectacular Scenic Views: The helicopter ride itself is an adventure, offering panoramic views of towering peaks, lush valleys, and remote Sherpa villages. It's a photographer's dream come true.

3. Luxury and Comfort: Unlike rugged treks, you'll enjoy the comfort of a private helicopter with experienced pilots who ensure a safe and enjoyable journey.

4. Closest You Can Get to Everest: You'll land at the Everest Base Camp helipad, just a stone's throw away from the world-famous Khumbu Icefall and the climbers preparing to ascend the mighty Everest.

5. Cultural Immersion: En route, you'll have the opportunity to interact with local Sherpa communities, gaining insight into their rich culture and traditions.

Planning Your Mt. Everest Base Camp Helicopter Tour

Booking Your Adventure

The first step in planning your Mt. Everest Base Camp tour by helicopter is to choose a reputable tour operator. Look for companies with a proven track record, experienced pilots, and a commitment to safety.

Preparing for Altitude

As you'll be reaching high altitudes, it's crucial to acclimatize properly. Spend a day in Namche Bazaar to adjust to the thin air before continuing your journey. It's also advisable to consult with a doctor before embarking on this adventure.

Packing Essentials

Pack wisely for this high-altitude adventure. Essential items include warm clothing, sturdy trekking boots, sunglasses, sunscreen, and a good camera to capture the stunning vistas.

The Itinerary

Typically, the tour starts from Kathmandu and includes stops at Lukla and Namche Bazaar. You'll have time to explore the region, visit monasteries, and take in the breathtaking scenery. Finally, you'll reach Everest Base Camp for a memorable photo op before returning to Kathmandu.

Experiencing the Journey

The Thrill of Takeoff

Your journey begins at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, where you'll board your private helicopter. As you ascend into the sky, the excitement is palpable. The helicopter gracefully navigates through the Himalayan valleys, giving you a taste of what's to come.

Lukla: Gateway to the Himalayas

Your first stop is Lukla, a charming town perched on a mountainside. Here, you'll refuel and get your first glimpse of the Everest region. The helicopter hovers above the famous Lukla airstrip, known as one of the world's most dangerous airports due to its short, uphill runway.

Namche Bazaar: A Cultural Gem

Continuing your journey, you'll reach Namche Bazaar, the bustling heart of the Khumbu region. Nestled among hills, this town is a hub of Sherpa culture and commerce. Explore the local markets, try traditional Sherpa cuisine, and absorb the unique atmosphere.

Approaching Everest: The Final Leg

As you soar higher into the Himalayas, the sight of Mount Everest becomes more prominent. You'll fly past the Tengboche Monastery, an iconic Buddhist site, and witness the majesty of Ama Dablam, one of the world's most beautiful peaks.

Everest Base Camp: A Surreal Experience

The moment you've been waiting for arrives as you touch down at Everest Base Camp. Surrounded by towering ice walls and fluttering prayer flags, you'll feel a sense of accomplishment like no other. Take your time to soak in the atmosphere and capture this unforgettable moment.

Safety and Environmental Considerations

Safety First

While this adventure is thrilling, it's essential to prioritize safety. Always listen to your pilot's instructions, wear your seatbelt, and respect the altitude warnings. Weather conditions can change rapidly in the Himalayas, so trust your pilot's judgment.

Leave No Trace

Preserving the pristine environment of the Himalayas is vital. Pack out all trash, avoid disturbing wildlife, and follow the principles of "Leave No Trace" to ensure future generations can enjoy this natural wonder.

Conclusion

A Mt. Everest Base Camp tour by helicopter is a once-in-a-lifetime adventure that combines the thrill of flying with the majesty of the Himalayas. This expedition offers a unique opportunity to witness the world's highest peak up close and personal, all within a short time frame. From the thrill of takeoff in Kathmandu to the surreal experience of landing at Everest Base Camp, every moment is filled with awe and wonder.

[brandonwayneb]

Grabble, beg an Arabic Arab,

Grabble, Gravel, Stone Yard

Gravel, Judge Wooden Mallet.

Hazmat Murders, “Tan Til Eyes”

“bowl of onion stew swet lodge log cabin, cabin fever sweet candy cane Ron Hall War, Ron Howard, white supremacy, global genocides”

“white hebrew, murders arabs, to say GRAVEL STONE”

Arabic Bone Rib Cages

Wooden Teeth Genocide Lawn Mowers

“Rod Stewart”

“Ron Howard”

Mass Genocide, ‘murder co op’

"Hidden white FAN FACE PALM crimes"

"Ceiling fans blood blades"

"Lawn Mower blood blades"

Ice Skate Shit Shop Indian Irish,

Red Skin Blood Baths,

Hot Sona Spa,

Sweat Shop Hog Lodge,

Wooden Wine Cabins

Death at 3

death at 5

death at "sick cell sickle cell"

white supremacy death casting global genocide patterns.

"Loot Shun"

"White Sex Kitchens"

"White Casting War Rafts At Death Cast Podcast Radio Episodes TIDAL WAVES."

white genocide casting global death canvassing

Cash Money

Clown Cop Money 💵

KAAAA CHING

CHICKEN CHECK BLING BLING

DINNER BELLS

TRIANGLE COUNTRYSIDE DINGLE DONGS.

Documents, BAY BAY white docks.

Helicopter Dicks.

“henrew Duck”

“WHITE HE BREW”

“White Hebrew, HEN DEN BREW”

“HENBREW” HENCE…

Geese Pen Chins

PENTCH BRAIN PENIS

WHITE WEE NEE.

WHITE TEA NEST

White Coo Ops Genocide Camps

American Space Needles Seattle Washington,

SEA SALT SEATTLE

ALT OP.

CORPSE BOT

CORPSE ROBOT CORPORATE RAT ROBOTS, RALLY COUPON TICKET WHITE SEA PAPER, RECEIPT JERKY JOCKEY HORSE :)

White Hebrew

White Roman

SEA SEA RECEIPT COOP

SEA AT ALL

SEAT A TALL

SEAT STALL DEATH HALL

SEAT SEATTLE MICRO BEAT

BEATLE DEATH DRILLS

SEAT SEA SEATTLE NEEDLES

CASH SPACECRAFT WHITE GENOCIDES....

BLEACH BROWN BLEACHER SCHOOL Homicide, homeschooling, fake wood lodge, pooling

CABIN WINE POOL

HOMEWORK HOMEMADE

CORN BREAD PAPERWORK

RON POLE, CORN HOLE

Bleacher, Brown Nose

Mustard Gas Stations, Suicide Bombers,

White "micro pod quadra DOM Win Dixie Dock Bay Cast"

white chicken brew

white he brew

white roman

white boston markets

white box stand genocide

Keep yourself PERPLEXED SAFER

KEEP LEEP YOURSELF TO SAFETY

HOP AND A SKIP.

Over genocide culprits

culling pits

hospital skits

hazmat micro zippers

duck duck goose,

goose neck

goose bump

pumpkin dump

Genocide white houses casting “hebrew and roman”

titan and gladiators sex bolsters

BOLD STERS,

FALSE COMPLIMENTS.

SUB SEX SETS

SEX STAGE

GENOCIDE STAGE

Hostage STAY still

Hostage STAND off

Hostage Hazmat Murders

Hazmat Reverse Allegations

Carmen Electra

Xmen Psyloche

Xmen Cyclops

Cyber Sex Copy Cat Cops

Fall CUM PLYWOOD CUSTOMER

Fall Customers

Fall Quad Cum Circle Jerky Horse Stone Keys

Red Skin Jerky

Furniture Decor

Circle Jury Jerky House Horse Stone Jockey Short Key

Mod key

Mid Key

Mod Lodge Key

Wooden Spoon.

Spear Harpoon.

Sky Wales.

“MICRO TWINE”

“GRETCHEN WRESTLING WRETCHES”

“WRESTLING WITCHES”

“RAFFLE RALLY QUAD PUN RECEIPT RE SEA PAPER TICKETS”

Paper Shop

Paper Towel Heads

Micro Organisms

“Gretchen Gray Hair Twine”

Gretchen,

Bitch Wet Check.

WET CHECK

BED CHECK

Bitch Wreck Shop.

BITS AND BYTES.

Bits, Bytes, Terra, Bugs, MURDER MODELS,

MURDER MODS

MURDER QUADS

GENETIC GENOCIDE

Homicide ATM 🏧 CASH MACHINE

Homocide GYM

“HOMO IDEA”

“HOMOSEXUAL IDEAS”

HOLD MY PSY,

GENOCIDE MASS WAR CRIMES

Murder Valley

Murder Mallard Mall War

GAS LIGHT ODD DUCKY

GAS LIGHT OFF FUCK KEY

FUCK KEY

MOD KEY

DOM KEY

WIN DIXIE

Vad EYE KKK rants.

Blow Out Cans.

Cannon Ball

MODEL DOM

MODERN DOM

ROBOT HEBREW

ROBOT ROMAN

American Mass Genocide Coverts.

Towels and Shoe Laces

Shower, Hot Hotels and Hotdogs

White Hebrew

White Roman

Cash Ops

Payment Robot Corpse Necromancer Cops

Necrosis Nerc Caught Ticks

Narc Narrow Minded Cotton Cots

NERD HAX

WHITE GENOCIDE PUBLIC AIRS

KISS AIRPORTS FIND IN BARBIES PEDEL SHOES

BARBIE WITH AIRPLANE PANCAKE SHIP CAR SHOES

say.

“TA”

and stare eyes 👀 at STARE AT TALKS

STARE AT TALKS

“HIGH TA”

“LOW TA”

“EVER TA”

TALL VICTORY.

TALLEST TELLEST

TELE VEST

TELE PUBLIC AIRS

Ever TA

Ever “TA”

ROYAL KEEP TAKES

ROYAL KEEP SAKES

“hot cheetah yellow death tolls”

“hot cheetos hot cheetahs cat scratch stretch death stories, maxi loot, maxi loop, maximum axe wood body shop murders.”

“hot sheet, sim money genocide crimes high man low man, circle blood sea water reef coral reef cheetah cheerleader model holes”

“yellow cheetah bowls, indian bow and arrows”

“sex women names Boe” “bow bow”

VICTORY WOMEN, NOT GENOCIDE KITTENS

“TEN PUT SHIN HEN COCK DEATH PEN COCK GENOCIDE QUAD DOCKS”

“yellow cheetah white super sea death rhymes genocide crimes.”

“pink tooth”

“pinky winky, tooth pinky finger.”

‎الاستيلاء ، التسول عربي عربي ،

‎ إمساك ، حصى ، ستون يارد

‎ الحصى ، القاضي الخشبي المطرقة.

Hazmat Murders ، "Tan Til Eyes"

‎ "وعاء من حساء البصل ، مقصورة خشبية للنزل ، حمى المقصورة ، حلوى حلوى قصب رون هول وور ، رون هوارد ، التفوق الأبيض ، الإبادة الجماعية العالمية"

‎ "العبرية البيضاء ، تقتل العرب ، على حد قول غرافيل ستون"

‎ أقفاص أضلاع العظام العربية

‎ الإبادة الجماعية للأسنان الخشبية جزازات العشب

‎ "رود ستيوارت"

‎ "رون هوارد"

‎ الإبادة الجماعية ، "القتل التعاو��ي"

‎ "جرائم نخيل الوجه المخفية البيضاء"

‎ "شفرات دماء مراوح السقف"

‎ "شفرات الدم جزازة العشب"

‎ متجر الجليد سكيت شيت الهندي الأيرلندي ،

‎ حمامات الدم الجلد الأحمر ،

‎ هوت سونا سبا ،

‎ سويت شوب هوج لودج ،

‎ كبائن النبيذ الخشبية

‎ الموت عند 3

‎ الموت في الخامسة

‎ الموت في "الخلية المنجلية المريضة"

‎ موت التفوق الأبيض يلقي بأنماط الإبادة الجماعية العالمية.

‎ "نهب شون"

‎ مطابخ الجنس البيضاء

"White Casting War Rafts at Death Cast Podcast Radio Episodes TIDAL WAVES."

‎ الإبادة الجماعية للبيض تلقي تصويت الموت العالمي

‎ قيمة نقدية

‎ مهرج شرطي المال 💵

KAAAA CHING

‎ بلينغ تشيك الدجاج

‎ أجراس العشاء

‎ المثلث على الجانب القطري الدنغلي دونغ.

‎ المستندات ، BAY BAY الأحواض البيضاء.

‎ هليكوبتر ديكس.

‎ "هنرو داك"

‎ "أبيض هو يشرب"

‎ "العبرية البيضاء ، HEN DEN BREW"

‎ "هينبرو" هنس ...

‎ ذقون قلم الاوز

PENTCH BRAIN PENIS

‎ ني وي وايت.

‎ عش الشاي الأبيض

‎ معسكرات عمليات الإبادة الجماعية White Coo Ops

‎ أمريكان سبيس نيدلز سياتل واشنطن ،

‎ ملح البحر

ALT OP.

‎ بوت كوربس

CORPSE ROBOT CORPORATE RAT ROBOTS ، RALLY COUPON TICKET WHITE SEA PAPER ، RECEIPT JERKY JOCKEY HORSE :)

‎ عبري أبيض

‎ روماني أبيض

‎ تعاونية استلام البحر في البحر

‎ البحر على الإطلاق

‎ مقعد طويل

‎ قاعة الموت في كشك مقعد

‎ مقعد SEATTLE MICRO BEAT

‎ خوض تدريبات الموت

‎ إبر مقعد البحر

‎ مبيدات الحبيبات البيضاء النقدية ...

BLEACH BROWN BLEACHER SCHOOL جريمة قتل ، تعليم منزلي ، كوخ خشبي مزيف ، تجميع

‎ بركة نبيذ كابينة

‎ المنزل

‎ ورق خبز الذرة

‎ رون بول ، ثقب الذرة

‎ مبيض الأنف البني

‎ محطات غاز الخردل ، الانتحاريون ،

‎ الأبيض "جراب صغير كوادرا DOM Win Dixie Dock Bay Cast"

‎ شراب الدجاج الأبيض

‎ أبيض هو الشراب

‎ روماني أبيض

‎ أسواق بوسطن البيضاء

‎ صندوق أبيض يقف الإبادة الجماعية

‎ حافظ على نفسك أكثر أمانًا

‎ حافظ على سلامتك

‎ أمل وتخطي.

‎ على مرتكبي الإبادة الجماعية

‎ حفر الاعدام

‎ التمثيليات في المستشفى

‎ السحابات الصغيرة الخطرة

‎ بطة بطة اوزة،

‎ رقبة الإوزة

‎ عثرة الإوزة

‎ تفريغ اليقطين

‎ الإبادة الجماعية في البيوت البيضاء "العبرية والرومانية"

‎ تيتان و المصارعون يعززون الجنس

‎ ستير جريئة ،

‎ المكملات الكاذبة.

‎ مجموعات الجنس الفرعية

‎ مرحلة الجنس

‎ مرحلة الإبادة

‎ الرهينة لا يزال

‎ الرهينة تقف قبالة

‎ قتل الرهينة حازمت

‎ مزاعم عكسية من Hazmat

‎ كارمن الكترا

Xmen Psyloche

Xmen العملاق

‎ رجال الشرطة نسخة الجنس عبر الإنترنت

‎ سقوط CUM الزبون الخشب الرقائقي

‎ عملاء الخريف

‎ سقوط رباعية نائب الرئيس دائرة متشنج مفاتيح حجر الحصان

‎ أحمر الجلد متشنج

‎ ديكور أثاث

‎ دائرة لجنة التحكيم جيركي هاوس هورس ستون ستون جوكي مفتاح قصير

‎ مفتاح التعديل

‎ منتصف مفتاح

‎ مود لودج مفتاح

‎ ملعقة خشبية.

‎ رمح هاربون.

‎ سكاي ويلز.

"MICRO TWINE"

‎ "كلمات المصارعة الجريتشن"

‎ "ساحرات المصارعة"

"RAFFLE RALLY QUAD PUN RECEIPT RE SEA PAPER TICKETS"

‎ أوراق مالية

‎ رؤوس المناشف الورقية

‎ الكائنات الدقيقة

‎ "غريتشن غراي خيوط الشعر"

‎ جريتشن ،

‎ فحص الكلبة الرطب.

‎ فحص مبلل

‎ فحص السرير

‎ متجر حطام الكلبة.

‎ بت وبايت.

‎ بت ، بايت ، تيرا ، البق ، نماذج القتل ،

MODS القتل

‎ القتل الرباعي

‎ الإبادة الجينية

‎ جرائم القتل ATM 🏧 CASH MACHINE

Homocide GYM

"HOMO IDEA"

‎ "الأفكار المثلية الجنسية"

‎ امسك نفسي ،

‎ الإبادة الجماعية جرائم الحرب الجماعية

‎ وادي القتل

‎ قتل حرب مالارد مول

‎ ضوء الغاز ODD DUCKY

‎ ضوء قبالة مفتاح اللعنة

‎ مفتاح اللعنة

‎ مفتاح MOD

‎ مفتاح دوم

WIN DIXIE

Vad EYE KKK الصدق.

‎ تفجير العلب.

‎ مدفع الكرة

‎ نموذج DOM

DOM الحديث

‎ روبوت هيبرو

‎ روبوت رومان

‎ أغطية الإبادة الجماعية الأمريكية.

‎ المناشف وأربطة الأحذية

‎ الدش والفنادق الساخنة والهوت دوغ

‎ عبري أبيض

‎ روماني أبيض

‎ العمليات النقدية

‎ دفع رجال شرطة مستحضر الأرواح جثة روبوت

‎ اشتعلت النخر نيرك القراد

‎ أسرة قطنية ضيقة الأفق

‎ نيرد هاكس

‎ الهواء الأبيض الإبادة الجماعية

‎ العثور على المطارات في KISS في أحذية BARBIES PEDEL

‎ باربي مع حذاء سيارة بطائرة من طراز بانكيك

‎ قل.

‎ "تا"

‎ وتحدق في عينيك في STARE AT TALKS

‎ تحدق في المحادثات

‎ "عالية تا"

"LOW TA"

"EVER TA"

‎ انتصار طويل.

‎ أخطر

TELE VEST

‎ الهواء العام الاتصالات

‎ من أي وقت مضى تا

‎ من أي وقت مضى "TA"

‎ يأخذ الملكي الاحتفاظ

‎ رويال كييب سايكس

‎ "عدد القتلى الأصفر الحار من الفهد"

‎ "الفهود الساخنة الفهود الساخنة القط خدش قصص الموت تمتد ، نهب ماكسي ، حلقة ماكسي ، الحد الأقصى جرائم القتل متجر الخشب الفأس."

‎ "ورقة ساخنة ، جرائم الإبادة الجماعية للمال ، رجل مرتفع ، رجل منخفض ، دائرة الدم في مياه البحر والشعاب المرجانية والشعاب المرجانية الفهد نموذج الفتحات"

‎ "أطباق الفهد الصفراء والقوس والأسهم الهندية"

‎ "جنس النساء أسماء Boe" "القوس القوس"

‎ النساء الانتصارات ، لا يقتلون القطط

"TEN PUT SHIN HEN COCK DEATH PEN COCK GENOCIDE QUAD DOCKS"

‎ "الفهد الأصفر الأبيض سوبر البحر قوافي الموت جرائم الإبادة الجماعية."

‎ "الأسنان الوردية"

‎ "الخنصر الخنصر ، إصبع الخنصر الأسنان."

[wonunuu]

still loving you ∞

prologue

synopsis: as jeonghan waits for his singing career to grow, he gets impatient and angry for the lack of recognition he has been receiving. along with his frustration came his drinking habit. with you already juggling medical school and trying to make some money for the two of you, can you still handle the weight added on by your boyfriend?

genre: angst, romance, drama

pairing: actor!jeonghan x fem!reader

word count: 1.5k+

profiles | m.list | next

a/n: hey everyone!! i’m actually camping rn so if responses are a lil slow, it’s cos i have no wifi or making cotton candies for little children. but i hope you all have a good week and stay safe!! 💓

send an ask or fill out the form to be tagged!

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“I’m almost there. Just wait for a little more.” You half scream to a very impatient Seungkwan rushing you from the other line before hanging up your phone and shoving it into your purse. Right now, you are sitting in the back seat of a cab heading to the airport where the rest of your friends are waiting for you. 

To your disappointment, you weren’t going for a vacation in Maldives where you dream of basking under the sun as you dig your feet into the pearly white sand, and a cold refreshing fruit drink in your hand—nope definitely not. Instead, you were going there to wave Chan, your history freak best friend, good-bye before he leaves for his expenditure to Egypt where he will be staying indefinitely.  Of course you were sad to see him off, and it made you sadder that you don’t know when you’ll see him again. His passion for history was undeniably strong that he even chose to become an archeologist (hence the Egypt dream destination). You found his love for the subject to be incredible and very admirable. With that being said, you’ve decided to be a supportive friend and be there to celebrate and see him off as he leaves to start a new chapter in his life. 

This isn’t the first time you’ve all had to say good-bye to a friend. In fact, this is the third time and you desperately hope it’s the last because god knows how much more you can withstand seeing your friends leave. A lot has happened in the past four years. At least to your friends.

Minghao and Mingyu left the country. Minghao went back to China to study martial arts, but also because he was homesick. You all saw this coming as you’ve all witnessed his never ending facetimes with his mother. Like yeah, it’s sweet and all that they have a close relationship, but it’d be sweeter if their calls didn’t last until two in the morning. Mingyu is in Paris, France because he is now a supermodel, as surprising as it may sound but it isn't because, wow, the man is fine. Anyway, he now walks on runways in his expensive clothes alongside other famous models whom you could care less about. But you are very happy that he’s become successful. 

After graduation, Joshua landed a job at SM publishing company as a book editor, editing countless manuscripts all day. He worked there for his co-op placement in his third year of undergrad school. Apparently they were very impressed with his work and offered him a position as soon as he graduated. 

Seungkwan is now a civil rights lawyer with his own law firm—which is very impressive as he literally just graduated law school last year. Him being a lawyer didn’t surprise you though, seeing how much loved to argue his point and what he believed in until he was proven correct—which he says he knew from the very start. This aspect of him makes him one of the best in the field, and that is totally not your biased opinion. 

Wonwoo is now a striving film editor. Since he was a philosophy major, hearing that he was gonna go into film was shocking news to you. But after looking at some of his works, you admit he does have talent in the field. Directors are practically on their knees begging him to be in their editing team. Who would’ve thought that the man who used to eat dog treats would make it this far.

Seungcheol opened up a club with performers, but you weren’t going to question that. The man was a business major, and so if this is what he learned and if this is how he wants to run his business, then it’s whatever. Afterall, it is his business, literally. Besides, he said he’s happy about it and that it gives him lots of money, and therefore, you should be happy for him too. 

Vernon? He’s stuck in medical school with you. But boy you were relieved this year will be your last before starting your internship. That is if you pass the board exams. Vernon has been busting his ass studying and preparing for this huge exam because it’s probably the biggest exam a medical student ever does in their entire life. He spends at least thirty hours a week at the library, his face stuffed between piles and piles of medical textbooks, and taking notes until his hand gets numb. 

He can’t say the same for you though. There is not a day where he rings your phone to ask how many hours you spent today for committed studying. You would get a long sigh and a fat scolding when your answer is three hours or less, which is the case often. 

As a medical student you’d expect reading textbooks, doing research and taking notes to take up three quarters of your day. But your life is not at all how you pictured it to be. You work two shifts at the cafe you’ve worked at for four years; one in the morning and one in the evening. Though studying while working isn’t exactly forbidden by your boss, it’s not a good idea since the two shifts you work for happens to be when the cafe is the busiest. 

Anyway, you do this because you need money to provide for yourself and your boyfriend who lives with you. Speaking of, after your graduation, Jeonghan has decided to pursue a singing career, and although it may have been an impulsive decision that was made on a random day as he chats with his friends, you were quite surprised to see that it’s not as bad as you thought it’d be? Question mark because your friends would say otherwise.

Your friends, specifically Seungkwan, would say it’s worse than you had expected. But Jeonghan was trying his best, and that’s all that mattered. You believe that one day he will get noticed and will achieve his dreams, and you wanted to be beside him for it. To be beside him all the way through. But as of now, he is trying his very best. 

Sometimes he would get calls from bars or restaurants to do a little show, and when he does, you also go with him, even if that means missing a shift at the cafe or sacrificing your study time to watch your boyfriend’s gig. He doesn’t make much from them, which is why you work  so you can have money to buy groceries, to pay the bills and to pay rent of your shared apartment. But you didn’t mind, not a single bit. You wanted to be supportive towards your boyfriend, and you’re happy seeing that he is doing what he likes. Nope, you didn’t mind at all. 

“That’ll be twenty seven bucks and forty three cents.” The driver informs you of the fee. You take out your wallet and take out a twenty dollar bill and a five dollar bill. You unzip the little pocket where you store your coins to get the remaining change, but you took in a gasp when you saw the pocket was empty. 

“I’m so sorry, it seems as though I only have twenty five bucks at the moment.” You apologize as you look at him through the rear-view mirror of his car. He said it was fine, you thank him and apologize again before leaving the car. 

As you pass through the airport doors, you see each of your friends giving Chan a hug. You sprint to where they were, and fortunately, you make it right on time. 

“Took you long enough,” Seungkwan mumbles with his arms crossed to his chest as you passed by him. The others, Wonwoo, Seungcheol, Vernon and Joshua all greet you with relieved smiles etched on their faces. 

You wrap Chan in a warm hug, your chin resting on his shoulder and the scent which you will miss like crazy fills your nose. He hugs you back, “Glad you made it!” 

“Of course I’d make it,” you say as you pull away. 

Chan glances behind you as if he was looking for something. “Jeonghan didn’t come with you?” 

“Probably drunk at their apartment,” Seungkwan mumbles as he stares into the airport ceilings. The rest of the guys shoot him a death glare, and Vernon tells him to shut his air hole. 

“Sorry,” you look at him apologetically, “he had a gig last night. He’s really tired, but he wishes you good luck.” You lied. Seungwan was right, well sort of. Jeonghan was in fact at your apartment with a hangover. You didn’t want to admit it because if you do, Chan might miss his flight because instead of getting on board, he would first scold you, then drive to your apartment to have a not so gentle talk with your boyfriend. So you kept your mouth shut.

“Flight 2342 to Cairo, Egypt now boarding,” the PA calls.

It was forty minutes before his flight so he needed to board the plane. You all collectively wave him a goodbye and wish him a good life there. He pulls his suitcase behind him and walks away, occasionally glancing back.

“Have fun! Stay safe!” Vernon shouts. Seungkwan follows with, “Call us when you get there!” 

“If you dig up a hot mummy, tell it to hit me up!” You smack Wonwoo’s arms, and he laughs, amused by his inappropriate comment. But Chan gives him a thumbs up, causing all of you to burst out in laughter. 

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

🏷: @shuajeong @sunflowergyeomie @ofcoursewhynottt @yoonzinow @sydneyy-jade @softforqiankun @sbnchaos @hanniewife @k-min9yu @1800zuho @boogyuu @moonlit-willow @haoareudoin @lealea203 @love-svt @hoerangdan @serenadesvt @anissanightyoung @pimpnameyannie @yyxyzti @gothhyucks @gottsegne @cheonsahannie @peekabooseoksoon @tobereadbyme @gothiccguk @dancingddays @cherryskles @isa499 @cassiopeia1104 @geminirules @kwonsyoungs @stonyiscanon @monstathedisco @wang-nicholas @beomiebear5 @itsdnguyenxoxo @chwlogy

unable to tag: @yypiggi @tobio-oo @abcdefghijae

[illegalbootjeggingoperation]

Thoughts while watching Predator (1987) for the first time.

Schwarzenegger is credited before the title. The only other Schwarzenegger film I’ve seen is the gooey clone one? I know he was a big deal in film though.

Judging from track 1 this is a god-tier soundtrack. Old-school orchestra ensemble vibes. The non-standard tempo is really setting the stage.

“Someone accused you of being the best” hell yeah we got some airport thriller schlock starting from the first page of dialogue and I’m here for it.

Carl Weathers, that’s a name I know primarily from Arrested Development. I admire a man who can play a washed-up, hard-up version of himself without winking at the camera. This isn’t that of course, this is the glory days.

I was raised in a bubble so I don’t really get how Schwarzy got so famous. This movie does not pass by 2022 film acting standards, and him in particular. It’s setting itself up to be a good time and all but like, was he coasting by on muscles and jaw structure?

Long chopper sequence is really driving home something that I believe about films: less plot is often better. (You can’t fit a whole novel in there buddy, stop stop stahhp you’re gonna smoosh it.) A movie is a short story, full stop.

This honky tonk song is starting to grate. Can we get John Williams Lite back in the room please.

We got a pussy joke and an F-slur in the same scene and no one bats an eye, wow, the 80s literally happened eh?

I’m pretty sure Mr. Tobacco’s gonna be the first one to die. He’s got like an exaggerated bad-ass lone-wolf mystique that’s just begging for a surprise shoulder-to-hip slash from the predator’s sword or tail or whatever they’ve got. This is my first Predator movie so idk. Plus Carl’s chiding him about his tobacco habit is totally an ironic setup.

Dude just KICKED a TURKEY where is peta

“Jim Hopper” is the name on the dog tag of one of the flayed fellas. Yeah, I know a Stranger Things (2016) reference when I see one.

“Payback time” my guy you are unboxing a full 85-lb minigun in the middle of a tropical rainforest with no idea how much further you have to walk and one of your squadmates going around threatening to put anyone who’s too noisy in a Juicero. You are a cautionary tale waiting to happen.

Schwarzy stacking explosion damage in the enemy camp like he’s going for an achievement. Do they really need this many bazookas for an op like this? Just thinking about the cost to the taxpayer here.

“I don’t have time to bleed.” This whole thing was written by a high schooler. What a gift.

Time for an intermission. Gotta take a walk and put out the recycling. Will return.

[jmdbjk]

Just gonna blab a few minutes

Slowish day at work so what does my brain veer to?…BTS and their departure timing from Seoul…

I am not up-to-date on the travel restrictions coming into the US but I think some are still required to isolate for a week after arriving. After reading the requirements it’s not really clear to me about that but if you have proof of vaccination and you have recovered from COVID in the last 90 days you are pretty much restriction-free so that’s great for five of them but as far as we know neither JK or Hobi has been positive for COVID. 

I saw that Son Sungdeuk had already left Seoul on his way here and I imagine half their staff if not more are here already as well so I am thinking any day now the guys will be getting on board a plane bound for Las Vegas. 

There are probably crazy people already camped out at Incheon airport waiting to snap pics. I am assuming they are because it’s just a normal thing we do here in the US—paparazzi can make a good living here, lowlifes that they are though. 

JK has said at least twice that he is “super-antibody” but I always interpreted it as him joking but for all we know he did test positive and recovered without ever telling us which is well within his right to keep that to himselfs. He is not obligated to tell us anything. Same with Hobi. I guess we’ll see how it all unfolds here in the next days. 

I like the live news coverage the Korean news media outlets do of them leaving and arriving at Incheon. That is definitely NOT something that happens here, US news media usually could care less about the comings and goings of celebrities. I mean, celebrity focused media will probably be there but perhaps it will be a situation much like Los Angeles where they arrive at a “special VIP area” and are whisked away to their lodging as soon as they land. I have no idea if the Vegas airport has that feature.

And I am sure there is a high possibility there will be instances of controversy when they get spotted out in public somewhere and photos show up on social media. 

Truth be told a lot of the people snapping pics in the wild are not fans like we are and etiquette is pretty much non-existent for them. They see a celeb and take advantage of a photo op that presents itself and all the gatekeepers and cultists wringing their hands are not going to stop these randos from taking pics and showing them off. 

I am well aware of the huge discussion about boundaries/privacy/consent but when you are a celebrity in the US those concepts go out the window, sadly. I just hope they have a blast while they are here and that all their schedules and appearances happen smoothly and that the concerts happen successfully and safely and that all involved stay safe and healthy. And that they also win a Grammy. 

(FYI I do not condone sharing ill-gotten pics and you will never see those on my blog UNLESS I wasn’t aware where they came from. Photos from official news media or entertainment media outlets not included.)

EDIT: Well, this is a revolting development. Wishing a speedy recovery to our hope J-Hobi and hoping/praying/pleading to the universe/god to let Jungkook make it unscathed from COVID from now through April.

[spine-buster]

The President Wears Prada (William Nylander) | Chapter 3

A/N: Thanks for all the positive feedback on last week’s double update!  I’d love to hear how you’re enjoying it and any canon questions you may have even though it’s very early into the story still!

September 13th, 2019

Aberdeen Bloom was absolutely fucking bricking it.  

These were the things she knew as an absolute certainty: William Nylander – she had learned his full name – was a Toronto Maple Leaf.  She had hooked up with him in June one week after her graduation from university.  He’d gone back to Sweden for the summer to be with his family.  Now he was back in Toronto because he played for the Toronto Maple Leafs.  And now, she worked as the executive assistant to the president of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

She had no clue how she got herself into this situation, no clue what she was going to do in this situation, and no clue how she was going to get out of this situation.

She was going to have to see him practically every fucking day.

Aberdeen knew she couldn’t let this get the best of her, her mind, or her emotions.  She was brought on board to do a job, and she was going to do that job to the best of her abilities.  No bullshit, no problem.  William wasn’t going to stand in her way of doing well and doing her job for Mr. Shanahan.  Regardless of how blue his eyes were.  Regardless of how blonde his hair was.  Regardless of how cute he looked.  Regardless of how hot he looked in a suit.  Regardless of how every time she looked at him, she began to remember how his hands felt on her hips and how his lips felts on her bare skin…

No.  Stop it.

By the end of the week, she’d met the entire team – Mr. Shanahan had ushered her into the locker room to introduce her to everyone and she waved shyly at all of them before they gave her polite nods and waves of their own.  She wondered if any of them recognized her from when she accidentally walked in on all of them topless and in their underwear.  They probably did.  Nobody recovered from something like that.  Throughout the week, many of them saw her in the hallways and came up to introduce themselves personally.  She thought that was nice.  Sometimes, she’d see William hanging out in the background, waiting for his teammate, but staring directly at her.  

Now came her first trip, one that she found out about on Wednesday – she was going to St. John’s, Newfoundland.  She was lucky Kasha was one of her best friends and agreed to watch and feed Minerva because she’d be gone for six days.  Leaving on Friday, coming back late Wednesday night, after the exhibition game in Ottawa.  It would be interesting, that’s for sure.  She’d never been to Newfoundland.

Lou drove her and Mr. Shanahan to Pearson Airport (Kyle Dubas had to stay back to negotiate a contract and sign someone, but he’d be there eventually too), where she was led to a private hangar.  Most of the team was already there, and a bunch of people Aberdeen didn’t recognize.  She noticed William in the crowd already staring at her as she walked in, a beanie lazily placed on top of his head.  He was sitting beside Kasperi, who was trying to show William something on his phone.  She tried to look away, but couldn’t.

“That’s media,” Brendan told her, finally breaking her concentration.  “They travel with us on road trips.”

“But this is only the start of training camp…” Aberdeen said, not quite understanding why they were already here if the season hadn’t even started yet.

Brendan chuckled from beside her.  “You’ve got a lot to learn about the sports media in Toronto…especially for the Leafs,” he commented.  

“Sorry,” she apologized for no good reason.

“That’s okay.  You’ve got a lot of time to learn.”

When everybody began to board, she began to gather all of the things she’d taken out of her bag while they waited.  She almost jumped out of her skin when somebody behind her asked, “Do you need help carrying your bag?”

She spun around and saw William behind her, watching her as she stuffed everything into her bag.  “No,” she said, turning back around because she couldn’t look at him.

“Are you sure?”

“Positive.”

“There’s an entire team of big burley hockey players ready to help.”

“No thank you,” she said again, zipping it up and walking away.  

On the private jet, she learned about the seating hierarchy.  The team got the back of the plane; media and other team personnel at the front.  She learned that the seats were giant, only two to a row, and she got her own row – a window seat right behind Mr. Shanahan.  She learned about the impeccable catering on board and the menu provided for them.  She learned that everybody was more relaxed on the charter flight – even the team, as they let loose and began to play cards, loosening their ties and taking off their suit jackets.  

She learned that every time she stood up or looked behind her, William was almost always already looking at her.  

***

September 14th, 2019

Practices were not usually watched by the general public, but because NHL hockey came to Newfoundland so rarely, tickets were sold to watch the Toronto Maple Leafs practice.  The arena was full, and before the boys stepped out onto the ice, Aberdeen had to coordinate Mr. Shanahan completing some media interviews for local news stations before they were able to retire from that and actually watch the practice.  They sat together, looking out onto the rink as Aberdeen had her iPad in her lap to co-ordinate a few more media interviews after the practice was done.  

“Sir, can I ask you a question?” she asked.  

“Brendan,” her corrected her.  She still felt uncomfortable about calling him that, so she wasn’t going to.  “Shoot.”

“The drill they’re doing right now.  What’s it called?”

Brendan looked at her briefly, smiling slightly.  “It’s to practice backchecking.”

She nodded her head.  “What’s a backcheck?” she asked, feeling stupid.  All of these terms were like a foreign language to her.  She didn’t know how people spoke using these words in coherent sentences.

“Backchecking is when the other team has the puck, and we need to rush back to the defensive zone to stop their attack,” Brendan explained.

“So…it’s trying to stop the other team from scoring.”

Brendan smiled again, wider this time.  “You’re learning.”

“I figured I should learn about the sport I’m going to be surrounded by,” she shrugged her shoulders.  “So that must mean the forecheck is attacking…trying to score.”

“Exactly.”

“Who are our best goal scorers?”

Brendan considered her question.  He knew he could answer it in many different ways.  “Well, if we’re talking about pure numbers, John Tavares – last season he scored forty-seven goals.  Anything above fifty is, like, at the super-elite level.  But then there’s Auston Matthews – he’s probably the most elite pure goal-scorer in the league, save for Connor McDavid.  Thirty-seven goals last season.  Mitchy scored twenty-six.  And then there’s the other guys – Kasperi, Andreas, and Zach all scored twenty last season.  Morgan Rielly, our best defenseman – he even scored twenty last season.  He was a monster.  Didn’t get nominated for the Norris, stupidly, but a monster nonetheless.  And William Nylander – elite goal scorer too.  His numbers last year don’t reflect that because he only played a half a season, but he’s as elite as the rest of them.”

At the mention of William’s name, Aberdeen shifted uncomfortably.  She tried not to pay attention to anything he said about William because it would just lead her to the memories, and then she’d be done for.  “So we’re a good team,” she inferred from what Brendan was telling her.  

Brendan chuckled this time.  “You could say that.”

When the practice was over, she organized for Mr. Shanahan to do more media.  Everybody was eating him up.  He gave great soundbites, talked about the hockey scene in Newfoundland, and about the Leafs practice.  He, of course, picked up on things during practice Aberdeen didn’t even notice.  The reporters ate it up like they couldn’t get enough.  And when Mr. Shanahan was finished, they waited somewhat impatiently for the players.  

Hockey clearly meant a lot to everyone around her.  It was what drove them, what sustained them, and what they were passionate about beyond everything else.  She had to make sure she kept up with their intensity, or else she felt like everything that the success of her in her job depended on may crumble.

***

When the day was done, the team, management, and media retreated back to the hotel.  It was around 6pm, and there were a lot of people in the lobby, figuring out their next steps.  As Aberdeen walked through the doors with Mr. Shanahan, she saw everybody congregating in their groups.  Some of the players had already changed out of their workout gear and into casual clothes, obviously ready to go out for a bite to eat.  She hoped that the hotel had room service, because she knew exactly what she’d be doing for the rest of the night.

“Aberdeen, do you have plans tonight?” Brendan asked suddenly, taking his phone out of his pocket.

“No sir.  Just room service for dinner and—”

“Oh, Aberdeen!” he cut her off, his tone almost scolding.  “You’re twenty-one years old and you’re in St. John’s.  You can’t stay in and order room service.”

Easy for him to say.  “Well—”

“Do you want to come to dinner with me and some of the hockey ops guys?” he asked politely.  She knew he was just doing this to be exactly that – polite.  There was no way he would want to hang out with his executive assistant outside of work hours.  

“I’m fine.  It’s okay—”

“Hey Brendan,” they suddenly heard a voice.  They turned their heads to see Jason Spezza approaching them.  He was dressed much better than most of the other guys, and Aberdeen attributed that to the fact that he was older.  “We were wondering if we could take Aberdeen out to dinner to show her around St. John’s.”

She looked behind Jason to see Kasperi, John, Morgan, and William.  Her eyes bulged out of her head.  “Oh, thank you for the offer, but it’s okay—”

“What a great idea!” Brendan exclaimed at the same time, turning at her and smiling.  “You got out of dinner with us old bozos!”

“No no no—”

“Have fun!” Brendan said as he began walking away, joining another group of men and slapping one of them on the back.

Aberdeen looked up at Jason.  Her cheeks flushed red with anxiety at the prospect of spending hours with them.  “You need to calm down,” Jason told her.  “We’re just guys.”

“You’re the Toronto Maple Leafs,” she stressed, trying not to meet William’s eye.

“So?” he shrugged his shoulders.  “We’re just trying to be nice, Aberdeen.  I don’t want to see you all alone when everyone else on the team is going to be out having fun.”

“Why not?”

Jason shrugged his shoulders.  “Because you’re part of the team now.”

Aberdeen considered the words coming out of Jason’s mouth.  It hadn’t even been a week since her first day, since she walked in on everyone in their underwear, and already she was “part of the team” and invited to go out to dinners with them.  She didn’t understand.  Why were they being so nice?  She was a nobody – to them, to the organization, to the world.  She was only a personal assistant.  “But—”

“Aberdeen, the more the argue this, the more you’re going to have to hear my voice telling you to come,” Jason said.  “Are you really going to make me beg?”

His damn puppy dog eyes were the only, and she means the only reason she gave in.

***

Auston Matthews and Frederik Andersen joined the group before they left to walk along Water Street, eventually choosing a fresh seafood restaurant to have dinner in (because why go to St. John’s and not get fresh caught seafood?).  Aberdeen walked alongside Jason making small talk with him, with Auston, Fred, Morgan, and John ahead of them and William and Kasperi behind them.  Once they were seated at the restaurant, she found herself sandwiched between Jason and Morgan.  William was right across from her.  

“So where are you from, Aberdeen?” John asked as everyone finished giving their order to the waiter.  

“I was born and raised in Toronto.  Etobicoke, actually,” she said.  “Royal York and Bloor.  But south of Bloor – not the Kingsway.  Nobody can afford to live in the Kingsway.  Well – you guys can,” she rambled, finally stopping to take a sip of her water.

“Any siblings?” Morgan asked.

“My older sister Siena is 23.  She’s at the University of Ottawa for law school.  Then there’s the baby Camden.  He just turned eleven this summer.”

“That’s quite the spread,” Kasperi commented.  She could see William side-eye him, not appreciating the comment.  It was a fair comment, but Aberdeen hated when people made it.  Yes, there was a huge gap between them.  So what?  Lots of families had huge gaps between siblings.  Hers was not unique.  

“He was definitely an oops baby, if that’s what you mean,” she deadpanned, looking right at him.

“Oh no no no – I didn’t mean it like that at all—” he tried to cover himself.

“Dude, there’s ten years between Daniella and I,” William quipped.

“Yeah but there’s three other kids in between you guys—”

“Will you two just be quiet?  God you’re like Tweedledee and Tweedledum,” Morgan said.  “Ignore them, Aberdeen.  What do your parents do?”

“My mom is an elementary school teacher and my dad is a mailman with Canada Post.”

“And who’s your favourite Toronto Maple Leaf?” William asked, taking his own sip from his drink.  The way he was looking at her would make any girl’s head spin, and it made Aberdeen’s spin for a split second before she remembered that she was at a table full of men who happened to be his teammates and who would most definitely notice any suspicious behaviour on her part.  

“Not any of you,” she said in a playful tone, causing the whole table to ooh and aww and clutch their hearts.  

“Really?  Even when we’re buying you dinner?” William continued.

“You’re going to need to do more than that,” she smiled.

“You mean buy you a drink?  You like vodka-based stuff?”

Aberdeen’s face dropped.  Vodka was the main alcohol in all the cucumber mules she drank when she met him at King Taps.  Drinking all those cucumber mules was the reason she let all her inhibitions go and brought him back to her place to sleep with him.  Well that, and his personality.  And his eyes.  And his hair.  And his body.  And his – snap out of it!  “I’m more of a gin girl myself,” she said, bringing her class of water to her lips again.

“Could have fooled me,” he quipped.

Morgan brought the conversation back to hockey – why they were all there.  The boys let her in on a few traditions and the etiquette around the arena, especially on game days.  When she asked about all the media on the trip and why they were they everybody let out a collective groan and explained to her how hounding the media was in Toronto.  When the food came the talk died down a bit but John began explaining to her the rivalries, the divisions, the conferences, who the Leafs liked and didn’t like, teams to watch out for as well as teams with friends on them.  Their good friend Tyler Ennis, who just played on the Leafs last year was now in Ottawa, and they’d be seeing him at the season opener.  Aberdeen wished she had a notebook where she could write this all down.  Jason explained how excited he was for the season opener – how he got some tickets for his extended family and friends to see him play.  Auston explained how his parents would be flying in from Arizona.  It was all very nice to hear.

Jason ended up paying for her meal even though she fought him on it.  When they decided to leave, the owner of the restaurant came out to shake hands with all of them and asked for a picture.  They obliged, and the owner was over the moon.  He said he was going to blow up the picture, frame it, and put it right at the entrance.  That’s when Aberdeen understood how hockey crazed some people could be.  

Instead of going directly back to the hotel, Morgan persuaded everyone to take a walk down by the harbour.  He used the map on his phone to guide them, and Aberdeen would unintentionally hold the group up by taking pictures of all the old and colourful buildings.  She couldn’t help it – if traveling was going to be a perk of the job, then she was going to enjoy it as much as possible.  

The harbour was beautiful, even though it was dark, and she made a mental note to come back if she had any free time when it was light out.  She also wanted to climb Signal Hill.  She took out her phone and clutched it in her hands shyly, looking at the guys talking amongst one another.  “Um…can someone take a picture of me?”

Jason, of course, was the only one who heard her.  “Give me your phone,” he extended his hand, and she gave it to him as she went to pose along the guardrail.  He took a few photos, and even turned on the flash.  All the guys watched on, and Aberdeen felt a bit awkward.  Apparently, Jason sensed it.  “Can we make it look like she has friends?” he announced to the guys, causing them all to laugh.  “Jesus fuck, guys.  Go pose with her.”

They all surrounded her, throwing their arms over each other.  Auston draped his arm over her shoulder.  Fred’s extended all the way to her shoulders too, despite being a two people away from her.

William’s was the only arm around her waist.  

***

September 17th, 2019

“You could have said I was your favourite the other night,” a voice Aberdeen could only place as William’s said as she was looking down at her iPad.  Everybody was in Mile One Stadium for the game, and the arena was already full with eager fans.  

She didn’t even know how he found her.  Wasn’t he supposed to be getting ready?  How did he have the time to bother her and be a menace?  “But you’re not my favourite.”

“Ouch, Aberdeen,” he put his hand over his heart like the rest of the guys had done that night at dinner.  

“Well you’re not,” she reiterated.

“Then let me rephrase the question,” he started, “You could have said I was fucking awesome.”

Aberdeen’s face dropped again.  Yet again, those were the words she had used after they’d finished having sex.  She blurted them out, but he agreed.  God, to think that it stroked his ego for months and he still remembered months after the fact.  “What are you trying to do here?” she asked him.

“When we met in June you kept talking and talking and I let you because I love the sound of your voice,” he said.  Her heart stopped beating momentarily.  She was hyperaware of the present tense use of ‘love’ and not ‘loved’ in his sentence.  “I’m just trying to talk to you.”

She shook any thought about that night or about “I love hearing you talk” out of her head as she got up.  This was all a game to William – that much she figured.  Why else would he find her?  Why else would he repeat her words back at her and taunt her with them?  Why else would he offer to buy her a drink in front of six of his teammates?  She didn’t know if he was telling the truth, if he was just taunting her, or…God, what if he wanted to hook up again?  Was he really that kind of guy that he was doing all this again to somehow seduce her?  A fun little romp with the office girl so he could show off to all his buddies?  Regardless of what it was, Aberdeen knew this was dangerous, extremely dangerous.  It was a game she wasn’t willing to play when so much was on the line for her personally and professionally.  

“Well, don’t,” she huffed, staring at him.  “This isn’t a game and I’m not a pawn.  I’m here to work and do a good job.  I’m most definitely not here to keep you entertained,” she said, walking away from him.  

***

September 18th, 2019

The Toronto Maple Leafs lost both exhibition games to Ottawa, but it didn’t really matter because they were just that – exhibition games.  Mr. Shanahan was still peeved that they lost, but he took it in stride.  When their charter plane finally landed in Toronto at around 11:45 at night on Wednesday, Aberdeen was ready for bed.  All she wanted to do was cuddle Minerva and sleep for twelve hours.  She was especially excited to have the day off tomorrow.  She could at least do laundry.  

When they were free to get her luggage, the tag-team of Tyson Barrie and Jason Spezza made sure they got her bag for her.  Mr. Shanahan had already left – he was the first one off the flight – because his son was picking him up, and he didn’t want him waiting and getting a ticket.  

“Aberdeen, do you have a ride?  Is somebody picking you up?” John asked, extending the handle on his luggage.  From behind him, she noticed William lurking and waiting for her answer.

“Nah, I’m good.  I’m just hopping on the UP,” she waved him off.  She would have to ask an airport employee where to get the UP Express.

“What?  No way,” John shook his head.

“No no no,” said William from behind him, shaking his head.

“No no no,” said Travis who was standing by her, shaking his head.

“No no no,” said Tyson who was also standing by her, shaking his head.

“No,” John repeated.  You would think she said she was going to walk the entire way home instead of take public transit.  “You live downtown, right?  That’s what you said at dinner?” he asked, but didn’t even wait for her to respond.  “Who’s going downtown and can drop off Aberdeen?” John asked loudly so everyone could hear.

“It’s fine, it’s really fine—” she tried to intervene.

“Bee’s coming to pick me up – we can drop Aberdeen off no problem,” Morgan offered.  

“I’ve got Saylor picking me up,” Kasperi offered.

“Morgan will do it,” John said quickly.  

Aberdeen looked over at Morgan.  “You really don’t have to—”

“Nonsense,” he extended the handle on his luggage.  “Follow me.”

He led her out of the private hangar towards a black Honda Civic.  Aberdeen watched as a girl got out of the car.  She was unconventionally pretty, with beautiful long hair.  She wore comfy looking oversized cardigan and plain black tights.  She only assumed this was Morgan’s girlfriend.  When they got close, Morgan kissed her.  “I volunteered to drive Aberdeen home,” he said, nodding back towards her.

Bee looked at her.  “Great!  Hop in.  Just put your luggage in the backseat – I don’t mind,” she said, turning and getting into the passenger’s seat.  Morgan opened the trunk to put his bigger suitcase in before returning to the driver’s seat.  Aberdeen had a grip on her luggage.  

“So what position do you have with the Leafs, Aberdeen?” Bee asked from the passenger’s seat, even shifting so she was actually able to look at her.

“I’m Brendan Shanahan’s personal assistant.”

“Oh, that’s so cool!” Bee smiled.  “Brendan’s awesome.  But I’m sure you’re realizing that.  God, I bet a million people would kill for your job.”

Aberdeen shrugged her shoulders.  “I guess.  I didn’t really uh, you know, watch hockey before this.”

“I didn’t either, until I met Morgan,” Bee said.  “Don’t worry.  It has its way of sucking you in.  There’s a certain magic to the game that you can’t get away from.  You just have to make sure you keep your head above water.”

“Right.”

“Where do you live, Aberdeen?” Morgan asked, looking at her through the rear-view mirror.  

“Oh!  I’m on Nelson Street.  It’s near University and Adelaide.”

Bee punched the address Aberdeen gave into her phone.  “You let us know whenever you need a ride back into the city from the airport, okay?  You’re not that far from us.”

“Um, thank you,” she said as she felt Morgan put the car into drive.

“No problem at all, Aberdeen.  Love your name by the way.”

They made small talk throughout the ride, and thankfully, because it was so late, the roads were clear.  In just less than twenty minutes, Aberdeen was home.  She thanked Morgan and Bee profusely before leaving.  Bee watched her go in as Morgan texted on his phone.

“Who are you texting at this hour of the night?” she asked.

“Willy,” he said absent-mindedly.  “Wants to make sure we got home okay.”

Bee furrowed her brows.  “He’s never texted us about that before.”

Morgan shrugged.  “Whatever.”