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skyyguy · 1 month ago

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I asked @avonne-writes if I could write some dog shifter John, so here's one little thing I came up with 😅

They'd spent the day running around town, finding furniture and decor for the farmhouse, and Gale was exhausted. They got home from England months ago, but still he struggled, finding it hard to eat or sleep, to relax. John, on the other hand, had only taken a few weeks to fall back into an easy rhythm of life. He still struggled, now and again, but he was doing considerably better than Gale was.

"C'mon, boy," Gale whistled to the giant black curly-coated retriever, currently sniffing around the delivery truck. The dog looked up, tail freezing mid wag, glancing over at him with his lip caught on his tooth. Gale rolled his eyes and pat his thigh and the dog took off for him, tongue lolling happily, tail wagging furiously. The dog practically launched his body sideways into Gale's legs, and it was only years of practice that kept Gale from falling over.

"Seriously Jo— Comet?" Gale asked the dog, rubbing his ear. The dog looked up at him, tongue lolling out the side of his mouth. "Impossible. You're impossible."

"Seems mighty well trained, that dog there does," one of the delivery people commented, nodding towards the retriever, "shoot, my wife lets her dog run around will-nilly and the thing doesn't know to come when called, less you got a treat for it," he said conversationally. Gale shrunk in on himself a little, his shoulders tensing and pulling towards his ears, folding his arms over his chest.

"He's not really that well behaved," Gale muttered softly, "he's an absolute menace most of the time, loud and pushy and annoying," he continued, ignoring the pleading eyes of the dog. He knew he'd pay for that later, but teasing the other was one of Gale's few joys in life, and he was going to take every chance he got, even if it was swamped by the anxiety of talking to another person. The man just laughed and grinned a the retriever before turning back to his work and Gale relaxed slightly when the attention shifted. He reached down to pet the dog again and the dog licked his hand in response, making Gale pull a face.

"So gross," he muttered, wiping the slobber onto the dog's head and ignoring the look he got in return. The dog sat on his foot then, nosing at his thigh, tail wagging. Gale glanced at the delivery van and the backs of the men bringing the heavy furniture inside before sighing and pinching the bridge of his nose. With a soft fine, Gale started towards the small garden outback the house. He brushed his fingers along the blooming flowers, smelling their soft scents drift into the air around him. The dog padded along with him, sneezing as he stuck his nose into a flower, before running ahead, barking. Gale rolled his eyes affectionately as he followed the prancing dog along.

He settled beneath the large oak, back against the thick trunk, and watched as the dog proceeded to run around sniffing, no doubt smelling squirrels and rabbits. Gale watched him, paying careful attention to how the skin slid over bones, the muscle and fat still working to wrap his body completely, like it had before. Gale shuddered at the sudden thought, memory, feeling of icy wind cutting through clothes like they were nothing. The dog must have seen, beause within seconds, the giant black body was draped haphazardly and uncomfortably ontop of Gale.

"Jesus, John," he grumbled, though his voice was tinged with humour, not annoyance, and he reached up to scratch behind one soft ear. The dog's tongue lolled out of his mouth and he panted in Gale's face, breath distinctly minty. Gale rolled his eyes and put a hand on the dog's muzzle, pushing his face away.

"I'm okay, bud, I promise, just thought about the wind over there," Gale told the dog softly, pushing the large body, trying to make it a little more comfortable. The dog whined softly, licking at Gale's jaw, yipping excitedly at Gale's resulting smile.

"They should be almost done, then we can go make lunch, 'kay, Bucky?" Gale asked, rubbing the dog's belly as he rolled over on his legs, paws in the air, head hanging upside down off Gale's lap, "you gotta be human to eat, though, I'm not feeding a dog lunch," Gale teased softly, continuing to pet his belly. He chuckled softly as the dog squirmed on his lap, kicking his hind legs out, tail thumping against the ground as he wagged it. Gale hummed softly— he knew John liked that— and watched the delivery men as they worked the last piece of furniture out of the van and coaxed it through the door into the house.

He didn't realize he had dozed off until a cold wind blew over his face and he shuddered, blinking his eyes open. Gale could smell the incoming storm and he groaned, stretching his arms over his head as he woke up the rest of the way.

"I think we missed lunch," John muttered from where he was laying, head in Gale's lap, eyes still closed as if he didn't want to wake up.

"I blame you," Gale replied, shoving playfully at John's shoulder until the other man sat up, rubbing his eyes.

"It's your fault, you're the one who sat down," John teased before he started to get up, shoving himself off the ground, dusting his thighs and butt off. Gale rolled his eyes as John patted his own butt suggestively.

"Says the one who laid on top of me."

"I couldn't resist, your lap is just so comfortable," John insisted, reaching to grab Gale's arms and helping him to his feet. He pressed a kiss to Gale's forehead as soon as he was on his feet, nuzzling against his hair. Gale shoved playfully at his stomach, bumping his head into John's lips.

"C'mon, let's go inside. Storm comin', don't wanna be out in it," Gale grumbled, though his tone was warm and soft, full of love and comfort. John hummed, off-key, before pulling back, letting his hand slide into Gale's and squeezing.

"Wouldn't want you getting drenched, obviously," John teased, tugging on Gale's hand to pull him towards the house. Gale fell into step beside him easily, brushing his shoulder against John's happily.

"So. Supper," Gale started as John pushed the front door open and pulled Gale into the house, "should we do a pasta bake?"

"Whatever you want, doll," John wrapped his arms around Gale's waist, pulling the shorter man against his chest and nuzzling at the sensitive skin behind his ear, breath hot as it ghosted over the shell of his ear, sending shivers down Gale's spine.

"I'll make your favourite," Gale replied, arching his neck to give John access to the side of his neck, silently asking him to kiss and nip. John was more than happy to oblige, lavishing his lover's neck with kisses and small bites, sucking to leave marks, swaying slightly on his feet. Gale held onto John's wrists, folded over his stomach, and swayed with him.

"Have I told you lately, I love you?"

"Hmmmmm… Only about six times so far today. Actually, make that seven," Gale replied, amused. John grinned against his neck.

Before he even realized, John felt his hips moving, as if he were still in his dog form, tail wagging. Gale blinked his eyes open and looked over his shoulder, confused, at the way John's hips were wiggling. John tried to pull away but Gale held him tight and he flushed deeply, biting his lip.

"What's that?"

"It's… Uh… I…" for once, John was at a loss for words and he looked uncertain, almost afraid.

"Hey, now, none of that," Gale coaxed, turning in John's arms to press a kiss to his lips, wrapping his arms around John's middle and resting a hand on the small of his back as the wiggling continued. John made a small noise— almost a moan— and Gale's eyes light up.

"Y'know I jiggle my leg, yeah?" John started, "well I used to do… this…" he muttered, his hips slowing down slightly. Gale pressed his lips against his again, rubbing circles into the small of his back, feeling the way John's muscles twitched and clenched under him.

"You redirected," Gale filled in.

"Yeah…" John muttered, embarassed, bordering on the edge of shame.

"I like it," Gale commented, "it's cute," he continued.

"I used to call it 'phantom tail' when I was a kid," John said, ignoring his face flushing at Gale's words, "but my parents thought it was weird, so they encouraged the redirection," he explained, shrugging slightly.

"Well, I like it. You don't have to hide from me," Gale promised, relieved when the hip movements increased in speed again, meaning John was back to wagging his phantom tail. John beamed, then, hunching his shoulders to nuzzle into Gale's neck again.

"I love you," he said against the soft, thin skin.

"Make that eight times," Gale laughed, pressing hard into the small of John's back, comfortingly, "now c'mon, you big doofus, supper time."

"Fiiiinnnneeeeee," John whined, unwinding his arms from around Gale, though his hips continued to wag, even as he took a step back. Gale rolled his eyes, letting one hand fall back to his side, the other tangling with John's, pulling him and his phantom tail into the kitchen with him.

#Sky writes #MOTA fic #MAsters of the Air fanfic #Dog shifter John #I hope it’s okay I don’t know if it’s any good 😭

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whereswonpil · 4 months ago

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youtube

#EVENT 아웃백 딜리버리 일일 알바생 김원필, 좋아합니다 | Outback Delivery Part-Timer Kim Wonpil, I Like You

#wonpil #day6 #v: youtube #s: outback steakhouse #240723

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charlesandmartine · 5 days ago

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Monday 18th November 2024

Surprise, Surprise, on waking this morning, we found it was raining but still very warm. So, a little precipitation wasn't going to stop us from enjoying Cloncurry. The first port of call had to be the tourist information centre a mere 500 meters down the Flinders Highway. The TI was also home to the Cloncurry Unearthed Visitor Museum. They were extremely pleasant there and didn't hesitate to sell two concessions to us, enabling us to appreciate both their museum and also John Flynn Place, another museum marking the work of the Flying Doctor Services. Back in 1860, two explorers' names became famous for their exploits in surveying the interior of Australia. Previously, we have been enthralled by the courage of John McDouall Stuart. Two more of his ilk are Burke and Wills, who set off from Melbourne in Southern Australia to find a route north to the Gulf of Carpentaria. Initially, a team of 19 men set out. They made it to Coopers Creek, approximately a little under halfway, after battling with poor roads, bad weather, and broken wagons. At Coopers, they created a depot for supplies. Burke, Wills, and two others set off alone for the remaining chunk of the journey. They made it north, although due to dense swamps, they were unable to make it to the coast. Returning the way they had come was fraught with difficulties, running seriously short of food, they had to eat three of their camels, (tastes like chicken) a horse and a python, which gave one of their companions Charles Gray dysentery. Should have had chicken, they most likely said. Gray sadly died of his dysentery and was buried on route. Things were now desperate; equipment jettisoned and very weak, the party managed to get back to the depot at Coopers Creek, only to find it had been abandoned hours earlier. Now, without food and too weak to follow the others, Burke carved B&W, C11, 1861 on a tree stump to leave a message that they had arrived. The stump is now in the museum and bears the marks Burke made on the tree. Both Burke and Wills died shortly afterwards, and Alfred William Howitt was dispatched later in 1861 to recover the remains and return them for a proper funeral in Melbourne General Cemetery. What a sad end to such brave and enterprising men, but the route was now charted.

The museum held other treasures such as the actual police station removed from Mary Kathleen town plus other artefacts from the Uranium exploration. The lady on reception was able to recount stories of Mary Kathleen town, or Mary K, as she refers to it from the time her brother had worked there and also playing sport with children from the Mary Kathleen school. These stories made the community come alive. Amazingly, they had the actual Geiger counter that detected the radioactivity that started the whole chain of events.

The follow-up museum was to the John Flynn Place. John Flynn was a man at the right time in history. In 1907 when he studied theology, aircraft were just taking to the skies, radio was being developed and through his Presbyterian ministry he understood truly isolated communities and he felt a need to bring medical assistance to these peoples. A few key things then happened. In 1911, John was ordained a Presbyterian minister. He was persuaded to write a book of elementary first aid for people in the outback, and he met Hudson Fysh in 1921, one of the cofounders of Qantas, who suggested that air transport might open up the country and be able to help people in John's communities. But it wasn't until 1924 that Qantas took delivery of their first de Havilland DH50 that they could practically help out. Qantas was conceived in Cloncurry, and John opened the first Flying Doctor Service working from an airfield in Cloncurry. The development of a pedal powered radio system meant that people in the outback where there would be no electricity could call in for advice and help. Diagnosis charts were drawn up, concerned people would radio in, and if it was required, the doctor would fly out from Cloncurry to all remote areas of Queensland. The service still runs today but operates all over Australia, serving those tiny remote places and from 23 bases and using 79 planes. What a vision.

The remainder of our day out took us to Chinaman Creek Dam which feeds Cloncurry with water, then back to the Unearthed Visitor Museum to see some wallabies gathering on the lawns outside for a meeting. We suspected they might gather just before sunset, and there they were.

Tomorrow, we are off again, this time to Julia Creek, but on route, we plan to make a detour to McKinlay to see the bar featured in Crocodile Dundee.

ps. Another guest here asked me if i knew what FORD stood for? No, I said. Answer, found on rubbish dumps. He thought it was immensely funny. Clearly, not a fan.

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military1st · 1 month ago

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two-crabs · 9 months ago

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pt. 1

“You know how, if you go to like a Chinese restaurant, or like, any restaurant I guess—you know how if you walk into a place, even for like takeout or whatever, and you see a kid doing homework in the back, you know that place is gonna be good?”

“…mhm?”

“Do you think when people walk and see me back here, they think the same thing?”

“No.”

“Why not? I’m cute as hell.”

“Mai.” Rhys appeared suddenly from around the corner, and glared at them through the beaded curtain. “Could you…water something, at least?”

“Yeah, yeah, one sec.” Mai turned the tuning knob on their banjo a bit more, and plucked a few strings before they stood from the little tufted stool in the reading room and stretched. Sighing, they left their instrument in the corner and parted the beads.

Mid-morning sun was filtering into the little shop through bowls of crystals and giant monstera leaves, spilling dimly onto the floor. Stained glass lanterns and pillar candles lit the corners of the room, casting long shadows over tables of dried herbs, and tarot cards, and stacks of astrology books. Rhys rearranged the displays of hand-carved bone dice and locally-grown teas that crowded the counter, then flicked on the ‘open’ sign. Purple neon light glowed through the moon cycle posters and stained glass eyes that hung in the window, turning the orange Los Angeles morning into a perpetual twilight.

Mai went digging around in the storage closet—the best-lit and least magical part of the store—and emerged with a handful of watering cans and bottles.

“Is it a spritzing day?” They asked, but Rhys held up a finger as he counted cash under his breath, and slid it into the register.

“What?” And he raised a single gold-laden eyebrow.

Mai lifted a delicate copper-and-glass plant mister. They’d seen Rhys use it to spray the air plants that dotted the store, seemingly growing up out of corners and crevices of their own volition. “Do the prickly boys need a dousing?”

Rhys tiled his head slightly. “Well. It’s Monday,” he said, and then Mai watched his eyes narrow. They stared back at him, unblinking. They were immune to Rhys’s prying gaze by now. It was the same one that carved his client’s truths out of them, and the one that tried to convince Mai that any given mess in the apartment was somehow their fault.

After a breath, Mai rested their elbow on their hip. “You want I should spritz or n—?”

“Yes, Mai, please, a thorough misting”—He disappeared back beneath the counter—“The humidity is supposed to drop this week and they’re already looking a little crispy—and watch the fucking malachite, it’ll get pocked if it gets wet.”

“Ugh, girl, same,” Mai sighed as they made their rounds

“So if it—wait, what?”

Mai snickered. “Oh, nothing.”

“No, I heard you, but what would that even mean?”

“I dunno, it was a knee-jerk reaction—”

“Like was it ‘wet’ or ‘pocked’ that made you think, ‘Oh, this is vaguely sexu—’”

“—Honestly didn’t even think about it—”

“Are your neurons so fried that—” And then the shop phone rang. Rhys picked it up and tucked it in the crook of his shoulder. Mai stifled a laugh. “This is The Hole in The Wall, how can I h—” Suddenly he straightened. “It’s—well, shit, fine, okay…yeah, yes, no, I’ll—fine, yes, I’m on my way. Okay. Great. Goodbye.” He hung the phone up, aggressively. “Well bugger me, I guess..”

Mai had turned back to the air plants, picking each one up individually and gently misting all sides before nestling them back amidst the books and crystals. As a strategy this not only took up time, but demonstrated to Rhys a dedication to the work (that he did not believe), and freed them from having to remember what malachite looked like. “Who was that…?” they asked, absentmindedly.

When they turned, Rhys had his sun glasses on and was pulling on his coat. “Fucking delivery truck.”

“We get things delivered in…trucks?” They’d never say it, but the entire shop could’ve fit in the trunk of a Subaru Outback.

“There’s a semi-truck…three blocks away—” he kicked off his boots and pulled on a pair of battered running shoes—“with one box of my stained glass lampshades…buried under fifteen tons of fuckin’…Wayfair shite—” He opened the door to the shop, and the bell jingled above him, then he turned on his heel a pointed at Mai. “Don’t—”

Mai stood there, plant in hand, blinking.

“Just…Don’t.” And Rhys was gone down the block.

Mai went back to misting, then grabbed their banjo from the back, and perched themself on the stool behind the register, noodling along with the ambient, Celtic-inspired, lo-fi droning that Rhys piped in. The shop was always slow during the week, but when Mai wasn’t out busking, he kept them both busy with rearranging displays and vetting the boxes of “mystical literature” that he collected from the local thrift shops. Towards the end of each day he brewed tea and lit incense, and unfurled the gauzy curtains in front of the windows, and hung the brand-new “Appointments Only” sign that Mai had painted for him on the door. Five minutes before his first client, Mai would be dismissed and they’d go upstairs to make dinner. There was a rhythm to it that they had fallen into quickly and smoothly, and—

The bell jingled again. Mai didn’t even look up.

“Welcome to The Hole in The Wall, while the hole is away, I shall play”—and they strummed their banjo lightly—“What can we—”

When they finally lifted their eyes, it wasn’t Rhys standing in the doorway, but another young man, looking more sheepish than anyone with his physique had any right to.

“Hi…” he said. “Did you say the owner isn’t here? I can come ba—”

“No no!” Mai stood up and stepped around to greet him. “I can help you! What, uh, how can I help you?”

The guy was tall, with curly dark hair and a smooth face, with the kind of muscle that doesn’t draw attention to itself (unless it’s wrapped in a black t-shirt that’s two sizes too small, which it was). His joggers and shoes were black too, and he stood out like a man-shaped void in the middle of the shop’s sea of color. His eyes were so blue they were almost purple, and his face was tensed into a look of wary anxiety, like he was going to contract something by just being there.

In his hand, he held a single stick of incense.

“Yes, um, thank you, I…” he cleared his throat. “Do you know what this is?” He held out the stick and looked down at Mai.

They paused for a moment, staring at it. “That’s incense, you light it on fi—”

“No, no, thank you, I know, but.” He took a deep breath. “Sorry, I’ve only been in here a couple time. It’s…cool.” Mai nodded as the guy collected himself. “Do you know what, um, flavor? This is?”

Without hesitation, Mai plucked the incense from his hand, held it to their nose, and inhaled deeply. The guy stepped back, startled, but already Mai was coughing, their eyes watering.

“Oof, yeah,” they sniffed hard trying to clear their nose. “Myrrh. We have that. It’s not the most popular scent. A little uh…clerical, for my taste. But whatever floats your boat.”

Mai showed him to the little wooden cabinet of incense sticks, before retreating back to the register. They busied themself with flipping through a vintage book on nebulously “pagan” rituals, and pretended not to watch the guy. After a minute or so of carefully studying the incense on offer, as well as a few of the nearby crystals, Mai’s jaw dropped as they watched him pick up one of the little wax paper bags, and fill it with every single myrrh stick they had in stock.

The guy politely continued to mill around the store, opening and closing some books, and sniffing a handful of candles, before approaching the counter and setting the the bag down. This time, Mai got a whiff of the guy’s cologne too, and went dizzy for a second just imagining the combination of Catholic haze and Ralph Lauren musk.

They rang him up and bagged his purchase. “And usually we make people spend fifty bucks for this, but the boss is out and I’m in charge, so—” and Mai dropped a handful of holographic stickers and a single, clear pink resin die into the bag.

“Oh, thank you. Um.” The guy took his bag in one hand and receipt in the other, and stood there. “Do you, or, the owner, I guess, um. Does he do, uh—gosh, I don’t even know what you call it.”

Mai clenched their jaw, and tried not to react to the man’s seemingly entirely sincere use of “gosh.”

“Mr. Doubleday offers tarot readings, palm reading, tea leaf analysis, custom star chart wor—”

“That one!” The man’s face brightened, and he smiled like a toothpaste commercial.

“Star chart?” Again Mai had to school their face into stillness.

“Yes, please.”

Mai nodded and retrieved Rhys’s giant datebook from under the counter. It thudded when they dropped it on the counter, like a proper tome, and the leather spine creaked a little when they opened it. “Okay. When are you available?”

“Oh, um. Whenever. I’m not, um…I don’t do much.”

Mai squinted at him just slightly, but he was unreadable. No jewelry, no tattoos; the only thing his clothing said was ‘I work out,’ and even then they only whispered it. Mai considered themself a fairly non-judgemental person, but that was easier to be when there was something to judge in the first place. They shook their head and dragged their finger across the page. “How’s Thursday at eight?”

“Perfect, thank you.”

“Can I have your name?”

“Uh, Kieran Glancy. Spelled…like it sounds.”

Mai penciled him, added his phone number and email, and copied the appointment time on the back of one of the shop’s business cards.

“There you go Mr. Glancy. We’ll see you on Thursday. Remember to bring the exact time of your birth, so maybe shoot your mom a text.” Mai chuckled lightly at this. Kieran didn’t.

Kieran took the card from them, and put it in his back pocket, before nodding and seeing himself out. Mai hardly had enough time to put the tome away when the door flew open again, and Rhys burst in, an enormous box in his arms. He did everything short of dropping it in front of the register, and Mai could hear the sound of glass tapping against itself. Rhys took a few deep breaths, steadied himself, then leaned on the counter. His breathing was fast, and he glistened, almost artfully, with sweat.

“What did he buy?”

“Wha—”

“Choir boy…” Rhys peeled off his jacket and dropped it on the floor, panting. “Tall, dark, repressed. What did he buy?”

“Uh…forty dollars worth of vile incense. And a chart reading on Thursday.”

Rhys stretched out his back and looked over at the incense. “I knew it.”

Mai rolled their eyes, and started opening the box on the floor. “Then why did you as—”

“He did the same thing a week ago. No one goes through this shit that fast.”

“Mhm.”

“And now he’s got an appointment, but nothing too personal. Just a chart reading, no palms…”

Mai unwrapped the shipping paper. “Hey, uh, Rhys?”

“Relax we have more myrrh upstairs.” Rhys disappeared into the storage closet again, changing his shoes and hanging up his coat. “Did he ask to see me when he came in?”

“Yes, but I wouldn’t—”

“Of course he did.” From around the corner Mai could see him fixing his hair in the the reflexion of the mirrored scrying bowl he stored with the cleaning products. Still red-cheeked and dewy, but with a self-satisfied grin spreading across his face, Rhys reemerged and leaned, bead-draped in the doorway. “He wants me.”

“Cool,” Mai said, and plucked a delicate glass hummingbird from the box, holding it up for Rhys to see. At least fifty more rattled together as it shifted. “Are you running after that truck or do you want me to do it?”

“Fuck.”

#mai #rhys #i miss them

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darthjader2005 · 9 months ago

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Happy Valentines Day (Cloud Strife x Female Reader)

"So, what are you and Cloud gonna do for tomorrow?", Tifa asked as she cleaned the bar, well, as much as she could since my head was down on the bar.

"Tomorrow? What's tomorrow?", I ask.

"Valentines Day, wait, you forgot?!", Tifa laughed.

"No! I just... haven't thought about it much...", I say.

"You forgot.", Tifa corrected.

"Yes...", I sigh.

"Do you think Cloud forgot too?", Tifa wondered.

"Maybe. He does have a lot of stuff going on.", I say.

"True. But still, the boy could be a little more romantic towards you.", Tifa giggled.

"I don't mind. I'm not a very romantic person myself.", I say.

"Yeah right, if Cloud pulled all that romantic stuff on you, you'd be giggling like a school girl. If you know what I mean.", Tifa said, wiggling her eyebrows.

"*Sigh* You know best...", I smile small.

"Yep, that's for sure.", Tifa laughed, stepping outback leaving me alone in the bar.

The entry doors to the bar open behind me, my curiosity is telling me to look but I just didn't feel like it.

"Hey.", someone said as they hugged me from behind.

"Hey Cloud, how was your deliveries?", I greet, my face brightening up to the presence of him.

"Eh, it was alright. It would be better if you tagged along.", he said before placing a kiss on my neck.

"I'll go on the next round with you. Got any deliveries to make tomorrow?", I ask, laughing a bit.

"No, I'm actually taking the day off tomorrow. I have plans.", he said, resting his head on top of mine.

"Plans? What kind of plans?", I ask, wondering if it has to do with Valentines.

"You'll see.", he chuckles.

"I'm beat though. It's been a long day, let's go home and go to bed.", he says, grabbing my hand.

"Yeah. Geez, look at the time. Its 10:34 (pm). See ya later Tifa!", I say before hollering out to Tifa.

"Okay Y/N! See ya! Bye Cloud!", Tifa hollers from outback. I swear she has a radar, she can tell who's here without even looking.

We head home and crawl into bed. He hugs me close as we drift to sleep.

~The Next Morning~

"Y/N, wake up.", Cloud says softly, gently shaking me awake.

"Huh? What time is it?", I ask, half asleep.

"8:30 (am).", he answered.

"Geez, I slept in more than I usually do.", I say, rubbing my eyes.

"You needed it.", he smiles warmly.

"Yeah, I suppose I did.", I giggle.

"Oh, I uh... got you these. I hope you like them.", he says, handing me a bouquet of roses that he was hiding behind his back.

"Oh, they're beautiful Cloud! Thank you!", I say hugging him.

"Heh, I'm glad you like them.", he smiles.

"I have something to do today. Be ready by 8:00 (pm) sharp. I'll pick you up at 7th Heaven.", he instructs, kissing the top of my head.

"Okay. I suppose your not gonna tell me what you have to do.", I say, smiling.

"Nope, that would ruin the surprise.", he says.

"Well, come here. At least let me give you a real kiss.", I giggle, pulling him in and kiss him on the lips.

"I'll see you later.", he smiles, inches from my face.

"Okay, love you.", I smile.

"Love you too, bye.", he says, going out the door. I lay in bed for a few more minutes, giggling like a school girl. Gosh, Tifa was right... she really does know best haha.

~Timeskip to 8:00 (pm)~

"Aww, he's so romantic. I wonder what he has planned. Do you think it's dirty?", Tifa wondered out loud, causing me to laugh.

"Tifa! I doubt it.", I giggle.

The doors to the bar open.

"You ready?", Cloud asked.

"Yes.", I smile, walking to him.

"See ya Tifa!", I wave to her.

"Have fun you two!", she smiles, winking at me.

I get on his motorcycle behind him, holding onto his waist.

"You good?", he asks.

"Yep.", I say, resting my head on his back as he drives off.

~Timeskip (a small one)~

We arrive at a small clearing, surrounded by trees at the edge. But that's not what caught my eye. It was the sky, it's so beautiful. Like a cosmic world you could get lost in.

Cloud grabs blankets from the back of his motorcycle, as there is a bit of a chill in the air. It is February after all.

"So, what do you think?", he asks.

"It's beautiful! I love it!", I marvel at the sky above.

"More beautiful than the roses?", he smiles.

"Yes!", I say hugging him.

He lays a blanket on the ground for us to lay on. Then he puts the other blanket around us as we cuddled together. Watching the sky.

"I had to time this right. I was kinda worried the weather was gonna fail me by covering this with clouds, but it turned out perfect.", he states.

"It is perfect, but it wouldn't be perfect without you. I love you Cloud.", I say.

"Same, I love you too Y/N.", he says, kissing me.

"Happy Valentines Day.", he smiles.

"Tifa suggested yesterday that you forgot.", I giggle.

"How could I, she's been on my ass for the past week.", he chuckles.

"That's okay, I'm not gonna lie, I forgot.", I laugh.

"Yeah, but it doesn't mean we only can do this on Valentines Day. I suppose I could be a bit more romantic.", he chuckles.

"Just a bit though, I don't want you getting to soft on me.", I laugh.

"Right.", he kisses me again.

#ff7 #ffvii #final fantasy 7 #final fantasy vii #cloud strife #valentines day #love #aww #so cute

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nickgerlich · 10 months ago

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Dining Virtually

The way we purchase food from restaurants has changed considerably in recent years. The standard dine-in or takeaway, and sometimes a pizza delivered to your doorstep, have been rattled by the arrival of third-party delivery services like Uber Eats, DoorDash, Grubhub, and more. DoorDash leads the roster with 66% market share.

But it is not just delivery that has changed the landscape, all fueled by mobile apps and digital marketing. Restaurants have added their own twist to the saga with virtual brands. These show up on apps as nearby restaurants, but you would be hard-pressed to find them in real life, because there are no signs announcing their presence.

No, they exist only online and in a kitchen known by a different name.

Many of the big chains are doing it, like Chili’s (Brinker), Hooters, Outback (Bloomin’ Brands), Applebee’s, and Wingstop. Even children’s party palace Chuck E. Cheese does it, with their Pasqually’s Pizza.Imagine learning the next day that the pizza you had delivered last night actually came from Chuck E. Cheese. Yuck.

Denny’s has also ventured into these waters with Banda Burrito, The Melt Down, and The Burger Den. And now it has inked a deal with third-party facilitator The Franklin Group to expand these concepts across 250 franchisees in the Denny’s system.

To be fair, there has been a small shakeout in the virtual brands sector of late, with Red Robin terminating its concepts and sticking solely to its main brand. But that is not unusual in any industry for weaker concepts to be shed, and new ones to replace them.

Virtual brands allow a restaurant chain to make better use of under-utilized facilities, especially during parts of the day in which customer traffic may sag. Having complementary products can help fill out those peaks and valleys.

They also allow restaurants to test new menu items or concepts, as well as serve different markets. But in many cases, the product is pretty much the same as if you went to Hooters or Chili’s. It’s just in a different package.

Some might consider it disingenuous, even misleading, for a restaurant to employ virtual brands. Essentially, it could be considered as smoke and mirrors, and perhaps problematic if different pricing strategies are used for identical products. Imagine if CPG (consumer packaged goods) companies did that. There would be riots.

The range of food items falling into the virtual brands category is somewhat narrow, typically limited to pizzas, burgers, and wings. These travel well with readily available packaging. While the courier services will attempt to deliver just about anything—including menu items that might seep, spill, or swish around en route—it just makes matters easier if there is some standardization.

Virtual brands are not to be confused with ghost kitchens, although there could be an overlap in some instances. Essentially, a ghost kitchen is a commercial-grade kitchen at which multiple brands are prepared on shared facilities. There are variations on this as well, such as the one in Atlanta owned by Inspire Brands, and featuring the brands under its corporate umbrella, including Arby’s, Buffalo Wild Wings, Jimmy John’s, and Sonic Drive-In. DoorDash also owns ghost kitchens, which it typically leases to local mom-and-pop operators, and with whom it has exclusive delivery rights.

And if you are wondering, a food hall is kind of the same concept as a ghost kitchen, with shared food prep facilities among numerous small food service operators. It’s just that it is all visible to consumers.

Meanwhile, virtual brands continue to proliferate, much like craft breweries. They satisfy our urgings for something different. In the case of Denny’s and its burrito, burger, and patty melt brands, the food may be much the same as what you would order off the standard menu, but at least it sounds different.

You just didn’t know it. Until now.

Dr “Virtually Right” Gerlich

Audio Blog

#marketing #virtual brands #ghost kitchen #restaurant #delivery

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wheretheinkspilt · 1 year ago

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Making some refferences for some oc’s to put on artfight!

Link to my artfight account

This Jess, one out of my trio of splatoon oc’s, I don’t think I will get the other two done for the event, but I do want to make refferences for all 3 of them eventually. Jess just goes first because she is the first one I came up with. A bio of her under the cut.

Name: Jessinka Stinger.

Age: 24 yrs old.

Species: Octoling, inspired after blue ringed octopus. Pronouns: She/her. Sexuality: Lesbian.

Bio:

She is from a small town in the Splatadian country; grew up thinking she would carry the family mantle of working as the town’s delivery service, carrying mail and packages to those who lived further into the outbacks. As time went by, more and more people started praising her voice from the times she dared to sing at the local bar; she found the courage to move to the city and try to make a career in music. She’s made a bit of a name for herself in the country music sphere of Splatsville.

Demeanor wise, Jess acts very unemotional, most of the time her voice is neutral and her expression does not change much. Though most people find her detached or rude that is far from her intent, rather she just doesn’t see much reason to be so expressive; besides, she argues she is saving her energy for when she actually has to perform. In which cases she has learned to go all out for the crowd, but it does leave her exhausted by the end of it. Quite competitive when participating battles, most people don’t notice it much, but those close to her grow to be able to tell from her posture and gestures when she feels smug about having a winning streak

Extra notes/fun facts:

-Of course she uses dualies, her main would be the dualie squelchers, but she likes to rotate between them, to branch out ocassionally she goes for the tri-stinger (feels on brand).

-Not sure how well it came across in her bio, but Jess is autistic, hence her not being very expressive, and also connecting her seeing having to make an effort to look emotional, it being a performance for her, and how it leaves her exhausted by the end.

-Though I don’t really want to set specifics for measures, I would say her height is around 4’11 ft/1.49 m.

-Back in her town, she has a seahorse named Comet, she misses him (I will draw him when I find a seahorse design I like).

-Splatfest choices so far (only counting the fests I actually participated in): grass, spicy, white chocolate, aliens, wisdom, and vanilla for the next.

-Grizzco gear of prefference would be the pink slopsuit.

#inkspilt #splatoon oc #my oc's #Jess Stinger

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rainofdauwuand0w0 · 2 years ago

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[Original twitter post date: 11/3/21] The Swap

Scout:

Quick Pill Launcher

Fires projectiles that heal allies for 50 to but deal no damage to enemies -60% fire rate -45% reload speed

Portable Heal-Kit

+35% recharge rate -60% arc speed You are throwing small health kits and that is it

Doc's Informer

Upon hitting an ally, they gain scout speed for 4 seconds, if below 50% health, they also get the bonk effect -40% damage -20% swing speed

soldier:

Insta-delivery

+100% projectile speed +65% damage Mini-crits on headshot +35% self-knock back -75% clip size -25% ammo capacity -50% reload speed Crits turned into mini-crits

Moo-tivator

Infinite ammo On hit: cover enemy in milk for 30 max seconds Crits and mini crits only increase the max seconds No damage -25% slower fire rate (Projectile speed is that of a stock flare gun)

Cow's Flail

Crits on enemies covered by milk +10% knockback +20% damage -36% swing speed No random crits

Pyro:

Supportive Swapper

+20% range +30% flame spread -40% max ammo -25% fire rate No afterburn Alt-fire: swap between 3 different ammo pools that all have their own ammo pool, jarate, mad milk, and gas passer

Pocket Breeze Maker

+100% max secondary ammo +50% reload speed +50% fire rate Your attack is a 50% stronger airblast with a 25% bigger radius that can reflect You can't deal damage with this (Reloads by ejecting a battery and putting a new one in)

Splashy Smasher

On hit to ally: extinguish them and clear them of jarate, milk, and gas passer-like effects +55% swing speed -70% damage Crits are mini-crits

Demoman:

Launch Pipes

+50% clip size +50% ammo capacity Fires in 3 round bursts -33% fire rate -30% direct damage Weird rolling due to projectile shape

Self-Improvement Kit

On wearer: +50% primary weapon direct damage +60% primary explosion radius +45% primary projectile speed +15% movement speed

làmh an dubhain

+100% holster and deploy speed +65% damage -70% swing speed Crits are mini-crits

Heavy:

The Russian HotRod

While reved:+100% movement speed +50% max primary ammo Your primary fire is a demoman-like charge that you can only go forward with,no turning,but at +150% speed but it also takes +25% longer to recharge then a demo charge no shooting -5 per second

Soviet Rifle

+90% accuracy +100% range +65% damage -100% spread Mini-crits on headshot -99% bullets per shot -65% reload speed

Zerovolog's Hammer

+70% damage Mini-crits turn into crits -70% swing speed

Engineer:

Personal Objectifer

+75% accuracy +75% clip size +75% ammo capacity On hit:sentry focuses that target for 5 seconds -99% bullets per shot -100% bullet spread -35% damage

Casual Burner

-50% weaker flamethrower and it uses -1 metal while firing Alt-fire: shoot a decent sized fire ball costing 50 metal

The Key Offense

Your sentries gain wheels and follow you around killing and chasing enemies within a 10/20/30 meter radius depending on level +75% sentry health +50% sentry upgrade and repair cost

Medic:

On wearer: +40 hp +20% overheal provided by mini-gun

Aurating Outburst

Can have the beam connect between allies close to your primary target, -5% heal rate per person -10% overheal -20% holster and deploy speed

Gut Masher

+30% damage +30% swing speed No random crits

Sniper:

Tar-stralium Launcher

+60% max primary ammo On headshot:only mini-crit but you also slow enemies by 45% for 3 seconds Fires a projectile with no arc -35% base damage -25% fire rate

The Personal Shipment

On wearer: While not shooting your primary, you regain 1 ammo every 1.5 seconds out of combat, nearby allies also gain this +40% max primary ammo -15% movement speed

Outback ScrapGrabber

You gain a mini metal pool(110 max metal) On hit:steal enemy ammo(-2) and convert it into your metal(1 metal) or steal 5 metal from hitting an enemy engie You can use this metal to repair and upgrade buildings at a 20% slower rate then engie -35% holster and deploy speed

Spy:

Invis Blaster

Upon hitting ally: grant them invisibility for 2.5 seconds Upon hitting enemy:1.5 second stun Fires a projectile(as shown in image) Deals no damage -35% fire rate -25% reload speed

Health Transmitter

+100% hokster and deploy speed +35% backstab raise animation Upon backstabbing enemy: drain half of their up and their overheal, storing it in a vaccinator-esque hud Upon backstabbing an ally:drain bars and heal them and give them overheal -65% damage

Le Surcharge

+20% sapper damage Upon being destroyed stun the person who destroyed it for 2.5 seconds -40% sapper hp

Flanker's Guard

+70% longer cloak duration

-60% recharge rate

Cloak type:shielding When "cloaking" you don't go invisible but instead gain a personal sized mvm medic shield infront of you

#TF2 #team fortress 2 #tf2 weapon ideas

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xturrac · 1 month ago

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Efficient Cargo Delivery and Commercial Freight Management in Australia

Australia's vast landscape presents unique challenges for businesses needing reliable cargo delivery services. From coastal cities to remote inland areas, efficient logistics are crucial. That’s where dependable Cargo Delivery Australia and commercial freight management solutions come into play, streamlining the movement of goods across the country.

Why Choose Professional Cargo Delivery Services?

When it comes to shipping goods, choosing a professional cargo delivery service ensures that businesses can meet their demands efficiently and on time. Here's why professional cargo delivery in Australia is a must:

Timely Delivery: Cargo delivery services are well-equipped to handle tight schedules and ensure goods reach their destination on time. From small packages to oversized freight, these services offer reliability that businesses can depend on.

Advanced Tracking: Modern cargo services provide tracking systems that allow businesses to monitor their shipments in real-time. This transparency is critical for managing logistics efficiently.

Nationwide Reach: Whether shipping to urban centers like Sydney, Melbourne, or remote areas in the outback, cargo delivery services cover the entire country. They have a fleet of vehicles designed to tackle all terrains.

Compliance and Safety: Cargo delivery companies in Australia ensure that goods are transported safely, following all regulations and safety protocols, which is essential for businesses handling sensitive or valuable products.

Commercial Freight Management: The Backbone of Business Logistics

For larger shipments, commercial freight management services are vital. These services handle everything from planning and coordination to the execution of freight transportation. Here’s how commercial freight management in Australia supports businesses:

Cost Efficiency: Commercial freight management companies optimize routes and transportation methods, which helps businesses save on shipping costs. Whether by road, sea, or air, they select the best options for each shipment.

Customized Solutions: Every business has unique logistics needs, and freight management services offer tailored solutions that align with business objectives. Whether it's bulk shipments or specialized handling, they cater to specific requirements.

Freight Consolidation: To reduce costs and improve efficiency, freight management services often consolidate shipments, ensuring businesses only pay for the space they use.

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Choosing the Right Partner for Cargo Delivery and Freight Management

Selecting the right service provider is crucial for businesses to succeed in their logistics operations. Companies like Xtura offer a wide range of services tailored to the specific needs of Australian businesses. With expertise in cargo delivery and Commercial Freight Management Australia, Xtura ensures that your goods are handled with care and efficiency, providing seamless solutions for all your logistics needs.

Whether you're transporting small packages or managing large commercial shipments, the right logistics partner can make all the difference. In Australia, where distance and terrain pose significant challenges, having a reliable cargo and freight management service is key to keeping your supply chain moving smoothly.

For more information on how Xtura can support your business with top-tier cargo delivery and commercial freight management services, visit Xtura's official website.

This article is optimized for backlinking purposes related to cargo delivery and freight management in Australia. Let me know if any adjustments are needed!

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saltylittlecreature · 2 months ago

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List of 25 shops and merchants to populate your fantasy towns.

This is an selection of shops

Pall's Potions: A position shop that specializes in cheap potions that consist of oil and potion books for stranger potions. They also have a tavern "outback".

Dream Hallows: A shop that sells magical wines and sleep medicine. If you pay extra they may even sell you dreams trapped in bottles.

Gremly: A goblin wandering the roads sells alcohol and trinkets in exchange for food or favors. they also know fireball and invisibility targeted on themself.

The Drunk Halberds: A used armor shop that doubles as a tavern and inn. One can even find some quests posted there on a post board.

Bill's General Goods: a Shop with two lairs to it, the first floor is a regular general goods store that sells soap, some healing potions, and other general goods, and the secret gambling den in the cellar with a fully stacked complementary bar and fighting pit. Be careful when cheating though, they have an oracle and three thugs in a corner who are more than willing to pick a fight.

Calvin's Mansion: An abandoned mansion that's been turned into a market that's an open secret amongst the town. it has shops ssuplied by bandits, some adventurers. and occasionally a corrupt guard. with a silent unspoken word of don't ask, don't tell.

The orphanage black market: A market of orphan gangs who only let other orphans or trusted allies in (You can just bribe the children guards with candy or food from the local tavern). Once inside, you can bargain with the orphans and even get a meeting with their leader (The oldest orphan in the orphanage). The orphans are easy to scam and don't always know what they're selling. If discovered, they'll just move it somewhere else in the city next time.

Odess Mines: A mine used as a "Safe" training ground for adventurers, along with having adventurer-specific equipment and amenities. It also may have some local goblins in a mine that run a hot spring and a local lost and found, with the right finder's fee (They'll also take fruit tarts). They'll even pay a premium for any ore you bring back from the mines if you find any.

Golden Grills: A Restaurant with a blacksmith built into the side. The facilities are shared and may fight often. They make good American-style ribs and buy used weapons from adventurers.

The headmen: A Shop set up in a giant skull that specializes in anti-undead equipment. including Holy water, symbols of many undead gods, some wafers, a couple bombs, and other things.

Grilla's Gormay Potluck: A food place where you trade food for food. In some cases, some constructs that help with cooking can be bought there (If stolen, they will still work but will try and poison people when they cook, or not listen to them at all because they haven't been transferred over to the thief. If they go back and complain about it, they will be called out and possibly arrested by the shop for that). Some of the food also has special effects, and they'll buy fresh monster parts and other food stock for gold.

Baron's delivery: A delivery service that sells off overdue orders and will go off and find things for you up to a point (They won't go and find ancient treasures, people-specific items, extra). They also charge by the item. with them selling it off if you don't show up in time. They state this to each customer bluntly and directly. then they assign a location to pick it up later, and they either get the item or a refund.

For Cod's Sake: A fish shop that serves seafood and sells ocean-related spell components, shell trinkets, and occasionally a priest who gives holly water.

The Cresent Moon: A shop that has a general goods, a midnight lottery, and a bidding war after that. With a paid party in the basement after that.

The Cart Mystery: A mass of carts that acts as a market. Traveling in their own area and living in the carts. It's large and can have various different items and trinkets they sell. there are also some pop-up shops and performers who'll sing for coins.

Sail's ahoy: A wrecked ship used by an old lady who sleeps there and sells scavenged treasure brought by the co-workers, who are mermaids who sell stuff the old lady scavenges from the surface. they both hide their treasures in a air pocket in a cave cove.

Silver Station: A blacksmith that handles bets on horse racing and refurbishing older goods. They also sell cheap trinkets and potions made by his family members.

Bark tea imploratory: Potions and oozes are sold here. Alchemical resources are considered incredibly valuable, and there is a local druid who helps out.

The Black Crown: A hidden shop that specializes in fiendish deals with friendly faces. Appearing overnight and offering curst objects or if you're looking for it, more fiendish deals.

The Songbird Circus: Appearing in abandoned buildings and warping the space within to fit its many gambling dens, fighting pits, bars, and backroom deals. This place is known as a hub for chaotic entities from celestial to fiends, to all in between. Warlocks commonly find their bargains struck here. The public face of the Circus den of debauchery is a warlock themself, seeming to be patterned by the business itself. Unable to die or leave as long as the circus exists.

The Shining Spirit: A Bar and casting service that can easily cure curses. They are known to be largely benevolent, but not always welcomed due to their strange abilities.

The Copper Bell: A shop run by a golem with a barred creat as a torso, where all the shop's goods are kept. Accepting money in exchange for various small products. With the owner of the shop helping decorate bells in the back.

Chapplton's Boat: A boat filled with old adventuring loot and sails from port to port selling it. With some original armor and weapons made from monster parts by the captain. They also help get bounties out far and wide.

The Castle of Strally: A Flying fortress known for teaching wizards and sorcerers, while also trading magical trinkets of whimsical or protective nature to others. Many even sell amicher potions by the many apprentices.

The Hidden Eye: A house that contains information and trades it for objects only they know the true value of. It is the hope to collect artifacts and magical items to preserve and seal, with many creating stashes of notes on each item. they rarely let one of their items be let out to the world once they have it. but during times of strife, these items are often lost in the chaos, and they're known to pay good pay in exchange for their safe return.

#adventure locations #DnD towns #rpg towns #Fantasy #Fantasy buildings #fantasy rolplay #rpg shop

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