#restaurant near business bay

[wannabeschyulersister]

so long, chicago

Without the warmth of your things in the apartment, it looked sad and cold. The boxes that you packed were stacked along the hallway. Movers were scheduled to help you in the next hour.

Your belongings would be traveling across the country with you following.

After one last sweep of the apartment to make sure you weren’t forgetting anything, you stood at the large bay window facing the city. A city that you once considered home.

You’d miss Chicago. You’d miss the people that you’d met. The connections that you formed. The memories. The laughter.

The sound of the front door opening snapped you out of your thoughts. You turned and saw Carmen walk in. You didn’t expect for him to be home anytime soon. You’d hoped that you could avoid the last interaction.

“Hey.” You said softly.

He nodded, “I thought you’d be halfway outta town by now.”

“The movers should be here any minute.”

Carmen took off his coat and placed it on the right hook near the door. Yours would normally go on the left but it was currently sitting on top of one of your suitcases.

“Richie said you stopped by the restaurant last night.”

“Yeah, I wanted to tell him goodbye.”

“I guess that’s nice.”

“You guess?”

“What do you expect for me to say, (Y/n)? I love that you’re abandoning me and everyone you’ve met here?”

“Abandoning you?” You couldn’t believe that he really said that.

“We’ve been together for six fuckin’ years! One day you wake up and realize you don’t want to be with me anymore out of the fuckin’ blue!”

“Out of the blue?,” you raised your voice, “Carmen, I dreaded making that decision for months! You were so out of touch that you didn’t even realize that we had stopped acting like a couple long before I ending things.”

Carmen chuckled bitterly, “That’s not true.”

You hadn’t planned on leaving on ugly terms with Carmen. If anything, you wanted it to be civil. You were huge parts of each other’s lives. Under all of the pain and heartbreak, there was love.

“I was the only person trying in this relationship. You would get home at one or two in the morning and I’d try waiting around just so we can have a conversation after not seeing each other all day. I planned date nights and tried to pry you out of that kitchen to notice that I was practically falling apart at the seams!” You confessed. It hurt you that he hadn’t even noticed.

“Relationships are hard! That why you have to make them work!” Carmen was visibly upset at how the conversation was going.

“I was the only one fighting for this, Carmen! When was the last time you bought me flowers or texted me to see how my day was going? I barely even heard an ‘I love you’.”

“I do love you. So much that I don’t want you to go and move to San Diego. You belong here with me and- and with your friends. People that care about you!”

“Sometimes love isn’t enough. I’m tired, Carmen. Tired of feeling like I don’t mean shit to you. I need to be with someone that wants to be with me. I want someone that won’t make me feel alone when we are together.”

Carmen closed the space between you two. It was the closest he’d been to you in days. He still smelled of the cologne that you bought him for Christmas with a faintness of the cigarette he must’ve smoked before.

“I thought we’d spend the rest of our lives together.” He said softly.

“If you thought so, then why aren’t we married? I’ve had friends in shorter relationships that have taken the next step. I’ve waited for so long for you to ask me to be your wife and every anniversary that passes, I know that it’s not going to happen. I don’t want to leave. I really loved living here. This felt like home more than any place I’ve lived in, but I can’t stay here.”

“I’ve been a fuckin’ selfish asshole. I’m sorry. You don’t know how sorry I am. Please, I’ll make things up to you. I’ll change.”

“And when things get hard? When you get busy and stressed at the restaurant, then what? It goes back to how things were? I can’t put myself through that. I can’t take that chance.” It killed you seeing him so upset but when you broke up with him, it was like you could breathe again.

You were becoming the person that you used to be. You didn’t want to sacrifice yourself for someone else that didn’t give you the time of day.

Three knocks to the front door made you step away from Carmen. You opened the door and saw the movers with a dollie and a couple of extra boxes.

“Excuse me.” You felt Carmen grab his coat and brush past you. Part of you wanted to chase him down and wrap your arms around him. You didn’t want the last image you had of him to be so hurt.

As you watched the movers grab your boxes and take them down to the awaiting truck, you grabbed the letter that you wrote for Carmen. You planned to leave it on the kitchen counter.

You didn’t know if he’d even read it. Maybe he would rip it up into tiny pieces. Maybe he would read it over and over again.

It wasn’t up for you to wonder. You were at peace with your decision and that’s all that mattered.

[rheya28]

The Bluewind Inn ♥ The Sims 4: Speed Build // CC

♥ Hi guys, Today I present to you the Bluewind Inn and Suites located in Brindleton Bay. This build was inspired by the sea, the sand, and the sky. The Bluewind Inn sits near Cavalier cove and is owned by retired Marine Biologists, Rio and Jane Clarence. 5 years ago, this beautiful seaside manor was transformed into a Inn to be enjoyed by both locals and tourist.

The Bluewind inn is a multifunctional lot as it could be set as a rental lot, a restaurant, a pool, or a spa.  

ATTENTION: This is a huge build and is very cc heavy, so beware. If you’ve downloaded my other builds, you should have majority of the cc’s I used…But there’s more cc on this than usual.

Please make sure to turn on bb.moveobjects on!

SPEED BUILD VIDEO

0:02 Intro

1:25 Speed Build

30:22 Photos

♥ Lot Details:

Lot Name: The Bluewind Inn

Lot size: 40x40

Location: Brindleton Bay [Cavalier Cove]

♥ MODS:

TOOL MOD by TwistedMexi

♥ CC LIST:

Note: I have all parts of all sets in this list, so I highly recommend you guys dl them since I frequently use them in all my builds!

[awingedllama] Boho Living, Blooming Rooms

[greenllamas] The woodwind collection

[Joyceisfox] Cruel Summer, Simple Live Collection, Summer Garden

[QICC] Sleek Hallway Set

[S-imagination] Notal Living Room, Rutland Kitchen

[Sooky88] Coastal Wallpaper, Leaning Framed Posters (4 frames), Seashore Framed Prints (panoramic)

[Aroundthesims4] All Plants and pots

[House of Harlix] Bafroom, Baysic, Harluxe, kichen

[Thecluttercat] Busy Bee, Mellow Moods

[Charlypancakes] The lighthouse collection, Dinna, Lavish, Maple&S Construction, Miscellanea, modish, Soak,

[FelixAndre] Chateau, Fayun, Colonial, Grove, Kyoto, Paris, Florence, Livin Rum, Orjanic, Shop the look

[Max20] Cozy Backyard Pack, Garden at home, Happily Ever After, Poolside lounge pack, Precioujs promises

[Thecowbuild] My home

[Harrie] Brutalist, Coastal, Country, Kwatei, Octave, Shop the look 2, Spoons

[Illogical Sims] Home office

[Kaiso] Rustico Living

[Kiwisim] Blocklhouse Dining, blockhouse study

[Leafmotif] Calliope Bathroom, Sunny Corner, Willow Porch set

[Littledica]Chic Bathroom, Rise & Grind, Delicious Kitchen, Delicato Lounge

[MadameRia] Back to basics, Mayaken Cozy Kitchen

[Mechtasims] Office Set

[Miiko] Harmony set

[Myshunosun] Garden Stories, Dawn Living, Midsummer eve, simmify

[Peacemaker] Alesund, Bowed, Caine Living, Adirondack Love, Creta, Futura, Hamptons, Hinterlands Dining, Kitayama

[Ars Botanica] Peonies Bouquet

[Pierism] Auntie Vera, Coldbrew, David apartment, Domain Du clos, Maison Meuliere, MCM, Oak house, The office, Winter Garden

[Littlecakes] Rustic Romance

[PLumbobteasociety] Cottage Garden

[Ravasheen] on cloud wine bottle, sit sip hooray bar cart

[Sforzinda] Clutter Ep12, GP06, Cabin Slats

[Simkoos] Tiny living Small tv, Tiny living small tv wall

[Simplistic] RH Area rugs II, Cotswolds Rug

[Sixam] Stylish Wood Nursery, Stylish wood Fancy Dining, Stylish wood Living room, Boho Bathroom, Hotel bedroom, small spaces pantry

[Sims4luxury] McGee&Co Callahan Rug, McGee&Co  Goldie Rug

[Simsnetwork] Clapboard brush siding set #1

[Sundays] Kediri “rug only”, Medewi “deco surfboard only”

[Syboubou] Fency, Fitness

[Taurus Design] Angela Bedroom, Elize Bedroom, Lilith Chilling Areas

[Tuds] IND, NCTR, Rope lounge, SHKR, Wave

TS4; Wimborne Siding by Tilly Tiger

♥ Tray file

♥ Origin ID: Applez

♥ Twitter: Rheya28__

♥ Tiktok: Rheya28__

♥ Tumblr: https://rheya28.tumblr.com/

[bakedbakermom]

Takeout Interruptus (read on ao3) fluff and humor // T // 1k words tagging @today-in-fic @ao3feed-msr

A makeout session is interrupted by an over-enthusiastic delivery boy who just can't take a hint. (Note: "OK Chinese Restaurant" is a real place in the SF Bay Area, so I hope you will forgive me for the name. I always wanted to open another place across the street called "Good Chinese Restaurant.")

Scully’s tongue thrusts hot and wet into his mouth, her hands tangled in his hair. She gasps as his fingers slip under the hem of her shirt to begin a teasing journey up the sweet plains of her stomach, inching higher and higher... when a loud knock sounds at Mulder’s door. “Sorry,” he murmurs against her lips. “Forgot I ordered food.”

She whines when he pulls away, though her stomach is rumbling. “Hurry back, G-Man.”

He smiles over his shoulder as he grabs his wallet and opens the door, revealing a gangly teenager with bright red hair, a smattering of acne, and an anemic little caterpillar of a mustache valiantly attempting to crown his upper lip. In his hands are two bulging bags of takeout, their stylized font proudly proclaiming them the product of Mr. Fung’s OK Chinese Restaurant (Ask About Two-for-One Tuesday Special!).

“Hey, Zack, how’s it going?”

“Good, Mr. Mulder, thanks. That’ll be $27.50.” He holds the bags up for emphasis and Mulder thumbs through his wallet. “Hey, so, you were right about that book you told me about, the one with the yetis? Susie thought it was really cool and now I think maybe she thinks I might be really cool and so I was just wondering if you had any, like, recommendations for more? Because, like, I’m not great with girls, and she’s so pretty and so smart and she smells, like, so good and I just don’t want to blow it, like—“

Mulder pulls out a few worn bills with an unnecessary flourish, waving them right under the boy’s nose, and Zack’s motor mouth dies abruptly. “Next time, okay? Keep the change.”

Oblivious, the young man bumbles on. “Come on, man, it’s just that I’m, like, really nervous? I’m supposed to meet up with her after my shift tonight and she was like, ‘it’s no big deal’ but, like, it’s a super big deal and you’re always so, like, suave and stuff I just thought maybe—”

“Zack,” Mulder says with emphasis, though not without kindness. “I’m a little busy tonight.”

The boy peers around his shoulder into the living room. “Oh hey, Ms. Scully.” She smiles indulgently and wiggles her fingers at him in a small wave. “You guys got some cool new case going on? Oh is it gross? Susie loves when I talk about the gross ones, that Flukeman thing had her fascinated for days so maybe you could just, like, give me a few details and I could like—”

He is inching closer to the door and Mulder sticks a hand out to grab the frame, his forearm forming a barricade before the boy can cross the threshold. “Not exactly, Zack.” Scully can’t see his face, but she can hear in his voice the wide eyes, the raised brows, the way his mouth presses into a thin line as he silently begs the boy to take the damn hint (and the money) and go.

Zack peeks around him again, slower this time, and his eyes widen along with his grin. His gaze flicks back and forth as he takes in Scully’s pinked cheeks, Mulder’s disheveled hair, the coffee table with a pair of near-empty wine glasses and no casefiles in sight. “Oh man! Oh, oh wow. Is this—? Are you—? Oh man!” He gives Mulder a bony but encouraging punch on the shoulder, thumping him in the gut with the takeout bag in the process. “Yeah, sorry, yeah, no, you got it, Mr. Mulder, I’m outta here, say no more, I’ll just, yeah, okay uh—”

He bolts all of three steps before realizing he forgot something, and nearly drops it all as he tries to hand Mulder both bags and take the money at the same time, with only two knobby arms to handle the job. One more glance into the living room, his smile so big it looks painful and shows off an impressively shiny array of orthodontics. “Yeah, okay, bye guys, have a good night, I mean, uh, I’ll just—”

“Bye, Zack.”

“Right, yeah, uh, bye!” He nearly trips over his own oversized feet as he sprints down the hall, shoes squeaking all the way. Rolling his eyes, Mulder pushes the door shut—but not before they hear him whispering excitedly to himself, “Wait ‘til I tell Susie about this!” His voice cracks on the last word.

“Scully?” Mulder asks as he turns back to her. “Do you ever get the feeling that everyone in the world was just waiting for us to get together, and we were too dumb to see it?”

She rises from the couch and takes the bags, then pushes up on her toes to press her mouth fleetingly to his. “Frequently. I’m pretty sure Skinner has Barbie dolls of us and he makes them kiss when he thinks no one is watching.”

He follows her into the kitchen, grabbing plates from the shelves she can’t reach while she rummages through the drawers for clean utensils. When she turns to face him, she finds him already close enough to touch, close enough that his body heat washes over her in a wave that sends tingles from her scalp to her toes. He grabs the counter on either side of her waist, trapping her between the firm brackets of his arms. “Think that kid is gonna get lucky tonight?”

Scully smiles, hooking her fingers through his belt loops and pulling until his hips are flush with hers. She threads her hands into his hair and pulls his face down close. “The more pressing question is,” she whispers, her breath ghosting over his lips, “are you going to get lucky tonight?”

“Would it improve my chances if I started talking about yetis?”

She reaches around, squeezes his ass with both hands, and he yelps as he bucks against her. “Let’s not risk it,” she smirks into his mouth, and kisses him like she wants to swallow him whole.

The takeout goes cold on the counter, but warms up nicely for a midnight snack.

I could not get this idea out of my head. At first I wanted to make it a scene in a larger piece of smut, but ultimately decided it was too funny and needed to be shared on its own. So. Here you go. I do not know why all my fics lately are food-related.

[larosepompon]

The Midnight Library

You're not quite sure who owns the Night Library in town, and you didn't think you'd ever find out... Insomnia. Hardly anyone’s favourite thing. It had been something that you had battled with since starting to work late into the night, your body not knowing what to do with itself. You knew well that copious amounts of screen-time weren’t doing you any favours (and neither were the extra shots of espresso that you used to keep you awake) but what else was there to do besides read at home or risk taking an extended walk on the city streets between one and four am. It was one of these nights after your shift had finished around twelve, that lost in your thoughts you took a different route home. Past the brightly-lit bars thriving with a hum of patrons and a few restaurants coming to their close, the busy streets gave way to a gradual influx of small boutiques and houses. In one side road however, you stumbled across a quaint little Victorian townhouse with a storefront underneath – lit up by ornate spot lamps curled over the sign. “The Midnight Library”

You read aloud, breath hanging slightly in the air with the early Autumn chill. You were so weary and it looked ever-so inviting with it’s rounded bay window, dressed with a pretty little display of select titles one could find inside. As you breached the entryway, signalled by a tinkling bell, a mop of brown hair popped up behind the counter. A young man with owlish eyes and a pair of black-rimmed glasses regarded you for a few seconds before giving a quiet Hello. He almost looked surprised that you had come in. “Sorry, we barely get anyone in on a Wednesday – welcome to the night library. I haven’t seen your face here before; did you just find us?” His voice was soft and a little worn around the edges. “Yeah, I had no idea this was here – I’m glad there’s somewhere I can go to unwind to be honest.” A gummy smile broke out on his face as you spoke. “Well please, make yourself at home. There’s plenty of comfy seating. We only ask that you handle the books with care, as many of them are quite old.” With that, you traipse down the isles of shelves and find that there were two rooms to the cosy place – the room at the back was separated by an alcove, books lining every wall save for a door in the corner. It really gave off the feel of a converted home. Your fingers traced over spines of books both fact and fiction, eventually settling on an old edition of Alice Through the Looking Glass. The brown-haired boy was writing something at the counter as you passed him, choosing to sit on the maroon Oxford sofa near the window. Getting engrossed in a quiet world of your own, you had no grasp on how quickly the time had passed, jumping slightly when he called out to you gently.

“Sorry to disturb you but we need to lock up.” He held his hands in front of him, giving you a wry smile. “Did reading help?”

“Excuse me?”

“With helping you unwind – you seemed to be in need of it?” he cocked his head, gesturing to the sheer amount of chapters you had gotten through. You nearly balked seeing that you had somehow gotten through three-quarters of the book in a few hours. “Clearly.” You paused. “What time is it?” glancing around to see if there was a clock in sight. “its just gone four. Did you want me to save you the book for next time?” Nodding wearily, you got up and smoothed down your clothes before handing the old book over to him.

“I’m Jongho by the way.”

Jongho - as it turned out - merely looked after the library most nights, giving you a sharp laugh when you asked if he owned the place. Me? The owner?! God, no. I just work here he had rebuked, stating he hadn’t the time nor money to amass a collection as grand as this one. As you lay in bed that morning, you found that sleep came a little easier.

You ended up returning there the following night and then the next, the warm and cosy atmosphere along with malty scent of yellowing pages drawing you in time and time again. Often you’d make conversation with Jongho when it was just you both, nodding and giving polite smiles whenever other readers would pop in. One night, when the quiet side street was strewn with fallen orange leaves, you peered over at the reams of paper haphazardly littering the counter (and a laptop in its midst). Jongho’s hair was a tousled mess, his glasses pushed back up onto his head while he pinched the bridge of his nose. “You ok there?” He looked up at you with dark circles under his eyes, seemingly stressed to the max.

“My dissertation is due in two days.” Jongho ground out. His shoulders visibly sagged when he sighed, opting to sit down and try to re-arrange documents. “Ouch. No wonder you seem stressed out. What do you study?” you lean on the mahogany of the counter and sip on the mug of tea he gave you, watching him get himself in order. “Medieval Literature and Languages.” There’s a faint rosiness to his cheeks as he quietly tells you about it all. “I think you’re working in a great place for it – with all these books at your disposal, I’m sure a few of them could aid your studies.” You’re smiling at him over the rim of your mug and catch a small glint in his eye. “Actually, there’s more useful resources than you might think…”

There was one chair you were always drawn to. Its back high and slotted neatly into a corner. A cosy nook surrounded by extra piles of books that had yet to be put away and a gas fireplace that gifted you its warmth and extra light. The seat plush and comfy, it softly gave under your weight as you settled into its embrace – the reupholstered olive velvet felt wonderful wherever your skin touched.  Resting a moment before starting the little romance tale, you studied its faded and woven cover, art and typography very reminiscent of the 1920s in all its Art Deco beauty. Perfect.

It was nights like these where you would get lost in the worn and savoury-scented pages of the old books that the Midnight Library had to offer. It was nights like these where, as your glistening eyes pored over texts from another time, your subtle changes in expression and the occasional wistful sigh were being curiously peeked at between gaps in the long bookcases. o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

You first spot his dark hair; locks of it obstructed by books on the shelves, soft waves being jostled as he moves to rearrange volumes. While you can’t quite see his face, you notice ghostly pale hands with elegant rings adorning a few fingers. Returning to your book for all but a moment, getting comfy in your favourite chair, by the time your eyes flit up to the same spot – the mystery person has vanished without a trace.

That’s...odd...

 You decide not to take heed of it until it happens again a few times more in the coming week and a quiet eeriness unnerves you. With the building being so old, you don’t doubt the possibility of it having some ghostly activity however it isn’t anything that you have personally experienced before.

Should you ask Jongho? Or would he think you’re going a bit crazy?

The leather-bound novel snaps shut in your hands and you take a glance at the clock on the far wall. Quarter-past three it reads. With your concentration broken, your feet take you back on over to the front desk where a very tired and familiar boy sups on some coffee. He straightens as he sees you, pushing his glasses back up the bridge of his nose. “Y/n, how can I help? Need any recommendations?” he asks with his usual, friendly tone. Lacing your fingers together atop the book you lean on the counter, levelling your gaze with his. “Is this place...haunted?” Your voice tries not to waver, though it comes out not more than a whisper. Jongho’s lips quirk at the corners as he tries to bite back a laugh. He clears his throat in attempt to regain composure. “What makes you say that? Don’t tell me you saw a ghost.” His disbelief makes you start to peel away but he grabs your wrist lightly while he chuckles for you to stay. “Sorry, sorry – what did you see? I won’t laugh, I promise.” Letting you go, he settles back down as he looks to you sorting your thoughts.

“I’ve seen them a few times now – just glimpses, mind you. I think it’s the apparition of a man, with kinda-long, dark hair and they have super pale hands-.” This time Jongho does burst out laughing, cutting you off. A gummy grin on his face that’s quickly hidden by his hands. “Oh my God that’s the owner. It’s not a ghost at all, it’s my boss you’ve been seeing.” Your mouth hangs slightly open while you stand there, dumbfounded.

“He’s that much of a recluse? He hasn’t ever said hello, in fact I can’t really remember him making a sound other than organising books.” Your mind wanders back to the three or four times you’ve noticed him. The boy grimaces slightly before replying “he’s a bit eccentric, if you will, but he means no harm. His greatest treasure are his books, so he doesn’t bother many of our customers.” Nodding slowly, you take your book off the desk and hold it between both your hands. "What’s his name? In case I see him again.” Jongho is quick to reply. “Ah -he doesn’t like me giving out his name. Though I’m sure he’ll warm up to you soon enough!” At least he sounded positive about it.

It takes a further three weeks but sure enough, the mysterious library owner finally introduces himself. Unruly Autumn weather meant that you had gotten caught in a sudden downpour, rivulets of rainwater rolling off your hair and face as you stepped into the respite of The Midnight Library. Jongho looks at you with wide eyes and passes you a box of tissues to try and dry off what you can. “Jesus – forgot your umbrella?” you give him the best glare you can muster as you remove your soaked coat to pop on the rack. Mopping your strands with copious amounts of tissues, you heave a sigh.

“I’m going to sit by the fire, is anyone else in?” it was a little past 1am and with the cold rain outside you had expected the place to be busy. Jongho shook his head slowly, returning to his textbook. “Just the boss and me tonight.” Your lips parted in thought, taking the current book Jongho had saved for you, you quietly plod over to your favourite spot by the fire in attempts to dry off and warm up. You’re about 4 chapters in when a deep voice startles you out of your reverie.

“-I thought you could use some tea” you gasp and whip your head up towards the voice, not expecting anyone to be there. You end up face to face with one of the most beautiful men you’ve ever seen – scarily beautiful in fact. So poised and pristine, holding a bone china cup of tea in his very pale hands.

“Oh...thank you so much. That’s very kind.” He delicately hands it over to you with a small, close-lipped smile and you offer him a nod. “Are you the owner that Jongho keeps mentioning?” trying to make small talk to break the slight unease you feel, you take a sip –

Chamomile.

“Ah yes, sorry that was rude of me. I’m Yeosang, it’s lovely to meet you. Jongho tells me you’ve become somewhat of a regular?” His smile deepens and softens his statuesque beauty. You take a moment to really look at him; your eyes tracing his features from his sculpted brow, the gentle slope of his nose to his prominent yet delicate birthmark that only adds to his charm. All framed by a luscious head of hair. The one thing that you can’t get over are his dark eyes. The way his eyes seem to bore into your very soul, unblinking, like that of a marble statue.

Does this guy ever blink?

He blinks.

...It’s as though he just remembered he needs to.

“I guess I have” you answer airily. It’s difficult to break away from his eye contact. “It’s been just over two months I think, since I’ve started coming here. It’s so cosy.” Your voice gets a little quieter the more you speak and you watch Yeosang blink slowly in front of you. He looks away first, gesturing to the little room and you can’t help but feel a bit relieved. “Well, please feel free to ask for any book you like, I’ve collected them over many years. They’re my treasure.” He clasps his ring-laden hands in front of him. You can’t help but smile at that, he looks so fond of everything that he’s amassed. “I look forward to seeing more of you, Y/n. Goodnight.” After wishing him the same, you watch him elegantly glide off from whence he came.

It was only after he was gone that you realised you never gave him your name. Perhaps Jongho had told him. While Yeosang seemed kind and polite, there was this strange little warning in the back of your head, alerting him as a threat. Sure he was a little odd, and looked sickly-pale...

And didn’t really blink...

Oh.

You wondered if it’d be appropriate to ask Jongho about him. o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

The second time you meet, he and Jongho are in a debate over the nuances of Shakespeare’s poetry, both hunched over a very old book, which they handle with white gloves. They’re both side by side as they talk animatedly and you can’t help but notice the slight inflection in Yeosang’s voice, a little softer and higher-pitched than what you remember. He and the student look like quite the pair; his slightly oversized, ivory shirt tucked into neat tailored trousers being the picture of elegance while the uni student sported a black hoodie with ripped jeans. You cleared your throat softly behind them, holding your handbag coyly behind your back.

The moment the owner turned to face you, you felt your heart skip a beat. As he greeted you, you were graced with a smile that was breathtaking. Pearly-whites on show and cheeks lifted, his eyes had a soft twinkle in them, spirits high from parting his book knowledge to a fellow scholar. The more you found yourself the focus of his gaze, the more a strange feeling settled over you. “Welcome back, y/n. It’s good to see you.” The playful lilt in his voice present even as he spoke to you. There’s a hello from Jongho in the background yet it seemed so distant and fuzzy in the presence of the owner in a way you can’t explain.

“Yeosang” you try out the syllables on your pink tongue, slower than you’d like. “-Jongho, too. Hi”  it’s like a foggy stupor has settled across your brain, thoughts a little gooey like wading through treacle. Jongho casts a look of uncertainty towards his boss, an inkling into what might be happening. Time slows for you and your mind is full of cotton, as if the odd library owner has placed wads of it there piece by piece.   You're far too gone to notice the pair fretting over your state for a while, neither of them knowing the best course of action…

The moment you feel yourself blink slowly awake, you’re being read to quietly - head in Yeosang’s lap with his elegant and tepid fingers gently stroking your hair. The rows of leather and cloth-bound books returning, albeit blurrily, to greet your vision. Your lungs take a deep inhale and your heartbeat quickens in confusion. Yeosang’s hand stops for a moment to tuck a few stray strands behind your ear.

“I think I owe you an apology” he murmurs softly. “It’s why I usually make myself so scarce, it’s…not always something I can control completely.” His voice you find so soothing and melodic, merely offering a hum of acknowledgement in return. You know in the depths of your brain that his cryptic confession should be something alarming, yet you can’t find it in you to be scared. He seemed so vulnerable when he spoke, seeking trust and confidence.

Instead, you take another deep breath and smile – he smells of dried petals and old, malted pages. Comforting.

“Yeosang? May you read to me some more? I’ll gladly accept your apology then...” His hand stilled amongst your tresses; mouth slightly ajar in surprise as he heard your reply. Every now and then in his long life did he come across those who were readily accepting of his nature and did so in stride; they were few and far between, however. The librarian’s gaze focused on your relaxed profile - the way your eyelashes fluttered against the top of your cheeks with every run of his fingers through your hair. A small smile came to his lips, before continuing to read.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o The third time you met him came as a surprise. It had been a good few weeks since he had read to you on the chaise and he seemed to have gone into hiding since. It was eleven pm on a bitterly cold Thursday, Jongho and yourself sitting by the fire with takeaway cups of coffee you managed to snag from a restaurant nearby. A few nights ago you had asked if Jongho could bring in his dissertation for you to read. One very shy and pouty “yes” later – he’d agreed somewhat reluctantly. Though he was initially hesitant, as you sat beside the warm fireplace the uni student was nothing but animated as he explained certain parts of his writing with enthusiasm. You both were going back and forth between the pages together when suddenly he pulled one of the sheets from your hands a bit too quickly, slicing your finger by accident.

You gasped softly, not only from the slight sting but from the owner appearing less than a foot away from you, unblinking eyes concentrated firmly on the deep red droplet swelling atop your finger. You felt your heart quicken - his presence came in as quickly and quietly as lightening and it made your mind confused.

“... Yeosang?...” the tightness in your lungs from your anxiety made his name come out no louder than a whisper.

Gaze still focused on your injury, Yeosang tilted his head in interest, indicating he had at least heard you. Snapping out of his trance with a sharp inhale and a subtle shake of his head, the owner offered a tight-lipped smile in your direction. “Gosh…we really must treat that for you. Let me go get those little plasters from the kitchen.” Even with an audible swallow, the sudden dryness of your throat persisted. Jongho remained silent, his eyes looking everywhere but your own. Definitely, he was party to Yeosang’s odd habits. You watched as the owner slinked off through the door in the corner, trying to glimpse him raiding through the cupboards for a first aid kit. By now the small pool of blood had begun to clot at the side of your finger – the plaster merely a distraction from the elephant in the room. “I’ll go help him find one…” Jongho trailed off. You couldn’t help but feel a little sorry for the student, having to deal with such an eccentric (and potentially dangerous) boss. With both men gone, you sank back in your usual armchair to collect your thoughts; none of which were coming that well together however. Yeosang had always shown you kindness, as had Jongho – and even though there may have been a moment or two which raised the hairs on the back of your neck – no harm had really come of it. Gnawing at your lip, you realised that the pair had been gone for several minutes by now and you started to worry. Mainly for Jongho’s sake but you had grown quite fond of the pair over the last few months. Your footsteps were quiet against the plush carpet in the little alcove room. Almost afraid to disturb the moment of peace when you were alone, your hand slowly found the brass doorhandle and opened it without any preamble. You had known this was bound to happen. Your eyes still widened at the scene, anyhow.

Sat on a wooden chair was Jongho, hoodie discarded and sleeve rolled up, cradling a shaky Yeosang into the crook of his arm who had all but collapsed onto the floor. You could hear the occasional whimper and slurping sound from the library owner being soothed by his student – who also showed the odd twinge of discomfort on his face. Jongho’s eyes flitted towards you and gestured for you to close the door behind you. “I told him not to leave it too long…” he nonchalantly trailed off, stroking back tendrils of Yeosang’s hair from his face while he fed on the boy. “ack…boss, Yeosang…that’s enough now, our lovely regular is here.” A guiding hand brought Yeosang’s head up and the sight pulled at your heartstrings. Tear-tracks ran down his beautiful face and a shaky pale hand moved to cover his blood-stained mouth. He was eerily beautiful but you couldn’t help but feel for him. He looked regretful before you, helpless to his own condition. Slowly, you knelt down beside him on the floor, reaching forth to cradle his ethereal face between your hands. You thumbed away the tears that were staining his cheeks, a reverent moment amidst an objectively horrific situation. “We’ve got you, Yeosang. It’s ok – we’re here.” Your words to comfort him rang true, whether man or vampire, he was a good person.

“I’m so sorry, y/n. It may not look like it but I would never hurt you” Yeosang sobbed out. You watched as he delicately licked away the last remnants of Jongho’s blood on his lips and smiled at him. “I know. I had a feeling for quite a while and I still came back, didn’t I?”

“You did” he laughed softly, looking up to Jongho with big eyes. “You both did, in fact”. The university student beamed at this, softly rubbing his shoulder as you moved to hold the vampire’s hands to draw him to his feet. “Come on you two – no-one is out front! We can’t have anybody stealing your treasure now, can we?”

“No, I suppose not.”

You didn’t think you’d ever find out who owned the Night Library, but it turned out to be someone beautiful with a wealth of knowledge that only came with time.

And his handsome assistant.

Fin

(Please also read here on my AO3 if you'd like! )

[prodbyblush]

heyy can i request nijiro hc of fem jpop idol reader? it's fine if you don't want too btw !!

ｎｏｗ ｌｏａｄｉｎｇ …

▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ 100%

ᴄᴏᴍᴘʟᴇᴛᴇ!

・❥・ requested

→ fem!reader

• will keep the relationship with you a secret and will only reveal it to the public after a year or two. • prior to revealing the relationship to the public, dates are mostly going over each other's apartment, going out with a group of friends and reserving a table at one of the private rooms of celebrity owned restaurant or bar. • home dates are just basically cooking dinner together, ordering take out, watching dramas or variety show programs, doing each other's skincare or just drinking coffee / hot chocolate while admiring the stars in the night sky. • but after going public, dates have finally become more free - shopping together, setting up a picnic near the river, going out for coffee in between busy schedules and such. • nijiro comes to your group's comeback concert / comeback showcase as an audience among the crowd. your fans / fandom will immediately recognize him, secretly taking pictures of him in his seat before gushing on social media how he's watching your event. • does he come empty handed? nope! after the concert / showcase, he'll enter the backstage with bouquets of flowers and a cake with a congratulatory message written with icing. • nijiro knows that some may be happy of him entering a relationship, he also knows that some wouldn't be happy with the idea of it. so he clearly explains to his fans that he draws the line between fans cheering for them and fans prying on their private lives. • always assures you that you are worth it despite the hate comments you receive online. his heart pains when he sees you cry over something that is beyond his control. nijiro can only do so much. • eventually leads him to asking his company to take legal action with the malicious comments attacking you online. he isn't doing this for himself, he's doing this for you. • if he can't attend to one of your schedules because of conflicting schedules, he'll send a food delivery to the studio you are in. so that not only you but your group members and crew are enjoying as well. • takes candid pictures of you - under your chin, you sleeping with your mouth slightly open, you frowning - and he makes memes out of those. • says he's helping your fans by giving them new memes to use! • if you're on tour and going a thousand miles away from him, facetime dates is gonna arise! even if you two aren't talking and are just watching what the other does, it's alright for him. • doesn't even mind if you've fallen asleep on him. he knows how much effort you put into rehearsals and he wishes you nothing but the best. • after returning home from the tour overseas, he dotes on you - tubs of ice cream, a bottle of wine and pain relief muscle patches. • when you do instagram lives with your group's official account, you can best believe that nijiro will be streaming, repeatedly tapping on the heart icon while sometimes spamming comments how pretty you look even though you're on your sweats and strands of hair are out of place. • being with you is like his getaway from his busy and fast paced life. • he lets himself be himself with you. he's not chishiya of alice in borderland or takahashi in hanalei bay or jintan in anohana, he's just nijiro, your nijiro. • each other's support system! • he's all smiles when your name is brought up in magazine interviews or when the hosts in the variety show program mention it. • a simp for you. case closed.

TAGS: @retrospacealien @chishiya-of-diamonds @ang3liclov3ly @kenqki @shadowheads-shitshow @lunoxxy @supercoffeeblogs @laylasbunbunny

[blessyourhondahurley]

Suptober day 1 - The Liminal Moment

Dean's managed to completely screw up his back. Bobby sends him... somewhere?

Suptober prompt: Liminal

(Read on AO3)

The pain isn't getting any better.

Okay, understatement.

The pain is getting worse every day. The last couple of mornings it had hurt so much just to get out of bed that there had been tears in his eyes by the time his feet were on the floor.

He'd manged to torque himself somehow, moved in exactly the wrong way by half an inch a few weeks ago, and something in his lower back had seized and squeezed and it hasn't let go since. What started as a sharp but localized ache has spread, more and more of his muscles going into spasm as he's held himself in increasingly awkward ways in search of relief. At this point his entire left side, kneecap to earlobe, is a hot line of agony, centered on a spot near his kidney that feels like a rusty rebar's been shoved straight through it.

But Dean's no wimp, and he's no whiner, either. No matter how bad he hurts he's showing up for work every day, putting in the hours, pulling his weight. Maybe he's not too fast on his feet right now, shuffling from car to car on the shop floor like somebody's decrepit grandpa, but he's still covering the floor. He's got a lifetime of experience with suffering in silence, after all, and nobody needs to know his business except him.

He's hunched crookedly over the engine of a '93 Chrysler LeBaron when Bobby yells for him, “GODDAMMIT DEAN!!” cracking through the shop so loud and so unexpected that he immediately straightens up on reflex. The sudden movement brings pain so intense he's briefly nauseated. His eyesight swims, and for a few seconds he worries he's about to pass out. By the time he feels steady again his boss is standing in front of him, looking equal parts irritated and worried.

“Boy, what's gotten into you lately?” he asks gruffly. “You look like hell, and you've been actin' like you're half-dead for days. You sick or somethin'?”

Dean tries to play it cool, but as he reaches to lean on the LeBaron's bumper a tremor in his hand betrays him. Busted. He grits his teeth and fesses up. “Kinda threw out my back a week or two ago. Pain keeps getting worse an' worse. I didn't mean for it to affect my job, though. I'm sorry if–”

Bobby cuts him off with an impatient gesture. “Y'ain't got nothin' to apologize for, son. You're more than just a shop hand to me, you know that.” He pulls off his grimy trucker cap, runs a hand through his thinning hair, and sighs. “You gotta take better care of yourself, Dean. You ain't nineteen any more. God knows none of us are.” He turns to his left and calls, “Garth, come take over on this Chrysler.”

“What? No!” Dean tries to block his lanky coworker's access to the engine, but Garth's got the advantages of height, reach, and a functioning muscular system and Dean can't even slow him down. Bobby tugs him carefully toward the office door. “It's fine, I can still work!” he protests.

“Not today you can't,” he says. “Go wash your hands, and then I want you to head on over across the street.”

Dean looks out through the open doors of the garage bay and across the two-lane blacktop that runs by Bobby's shop. There's a tiny strip mall on the other side of the road: four bland storefronts and an Italian restaurant. “You... want me to go... pick up a pizza?” he guesses.

His boss brings his hand up like he's about to dole out one of his trademark slaps to the back of his mechanic's head. Then he seems to think better of it and stops himself with a huff. “Try two doors down from the pizza place, idjit.” He gives Dean's shoulder a gentle shove. “Wash up and go. I'll call ahead. By the time you get yourself dragged across the way there'll be somebody waitin' for ya.”

Aching, dazed, and confused, Dean complies. It takes him a good five minutes to shamble his way up to the cheery yellow door he's been directed to. The sign above it declares this place to be The Liminal Moment and Dean has no idea what the hell that's supposed to mean. He turns the knob and walks inside as a collection of small bronze bells tinkle above his head.

He finds himself in a generic waiting area – a couple of chairs, a small table with some magazines, a reception desk (currently unmanned). There's an assortment of potted plants on the desk and the windowsills, and a small electric fountain burbling in the corner. The walls are painted a softer shade of the door's yellow. Behind the desk, someone has stuck up one of those cutesy inspirational stick-on decals. It reads “Honor the space between no longer and not yet – Nancy Levin”.

Dean still does not know what this place is or why he was sent here.

“I'll be right with you,” calls a rough voice. A few moments later a breathtakingly beautiful man strides in to the room with a gummy smile and a “Hello, Dean.”

Off balance and befuddled, Dean offers a limp wave in response.

The man continues. “I just got off the phone with Bobby. He says you're in a great deal of pain?”

“Yeah, I, uh, fucked up my back? What is this place, man? Bobby told me to walk over. Why am I here?”

“Oh, I'm so sorry, we're doing this all out of order. Welcome to The Liminal Moment. My name is Castiel. I'll be your masseur today.”

This story concludes here!

[cymlea]

Things To Do In Tampa: A Comprehensive Guide to Florida's Gulf Coast

Tampa offers a dynamic and lively experience for visitors, showcasing a myriad of activities on Florida's Gulf Coast.

Florida is renowned for its diverse attractions, and Tampa stands out as a city designed for both entertainment and relaxation. With a captivating blend of historic architecture and modern landmarks, a culture enriched with Cuban and Spanish influences, bustling business districts, and scenic canals, Tampa emerges as a versatile destination that caters to work, exploration, and leisure.

Discover the myriad activities that Tampa has to offer with this comprehensive guide!

Things To Do In Tampa

Despite its vintage charm, Tampa boasts a multicultural atmosphere where historic buildings are being revitalized into vibrant food halls. Immerse yourself in the complete travel experience with our guide to Tampa's diverse offerings.

Discover Marine Life at The Florida Aquarium While in Tampa, Florida, don't miss the opportunity to explore The Florida Aquarium—an expansive 250,000-square-foot facility accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. As a 501 non-profit organization situated in downtown Tampa, it stands as one of the premier aquariums in the US. Witness a captivating array of sea creatures and immerse yourself in this publicly operated institution.

Location: 701 Channelside Dr, Tampa, FL 33602

Operating Hours: Open daily from 9:30 AM to 5 PM

Admission: $34.45 per person

Uncover Tampa's Past at Henry B. Plant Museum Venture into the historical realm by visiting the Henry B. Plant Museum, housed in the south wing of Plant Hall on the University of Tampa's campus. Located at 401 West Kennedy Boulevard, this museum offers insights into the Victorian lifestyle during turn-of-the-century Florida. Considered a hidden gem, it conveniently sits near hotels and restaurants around the university campus.

Location: 401 W Kennedy Blvd, Tampa, FL 33606

Operating Hours: Tuesday - Sunday from 10 AM to 5 PM (opens at 12 on Sundays)

Experience Artistic Splendor at The Tampa Theatre For a dose of cultural entertainment, make your way to The Tampa Theatre—an exquisite performing arts space in downtown Tampa. Designed by architect John Eberson, this atmospheric theatre-style movie palace hosts a variety of independent and foreign film productions. Treat yourself to a unique cinematic experience in this beautifully preserved landmark.

Location: 711 N Franklin St, Tampa, FL 33602

Operating Hours: Varies by show/screening

Relax Amid Nature at Lettuce Lake Park Nature enthusiasts will find solace in Lettuce Lake Park, a beloved green space in Tampa. Spanning 240 acres, the park offers walking paths, biking trails, and scenic benches for relaxation. Conveniently located on Fletcher Avenue between Interstate 75 and the University of South Florida, Lettuce Lake Park is complemented by the soothing presence of the Hillsborough River, providing a refreshing escape during warm spells.

Address: 6920 E Fletcher Ave, Tampa, FL 33637

Hours: Open daily from 8 AM to 7 PM

Enjoy Live Performances at The Straz Center for the Performing Arts For aficionados of the performing arts, The Straz Center offers a captivating venue for shows, screenings, and live concerts throughout the year. Originally established in 1987 as the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center and later rebranded in 2009, this beautiful complex is situated in downtown Tampa.

Location: 1010 N Macinnes Pl, Tampa, FL 33602

Operating Hours: Varies by show/screening

Embark on a Splashy Adventure at Adventure Island For a dose of fun in Tampa, look no further than Adventure Island—a conveniently located water park northeast of Tampa, Florida, just across the street from Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. This aquatic haven covers 30 acres and offers water rides, dining options, and various attractions. Many visitors opt for a full trip, combining the thrills of Busch Gardens and Adventure Island.

Location: 10001 McKinley Dr, Tampa, FL 33612

Tickets: $29.99 per person

Experience Thrills at Busch Gardens A must-visit for adrenaline enthusiasts in Tampa, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay is the largest zoo in the region, packed with exhilarating roller coasters and over 12,000 animals. This adventure park seamlessly blends high-caliber rides, adrenaline-pumping thrills, and family-friendly recreation. For a water-themed escapade, explore Busch Gardens' Adventure Island, Tampa's exclusive water park, spanning 30 acres of tropical excitement.

Location: 10165 McKinley Dr, Tampa, FL 33612

Tickets: $84.99 per person

Unwind on the Beautiful Beaches Just a short drive away, Tampa offers access to approximately 35 miles of pristine Gulf of Mexico waters and white sand beaches on the barrier islands of St. Petersburg and Clearwater. Renowned for their exceptional sand quality and environmental preservation, standouts include Fort DeSoto Park, Caladesi Island, and Clearwater Beach. With its undeveloped coastlines, this area imparts a sense of being on a remote island.

Discover the wealth of beaches: Tampa boasts around 35 miles of white sand coastline, providing ample opportunities for relaxation and seaside enjoyment.

Discover the Glazer Children's Museum For families with kids, a visit to the Glazer Children's Museum is a must during their time in Tampa. Boasting around 20 interactive exhibits catering to children of all ages, this family-friendly museum offers an engaging experience.

Location: 110 W Gasparilla Plaza, Tampa, FL 33602

Operating Hours: Tuesday - Sunday from 9:30 AM to 5 PM

Indulge in a Beer Tasting Experience Tampa's brewing legacy dates back to 1896 when the Florida Brewing Company established itself in Ybor City's downtown. While facing challenges due to restrictions and laws, the craft beer scene experienced a resurgence with the establishment of the Tampa Bay Brewing Company a century later.

Diverse Beer Scene: Tampa boasts a thriving brewing culture, with the Florida Brewing Company being a popular choice in Ybor City.

Best Time to Explore Tampa, Florida

Tampa is at its best between September and December, offering a pleasant escape from the oppressive heat and humidity. The breezy conditions of autumn still provide warmth and sunshine, and during these months, hotels often offer enticing deals to attract visitors.

While the peak season for major attractions is from May to August, the weather can be uncomfortably humid. January through April, despite being cooler, tends to be a more expensive period for booking trips.

Optimal Transportation in Tampa

For seamless exploration of Tampa, visitors often find it beneficial to rent a car, especially if planning excursions to Clearwater and St. Pete's beachfront or the artistic enclaves of Sarasota. However, for those intending to stay within downtown or utilize the Telo Line Streetcar, walking or riding may suffice.

Given the residential and widely dispersed nature of the Bay Area, car rental costs, while subject to fluctuations based on supply and peak season factors, are generally reasonable. Commute times may be slightly extended due to the unique driving patterns in the region.

Guide to Tampa's Distinct Neighborhoods

Tampa's allure extends beyond its main attractions, inviting visitors to explore its vibrant neighborhoods that pulse with unique charm.

Hyde Park: Crafted around the time of the first Hillsborough River bridge by railroad magnate Henry B. Plant and Cuban immigrants establishing Ybor City, Hyde Park is a charming area exuding heritage and retro glamour. Nestled by the sea, with leafy tree canopies and early 20th-century brick lanes, Hyde Park features upscale Hyde Park Village, a walkable hub for dining and shopping. To the east, Bayshore Boulevard offers a waterfront promenade for biking and strolling.

Channelside District: Packed with tourist delights, the Channelside District hosts Sparkman Wharf—a riverfront entertainment venue offering microbrews, musical performances, and diverse dining options. The Florida Aquarium, home to over 8,000 species, adds to the district's allure with captivating exhibits on conservation initiatives, coral reefs, and marine life. Dolphin trips and hands-on experiences, like the No Bone Zone habitat, enhance the Channelside District's appeal.

Downtown: A blend of historical and contemporary cultural attractions defines downtown Tampa. Renowned sites such as the Florida Museum of Photographic Arts, the Tampa Museum of Art, and the Glazer Children's Museum cater to art enthusiasts and families alike. The David A. Straz, Jr. Center for the Performing Arts hosts Broadway musicals, opera-ballet performances, and musical events. Corey Hixon Waterfront Park hosts year-round outdoor events, while the Tampa Riverwalk offers a scenic stroll along the Hillsborough River, lined with diverse eateries and bars.

Dining Recommendations in Tampa

The culinary scene in Tampa Bay mirrors its diverse culture, offering indulgent beverages at beachfront bistros and taverns. Visitors can savor iconic Tampa dishes, choosing from an array of options, including haute cuisine, farm-to-table eateries, and delightful seafood and traditional Spanish meals.

Top Breakfast Spots: Samaria Cafe, Nicki's Omelette & Grill, Oxford Exchange Lunch Favorites: Oystercatchers, Ulele, Al's Finger Licking Good Bar-B-Que Dinner Hotspots: Vino E Pasta, On Swann, Wright's Gourmet House Best Bars: M. Bird, Fly Bar, The Orpheum, Bad Monkey

Where To Stay In Tampa, Florida

Tampa Bay offers a diverse range of lodging options, catering to both luxury seekers and those on business or leisure trips. Entertainment abounds, making Tampa an ideal destination for various needs.

Luxury Hotels

The Tampa Edition

Cost: Starting at $709 per night

Address: 500 Channelside Dr., Tampa, 33602

Amenities: Fitness Center, Outdoor Swimming Pool, Garden

Floridan Palace Hotel

Cost: Starting at $299 per night

Address: 905 North Florida Avenue, Tampa, FL 33602

Amenities: Fitness Center, Restaurant

Mid-Tier Hotels

Hyatt Place Downtown Tampa

Cost: Starting at $349 per night

Address: 325 N Florida Avenue, Tampa, 33602

Amenities: Fitness Center, Outdoor Swimming Pool, Restaurant

Hotel South Tampa & Suites

Cost: Starting at $199 per night

Address: 3314 South Dale Mabry, Tampa, FL 33629

Amenities: Swimming Pool, Fitness Center

Budget Hotels

Hilton Garden Inn Tampa East

Cost: Starting at $166 per night

Address: 10309 Highland Manor Drive, Tampa, FL 33610

Amenities: Restaurant, Swimming Pool

Sleep Inn & Suites Tampa South

Cost: Starting at $179 per night

Address: 6231 S Dale Mabry Highway, Tampa, 33611

Amenities: Spa and Wellness Center, Fitness Center

Visiting Tampa: Helpful Tips

Sunpass Convenience: Consider obtaining a Sunpass, a prepaid digital permit for hassle-free highway travel to various destinations.

CityPASS Savings: Opt for the Tampa Bay CityPASS, providing discounted access to the city's premier attractions. Priced at $97 for children and $107 for adults, it offers substantial savings.

Freshwater Caution: Exercise caution when encountering freshwater, especially outside designated swimming springs. Florida's waters are home to over a million alligators, emphasizing the need for vigilance.

A Day Well Spent in Tampa

For those with just 24 hours, Tampa offers a condensed yet fulfilling experience. Explore Downtown Tampa starting with the Glazer Children's and art museums. Next, embark on an adventurous journey at Busch Gardens.

As the evening unfolds, consider a visit to one of the local breweries. Hyde Park beckons with its excellent dining and shopping options, while the Channelside District provides a vibrant backdrop for live performances.

Engage in Unique Activities

Even if water sports aren't your forte, Tampa's outdoor adventures offer compelling reasons to visit. The region boasts a diverse array of outdoor activities to suit various interests.

FAQ

Q: What is Tampa known for? Tampa is renowned for attractions such as the Florida Aquarium, the exhilarating Busch Gardens, the vibrant Ybor City, and being the birthplace of the Cuban sandwich. Additionally, the city is celebrated for its lush gardens, cigar manufacturing heritage, modern museums, fine dining establishments, and picturesque sidewalks.

Q: Is Tampa better than Orlando? Tampa is preferred by beach enthusiasts due to its proximity to the coast and the surrounding Tampa Bay. Orlando, another city in Central Florida, is favored by those who are fans of Universal and Disney attractions.

Q: Is Tampa Riverwalk worth visiting? Absolutely! Tampa Riverwalk is a must-visit attraction, offering a scenic stroll along the Garrison Channel and Hillsborough River. With water-based activities, beachfront restaurants, museums, and year-round festivals, it provides an enriching and enjoyable experience.

[teamfreewill2pointo]

Visiting the Supernatural shooting locations Part 2

Please find part 1 here.

On our final day, we did Deer Lake and Riverview as the main viewing points.

The thing y'all gotta keep in mind is that there are so many locations, that we drove by countless of them just driving around, so I'm not showing you most of what I saw because I didn't get pictures of it all and also because tumblr wouldn't allow me to post so many photos.

That spot that's highlighted in Riverview? They shot 1x05, 1x10, 1x13, 1x18, 2x01, 2x19, 3x15, 4x06, 4x09, 4x13, 4x16, 5x04, 5x11, 6x10, 6x21, 7x02, 7x03, 7x10, 7x17, 7x21, and 10x09 there.

And that's just one building in Riverview.

It's a beautiful park and we got really lucky with the weather and it only poured rain for half of one day. Even with the bright light, it felt very creepy and I can only imagine how it would look and feel with fog or on a cloudy day. There were a lot of signs warning people not to enter the building or stay on the premises after dark.

A lot of the finale was filmed around Deer Lake. Unfortunately, the Burnaby Village Museum was closed because apparently it's only open to the public in the summer. We weren't able to visit there, but we were able to visit several other filming sites.

One of the things I noticed is that often episodes are filmed in clumps. For example, Regarding Dean was filmed in a few locations, but they grouped together the filming at the various locations to make it easier to film. The restaurant they went to was the Denny's near the motel they went to.

At this Deer Lake location, they filmed multiple scenes from the finale Sam playing catch with son, Dean's funeral pyre, the tree scene, the house the vamps broke into, Sam going for a run, and the pie scene, plus scenes from other episodes.

We found the tree where Baby was parked

which was in a slightly different location than the map said, but close enough that we found it easily. This place looked so different

But we're at a different time of the year and we're visiting 14 years later, so it's probably due to that.

One thing that I forgot to mention on the earlier post is that while Bobby's house is gone, the junkyard is still standing and an active business.

We had read online that the owner is very friendly, but it felt kinda awkward going in there and taking photos while people are hard at work. There's a giant dog that barks at you when you walk in.

One place I wanted to visit, but didn't get to was the Spur 4 Bridge where the finale ended.

There's a few shooting locations up there including the spot where Sam and Dean split up in 5.02 and the purgatory scenes in s15, but the Spur 4 Bridge is a hike since it's on a private road. Most people access it through the Fisherman's Trail

Although it's rated as easy here, someone who hiked it recently said that due to a rockslide, bring boots. You can also bike around it.

Since it was such a long hike, I decided to save it for next visit, when I'll plan a whole day around it. I also want to visit the place where they defeat Chuck, which is up in Minaty Bay and visit the area south of Richmond where they filmed Mystery Spot and several BM scenes.

As for getting around in general, the city of Vancouver is very bikeable and there's different bike rental options available. I don't know about transporting them between locations, but you can do this section by bike easy

We had a car, which enabled us to travel to a wide variety of sites and visit locations such as the Lulu Trestle (1x07, 3x07, 4x03, 4x13, 9x14, 12x22, 15x18).

Now you can get to the Trestle by public transportation, but it'll take you an hour from Burnaby Village Museum by bus versus a 16 minute drive. If you don't have access to a car, I'd focus my visit on the cities. At one point, we split up and I took the Sky Train from Burnaby to Westminster and it was very safe and easy. I also took a few buses to get to and from various locations. Vancouver was, in my experience, a very clean, safe city, with lots of public restrooms. Just don't continue going east of Gastown. There may be other parts that are unsafe, so if you are unsure, send me a PM and I can tell you exactly where we went.

I also recommend Salmon n'Bannock, which is an Indigenous restaurant that had some of the best food I've ever had.

Hope this helps! It was an amazing experience and I highly recommend that you visit. I'd pick out your favorite places before you arrive because there's so many places and it can get overwhelming looking at the map!

[shefanispeculator]

KINGSTON, Okla. — This article was originally published by our content partners at the Dallas Business Journal. You can read the original article here.

A massive $2 billion master-planned community is making headway along the Texas-Oklahoma border with the start of construction on a hotel resort.

Spanning 2,700 acres and featuring 19 miles of Lake Texoma shoreline, Pointe Vista is expected to eventually feature 2,100 homes, multiple hotels, an 11-acre bay, a casino, a golf course, an enclosed waterpark, a family entertainment center, an amphitheater and a mix of shops and restaurants. It's being constructed on the north side of the lake in Oklahoma, west of Durant.

Infrastructure construction began Nov. 21 on Hard Rock Hotel Lake Texoma, which was announced last month as the first of three resorts planned for the property. The hotel is slated to have 189 rooms, an 18,000-square-foot conference center and event lawn.

The development will also feature the Hard Rock Residences, which an Oct. 17 announcement framed as the first hospitality-branded real estate offering in Oklahoma. The community will consist of rental homes ranging in size from 667 to 3,000 square feet. Rent prices are still being finalized.

Both projects are expected to open in the Summer of 2027.

The project was founded by Mark Fisher, who more than a decade ago bought land that used to be a state park. That park had fallen into disrepair, and Fisher "saw an area that he could help make better and develop," said Grant Speaks, president of Pointe Vista. Fisher continued to buy land around the former park and, as "Dallas continues to stretch north," the community's backers see boundless potential, according to Speaks.

The development of Pointe Vista exemplifies the change sweeping over the Texoma border region north of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. Huge neighborhoods are rising, including the $6B Preston Harbor community on the south side of the lake that will include a Margaritaville resort, and a nascent semiconductor production industry is taking shape in Sherman.

Pointe Vista will feature two unique lakefront neighborhoods: Reflection Pointe and Bridge Pointe, both of which are under construction.

Reflection Pointe will feature 84 single-family lakeside homes ranging from 2,800 to 4,600 square feet, with seven homes set to be completed by early 2025. Bridge Pointe includes 32 lakeside villas and 26 hilltop townhomes with lake views, with construction already underway on four homes. Homes at both communities are currently available for sale and range in price from $225,000 to $1.3 million. Infrastructure construction was completed in early November.

Future developments will include a lakeside hotel with 350-plus rooms, a convention center and a 72-room boutique hotel near the Chickasaw Pointe Golf Club. Hotel flags for those projects have not yet been determined.

Overall, Pointe Vista is anticipated to finish within 10 to 15 years. The project has been in the works since 2008 but faced delays because of the Great Recession and the COVID-19 pandemic.

A market study by the developer estimates Pointe Vista could create more than 7,000 jobs during construction and at least 200 permanent positions once completed. In the end, the project could generate more than $241 million in direct spending, Speaks said.

"Fourth of July 2027, I'd love to have between 5,000 to 10,000 people at our development," he said.

The development will be easily accessible thanks to planned infrastructure improvements, including the Roosevelt Bridge expansion and the extension of the Dallas North Tollway. It's located about two hours from Dallas and Oklahoma City.

Lake Texoma is already home to the Chickasaw Nation West Bay Casino & Resort, Chickasaw Pointe Golf Club and the Catfish Bay Marina. There are also efforts to bring a professional soccer team to Texoma.

"We think that Lake Texoma is the best-kept secret out there," Speaks said. "We want to be good neighbors to other developments that are out there and wish everybody the best. We met the football club folks a few years ago at a hunting event, thought they were tremendous [and are] excited to have them nearby."

[jpitha]

Look, I'll be the first to admit that I don't like going to Starbases. Doesn't matter if it's in Human, K'laxi or Xenni space. They're too crowded, too regulated, and the local authorities somehow have gotten word about me. It really is a shame, because I consider it my calling to make sure every sapient in known space that wants my wares can get them.

Regardless, I found myself at that joint Human/K'laxi Starbase near the border. You know the one, it's made up of an old K'laxi research station, an old Starjumper and like 50 years of ad hoc additions. If I have to go to a Starbase, one like this is about all I can stand.

The Medicine Hat docked on an umbilical - they have claustrophobia and flatly refuse to go inside a docking bay - early in the week. After a quick song and dance from Entry Control I was in and wandering.

By the way, if anyone asks, my name is Elias Somethingorother, of the Parvati Somethingorothers. We're a prestigious family and not at all made up; don't pollute the air with your lies!

Anyway, I was making my way down the promenade admiring the art, when I saw a restaurant that was offering an all day breakfast. Breakfast being one of my favorite meals I stopped in.

I was pleased to see the place was jumping. Breakfast is an important meal of the day, even during late afternoon. I was seated and ordered the pancakes. When they arrived, they brought me a full pitcher of syrup. Suspicious, I took a sniff. Not only was it real Maple Syrup, but it smelled like one of my own batches. Maybe last years crop.

Furious, I leapt to my feet and stormed back into the kitchen. "Where did you get this syrup!" I demanded to the frightened kitchen staff while swinging the pitcher around.

"W-we got a delivery of it last week from a K'laxi." one of the cooks manages to say, while shrinking from my wrath. "She gave us a discount if we promised to only buy from her."

"Really? Interesting." I had started to calm down, but was still pretty upset. "Do you know anything else about them?"

"She said her name was Vivenni and that she had no problems supplying us or anyone on the Starbase. Now please sir, get out, you're scaring the customers and the staff."

I left, but not before taking the entire pitcher of maple syrup I was holding as I walked out.

I was on a mission now.

It took me 4 weeks, visiting two more Starbases and linking back to Lethbridge before I found her. It had turned out that she had bought some of my syrup from a reseller and decided that it was too good to leave to one poor, solitary human entrepreneur in the galaxy to supply everyone. She traced my supply back to Canada and started buying direct.

Long story short, we're dating now and business partners. She had so many excellent ideas about how to expand the business and she was just so charming and alluring that I couldn't help myself. The Hat thinks I've gone off the deep end and that it'll all end in tears, but like I told them it's better to have loved and lost than never loved at all. I know I heard that from somewhere.

You really can never tell when love will come visiting. It always pays to keep an eye out for it.

[climbermal]

⤑  simone ashley,  appears to be 29 but is 35,  cis female,  she/her  

𓇢𓆸  my my, if it isn't  Malavika “Mal” Yadhavar, my favorite  vampire  in town.  you know,  though people say they can be rather  impulsive  and  arrogant,  i know they’re really  dauntless  and  passionate.  but hey, what do i know?  i’ve only known them for  5 years. if you need to get in touch, you can probably find them at their work as an  owner  at  Apex Climbing Gym. 

starters | musings | aesthetic | more links?

⤑  ooc info:  ghoulie,  she/her,  26,  central.

Biography

Malavika Yadhavar was born into a tiny Tamil community in Cape Town, South Africa to a large family. Her parents owned a successful restaurant in Camps Bay. In addition to her regular chores working with her family, Mal would spend every available moment in the gorgeous nature where she lived. She very quickly discovered a talent for rock climbing. By the time she was eight, Mal began participating in South African National Climbing Federation (SANCF) competitions. Medals accumulated and she went from local climbing comps to international competitions, traveling around the world as a boulder and lead climber.

When Mal was fifteen, her family made the difficult decision to emigrate to the U.S. There was already a large community of South Africans in Atlanta and the Yadhavar family followed a number of close friends. Mal continued to rock climb, traveling around the country and competing. While her parents preferred for her to go to college for something stable, Mal 'hired' her best friend and the two jumped into the internet personality occupation. She made a good living from her competitions but becoming a brand ambassador paid even more. 

Her life turned upside down after a rare night out on her 29th birthday. Mal was much more likely to go to bed by 9 PM but she had a lot to celebrate. Nike agreed to sponsor her even though she’d moved away from competitions and more towards education, conservation, and impressive outdoor feats. Her own line of climbing gear would be available in REI. One evening of clubhopping later and Jasika woke up with a wound on her neck and the worst hangover imaginable.

She confided in her best friend who became her blood donor after she attacked a couple one night after losing the ability to control herself but she couldn’t trust herself after. Having spent enough time climbing in Colorado, Mal had heard of the town with excellent crags and natural bouldering problems but also to avoid it at all costs. She broke off her contracts, despite how heartbreaking it was, and moved to Blackwater as soon as she knew it was a safe place for things like her. 

Attempting to give up climbing was impossible and Mal quickly pushed herself into finding her new limits as a vampire. She opened up Apex Climbing Gym in an industrial park near her home in Rocky Knoll. She found someone who could handle the business side of things and focused on route-setting and trying not to yearn for her former life. She has a lot of thoughts about how her new supernatural abilities have impacted her climbing but  she didn’t know who to talk to about it.

Connections

(I'm only listing plotted connections. Always open for non plotted ones !!! also will do this when I have more time)

[jonathanyob]

Three Reasons to Visit Punta del Este in Uruguay

Punta del Este is a tourist destination in Uruguay, South America. Along Uruguay’s Atlantic coastline, just east of the Bay of Maldonado, Punta del Este stretches 40 miles and comprises several neighborhoods and small towns. The population swells during the busy summer months between December and March.

Several attractions attract tourists to Punta del Este, including:

Cultural events and celebrations. Residents of Punta del Este organize several carnivals during the year. On a carnival night, the resort’s main avenue, La Gorlero, turns into a catwalk with glamorous parades. Thousands of spectators flock to it and the restaurants and nightclubs, where tourists can enjoy local music, culture, and cuisine.

Art. Punta del Este has several artistic attractions, such as La Mano, a giant hand emerging from the sand at Playa Brava, created by Mario Irrazabal in the 1980s. Tourists can visit Casapueblo, a castle near the sea built by Carlos Paez, where guests can attend a daily sunset ceremony. In addition, Punta del Este has several museums, including the Sea Museum, with more than 5,000 specimens.

Outdoor activities. Tourists at Punta del Este can swim with sea lions at Isla de Lobos, boat ride, jet ski, kite surf, or paddle board. It also provides on-land activities, including golf, running, cycling, and tennis.

[zacharyja]

Saturday, May 11th, 2024

Today was the first full free day so it began with a bit of a later start, where I opted to skip breakfast. I then went to the train station with Luke, Ryder and Loryn to make our way to Yokohama to spend the day exploring the city. The train ride took about an hour and we were at Yokohama before we knew it. Once there we decided to go to the Yokohama Chinatown, which was a little overwhelming with all the various shops and restaurants that lined the main street. The busy energy was pretty chaotic and maybe 10am was a bit too early to be thrown into lantern laden streets.

While in Chinatown we found a quaint little cafe called “RouRou Cafe” which had a pretty limited selection but offered a Panda Latte and sure enough that is what we all ordered.

After chatting at the cafe and finishing up our lattes we headed to Yokohama Cosmo World and got tickets for the massive ferris wheel. The view from the top was amazing and we could see so much of the city. At one point near the top we could see the peak of Mount Fuji nestled between some skyscrapers.

After the ferris wheel we walked around the area some and wandered until we found a place to eat lunch. We wound up at an upscale pizza joint where I ordered a margherita pizza (i know pizza multiple times is a bit odd but after walking 20,000 steps a day, bread sauce and cheese sounds incredibly appetizing) The restaurant also offered great views of the Tokyo bay.

After eating we explored Yokohama a bit further and shopped around some. We also ran into a random bike race that was going on in the middle of Yokohama and after looking it up online apparently this was the World Triathlon Yokohama which looked like it was being televised.

We then took a train to Odaiba to go to the Unko museum. The place was pretty small and definitely not worth the trek there just for that. We then got on another train to head back to the hotel.

[downwiththeficness]

Shadow and Veil-Chapter Eleven

Summary: Eva Moore’s life was a carefully constructed fiction.  Every day, she did exactly what her mother in law, her husband, and his  best friend expected of her. No mistakes. And, that was going pretty  well for Eva right up until a huge complication literally tried to run  her over. Now, she’s faced with trying to keep the pieces of her life  from falling apart while attempting (and failing) to keep her feelings  for her husband’s new business partner at bay.

A/N: This fic is a sister-fic to A Need So Great and A Need Unleashed.  You do not need to have read ANSG or ANU to read this fic, but there  are Easter eggs from those fics in Shadow and Veil for readers with keen  eyes.  This fic is explicit for canon-compliant blood, gore, violence,  and sex. As such, it is intended for an adult audience, only. A/B/O  dynamics come with their own warning. Anyone under the age of 18 should  not interact with this work. I do not consent to reposting this work to  other platforms. Reblog only to Tumblr.  

Word Count:

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Masterlist            Read on AO3

Eva watched the front of the apartment building from a cafe across the street. She sipped at her third cup of coffee and wished she wasn’t so bored. Four hours of sitting there and he still hadn’t come out.

Two weeks Eva had been following him—on the days that she didn’t have a packed schedule and she thought Josh wouldn’t notice. He went for a run in the morning, came home, cleaned up. Sometimes, he would meet Javier and they would talk. Eva never had the courage to get close enough to hear what they were saying, but it looked serious.

Javier did a lot of head shaking and Diego spent a long time trying to convince him. Eventually, Javier would relent, slam down the rest of whatever he was drinking, and walk out looking angry. Diego would sometimes follow and sometimes he continued to sit at the table, thinking hard.

Movement at the apartment entrance drew her out of her thoughts. Eva watched as Diego descended the steps with a quick, confident stride. He bypassed his car, moving down the street. Throwing down some cash, Eva got up to follow him.

Three blocks he walked. Eva trailed him, glad that she’d worn sneakers. He seemed to be heading somewhere in particular, but she couldn’t think where. All the little cafes he usually frequented were in the other direction.

Four more blocks.

Diego ducked into the doorway of a place that could barely be called a restaurant. Eva edged up to the window and peered after him as he passed the empty counter and made his way to the back. She hesitated, knowing that she couldn’t follow him and remain hidden. Casting her eyes about, she looked for an answer.

To her left was an alley. It stank of leftover trash, but she could see that it went all the way to the back of the building. With no other course of action, Eva squared her shoulders and walked forward.

One hand on the brick wall, the other clutching the strap of her purse, Eva slowed near the back end of the narrow passage. Craning her neck, Eva eased around the corner and dropped to a crouch. She waddled along until she sat beneath an open window.

Eva stared into the middle distance as she listened to the owner bitch about having meetings in his kitchen. She could hear the slice of a knife through something dense, like onions. Diego’s smooth persuasion followed, assurances and the promise of money so that they could get the air conditioning fixed.

Another voice joined them, and another. Eva tried to place them, but they were unfamiliar to her. Greetings and the slap of flesh that had to be an enthusiastic handshake were interspersed with the sound of something frying in a hot pan. Eva adjusted her stance, trying to quell the beat of her heart so that she could hear.

A lighter flicked. Another voice. Javier. Conversation drifting from Spanish to English.

“Where are we?” One of the unfamiliar voices asked briskly.

“Had to pull back on the second phase of the deal,” Diego answered, “Target was getting suspicious.” There was a pause, “Got a look inside the factory, though. Top of the line equipment.”

Sweat dropped down the back of her neck. Eva swiped at it, trying to pull together what she was hearing with what she already knew. Was this Diego’s boss? He sounded American, no hint of accent—not even a slow Southern drawl. What was a Yank doing meddling this far south?

“Three more like it,” Javier offered. “We’ll try to get you pictures.”

Eva’s heart stuttered. They didn’t need pictures to know that Ardent could manufacture the drugs. Pictures meant they needed to know what the place looked like on the inside. Needing to know what the place looked like on the inside could mean a lot of things, but Eva was willing to bet they wanted to know how to get in and, most importantly, how to get out again.

Diego wanted to rob them. He wanted them to make the drug, get it ready for shipment, and then run off with it into the night. A very fucking stupid move. Josh would send Alexei after him and he’d end up in Josh’s lab.

“What about the wife?”

“What about her?”

Eva’s ears perked up, her eyes lifting to the window as if it would make her hear the conversation any better.

“You said she was angry.”

“She is.”

There was a hard edge to those two words. She could almost see Diego looking down his nose at the other man.

“And?”

Squinting, Eva lifted up as far as she thought was safe. Her thighs protested the position, but she didn’t care. She needed to know what he would say about her, which apparently wasn’t much. His silence was somehow reassuring and frustrating at the same time.

The man who might be Diego’s boss prompted, “Can we use her?”

“No.”

A soft breath left her. Eva dropped back down into a squat and wiped seat from her brow. Her pride refused to think about the relief she felt at Diego’s response.

“We are short on time,” Javier asserted, “Capitán.”

“He’s right, Carrillo. The feds expect an arrest. We didn’t bring you all the way to America so that you could fuck this up.”

Eva mouthed the word, ‘feds’, silently. Her confusion mounted as she tried to figure out what the feds had to do with a robbery.

“They will get an arrest,” Diego—Carrillo?—said, with conviction. “But, we’re not getting anywhere with his wife. She’s too smart for that.”

She preened a little bit with compliment.

“She’s an omega.”

“That doesn’t make her gullible.”

“She’s just as much in on it as the doctor. Get her on our team. Convince her to testify. Maybe it will be enough to keep her out of a jail cell.”

There was the sound of shuffling steps followed by water being poured into a pot. Eva listened, wondering if that was the end of it. She hoped so. Sweating and confused, she waddled out from beneath the window and stood, shaking out her aching legs.

“Why not use the woman?” Javier asked.

Eva froze, barely breathing, waiting for the response.

“Because Zero will kill her. And, I think she knows that.”

Zero?

“You’re too close to this and I think you know it.”

“I’m fine,” Diego-slash-Carrillo shot back, “We’ll get him another way.”

“You sure about that?”

“Yes.”

There was a long pause, then, “While we’re here, we should eat. I’m starving.”

She couldn’t listen any more. Eva had heard more than enough and she needed to get out of there before someone caught her. Scurrying along, she went back the way she came, pausing near the mouth of the alley to make sure she wouldn’t run into anyone who might recognize her. Then, she turned left and hauled ass to her car.

Her roiling feelings tumbled around inside as she barreled down the highway. Eva slowed for a stop light, the turn for her neighborhood looming ahead. She gripped the wheel and guided the car in another direction.

Eva couldn’t go home. Not yet. Josh’s meeting ended in less than an hour and she didn’t know that she would have herself together by then. Her entire world felt like it was sliding around, butter on a hot plate.

There were more questions than answers.

Diego was not who he said he was. Neither was Javier.

The federal government wanted Josh arrested.

They wanted pictures of the factories.

He thought she was smart.

She shook her head hard to clear it. Eva couldn’t afford to let her feelings mingle with her logic. She needed to make decisions with a level head.

Eva pulled the car into the parking lot of the library, not knowing where else she could go that wouldn’t expect her to make a purchase or place an order. Sitting there, Eva chewed on her thumbnail and made herself think.

They were in trouble.

Deep, deep trouble.

If the feds were ready to arrest, it meant they had enough evidence that they felt they could charge Josh with something. It also meant that they could charge Eva with something. Diego—whoever he was—made the deal with Josh to set him up so that he could arrest him for… there were several options on the table. Drug trafficking being the least of them.

Diego was, therefore, a cop. Undercover. Working a case. A case that made Eva a target.  All of their interactions took another shine, illuminated by the knowledge that he’d been lying to her the whole time.

Fucking asshole.

Hot tears welled up and Eva didn’t have the strength to push them down. She’d been so stupid. So, so stupid. She’d almost let him in, let him break apart her life, let him throw her in a cell.

Almost.

Eva’s shame swelled into righteous anger. Anger at him. Anger at herself. It burned through her, a familiar weight that anchored her once more to the earth. Eva couldn’t afford to be hasty about this. There was now so much more at stake than her marriage or her need to run. One misstep and Eva would lose what little freedom she had entirely, possibly for the rest of her life.

Sniffing, she wiped her face and put the car in reverse. She backed out of the parking spot and pulled out of the lot onto the road. Her plan was the same—get the money, get out. Nothing had to change. Not really. She just had to move a little faster, now.

By the time she got to the house, Eva had picked up the shattered pieces of her emotions and put them back together. She walked inside, pausing as Alexei hustled around the corner from the direction of the kitchen.

“Birdie,” he greeted, “come with me. I have news.”

She flinched, watched his back as he strode towards The Lounge. There was no way he could possibly know—Eva, herself, had just found out. She took a steadying breath and followed, hoping that Alexei would not be able to see the way she was holding onto her sense of calm by her fingertips.

Josh was waiting for them, filling a glass with bourbon, “Where have you been?”

Eva’s step slowed, “The library. I had to return a book.”

He glared at her, then looked to Alexei, “Did you find it?”

“No.”

“For fuck’s sake!” Josh yelled, “It can’t have disappeared into thin air. It had to go somewhere.”

Eva folded her hands in front of her, trying to catch up. Josh was fairly vibrating with restrained anger and Alexei’s face was spotted with red. She looked closer. The sleeves of his shirt were rolled up. There was red caked beneath his fingernails.

“What’s going on?”

Josh glared at her again, “We lost the shipment.”

“Which shipment?”

He drank deeply, “The pills. The new batch. The ones we were supposed to send West.”

Eva’s jaw clenched on a single question. Had they already been caught?

Alexei held up both hands, “I have a lead on it.”

Josh pointed a finger at his friend, “This happened on your watch.”

Calmly, Alexei replied, “It did. And, I think I know where to find it. I just need time.”

Turning away, Josh paced towards the sliding doors, staring out towards the pool. Eva felt at a loss. Part of her wanted to tell them about what she’d heard and part of her wanted to keep it secret. Eva couldn’t trust them with this knowledge.

Eva couldn’t trust anyone.

“Birdie?”

She looked at Alexei.

“I need your eyes.”

He sat her down at the kitchen table with a map, a route schedule, and a list of people. Eva listened to him go over it, point by point. And then she listened again. He was patient with her, which was a surprise. If the shoe had been on the other foot, Eva would be demanding answers, demanding action. But, Alexei just sat next to her, pouring vodka from a bottle and giving her every detail he could.

“So, what happened?” Alexei asked.

Eva thought about it, “We used our own people for this? Every part of it?”

“Yes.”

“You’re sure?”

“Yes.”

She sighed, “Then, someone’s been bribed. Or blackmailed. Or…” she hesitated, wondering if someone had been turned.

Alexei peered at her, “Or?”

“Threatened,” Eva finished quickly. “Someone isn’t with us anymore.”

He stared at the list of names he’d been writing down, “That’s the same conclusion I came to.”

She touched her brow, “You said you had a lead.”

“I do.”

“Who?”

Tossing back the last of his drink, Alexei tapped the paper, “I’ve narrowed it down to four.”

Eva’s brows quirked, “We’ll, that’s certainly a manageable number.”

Alexei was silent for a moment, “What do we do with them?”

She leaned away, “Isn’t that kind of your territory?”

He laughed, “Yours, too. If you’ll remember…”

Eva grit her teeth against the memory of Dr. Martin, “Only because Josh wanted me to go with you.”

Pouring another drink, Alexei made a low, amused noise, “Yes, he did.” He cast her a knowing look, “Want to know why?”

“Not really.”

Eva had been aiming for droll, but her voice came out thin and reedy. She felt more and more like Alexei was playing with her, a cat tossing around a mouse before devouring it.

“Too bad,” Alexei leaned forward, “He sent you with me to break you.”

She was silent, unwilling to provide any other response than the sound of her breathing.

“And it didn’t,” he continued, laughing. “Our scared little bird came out of the other end whole. It was fucking hilarious, let me tell you. To see him so frustrated by you.”

Eva started to rise, “Okay, I’m done. I don’t want to play this game anymore.”

Alexei’s hand shot out, grasping her wrist hard, “Too bad. You’re in the game whether you like it or not—you have been in the game since you met your husband in that god-forsaken church. You need to grow up and accept it.”

Jerking her arm away, Eva hurried from the dining room and sprinted up the stairs. She flew into her room and slammed the door behind her.

She hated him. She hated the both of them. It wasn’t enough to strike her down, to shame her, to make her feel tiny and terrified. They wanted to break her down, fracture everything she was—and, for what? So that she couldn’t fight back?

Overwhelmed, Eva marched into her closet and closed herself in. She sat on the floor and heaved ugly breaths that seared her lungs. It took a long time for her vision to focus again and, when it did, she could only see the small duffel hidden at the back.

Shuffling over to it, she slowly pulled the zipper open. Hands clenched in the fabric, Eva held it up to her face, inhaling.

Tobacco. Vetiver. Alpha.

Eva set it down as she renewed a decision she already made.

She was going to get control of this situation. She was going to get control and she was going to get out of it.