#then you’ve paid your dues / entrance fee

[m3tth4ws]

always knew the way id finally get accepted by canucksblr would be to post a quinn thing with a x reader tag. gotcha

[calcifermovesthecastle]

Shared Language

Ghiaccio x Florist!Reader, gn pronouns, fluff ending

1000 follower giveaway for @therealcozyy after a million years I’m so sorry

Warnings: kind of angst, hospitalization and IV’s but nothing major

At the end of a busy day, all you want to do is close up shop and trudge to the apartment the floor above you, and collapse into bed. Thirteen Bridal Bouquets, Add on roughly six each for bridesmaids, as well as walkin customers have you frenzied and harrowed and exhausted, your hands aching with the amount of work you pulled today. Annoyance shoots through you when you hear the patronizing ring of the bell, signaling someone new, and you squeeze your eyes shut, collecting yourself before you turn around. 

"I'm horribly sorry, but we are closed for the night, so-" Your voice trails off when your eyes graze over the Passione pin glinting on the man's shirt, and you visibly wilt when your eyes travel up to his face. "Of course. How much do I owe you?" 

"It's a protection fee. It's not any lower or higher than it's ever been," He responds, looking just as annoyed with the situation as you feel. You sigh, biting your tongue, and crouch behind the counter, skimming the shelves for the envelope you usually keep the fee in. 

"Right, here you are. Um, let me count it out just to make sure I have it all, if that's alright?" 

His eyes meet yours, narrowing, before he shrugs, resting his hands on the counter. You flip through the bills, organizing them by every fifty euros. He watches you count like a hawk, his eyes flicking to your face when you purse your lips in a particular way and freeze. 

"Shit." 

You disappear into the back office, and he can see you rummaging around, looking more and more stressed as you go. 

"Is there a problem?" He calls after you, an edge to his voice.

"No, no, it's-" You come back out to the front, looking near tears as you open the cash register. Your voice cracks when you speak again. "No, there's not a problem. Give me just a moment." 

By the time you've finished counting, there's ten euros left in the register, and tears have started to pool into your eyes. You have to swallow to speak, and when you do, your voice is soft and catches on each word. 

"There. Ten-Ten thousand Euros." You recount once more just to make sure it's all there, tucking it back into the envelope and handing it over to him. His eyebrows knit as he glances to your register, and your lip trembles when you speak again. "Now, really, sir, I do have to close up for the night." 

Even though he's left your shop, he remains in his car, watching you lean over your desk and cry as you appear to do some calculations. Wordlessly, he drives away. 

    -

You're in the middle of arguing with a customer on the price of a standard funeral basket when the bell rings, and one glance over at the door has you panicking. 

"Shit, sir, you need to leave," You usher the fuming customer out the door and swivel, your eyes wide, at the man from last night. "Was it not enough?! Are you going to take my-" 

"Woah, slow down!" He holds up his hands. "I just- do you want- cazzo," He spits, shoving his hands in his pockets. You shift nervously, hysteria quickly threatening to well up past your throat. "Shit. I saw that you didn't have much left yesterday, so I wanted to- buy you lunch." 

You aren't sure if you heard him properly, but when what he says finally registers, your legs crumple underneath you. 

You wake to a concerned blue haired man, and a curious purple haired one who's taking your pulse and checking you over for injuries. 

"Oh, good, you're awake," The purple haired one smiles cooly, helping you sit up. You press a hand to the back of your head, wincing. "Ghiaccio here called me in a frenzy when you passed out. I'd pass out too if he ever asked me out to eat." 

The blue haired one- Ghiaccio, glares daggers at his companion, practically frothing at the mouth, his teeth grinding back and forth. The purple haired one pays him no mind, continuing his conversation with you as if you were old friends. 

"I don't think you need to go to the hospital, but my advice is close early and get some rest. 

"I- what?" Your mind is still trying to catch up to what's happening- two men from Passione acting so casual with you it's like you've known them for years. You frown, gingerly rubbing the back of your head. Not Ghiaccio chuckles, the corners of his lips quirking up with the action as he repeats himself. 

"I- I can't. I can't afford to close early. My rent is due in three days and I have 300 euros. That makes me 1700 euros short and if I'm short again I'll lose my business." 

"Have you eaten since last night?" Ghiaccio speaks up, his words harsher than he probably intends. You stare at him blankly. 

"No?" 

"Do you want to?" 

"I-" You glance at the clock. "I would, but…" 

"What if we brought you some food back here?" Not Ghiaccio coos, earning a death glare from his companion. You bite your lip, slowly getting to your feet. 

"I guess so? If you're offering." 

"I'll be back in forty minutes," Ghiaccio ushers his companion out of your shop, and you're left alone to mull over what happened. 

True to his word, he strolls back into your shop forty five minutes later, a bottle of water and a box of margherita pizza in hand. He sets it on your counter, biting his bottom lip nervously. 

"Are you pitying me?" You ask him quietly, reaching out for the bottle of water, pausing just before you grasp it.

"Since when is doing something nice for someone pitying them?" He looks genuinely taken aback, and you can see anger rising in his face. You decide to let the issue go, opening the box and taking a slice of pizza. 

"It's not something you had to do," You take a bite, feeling a little awkward that you're eating in front of him. "But thank you." 

He takes a slice of pizza for himself, looking uncomfortably stiff as he eats. You share a tense silence with him, your mind reeling with the possibilities of his presence. 

"Are you not enjoying yourself?" 

"I could ask you the same thing," You turn to him, pulled out of your funk. "You're standing in my lobby still as a statue, looking like I just gave you the worst news of your life." 

"What the hell does that mean?" He snaps, stiffening even more. You cover your mouth to hide the smile forming on your lips. Maybe you could enjoy his company after all. 

"It means if your eyebrows knit together any further, you're going to form a unibrow," You take a discreet sip of the water he gave you, laughing when he swivels to face the window, trying to see what you're describing. 

His heart stutters when he hears it, the way your mirth sounds so musical and carefree. God, he thinks to himself. He could listen to that forever.

"Hey, listen," You set the bottle of water down, moving around behind the counter for a moment. When you look satisfied, he watches as you come around the counter and present him with a small bouquet, mixed with white clover, pink sweet pea, Hydrangeas, and peach colored roses. "Thank you."

His face burns as he reaches out and takes the flowers, his heart hammering in his chest when his hand grazes yours. You smile gently at him, retreating back behind the counter. He can't find anything else to say, so he gives you a gruff goodbye and leaves your shop, sitting in his car long after he arrives home. 

-

"Who're the flowers from?" Prosciutto looks up from his book, eyebrow raised in question as Ghiaccio enters the hideout. Ghiaccio balks, stammering in a mix of embarrassment and indignation. 

"The florist three blocks down. Why do you need to know?" 

"Oh? They never give me flowers when I collect their protection fee," Prosciutto hums, tilting his head. 

"When's the last time you bought them lunch?" Melone drapes himself over the back of the couch Prosciutto lounges on, grinning coyly at Ghiaccio as he searches for a vase. Prosciutto hums again in understanding. 

"Their shop still not doing too well, huh? How much did they have left this time?" 

"You make it sound like you want their business to fail," Pesci whines, jutting his lower lip out. "They're always so nice to me when I collect the fee. They'd lose their home if they shut down." 

"They had ten euros," Ghiaccio answers, grabbing a cup and filling it with water, setting the arrangement of flowers inside and carrying it to his room. He gingerly places it on his windowsill, tilting it until he's satisfied that it would get the best amount of sunlight. Prosciutto appears in the door, entering without asking and leaning over Ghiaccio's shoulder to peer at the flowers. His mouth quirks up into a smile when he's satisfied and turns to leave. 

"What? What's that face for?" Ghiaccio stops him from leaving, his tone demanding. Prosciutto looks too smug for his own good, his eyes slanted downwards as he studies Ghiaccio's form. 

"Look up the meaning of those flowers and you'll understand," Prosciutto sidesteps and leaves with a wave of his hand, leaving Ghiaccio fuming. 

-

He had wanted to come by sooner, but unfortunately, got caught up in an odd schedule where he'd travel from job to job, and got stuck in Rome for a month on a hit that only paid One Hundred thousand euros. By the time he'd come back home, he did nothing but sleep and keep up on the paperwork for two days. 

The next time he shows up at your shop, you're not there, and the windows and doors have been boarded up. The sign on the entrance says "Gone out of business."    

"Shit. Shit, shit, shit!" He kicks the door frame furiously with each swear, earning some strange glances and some comments. 

"Christ, man, they weren't even the best florist in town. It's a wonder they stayed afloat as long as they did." 

"Heard it was because they couldn't pay their rent this month. Honestly, with how much Passione charges, it's not even a protection fee anymore, it's an eviction notice waiting to happen." 

"Honestly, they're just flowers. Why is he so worked up?" 

"The person running the shop wasn't even that personable." 

The crowd he'd accumulated falls silent when he turns around, his expression nothing less than smoldering. Some furtive glances at his pin, and soon, the street is empty. 

He meanders back home, kicking pebbles to the side, glowering at anyone even remotely in his way, and slams the door so hard it almost falls off of the hinges when he arrives, earning a displeased look from Prosciutto. 

"What's the matter with you?" 

"Where the fuck are they?" 

"That's rather vague," Prosciutto lights a cigarette and leans back on the couch, resting his ankle on his knee. "Did you have a hit go wrong, or-" 

"The fucking-" Ghiaccio all but stomps over to where his colleague sits, ripping the cigarette from his mouth and taking a deep dreg himself. Prosciutto's brow furrows in annoyance, but he doesn't say anything as he pulls out another from his silver case and lights it. "The florist. They went out of business. Where did they go?" 

"Like I should know the answer to that," Prosciutto scoffs, tapping his ashes into the tray on the end table. Ghiaccio follows suit, taking another deep inhale, sputtering when it goes up his nose. Prosciutto huffs again, shrugging. "What am I? A babysitter? I told you they were going to go under." 

"Well, who collected their fee last?" Ghiaccio throws himself into the chair perpendicular to Prosciutto, tapping his ashes out. Prosciutto hums. 

"Had to have been Risotto. The rest of us were all on hits at the time it's usually collected." 

Ghiaccio bolts up, putting out his half smoked cigarette, earning a glare from Prosciutto. 

"If you're going to steal my smokes, the least you could do is finish them. These are expensive, you know." 

"Then buy a cheaper brand," Ghiaccio retaliates, walking back towards Risotto's office. "We're on a budget anyways, aren't we?"

Just barely in earshot, he can hear Prosciutto telling him to fuck off. Inhaling deeply, he knocks on his capo's door. 

-

"No clue." 

"What the fuck do you mean, no clue?" Ghiaccio's voice is nearing hysterics, and he taps his foot fast, his eyes blown wide. Risotto's demeanor doesn't change, he just hums. 

"Exactly that. I collected their fee two weeks ago. I was in and out. I didn't even know they were shut down until just five minutes ago, when you burst in here screaming about it." 

"Cazzo. CAZZO! Fine, I'll find them myself!" 

"You said Melone went and helped you with a fainting spell they had? See if he can help." 

"See if that slimy- oh." 

-

Of course. 

Of course it had to snow. 

You sit against the brick wall of the alleyway, doing your best to ignore the drug deal to your left, and the way your stomach twists painfully. 

"Hey! Hey, you!" 

You hunker down, your brow furrowed miserably, and close in on yourself a little more to stave off the cold. 

"Hey, you, on the ground! Get the fuck outta here. This is my turf!" Your screamer's legs appear in front of you, and you look up at him, dead eyed. "Jeez, you look like real shit, you know? When's the last time you ate?" 

"Leave me alone." 

"What, not even a hello?" Your perpetrator sneers, crouching to your level. You don't have it in you to even glare. You're too hungry. He scoffs, eyeing you. "Tch. Find somewhere else to starve to death, huh? You're making it hard for me to do my business." 

"Do you have to humiliate me any more than I already am?" You sigh, trying to get to your feet. "Fine. Just leave me alone."

You lean heavily on the wall, your legs trembling underneath you. Homelessness has not treated you well, and the stares your emaciated body receive only further your spiral into despair. 

You've barely made it to the next alley over when your legs give out, and you collapse face first into the accumulated snow. Hazily, you think to yourself that you have to get something to drink somehow, and pull yourself up, grabbing handfuls and shoving it into your mouth, nevermind how cold you already are, your thin long sleeves and tattered excuse for pants clinging wetly to your body. The only thing you can do now is wish for death to come faster than it does. You fall down onto your side and stare blankly at the opposite wall, willing yourself to fall asleep. 

You think you see a pair of legs come to a halt in front of you before you slip into a haze. 

-

When you wake again, a flat white ceiling greets you instead of a cloudy sky, and you notice the weight of a blanket on you. Hazily, you glance over and notice an IV drip hanging out of your arm, and a somewhat familiar blond haired man in a suit sitting next to your bed, smoking a cigarette and absentmindedly reading a newspaper. His eyes flick over when he senses your movement, and his brow shoots up. The paper is set aside, and he takes a generous hit from his cigarette before speaking. 

"Good morning. We weren't sure if you were going to pull out of that or not. You've been asleep for almost four days. It's funny. You lose your business, and suddenly, you drop off of our radar. It was quite a chore to find you, you know." 

"Are you mocking me?" You croak, trying to pull yourself up into a sitting position. The blond appraises you for a minute, puffing smoke out of his mouth. "Are we in a hospital? I'm pretty sure you aren't supposed to smoke in hospitals." 

"I doubt the staff is going to give me a hard time," The man speaks lightly, lounging back. "You certainly are something. You've been awake two minutes and you already have a smart mouth?" A small smile lights up his features. "I guess you could say that you're a trooper." 

"I'm starving," You bite your lip, turning away, your eyes widening when you finally place the man. "Shit! You're from Passione! Oh my god, oh, I lost my-" 

"I already know that," The man waves you off. "I'm just here to keep an eye on you and take you home once you get discharged." 

"But I don't- I don't have a home," You place your thumbnail between your teeth, looking at him anxiously. He dismisses you again, snubbing out his smoke.

"That's why I'm here, kid." 

His vagueness annoys you, but one glance at the box of apple juice and ham sandwich on your bedside tray has anything you want to say dying in your mouth, and by the time you've scarfed it down, tears spark at the corner of your eyes, and any animosity towards the gangster has dissipated. 

"Thank you." 

-

The blond- he's since introduced himself as Prosciutto, drives in silence away from the hospital, not saying anything to you about where you're going. You fidget nervously in the passenger seat, jumping when he parks the care and tells you that you've arrived. 

You're still a little unsteady on your feet, so Prosciutto guides you down the stairs with a hand on the small of your back, and leans across you to unlock and open the door. The minute you step inside, you're greeted with almost everyone who's come to collect your protection fees. The only one missing is the blue haired one who bought you lunch- Ghiaccio. 

The...boss… Risotto, as introduced, gives you a quick tour of your new residence, telling you that everything is free range, that he's going to have you take on some of the deskwork in return, and shows you to your room. Inside is a bed and a few changes of clothes in the closet. At this point, you're teetering on the edge of bawling your eyes out, and you can barely choke out a thank you, giving him a wobbly smile. You swear you can see him smile in return. 

-

You're sitting on the edge of your bed that night, fidgeting nervously, your mind spinning 100 miles per hour, when there's a knock at your door. You practically jump out of your skin, and call out a shaky "Come In." 

The door creaks open slowly, and there he is, his hands hidden behind his back. 

Ghiaccio. 

You stand slowly, your eyes searching his face. 

"Did you-" You catch yourself, starting towards him hesitantly. He seems just as hesitant as he walks towards you. "Did you make this happen?" 

"Not really," His voice is soft and hoarse, and the way his brow is furrowed tells you just how worried he was, but the light in his eyes shows you how relieved he feels to see you in person again. "I just suggested it, really. Sort of… Panicked... When I saw your- your shop-" His voice falters when you reach out and grab his shoulder. Tears are welling in your eyes for what feels like the eightieth time today, and your lower lip trembles when your hand comes in contact with him. He's a little cold to the touch, but it's comforting and refreshing. 

"Thank you," You manage. He swallows thickly, revealing his hands and shoving something harshly in your direction. He's beet red now, and looking anywhere but you. You grab it, taken aback, and look down to inspect it. 

Now you really start to cry, tears spilling onto the arrangement of Daffodils, Daisies, purple lilacs, irises, and lavender roses. So much said in one little bouquet. A sob expels from your throat, and you look up at him, catching him watching you out of the corner of his eye. 

You set the flowers on your bed, stepping forward to wrap your arms around him. 

"They're good?" He sounds nervous, and stiffens at the contact. 

"They're wonderful," You confirm, your voice thick as you bury your face into his shoulder. His arms wind around you, then, and you can hear the relief in his voice when he murmurs to you again. 

"Welcome home."

[cheri-translates]

[CN] Victor’s Belonging Date

🍒 Warning: This post contains detailed spoilers for a date, 归属之约, which has not been released in English servers! 🍒

This date makes important references to his birthday R&S, so do read that first!

Victor’s 2021 birthday collection:

🐼 r&s l belonging date ♡ l video call l moments and texts l asmr

[ Released in CN on 8 Jan 2021 ]

Early in the morning on the weekend, I push a cardboard box into Victor’s living room, straightening up and heaving a sigh.

MC: I seem to have prepared too many ribbons... I'll just blow fewer balloons.

Scanning the slightly empty and spacious room, I retrieve decorations from within the cardboard box.

Victor has been busy with business trips recently. Even though I know he’d return on his birthday, I still feel a little uneasy.

In order to avert the abrupt circumstances like last year, I called him in advance to tell him about my “action plan”.

He seems to have gotten used to the festive rituals I insist upon, and has agreed to let me decorate his home. 

Just as I plan to straighten up the cushions on the sofa, the doorbell suddenly rings. 

MC: Who is it?

??: Hello, there’s a package for Mr Victor.

I open the door, and the deliveryman hands over a cardboard box. The logo of Loveland City’s zoo is printed on it. 

MC: This is...

Deliveryman: It was sent late, I’m really sorry about it! There’s been some issues at the transfer point. It should have been sent to you at the start of the year.

A little puzzled, I nod and take the box. This seems to be the first time I’m seeing a package from the zoo.

After signing for the package, I take a picture of the box and send it to Victor. 

Not long after, the phone buzzes.

Victor: Leave the box at the entrance. I’ll handle it after I’m back. 

MC: Sure, but why would the zoo send you a delivery?

Victor: I adopted a panda, so the zoo sends some merchandise every year.

MC: So they actually send such things... zoo merchandise is always in limited supply, and I’ve had to rely on snatching them up whenever I visit.

Perhaps hearing the envy in my tone, Victor chuckles softly. 

Victor: In that case, you can open it up and look if there’s anything you haven’t snatched up.

MC: Can I? I’ll open it on your behalf then!

With a few movements, I open the cardboard box. All sorts of animal plush toys are stored inside, with panda-related items featuring most often.

My line of sight roams the box, and I notice a small album.

There are pictures of one big and one small panda in the album. It records their everyday lives - eating bamboo, climbing trees, rolling around... it’s like a diary.

MC: Victor, there’s an album here too. There are two pandas in it. Which one did you adopt?

Victor: Both of them.

MC: You adopted two?

Victor: Mm, the big one was the one I mentioned to you before. The small one is its child.

Digesting this information, I mutter softly.

MC: I wonder who mentioned not having feelings towards animals...

Victor: Animals no, people yes. Providing help to endangered animals is a very normal thing.

MC: Only providing help?

Victor: ...what else?

MC: Nothing, I just think CEO Victor is really considerate to specially provide help to a father-son duo~

There’s a temporary silence at the other end of the line. I can almost picture Victor’s speechless expression at this moment. 

Victor: Say it, what kind of wicked plan have you come up with this time?

MC: It’s a serious idea! Victor, let’s find a time to visit them? I also wish to meet these two “investees” who have caught your eye.

Victor: You’re truly giving yourself more and more excuses to go out to play.

MC: I can’t?

Victor: ...forget it, we’ll go together if you want to see them.

After ending the call, I retrieve a few panda plush toys from the box, display them on the sofa, then straighten the seats. Finally, I nod in satisfaction. 

As compared to vibrantly coloured decorations, Victor should prefer these adorable plush toys.

-

A few more pages are torn from the calendar, and it’s finally Victor’s birthday.

I checked the information of his flight beforehand. Since it’s not yet time for the plane to land, I prepare to send my report to him first.

The sound of my phone vibrating enters my ears. Seeing the familiar name flashing on the screen, I pick up the call in slight confusion.

MC: Victor? You’ve already reached?

Victor: I just reached. Slightly earlier than expected. 

MC: This means I'm the first person to receive your call~ I’ll just say it first - I’ve already prepared my report, and just have to tap the send button.

Victor: Looks like you have a lot of confidence in this report. Since you're done with work, head out with me in the afternoon.

I freeze for a moment. This year, Victor’s birthday happens to be on a working day. I originally planned to celebrate with him in the evening after work.

I didn’t expect that Victor, who has always been serious about work, would think of having a day of rest. I can’t help but tease him.

MC: Is CEO Victor skipping work? 

Victor: I’m giving you a break too. A certain someone has been rushing work for so many days, and I’m letting you rest for a while.

My heart stirs, and I seem to understand something.

MC: Seems like I'm not the only person looking forward to today?

After a moment of silence on the other end of the line, his voice sounds, carrying with it a smile. 

Victor: I shouldn’t be the only one wanting to meet earlier either. I’ll get my luggage, and will see you in around two hours.

-

At the agreed time, Victor’s car appears punctually at the bottom of the office building.

I jog and get into the car. He sits on the driver’s seat quietly, his coat half open, revealing a somewhat familiar grey coloured shirt.

There seems to be some tiny creases at his collar that haven’t been ironed smoothly, but the angle at which the collar encases his neck looks very suitable.

Perhaps due to the rays of light falling on his shoulders, or perhaps due to the warm wind blowing in the car, the image before me feels especially warm despite it being winter.

I pull on his arm to take a look, then nod in satisfaction.

MC: Who picked this shirt? It feels as though it makes CEO Victor look especially dashing!

Victor looks at me, the corners of his lips tugging upwards.

Victor: Blowing your own trumpet.

MC: You wore it yourself. Doesn’t this prove that the choice of gift was a success?

Victor: I wonder who splayed it on the middle of the bed, only missing a note saying “Wear this today”.

MC: So do you like it or not?

Victor: Passable.

I purse my lips, pulling aside my own coat. Deliberately straightening up, I beckon him to look at the matching shirt I’m wearing.

MC: Cough cough. Is it really just “passable”?

Victor seems to be taken aback for a moment. Then, a smile quickly softens his expression.

Victor: The car isn’t warm yet. Don’t rush to remove your coat.

He reaches out to pull up the zipper. With a pause, he pulls it down slightly, stopping at the chest region.

I follow his gaze and lower my head to take a look. Like this, it just happens to reveal my shirt.

Glancing at our similar colours, I can’t help but laugh secretly in my heart.

Victor: In general, there’s an improvement in taste. A little better than what I expected.

MC: Thank you for your praise, CEO Victor. In that case, should I maintain this standard in the future?

Victor: You can. All right, let’s go. Fasten your safety belt.

MC: Where are we going?

Victor: Didn’t you want to see the pandas? There will be fewer visitors in the zoo on a working day.

While Victor speaks, he starts the car, inputting the destination into the navigation system.

MC: We’re going right now? But today... I thought you’d prefer a quieter birthday.

Victor: By “quieter”, do you mean by displaying a huge bunch of plush toys at home?

MC: They’re so cute, so I accidentally...

I grin while meeting his look of distaste, and something occurs to me.

MC: But if we're going there today, I could get to know your panda friends by matching them against the photographs.

Seeing me take out the photo album from my bag and giving it a flip, Victor raises his brows in slight shock.

Victor: You even brought their photographs around?

MC: I was originally going to make you a mini photo wall, but couldn’t finish it in time. I planned to bring you the photographs in the evening, so I put them in my bag. Come to think of it, I don’t know what names you gave them.

[Note] This is a contradiction?? Because MC clearly mentioned Little Vick in a pretty old Moment post...

Victor: I didn’t give them names.

MC: Why not?

Victor: I only paid the adoption fees. The rest depends entirely on the zoo staff’s care, so there’s no need to leave them with anything.

MC: But if they don’t have names, how would you recognise them later?

Victor: Do you rely on names to recognise people?

MC: Oo... It’s mainly the face I guess.

Victor: Animals are the same. If you observe their unique traits, you’ll naturally be able to identify them.

The afternoon sunlight is somewhat glaring. I lift my head to avoid the light, and look at Victor in the rearview mirror.

He has a serious expression, but for some reason, I think of a particular fine and sunny weekend we once had, when the light also encased us like this. 

At that time, the person beside me had used an ink-less brush, secretly leaving a mark related to him on me.

The car pauses at the crossing, waiting for the red light. Victor straightens the visor for me, turning his head to meet my gaze. 

Victor: Why are you staring at me?

MC: I suddenly thought about how someone doesn’t name pandas, yet would write his own name on my face. Doesn’t this mean I’m important to him?

Victor: Good that you know it.

The red light flickers. Victor averts his gaze, staring at the front. Suddenly, he laughs.

Victor: But from what I see now, I’ve already been influenced by a dummy.

The visor shields me from the glaring sunlight, and also makes my vision clearer.

Whether it’s the matching shirt or the Shiba Inu keychain swinging on the car keys...

These seemingly trivial, ordinary and small details clearly reflect the traces that I’ve left on him.

-

Even though it’s a working day, there are still quite a number of people visiting the pandas in the zoo.

Following the crowd, we take a slow stroll. Many children run past us happily.

Right after walking to the panda area, I see many people congregated at the railings and observing.

Pulling Victor over, rounded panda “dumplings” immediately attract my full attention.

A few young pandas are currently climbing and having fun on wooden poles. Occasionally, they’d bump into each other and roll onto the ground. After exerting energy to flip over, they’d once again climb to the location of their choice.

As if intoxicated and stupefied, I stare at them for a very long time before remembering that the panda baby Victor had adopted could be in their midst. Hurriedly, I take out the photographs from my bag to make comparisons.

However, the pandas before me seem to be carved from the same mold. The colour of their fur are the same, and they are similar in size. There seems to be too much to take in.

I turn my head to look at Victor, who’s next to me. He seems to guess what I’m thinking, and speaks straight away.

Victor: You haven’t identified it?

MC: It’s a little difficult.

Victor points at a panda which is currently climbing a wooden pole.

Victor: That one.

MC: How can you be so certain?

Victor: It injured its leg a few months ago. During the treatment, there was a need to trim the fur around the injury. Look at its hind leg - some of its fur is newly grown.

Fixing my eyes on it, the back of the panda’s right hind leg has a small tuft of relatively shorter fur. Without a careful look, one would think it’s a normal dip.

Flipping and looking through the photos, I realise that it’s actually the case.

Just as I’m about to awe at how Victor is truly perceptive to the finest detail, I suddenly realise something. 

MC: Wait, you mentioned that it’s been a few months... Have you always been keeping watch on them?

Victor: The staff will regularly provide feedback on their situation.

MC: So your e-mail isn’t filled only with reports from employees.

Victor: My life doesn’t just consist of work.

He doesn’t respond to my teasing gaze, and he continues looking at the pandas playing freely and leisurely in the garden.

Victor: Are you here to look at the pandas or me?

I respond without giving it much thought.

MC: Both!

Victor: ...

Victor shakes his head in resignation, pulling on my hand as we weave through the crowd.

Victor: There are too many people here. Let’s walk forward.

We walk and pause, following the park’s signboards. Gradually, a patch of empty land appears in my view.

A staff member is currently stacking bamboo next to tree trunks and wooden poles, as though waiting for the pandas to feast.

I tug on Victor to stop. After staying in place for a while, I see a big panda pacing over slowly.

It doesn’t seem to care about how many people are watching it. It heads towards the food, picking a comfortable position to sit down.

Flipping to the photograph of the Daddy Panda eating bamboo, I lift it up to compare it with the panda in front of me.

MC: Victor, isn’t this the panda Uncle gave to you? Its posture of leaning against the tree trunk is exactly the same as in the photo!

Victor leans down and looks over, nodding lightly.

Victor: Yes.

MC: Really? We’re so lucky to meet both of them.

Just as Victor is about to say something, the voice of a small boy suddenly drifts towards us.

Small boy: Little... Vick. Its name is Little Vick!

I’m stunned for a moment, turning my head to find the source of the voice. A small boy is being carried in the arms of his parents, reading out the name based on a nearby board.

Information regarding the pandas on duty are written on the board. Its name is found at the very top, and it’s a name I couldn’t be more familiar with.

[Note] The reason why MC finds it familiar is clearer in Chinese. Victor’s name is 李泽言 (Li Ze Yan),  and the panda’s Chinese name is 言言 (Yan Yan)

Because he read the correct words, the small boy is complimented by his parents. He continues reading.

Small boy: Its a boy... and its birthday is 13 January! It’s Little Vick’s birthday today!

Turning back to look at Victor, he currently has an uncomfortable expression on his face, and he clears his throat softly.

Victor: ...my dad named it.

MC: And it happens to have the same birthday?

Victor: Mm.

I try to suppress my laughter, lowering my voice and calling out to Little Vick a few times while it’s engrossed in bamboo.

MC: Little Vick-- We’re here to see you--

Victor: [sighs] ...

MC: Little Vick-- Wishing you a happy birthday--

Victor: Childish.

Victor pretends to have a stern look his poker face, but I can still see the gradually reddening tips of his ears.

I laugh while standing in front of him, straightening my back under his reluctant gaze.

MC: On behalf of myself and Little Vick, we also wish Mr Victor a happy birthday. Don’t feel embarrassed. Your father used your name to name your favourite thing. It’s called “loving the house and its crows”. 

[Note] MC uses an idiom, 爱屋及乌 ( “ai wu ji wu”), which literally translates to “love the house and the crows”. This conveys the depth of someone’s love to the point where you like everything related to that person.

Victor: Do you apply the same principle when you enthusiastically name all sorts of objects?

MC: I don’t just name everything. After all, I also “love the house and its crows”. For instance, I used to think that all pandas were very adorable... But right now, I think Little Vick is the cutest.

Only after saying all this in one breath do I feel slightly embarrassed. I hurriedly turn around, taking out my phone to take pictures of Little Vick, wanting to hide the heat on my face. 

While snapping photos, I watch for Victor’s reaction. But even after a long time, there isn’t a sound from behind me, and I can’t help but turn around.

“Kacha.”

The golden, dazzling sunlight spreads from behind him, glinting brightly around his raised phone.

Before I can prepare my expression, I see Victor’s phone camera facing me.

He retracts his phone, smiling as he looks at the screen.

MC: [blushing] You... you snuck a photo of me!

Seeing that I’m reaching out to snatch his phone, Victor grabs my wrist, quickly keeping his phone in his pocket.

Victor: This is just a response to your words earlier.

MC: What does that mean?

Victor smiles, his deep eyes filled with my profile.

Victor: It means that there are many dummies in the world... But I only like the one in front of me.

-

Returning home from the zoo, VIctor’s sudden words repeatedly circle my mind.

In order for him not to realise my state of mind, I take out the ingredients I had prepared in advance the moment I reach home, preparing to burrow into the kitchen to cook.

Victor naturally walks to my side, wanting to take the bags in my hand. I frantically press down on his hand.

MC: Hold on, don’t help. I’ll do it myself!

Victor: There are so many things and you want to do it yourself?

MC: Don’t worry, I’ve practiced at home and can guarantee that I have a knowledge of the fundamentals, and won’t blow up your kitchen. Also, you’re the elderly person whose birthday is being celebrated. So you shouldn’t work. Oh yes, aside from this shirt, I’ve also hidden a few presents at home. Want to look for them? 

[Note] MC REALLY USED THE WORD 寿星 ( “shou xing”) which could mean “God of Longevity” or “elderly person whose birthday is being celebrated” LOL

I say everything in one breath, not giving him a chance to retort.

Under my expectant gaze, Victor sighs in resignation, then says a few more words before leaving the kitchen.

-

With the fastest speed I can manage, I finish cooking. While bringing the dishes to the table, Victor places some gift boxes onto the sofa.

Victor: I’ve found three. That’s all, isn’t it?

MC: Not just these. You could look in other rooms.

Victor: [sighs] Looks like you really planned to prepare a hundred gifts.

MC: I didn’t do it on purpose. When I saw those things, I subconsciously  thought of you. But right now, I should invite CEO Victor to test my culinary skills!

After the meal, Victor finds a few more gifts. After giving them a count, I realise there’s still one more missing.

Victor: Why are there more?

MC: The final gift is very critical. I’ll help you get it.

I head straight to Victor’s bedroom. Removing the blanket, I retrieve a long box from a crevice at the corner of the bed.

Victor has his arms crossed over his chest as he stands at the side, watching as I make a show of straightening the ribbon on the gift box.

MC: Don’t worry, there aren’t any weird presents this time. Before, I was always sending you things I liked, but those things weren’t what you liked. So this year, I want to give you some gifts that you need.

Opening the gift box, I take out the tie that I picked out, and display it from all angles. 

MC: There aren’t pictures of happy faces, and it doesn’t have a strange colour. You can wear it to work!

Victor looks at me, then walks to the side of the bed and leans down.

Victor: Since a certain someone is doing her utmost to recommend it, I shall see how it looks. 

MC: I’ll put it on for you!

It’s rare for Victor to be interested in my presents. I immediately climb up from the bed, flipping his collar up and fastening the tie.

This distance makes the side of his face close enough to touch. His warm breaths are on my shoulder, and I have to force myself to focus on the tie.

With much difficulty, I tie the tie into a basic shape. Victor’s low voice suddenly drifts to my ear. 

Victor: This seems to be the first time I’m seeing you wear a proper shirt.

MC: It looks good, doesn’t it?

Victor doesn’t respond. He simply smiles, tidying the back of my collar.

Victor: It’s also the first time I’ve seen you cooking without being clumsy.

MC: Of course I needed to perform properly when cooking in your kitchen. 

Victor: It’s also the first time we’re visiting the zoo on a day-off from work.

MC: It’s already the fourth year, and there are still so many firsts?

Victor: Is that a bad thing? Since they are all first times, you can create so-called surprises.

The words at my ear, bringing with them a smile, create ripples in my heart. My hands pause, and I lift my head to look at him.

MC: May I ask CEO Victor - does this mean you’re satisfied with today?

Victor: This isn’t about whether I’m satisfied.

Victor pulls down my hand which is holding onto the tie, beckoning me to sit down.

Just as I plan to scoot over to give him some space, I realise that he has seated down directly on the carpet next to the bed.

MC: Someone always reminds me that the floor is cold. So why is he still sitting on the floor?

Victor: The first time you came to my house, you seem to have said similar words.

While speaking, he tugs the blanket upwards before it slides down my shoulder.

Lowering my head to look at him, the “first time” he’s referring to surfaces in my mind.

The CEO who wilfully lay down on the floor to settle work, and also wilfully had a light sleep in the middle of the piano tune.

He lifts his head to look at me, his teasing gaze unconcealed and bright in the light. The tie, which hasn’t been fastened properly, hangs loosely on his neck.

Without even realising it, his relaxed appearance has become something I've grown used to.

Images in my memories and the person before me gradually match up. I can’t suppress the smile creeping onto my lips, but complain about him anyway.

MC: Victor, you’re really wilful sometimes.

Victor: I learnt it from someone.

MC: ...cough cough. Back to the earlier topic! Could the elderly birthday person please assess today’s plans, and let me gain some experience.

Victor: Everything about today, whether the itinerary or the gifts - I’m very happy with them. Not just today. Every year before this as well.

MC: If you put it that way, I can’t tell how to make it even better. After all, even though it’s been so long, you’ve never directly mentioned what you like.

Victor chuckles softly.

Victor: There’s no need to mention them. When it comes to these things, your efforts always surpass my expectations. Also, the feelings and time you expend - they are even more precious gifts than anything else.

A clamour of emotions ferment in my chest, and I finally peek my head out from the blanket.

MC: Am I one step closer to moving you to tears?

Victor: Judging from your skills in tying a tie, you’re still very far from it. But this is already very good.

As the curtain of night falls, the world outside the window gradually becomes quiet. The ticking of the clock’s secondhand at the bedside becomes clearer.

I glance at the time, and it’s already quite late. 

MC: Today’s coming to an end. I’m a little reluctant to part with with it.

Victor: Reluctant to part with the off-day?

MC: Nope. I just feel as though you’ll get busy again after today... You won’t just be my Victor.

I mutter softly, but Victor still hears it. He curls his finger and taps my forehead.

Victor: Who says I'm not? From work to life, which part lacks a certain person’s shadow? Also, other than you, I've never belonged to anyone.

MC: Does this count as a return gift from an elderly man celebrating his birthday?

Victor: It’s just the truth.

I smile while tightening the blanket over myself, shuffling towards him quietly.

MC: But the opportunities to spend time with you without any worries like this are very limited. How do you want to spend the remainder of today?

Victor looks at me, then straightens up to sit with me at the side of the bed.

Victor: For the rest of the time, let’s just stay like this.

I subconsciously loosen my grip on the blanket. He takes the blanket, leans closer to me, and bundles me in it tightly.

The irritating sound of the secondhand suddenly vanishes. In the tranquil night, only the light in the eyes of the person next to me continues flowing and glinting.

Victor: Being without any worries like you wanted - it can be prolonged a little. Also, not just today. Anytime in the future - as long as you want it, it can be done.

🐼 Phone call: here

🐼 Support the cafe by dropping by the tip jar!

[justoneday-namjoonii]

Quarters. | 7

☼1 • 2 • 3 • 4 • 5 • 6 • 7 • 8 • 9

prompt: He is the definition of young blood, so sweet, so hot—it courses through his veins and fuels his vigor. When he fights, each punch cracks the earth and every drop of sweat gives birth to a flower somewhere in the universe.

pairing: Jungkook x reader

warnings/au: dysfunctional relationship, mentions of being insecure because of being adopted, family issues, humor(i try), mature subject matter, drug usage, don’t smoke children, fluff, angst, boxer!au, iceskater!au.

authors note:  It’s been a while! But it’s back and I’m happy with how this came out, i hope you are too^^ feel free to comment what you think! Also, I will edit this later and lotte jk choked me. ♡´･ᴗ･`♡ i know this is late but happy b-day jungkook

Jimin yells pointers from the sidelines and he takes heed of all of them.

People are cheering, smoke wafts through the air to create a cloudy ambiance, and he drips with sweat. He is the definition of young blood, so sweet, so hot—it courses through his veins and fuels his vigor. When he fights, each punch cracks the earth and every drop of sweat gives birth to a flower somewhere in the universe. He grits his teeth and he’s dying to spit out the mouth guard, all he has to do is hope the dude he just socked doesn’t get up. He stays heavy on his feet, keeping his guard up as the guy rolls on his side in an attempt to get up. In his mind he’s chanting, please stay down, please stay the fuck down-

“...5, 4, 3, 2, 1. We have a winner!

“Yes!”

Jimin exclaimed he was elated, to say the least. Jungkook was glad. Tae was there, Hoseok, Yoongi, and a bunch of his friends came to support. This result was far better than the last match he had. He thinks in the back of his mind, I did good, but I could have done a lot better.

Jungkook was all smiles when he ran back to the locker room with a crowd chorusing his name.

“Are you on steroids or something?” Taehyung snickered, he was back there waiting for him. Jungkook just giggled like a little kid, making his way to the showers.

“Nah, I think I’m starting my winning streak though.”

“You were a fucking beast!” Jimin hit the shower room door as Jungkook was back there stripping off the sweaty boxers and letting the hot water wash the sweat from his shrine of tattoos. “We have to celebrate.”

“I’m up for whatever.” Jungkook pushed back his once pink, but now freshly died black hair and washed his face. When he deemed his body clean enough, he tugged the towel down from the door and hastily dried off. He swings the shower door open and stumbles out and into his slides.

“Let’s go swimming! I’ll order some food and we can go to my place. Jungkook, you should bring y/n too, it’ll be fun.” Jimin grins, knowing Jungkook would be more than happy to have you join them. Jungkook has only been with you for a few months but Jimin can tell that you’re different from any other girl he’s been with, as cliche as that seems. Jungkook sounds so in love when he talks about you, if you look hard enough, you can see him blushing when you’re even mentioned. And given you’ve stuck around to get him out of jail and all the other crap Jungkook has got himself in, you must really love him.

*

*

You skate around playfully, lazily trying to wrap up your conditioning for the day. Unfortunately, Charlotte’s best bud Stephanie came to the rink about 30 minutes ago to practice her routine. Just when you thought you could get a break, she skated up to you, a snake-ish smirk on her face.

“Y/n, how are you?” She grins, a very fake grin at that.

“I’m good, you?” You return her smile with the same expression.

“I’m fine. It’s Charlotte I’m worried about.”

“Oh?” You almost choke at your attempt to compile a comment of concern for your fellow skater. “Why?”

“People are talking about the competition and your scores...”

“And what about my scores?”

“Some people are thinking that the judges were biased when tallying up your scores.” You couldn’t hide the grimace on your face when she said that.

“What?”

“One of those judges used to be your coach.”  How did she know that? “I heard she gave you a great score, the one that made you beat Charlotte.”

“And?” You didn’t have time to fool with her today. The most important thing for you to do is keep your cool and ignore her.

“And that seems suspicious, everyone thinks so.” That’s when she skated away.

You roll your eyes and skate off the ice. Instead of finishing conditioning, you decide to change and go home before you do something you regret. You grab your gym bag and take it to the locker room. The competition season has ended so everyone is focused on sharpening their skills for the next season. Why are people still talking about that one competition? You won, that’s it, it’s over. But you should have known the win couldn't come that easy, especially if you beat Charlotte, your arch-nemesis.

“Hello Y/n.” Charlotte enters the locker room, her pitiful little assistant trailing behind her with her bags. Due to repairs at her own center, she had to come here to practice. “I didn’t know you practiced on Thursday’s.”

“Yeah, I’m here every Thursday.” You grin, turning to face your locker as you take out your sweats and sneakers, eager to slip them on.

“This is kind of my home rink...” You mumble that to yourself while situating your sweats and then taking a seat to tie up your sneakers. Once you’re dressed, you threw your bag over your shoulder and you were ready to get out of there. Her assistant walked out and you were about to do the same.

“Wait,” Charlotte grabbed your arm, “I wasn’t going to say anything, but I might as well.” She grins. “I brought a complaint to the judging panel.”

You pull your arm away and frown. “A complaint about what?”

“About you. One of the judges was a past coach of yours, and that judge gave you the score that put you in the first place. Isn’t that a bit of a coincidence? You’ve never won first place over me, ever. But the one time a past coach of yours judges the competition, you win.” She scoffs. “Their reviewing the scores and should be contacting you within the week.”

Of course she would do that.

“What? What is wrong with you? Why do you feel like you have to win everything?”

“Because I deserve it, Y/n. I work harder than anyone out there on the ice and for you to sneak your way into first place was cheap. My routine was flawless.”

“I still don’t understand what you have to complain about. You have world-renowned coaches, your equipment is state of the art, you’ve never had to worry about entrance fees, you get to live your passion and you have all the resources to cover it. Unlike you, my parents aren’t paying for me to do this. So I work my butt off to perfect my routines and I know for damn sure that I deserved what I got.”

“You’re an amateur!” She flails her arms dramatically, brows furrowing angrily. “I’ve been on the ice since I could walk, I was made for this. And I didn’t come all this way to let someone like you take it from me.”

“Charlotte, each and every skater in the building thinks they were made for this.” You cross your arms, throwing your bag over your shoulder. “It’s a matter of proving it.”

“Well, that’s just the difference between me and everybody else. I’ve proved it.” She walks up to you, too close for your liking so you purposely take a step back.

You realize that you don’t have to take this, so you don’t. You storm out of the locker room and pray you don’t look back, because there are a thousand things you could say to her right now. All the blood, sweat, and tears—and this is what you get in return? This is B.S.

You tried not to let it get to you, you really did. But here you are, sitting in your car and brewing with frustration over your messed up life. “I hate that girl. I hate her, I hate her stupid ponytail, I hate her attitude, I hate her...” You hook in your seatbelt and just as you’re about to pull off, you get a phone call, it’s Jungkook.

You try to sound as pleasant as possible. “Hello?”

“Hey baby, are you done with practice?”

“Y- Yeah, how’d your match go?” You’ve become progressively more supportive for his boxing hobby.

“I won.” he sounded so excited and it made you smile.

“That’s so good Jungkook, your practice paid off, I told you it would. Are your friends taking you out to celebrate?”

“Yeah, we’re having a little late-night pool party at Jimin’s. Can you come? I’ll pick you up.”

“Y-yeah, of course,” You clear your throat, “that sounds like fun.”

“Great, I’ll see you in 30 minutes. I love you,” You can literally hear him smiling, “I can’t wait to see you.”

“I can’t wait to see you too Jungkook, love you,” You grin to yourself, “bye.”

Sitting your phone down, you let out a heavy sigh. Despite your sour mood, you decide to quit sulking in the parking lot and head home so you can get changed. You’re happy for Jungkook, honestly. Ever since the beginning of your relationship, his boxing hobby was a concern of yours more than anything. Seeing him all bent up was hard to stomach at times, especially when he’d lose—that was hard to see. But luckily, he tried not to get stuck on a fight so you never had time to dwell on it.

Now, more than ever, you’ve begun to accept it as a part of him and actually like it a little. He’s an athlete, so he does have the tendency to find identity in the sport and you can definitely understand that. Without skating, you don’t know where you’d be right now. It’s your passion, there’s nothing on this planet that makes you feel as alive as dancing on the ice. Jungkook feels the same about his sport so you embrace it at full force now.

It’s not long before you make your way home and struggle into your humble abode. Your knee has been bothering you lately and last night you forgot to ice it like you were instructed to at the clinic, oh well. You lowkey aren’t too crazy about a pool party, you don’t really care for stuff like that, but it’s for Jungkook so you decide to suck it up. You go to your drawer and search for a suitable swimsuit. After narrowing down your options, you decide to go for the black spaghetti-strapped one-piece with the low back, that seems nice enough. You quickly go to freshen up a little, put your hair up, and pull a hoodie and some jeans on. Your phone begins to buzz and you see it’s a call from Rosie.

“Hey, Ro.”

“Hey, girl! I heard Jungkook won the match.”

“Yeah, he did, I wish I could’ve been there but I had conditioning and I had to be there since I skipped last week. But yeah, he’s been at that gym nonstop for the past few weeks and it paid off.” You have the phone on speaker and you lean down to tie your shoelaces.

“That’s so awesome. I was just calling to let you know that Jimin invited me to the pool party and he said Jungkook went to pick you up, so I’ll see you soon- Oh, and you said you had practice tonight, how did that go?”

You smack your teeth and she can already tell it wasn’t good.

“That bad?”

“I mean, it was fine until Charlotte showed up with her bullshit.”

“Y/n, I always tell you, don’t let her get to you-”

“You don’t understand, Ro.” You take a deep breath. “She reported me, for no reason.”

“Seriously? Reported you for what?”

“She said since one of the judges was a past coach of mine, and that coach gave me the score to put me in the first place, she doesn’t think I deserved first place. Can you believe that? I’m so pissed...”

“Man, that sucks. She shouldn’t be able to do that, how can they prove that the judge was biased? You just had a great routine. Charlotte has always been a bitch to you and now it’s really coming out.”

“The board is going to contact me soon so I don’t know what to do...”

“Well don’t worry about it, okay? Let loose and have fun tonight.”

You sigh. “I’ll try. See you later Ro.” You bid each other farewell and drop your phone on the bed. You’re so stressed right now, but you’re gonna try your best to not let your mood affect Jungkook or anyone at the matter.

Suddenly, you hear a knock on the door and a voice saying ‘it’s me, it’s me.” You sigh, he’s here. You run to the door and look at yourself in the mirror real quick before you open it.

“Hey, baby.” He coos, his sweet bunny smile making an appearance.

“Hi, Jungkook.” You shyly smile when you see him, a simple tee and sweats on. You reach up to give him a big hug and he attacks you with a kiss. You try to move back but he just laughs, pulling you closer and lifting you up to spin you around.

“Woah,” You steady yourself as he finally stops moving, “I’m happy to see you too,” He puts you down but you’re still in his arms, “why didn’t you use your key?” You mumble into his chest.

“Left it at home,” He breathes. “ahh, you smell so good, I mean you always do but today it’s more—almondy?” And he exhales. “You ready?”

“Yeah, just about.” You let him go in search of your tote bag. “I’ve had a really annoying day so it’s nice to go out. You deserve to let loose and get rewarded for all the work you’ve put in.”

“Aw, you had a bad day? What happened?” He frowns. You feel him come up behind you and before you know it he’s trying to hug you but you gently pry his hands off.

“It’s- it’s nothing really, don’t worry about it,” You press your lips, “tonights about you.”

*

*

As soon as you pull up to Jimin’s place, you can hear people jumping in the pool and your heart starts to beat faster. You’re a little jumpy, per usual. You know most of his friends and they know you but you’re still subject to a little anxiety every now and then. You get out of the car and rush over to walk beside him so you can walk in together. That’s when he rests his hand on your waist, and that’s when you know he’s paying close attention to you.

“I haven’t gone swimming in forever.” He mumbles as you two walk up to the front door and he knocks. “And I don’t think we’ve ever gone swimming together, have we?”

“Um, I think once, at Rosie’s sister’s party a few months ago, but I didn’t really get in the water.” He nods to himself and as soon as he does that, the door flings open.

“Look who decided to show up late to his own celebration!” Jimin yells into the house with a bright smile on his face. He must’ve been in the pool not too long ago because his hair is somewhat wet plus he has a towel around his neck. “I guess the champion runs on his own time now.” Jimin is clearly joking and Jungkook just laughs and defends himself as you both enter the nice home.

“Hi Y/n, how are you?” Jimin reaches in to give you a hug before playfully nudging Jungkook aside. “Glad you could make it.”

You smile, embracing Jimin for a few more seconds before you release him. “I’m good, thanks for having me.”

Jimin gives a sweet smile. “Anytime-”

“You didn’t even give me a time. And it’s only been like 30 minutes.” Jungkook is pretty familiar with Jimin’s house so he’s already walking out to the pool and you follow right behind him.

“Hey, guys.” You and Jungkook both say in sync. Everyone greets you two, paying more attention to Jungkook of course, congratulating him and making him feel loved. Most people are watching the TV that’s mounted on the wall, you can’t help but think—Jimin’s house is fancy as hell. When you look up from greeting Taehyung, Rosie is hopping out of the pool to tackle you with her dripping wet pale pink hair and neon green swimsuit.

“Hey- Ro! You’re soaking wet!” You tense up as she hugs you extra tight anyway.

“Y/n quit whining! You’re about to get in anyway.” She laughs, finally letting you go. She lowers her voice and grabs your hands to get you to look her in the eye. “Are you okay?” You know what she’s referring to and you nod.

“I’m fine, let’s not talk about it right now, okay?” Rosie gives you a look, just to ensure that you’re okay and you reassure her, she lets you go.

“Okay, but if you need to talk, we can pull away.” She gives you a look before getting back in the pool and that’s when you look up and see that Jungkook has already stripped down. You walk over to one of the pool chairs and take a seat so you can take off your clothes. Carefully, you take off the hoodie and pull off your jeans to reveal your cute little black suit.

Jungkook walks up to you, standing in all of his tattooed glory and black pool shorts, smirking down at you. The way he looks alone is enough to distract you from your sucky day. You furrow your brows and stare up at him, rubbing your exposed arms. without a word, he leans down to get close to you while still standing and you smile nervously, unsure of what he’s doing. “What?...Jungkook!”

He’s such a child.

Jungkook picked you up against your will and walked you towards the pool.

“No! Put me down!” You say that but you’re both laughing hysterically and you shriek when he jumps in the water—practically drowning you. Apparently, he finds this hilarious but you’re coughing up water and slowly dying because of him.

“Are you trying to kill me?!” You scream, swimming away from him and splashing him in the face. “And why are you laughing?!”

He snorts, trying to block his face from your constant splashing. “Ah!- I’m sorry Y/n!” You’re relentless and you know for a fact that he’s regretting every decision that led to throwing you in the pool.

“Ok!- Ok, fuck-“ He grabs you to hinder your movements. You fall out laughing, finding his need to restrain you laughable, it only excited you.

”Geez, I forgot you were crazy.” He shakes the water out of his hair.

Rosie was out of the pool and in the little outside kitchen whipping up a few drinks for everyone. “Hey! Who wants drinks? I make a mean margarita, virgin or experienced.”

“Me! I want one!” You swim over to the ledge, resting your chin on your folded arms. “One for him too...” You look back and Jungkook’s already swimming under the water and you move over to sit on one of the steps to wait for him to emerge.

“Here you go, Y/n.” She hands you two drinks.

“Thank you.” You set his drink down and you smile when he slowly swims up to rest his folded arms on your knees, doe eyes sparkling like stars.

“You wanna tell me what happened today?” He whispered, careful not to make his voice heard by anyone other than you. “I know something happened, you sounded frustrated when you answered the phone.”

“I don’t want to talk about it right now, let’s just focus on the good vibes in this nice heated pool, okay?...” You force a convincing grin, taking a sip of your drink, and directing your attention to the movie that’s playing.

He shrugs, moving to sit on the step beside you only to move you as if you’re weightless to sit between his legs. He grabs his drink and relaxes, freehand holding you against him. It’s not long before Jimin brings over some snacks and you know Jungkook is in his little heaven right now. His baby in his lap, a drink in his hand, and snacks at arms reach; he’s all set.

Though you’re trying to keep your attention on the movie, you can’t ignore the nagging thoughts about today. It’s hard not to let the thought of being stripped of your title all because of a sore loser get to you.

The night goes on, people are heading inside where Jimin had another movie set up in the living room inside. That meant the only people lingering in the pool are Jungkook and you. Eventually, you turn to straddle his lap and he pulls you in for a kiss, which just heightened your stress for some reason. His hands find their place on your hips and he leans up for more of you.

“Hey, will you do something for me?...” Jungkook pulls away, grinning at your pinkish lips and the thought of his own, you nod. “I want to take pictures of you out here in the water...”

You blink, fingers fiddling behind his neck. “Um, how would you like me?” You hoped that didn’t sound too awkward.

“I could answer that a thousand different ways but in terms of the picture, however you’d like, pretty girl,” He smirks as he fights not to take your seemingly innocent question for an entertaining turn.

He got out of the pool and made his way to your tote bag. You weren’t surprised to discover that he had snuck his snacks and camera into it.  You knew it felt heavier than normal. You folded your arms and rested your chin on them as you waited patiently for him to press the little buttons.

He crisscrossed his legs and held the camera to test out the angles. It always amazed you to see him take pictures or draw, he seemed so calm and focused, completely in his element.

“Charlotte told me she reported me today.” You confess suddenly, causing him to lower the camera. He glances up at you briefly, brows furrowing.

“For what?”

“When I won first place, the judge that gave me the winning score was a past coach of mine. She argued that the coach was biased and gave me an unfair score.” You sigh, wanting to get out of the water now that he wasn’t beside you. “Can you believe that?”

“That’s what you were upset about. Baby, don’t let that get to you. You won because you’re fucking talented and no self-righteous bitch has the right to take that from you.” He reasons, but you still have a pout on your face.

“Yeah, but there’s nothing I can do. It just sucks, a lot...” You lift yourself out of the water and sit on the edge, legs dangling in the warm blue oasis. You can hear the shutter of the camera and you look back at him, trying your hand at a little pose of some sort. He smiles when he pulls away to see how it came out.

“That looks good. I’m blowing that one up and putting it in my room.”

“Oh my God, Jungkook. Do not do that...I’ll cringe every time I see it.” You frown, now fully getting out of the water with the empty pina colada in hand. The little alcohol that was in it did little to nothing to soothe your nerves, but you’ll get your buzz soon enough.

“I’m getting kind of cold out here,” You head over to the chairs and grab a towel. “can we go inside and change?”

“Yeah,” He does a few things to the camera and shoves it back into your tote, “we can change in one of the back rooms.” Jungkook is shirtless still, and you can’t help but stare at the art adorning his skin, and how good it looks in the pale moonlight. He’s also sporting a killer pair of earrings today and you’re wondering if he’s trying to seduce you or something. If so, it’s working. For some reason, when he bends down to grab his top off of the floor, you don’t even notice yourself reaching to tangle your fingers into his long damp hair. He grins to himself but continues to walk inside, a towel now loosely around his shoulders.

When you walk beside him, you see the house is only lit by the lamps on the end tables and everyone's laughing at the movie that Jimin put on. Jungkook easily grabs your hand and quickly leads you to the guest room where Jimin said you could change.

“J- Jungkook, why are you in such a hurry?” You giggle when he skips into the darkroom and shuts the door behind you two—something told you he had other plans in mind. Before you know it, he’s grabbing the backs of your thighs and picking you up, towel falling from both of your shoulders as he sits on the edge of the bed with you straddling his lap. His hands graze your sides before they fall behind him to keep himself up and let you sit however you wanted. You furrow your brows, blushing at the suddenness of it all.  “What are you doing?”

“You’re so beautiful, just wanted to tell you that.” He simpers, his eyes sweeping over you in your little black swimsuit.

“Thank you, you’re beautiful too,” You lean into him to tickle under his chin like he does to make you feel little. His hands go to your waist and he holds you tight, face nuzzling into your chest like a sleepy child.  “Can I ask you something? And can you answer honestly?...”

“Sure,” He peers up at you, “shoot.”

“Um, you never talk about your family...We’ve been together for a while now and you’ve only told me that your real dad died when you were little and that you really don’t like your stepdad...And that your brother recently got married and lives in a different city...But what was growing up like for you?”

He furrows his brows as if he didn’t quite understand your question. “Uh, you don’t want to hear about that baby,” His mood turns a bit cold suddenly and he lifts you off of him. You’re sitting on the bed and he stands up to slip on his t-shirt, “it’s nothing special.”

“If it’s about you, it is special to me.” You argue, turning from him to slip your suit off and putting your undergarments on then your sweats.

“I know you’d like to think that, but that’s really not the case.” He scoffed, this little attitude of his taking you by surprise.

You frown, opening your mouth to come back at him, “But-”

“I swear Y/n,” He grabs your shoulders and kisses you hard. Aggression. When he doesn’t want to face something, that’s one if his first responses. That or an attitude.

You don’t dare move because he tilts his head and boldly tongues at your lips. Regrettably, you find yourself submitting to the overwhelming feeling. When his hands slide down to grasp your small wrists, he pulls away, leaving you breathless, “even thinking about it makes me want to smoke, and I know you don’t want that so let’s drop the subject, okay?”

“B- But why don’t you want to tell me, Jungkook?” You step away from him as you rub his saliva from your bottom lip. “I’m not trying to mess up your night or anything, I’m just curious. I’m your girlfriend, but Jimin knows more about your past than I do and I just feel like-”

”Y/n,” He stops your rambling, “you can stay in here if you want but I’m going to watch the movie.” He walks out of the room and it takes everything in you not to yank him back.

You shove your swimsuit in a plastic bag and into your tote before walking out of the room behind him.

“They’re back...” Jimin mumbles more to himself with grin and you roll your eyes, throwing your bag to the corner. Jungkook sinks into the couch but his eyes don’t follow you into the kitchen like you thought they would. He’s sitting like he always does, legs spread wide and head resting on his hand as he mindlessly watches the TV screen.

He’s so moody.

He must have somewhat of an idea of how you might be feeling. If he’ll be closed-lipped to his own girlfriend about his past—what else would he be willing to keep from you?

As the night went on, you sat beside him and ate the rest of your snack. It was weird, you didn't talk to each other, and even when he put his hand on your thigh every now and then, he wouldn’t say a word. Even when he’d curl his fingers into your fleshy thigh, earning an expected squirm from you, he wouldn’t even look at you.

Around 1 a.m, everyone started to trickle out. Jimin went to shower and he convinced his friend to go sleep in the backroom because he had a little much to drink to drive anywhere. Eventually, it was just you two and Back to The Future in the living room.

You glanced at him, his hair covered his eyes a bit, it made you want to push it back and see that cute furrow in his eyebrows. But he’s not fluffy and cute right now, he’s burning hot and dripping with propane, one spark from you and he’s up in flames. The tension is pretty ridiculous, neither of you want to give in. If there’s one thing you have in common, it’s that the silent treatment is both of your go-tos.

“So, we’re just not gonna talk now.”

Is that supposed to be a question or a statement?

“That’s entirely up to you...” You cross your arms, eyes glued to the TV now that he’s looking at you. “Since you obviously don’t talk unless it's on your terms...”

“That’s not fucking fair and you know it. You’re being really selfish right now, you know that?” He shakes his head like you’ve gone completely delusional. “I never made you talk about your personal life. Like the fact that your birth mother gave you up.”

You visibly stiffened at that.

He certainly knows how to strike a nerve.

“Or the fact that you grew up with your foster parents and even though they “loved you like their own” and adopted you, sometimes you feel out of place with your adoptive brothers and older sister. You told me all of that but I never forced it out of you, I let you tell me when you were ready.” He stares at you, awaiting a response.

He really went there.

“Jungkook,” You glare at him, “Why would you use my past as leverage in an argument?” You turn completely away from him and bite your lip, “that’s low.”

Already having anticipated your reaction, he lets out a heavy sigh,. “I’m not using it as leverage, I’m using it as an example to show you that you’re being hypocritical. I love you but you can’t force me to talk about some things, I need time to-”

“I am not a hypocrite!” You raise your voice at him abruptly, making him pause mid-sentence.

Wow, you really sounded childish. Tears are forming at your eyes and your face feels like it was set on fire—this is not how tonight was supposed to go.

“I don’t understand why you would keep this type of stuff away from me.” You whine, brows furrowed and tight with a puffy pout. “How can you expect me to trust you when you can’t even talk to me about your own family?”

“Fine.” He snaps at you, tone sharper than you’ve ever heard it. But you can’t bring yourself to be phased by it. He pushes his damp locks from his forehead, exposing his dark brows in his wake.

“My mom was a nurse, my dad was a cop. Everything was fine when I was younger but behind closed doors, they were ripping each other's heads off.” His firey presence is decreasing in size the more he talks, now he’s just getting cold. “Only when I got older did I find out that my dad had a drinking problem and my mom was always on the verge of filing for divorce.” He sighs.

“He drank like he didn’t give a shit about his life and ended up dying in a DUI when I was 8. After that, my mom went through guys like fucking clockwork, there was a new one every few months. I gave her a lot of problems because- I don’t know, I was just reacting to a fucked-up situation. Her boyfriends would try to parent me, tell me to stop getting tattoos and smoking because it quote, ‘upset my mother.’  That was bullshit. I didn’t listen to any of the crap they had to say to me.” His voice was vehement and it was almost as if talking about it made him re-live parts of it.

“Why would I listen to someone who doesn’t know shit about me? I had to remind them that just because they fuck my mother doesn't mean they suddenly had a free pass to play daddy to me.” The blatant vulgarity of his words makes you shudder.

“A few years back, she started talking to this new guy. He was a successful businessman, lived in a nice area, he was everything she wanted. I knew she really liked him too, so I laid off a bit on getting into it with him so much. We didn’t talk much but he respected my space so I was fine with him. She stayed with him longer than she had with any of them. They’ve been married for 4 years, maybe 5 now? Besides his 25-year-old son from a previous marriage, he has a daughter with my mom, she’s I think 6 now...Yeah, her name is Jooe, she’s my half-sister.”

That’s the first time he’s ever mentioned a little sister. You grinned at the thought of Jungkook interacting with a cute little girl who favored his soft appearance.

“I had a falling out with their dad a few months back over some life choices I’ve decided to make. We can barely be in the same room for more than a few minutes without arguing now. My stepbrother was gonna have me come to his wedding but he knew his dad wouldn’t have liked that. I guess to avoid the commotion, he kept me out of the picture entirely, it was better for everyone in the end...I’m sorry I called you that night, I was so drunk.” He scoffed, sliding both hands down his face with a heavy sigh. “I wish I was drunk right now.”

That was it.

He said what you wanted to hear.

Silence engulfs the room and only now do you realize that the movie is indeed still on and Jimin is still in the bathroom. After a painful dead silence, he gets up and you watch him trail off into the kitchen. Of course, he went straight to the fridge, eyes in search of one of a bottle of relief. You don’t say a thing to him when he walks back to you with a bottle of his choice of alcohol and sits it on the table in front of you two.

He peers at you, hand reaching for the bottle but you stop him by grabbing his wrist. “What?”

“I’m sorry,” You blurt out, and you only ramble from then on, “I’ve never been in a serious relationship like this before and- And I don’t want to get hurt again. I was with this guy a long time ago, we met at school and while we were dating, he had been seeing this other girl. He didn’t answer my calls and when I went to his house to see if he was ok, this other girl was there, and she was pregnant.” You grimace at the thought.

“I got so mad, I wanted to hurt him the same way he was hurting me...I started screaming at him and hitting him, the girl eventually called the cops and they had to pull me off but he didn’t press charges against me.” You scoff. “I think they just felt sorry for me.”

He tightens his brows. “Why did you never tell me this?” When you first met, he would have never imagined that you did something like that. “That’s pretty rough stuff to carry, I didn’t know you had any past relationships.”

“Yeah, but it’s embarrassing...I thought you might think I’m crazy or something and decide to leave me.” You twiddle your fingers, looking up to gauge his reaction.

“Y/n, I’ve done some crazy shit, I’d be stupid to leave you just because that idiot pissed you off for knocking up some girl while dating you. I don’t blame you.” He takes a sip of beer and lets his hand rest on your upper thigh, almost touching the crease separating your hips and thigh. “I swear, I would never do something like that to you.”

You slide your hand over his, eyes wavering when he continues to stare you down with that look of want that never fails to chill you to the bone. He presses his face up into the crook your neck, his breath hot against your ear, “Do you hear me?” He almost purs. “Baby?” He trails his hand up to rest at the base of your neck, index finger tracing your skin. He’s too much.

“Mhm,” You nod, smiling, “we should head home, it’s getting late.” You clear your throat, and Jungkook moves away to look you over.

“Your place or mine,” He smirks,

You bite your lip. “Yours...”

“Hey, guys-” Jimin emerged from the bathroom and your eyes widened. “Sorry,” He snickers when he sees Jungkook’s hand leave you to settle on your lower back, “I didn’t mean to interrupt,”

“You’re not! Nope, you’re not interrupting anything,” You quickly stand to your feet, scrambling for your tote, “We’re actually about to head out.”

“Yeah, I gotta get her home, she’s got stuff to do in the morning.” Jungkook glances at you and you have to stop yourself from saying that you really don’t. But you know Jungkook is just saying that to get you two out of here without Jimin insisting that you stay.

“Okay,” Jimin just shrugs and grabs the bowl of pretzels off of the coffee table, “drive safe.”

“Thanks, Jimin, we’ll see you later,” You rush over to give him a goodbye hug, “thank you for tonight.” He easily wraps an arm around you with a smirk directed towards Jungkook.

“Okay,” Jungkook grabs your hand eagerly, “see you Hyung,”

Jungkook wisps you away and soon you two are in his car, anxious to fall into his floral-scented bed sheets.

You look through heavy eyelids to see a sheen of sweat covering his bare chest and some of his long hair was sticking to his forehead. He looks so, so good. Your eyes find the plumb blossom tattoo that you love so much and you follow it as it continues down his chest. On his left bicep, he’s got this intricate collage of little pictures he’s drawn, he’s even got a tattoo of a butterfly that you tried to draw one day. You told him not to use it because you didn’t think it was good enough, but a few days later, you showed up to his gym and there it was. He wears it proudly now and it makes you feel fuzzy inside.

Earlier, he reached into his nightstand for something, hand plundering around until he finds it. He sits up and he’s holding a lighter and a blunt in each hand. You're watching him through squinted eyes because you're sure he thinks you’re asleep. The blunt is pinched between his long fingers and he lights it, desperate to breathe the vapors for a fleeting euphoria. You make note that he keeps blunts in his nightstand for times like this.

His head lols back after the second drag and he sits it in the ashtray. He looks like art, smoking hot art. His earrings dangle when he moves, his hair beautifully unkempt—courtesy of you. His arms are lined with veins and that reminds you just how strong he is, and how easily he throws you around. The thought alone makes you remember how lucky you are.

“Mm...” He groans, mouth agape and eyes heavy with the after-effects. He smoothes his fingers over your cheek, smirking at how flushed the skin was. “You awake?”

“Yes.” You grumble.

“Let’s dance.” He grins.

“What? It’s 2 o’clock in the morning.” You sit up, “How do you have energy? I’m tired...” He had already hopped out of bed, black boxers being the only thing covering him. You watched as he typed a few things on his phone and the Bluetooth on his nightstand starts blaring out one of your favorite songs.

“Get up and dance with your boyfriend,” He grabbed your arm and started tugging you up, there was no point in resisting.

You let him place your arms around his neck and lead you to the rhythm that he followed naturally. You’ve only had the pleasure of going to the club with Jungkook twice and each time he gave you the dance sessions of your life. You had never been shot dirtier looks by more girls in your life, you just laughed it off as jealousy. Who could blame them? His hands find their place on your hips and he presses his face up against yours—these are the moments you get to experience Jungkook at his most transparent.

“Hey,” He wraps his arms around your waist and pulls you closer, “are we good?”

“Yeah, we’re good.” You nod, “I’m sorry for even bringing your personal-life up in the first place, tonight wasn’t the night to talk about stuff like that.”

“Babe,” He doesn’t stop dancing with you as he reaches for the joint in the ashtray, “you were gonna find out sooner or later, it’s fine.” Mindful not to blow it in your face, he knows you hate that—maybe even more so than him actually smoking. He takes a hit and blows the cloud of smoke over your shoulder, eyes shutting in bliss when your fingers tangle into his luscious raven locks. “You feel sooo amazing...”

“Are you high?” You trace your hands down to his warm chest, he shivers at your touch.

He laughs, long hair covering his eyes when he looks at you. “No. Well, maybe a little-”

Suddenly, the music goes off and his phone buzzes rapidly. He reluctantly pulls away from you to grab it off of the nightstand, he stares at his phone.

“Who is it?” You inquire, taking a seat on the bed with him when he continues to stare at it.

“It’s Jooe.” He frowns, questioning why the little girl is even up at this hour. “Why is she even up this late? And when did she get a phone...”

“Answer it Jungkook,” You nudge him, “it could be an emergency.”

He picks it up and holds it to his ear. “Jooe? What are you doing up-” You hear a little voice over the phone and rambling on, your heart plummeting into your stomach at the thought of what she was telling him.

“Hey, slow down, tell me what happened,” His eyes are laser-focused and he grimaces at what she’s saying, “she’s okay now? It’s just you and your dad there? Why the fu-” He bites his tongue when he realizes who he’s talking to, “Why didn’t he call me?” He glances at you, a hand on your thigh to reassure you. “Okay, I’ll come first thing in the morning, tell her and your dad that.” She says a little something and he sighs. “Love you too.”

He puts the phone down and takes the longest drag of his blunt you’ve ever seen anyone take. There had to be not an ounce of oxygen in his lungs.

“What happened?”

“My mom is in the hospital.”

“Oh my gosh,” You gasp, “Is she okay?

“Her appendix ruptured about two hours ago and I got the call from a 6-year-old, not her husband. A 6-year-old, Y/n.” He abruptly stands up, hands pushing his hair back angrily, “I have some fucking words for him when I see him.” His ears are tomato red, he’s getting angry. You get up to drag him to the bathroom. “I have half a mind to go up there now-“

“Shh, you need to stay calm,” You flick on the light and put his toothbrush in his hand, “brush your teeth and get in bed. Don’t stress yourself, okay? I’ll go with you in the morning.” You wait for him to respond and he gives you a weak nod.

You tell him not to stress himself out but you’re freaking out on the inside. If you go with him in the morning, that’ll be the first time you meet his family and he’s not on good terms with his mother's husband. Now you have to get added to the mix. Jungkook walks out of the bathroom and basically dives face first into bed before crawling up to lay his head on your soft chest, arms wrapping around your middle. Sometimes he forgets how heavy he is and just crushes you, but you let it slide because he’s just so cute like that. He’s quiet, mind probably facing with worry. The steady beat of his heart, the rise, and fall of his chest as he let his eyes slip shut. You let him drift asleep with the comfort of knowing loving hands were holding him. When he gets like this, and life is literally kicking his butt, you feel like your problems pale in comparison. And it makes you hold him tighter.

They do you so so dirty, baby.

[chuffyfan87]

Hiding. Part 43a

Cowritten with @disastrousintention.

-x-

The first couple of weeks passed without further incident mostly due to the two couples avoiding each other. However Louis had insisted that they all went out for the day at a local zoo - his favourite place to visit. So that was how the four adults and six children found themselves stood by the zoo's main entrance on the Tuesday morning.

“Please can we all just get on for Louis’ sake?” Charlie asked as he eyeballed Baz.

"I'll be civil if she stays out of my way." Baz hissed.

“Fine!”

Duffy sighed as Charlie walked back over towards her. If she was honest she would've rather stayed in bed but she knew how important this trip was to Louis. "What's she said now?"

“That she’ll be civil as long as you stay out of her way.” He sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Fine by me!" Duffy groused, swallowing a yawn.

“Tired sweetheart?” He asked.

"I'm fine." She forced a smile. "Don't fuss, let's have a good day for the kids' sakes."

“You look exhausted.” He said to her and kissed her cheek. “Too much excitement.”

"Thanks." She glared at him.

“Still beautiful though!”

She smiled and then pulled away slightly as he put his arms around her waist.

“What’s wrong?” He asked.

"Let's not antagonise her, eh?"

Charlie groaned softly but nodded, agreeing not to antagonise Baz.

They finally reached the entrance gate and paid the fee before heading into the zoo.

Louis couldn’t control his excitement and neither could the other children!

Trying to stop the children running off in different directions proved to be a military operation.

The twins decided they wanted to go see the farmyard animals. "Please!!" They begged.

Charlie went with the twins to see the farm animals.

Duffy watched Charlie and the twins walking away, grateful not to have to join them but at the same time she could feel Baz's eyes boring into her. "Emily, boys, what do you fancy going to see?"

“Lions!” Emily replied with a giggle.

"OK, let's go see the lions." Duffy smiled.

Unfortunately they arrived at the lion enclosure just as feeding time was beginning. The stench of raw meat hit Duffy like a train, causing her stomach to lurch. She swallowed back the nausea and tried to keep her breathing shallow and through her mouth. Now was not the time to be sick!

Peter watched his mum closely and frowned. “Are you ok?” He asked, noticing his mum had gone very very pale!

She swallowed once more. "I'm fine, just a bit tired that's all."

“You look really pale!”

"You are worse than your father for fussing sometimes Peter!"

“I can’t help it.” Peter replied.

Emily was standing on her tiptoes to try and see the lions chase the food. "Mama up!" She whined.

Duffy sighed as she picked her daughter up, struggling to get a good grip on her as the little girl was wriggling so much.

Emily was wriggling all over the place, making it harder for Duffy to keep a hold of her.

"Emily please! I'm going to drop you if you don't stop!"

Emily stopped almost instantly.

After a few minutes Duffy began to look around, hoping that Charlie and the twins would rejoin them soon as, despite her small stature, Emily was getting heavy to hold.

Almost like he could sense she needed him, Charlie returned with the twins.

The girls came running over, full of excitement over what they'd seen.

“Mummy! Mummy!!” The twins shouted.

She stumbled back slightly as they collided into her legs.

“Oops daisy.” The twins said in unison. Charlie frowned seeing how pale Duffy still was. “What’s wrong? You’ve gone white.” He whispered.

Duffy was distracted by the girls giggling and gossiping together. She absentmindedly rubbed her lower back and ran her hand through her hair as she yawned. "Hmm?"

“You look so tired.” He replied. “Maybe a nap when we get back?”

"Seriously will everyone stop telling me how awful I look? I am aware that I look like shit thanks!" She hissed.

“Baby!”

Her eyes went wild as she glared at him and then nervously glanced around the others in their group. "Just drop it Charlie!"

“Fine!” He sighed sadly.

They moved on to look at some other animals but the atmosphere remained tense. It then came time to go for lunch. The kids ran straight for the nearest fast food stand. Charlie was silent. Just focusing on the children.

Duffy let Charlie organise the kids getting lunch, hoping that he wouldn't notice that she wasn't eating.

He noticed but didn’t comment. She’d already ripped his head off once before.

Unfortunately Baz didn't have the same sense. "You still trying to lose weight? I would've thought you would've given that up as a lost cause years ago!" She sneered.

"No... I..." Duffy stuttered, unsure how to answer.

“Baz! Quit with your childish behaviour will you?!” Charlie snapped.

"Fine!" Duffy grabbed the burger from the table and took a large bite, glaring at Baz as she did so.

“You always have to ruin everything, don’t you?!” Charlie said to Baz, “You’re never happy unless you’re bringing someone down. And you wonder why I never stayed faithful? Maybe it was because you are a sour cow who’s goal is to be better than everyone!”

Duffy wasn't listening to Charlie, she was too focused on proving a point to Baz. She'd barely finished eating when she realised what a mistake that had been.

He watched Duffy as she legged it from the table to the nearest bathroom.

"Well, that's a good example to set to the kids." Baz remarked sarcastically.

“She’s not bulimic.” Charlie replied sharply.

"I wasn't suggesting she was." Baz replied suspiciously.

“But you were insinuating it.”

"Well why else would she be puking after eating?"

Charlie shrugged.

Suddenly a thought hit Baz. "No!" She gasped.

“What?”

"Oh you've got to be kidding me..!" Baz muttered as she stormed off in the direction of the toilets.

Duffy looked up from where she was lent over the sink as the door flew open.

“You’re pregnant?” Baz asked, although she’d already knew the answer.

"No." Duffy replied weakly.

“Of course you are.”

"Its probably just something I ate. I've felt lousy for a couple of days."

“Are you and Charlie trying for a baby?”

"No." She lied. She dried her hands and heading back towards the door, hoping Baz would drop her interrogation.

“Maybe you should do a test to be on the safe side?” Baz suggested, her tone softening slightly.

"Like you care. Just leave me alone." Duffy replied as she headed back over to the rest of the group.

Baz sighed and returned to the table and rest of the group.

Charlie’s hand squeezed Duffy's knee, reassuringly. Now wasn’t the time to ask her about the sickness.

Peter looked anxiously from one parent to the other. He really wanted to make sure his mum was OK but was nervous to speak.

“Are you ok, Peter?”’ Charlie asked.

The lad nodded. "Mum?"

Duffy forced a smile. "I'm OK." She attempted to reassure him.

Peter nodded but didn’t believe his mum. He was worried. He pushed the plate of food away, “I’m not hungry anymore.” He said.

"You need to eat something Peter. Please!"

“I’m not hungry. I feel sick.”

"Charlie can you go with him?" Duffy asked.

He nodded and went with Peter to the bathroom.

Once they reached the bathroom Peter turned to his dad. "Are we still pretending in front of the others then?"

“What do you mean?” Charlie asked.

"I'm not stupid."

Charlie smiled sadly and pulled his son into a hug. “I don’t even know myself yet, Peter.”

"I was starting to hope you'd talked her out of it." Peter admitted.

“You don’t want your mum to have another baby?”

"Not if she's gunna get really sick again."

“I know.” Charlie sighed, “We’ll be okay. I promise.”

"You don't believe that any more than I do."

“Your mum and I have faced many, many challenges and we’re still together, aren’t we?”

"I suppose." Peter shrugged.

“Your mum’s probably just feeling worse because we’re in a new country.”

Peter nodded and walked back outside.

Charlie sighed. “Love you son.” He said quietly.

Peter stopped and looked back over his shoulder, a shy acknowledging smile on his face.

Charlie caught his son’s eye and smiled.

The next couple of hours passed without further incident, though to Duffy it felt like time had gone into slow motion.

Soon it was time to say goodbye and head off home, in opposite directions. Once the children were home, dressed and in bed and asleep, Charlie insisted that Duffy had an early night.

"Please stop fussing, I'm fine!" She insisted as she sat on the edge of their bed.

“You’re pregnant.”

"No I'm not!" She insisted weakly.

“The tiredness, paleness, mood swings, the sickness.” He replied, listing off her symptoms.

"I was sick once." She countered.

He sat down beside her and rubbed her lower back, “I’m sorry if I annoyed you earlier.”

"When?"

“All day.” He smiled.

"You didn't. I was just tired and grouchy. If anything I should be saying sorry to you."

“It’s ok. It’s fine, honestly.” He kissed her cheek and smiled.

"Is Peter OK?"

“Yes honey.”

"He really thought we'd fall for that feeling sick routine? He should know we can spot a chancer a mile off!"

Charlie laughed, “He worries about you.”

"You're as bad as each other!"

Charlie shrugged. “I can’t help it.”

"So I've noticed." She chewed her lip.

“I love you, Duffy.”

"I love you too." She lent forward to kiss him but just before their lips met she pulled back and dashed from the room.

[kikifeliz]

8 TIPS FOR MAKING THE MOST OUT OF YOUR UNIVERSITY EXPERIENCE!

Deciding to become a university student is a huge investment of both time and money. You don't want to start only to have to drop out due to finances or failing grades. You also don't want to finish and find that all you have is a piece of paper with mountains of debt and no job prospects.

The average cost of a 4-year Bachelor's degree is about $36k at a public university, and about $136k at a private university. Google the yearly cost of your school of choice, then multiply by 4. Then add on about 5k for the additional costs of books and travel fees, clothing, and other miscellaneous. Then add on about 10k for the interest that your student loan debt will incur! 😫

The average cost of graduate degrees can vary by school and concentration, but can easily cost over 90k for tuition alone. Student loan debt is not a joke! Invest your time wisely while you're in school so you don't end up regretting your decision and sharecropping your life away in some 9-5 that you hate.

So, here are my tips for making the most of your time as a university student! Whether you're in undergrad or graduate school, I hope this advice helps you! I'm not going to give you the basic "go to every single class" bullshit. While that's undoubtedly good advice, I want to be a bit more practical and dig a little deeper. I think if you're paying for an experience like college, it's obvious that you should attempt to be as immersed in that experience as possible. You're not going to pay for entrance to a water park then stay off the slides and out of the pool, are you? No, you're going to jump in and go on as many rides as possible! At university, you're paying for school, so you need to treat it the same way. If you're paying for a class, obviously you should go as often as you possibly can. So in the hopes that I can be practical without being trite, I'm going to address the finer details of the college experience. From the perspective of a woman who's in the process of finishing her 2nd Master's degree (at an Ivy League school, no less), you can take it or leave it!

1. Update your resume as soon as you commit to a school and give them your deposit.

As soon as you've paid the deposit to the school of your choose and sent back your decision letter, go ahead and update your resume. If you don't have a resume, make one now! There are plenty of templates online you can follow.

Include your new school and anticipated graduation date under the "Education" section. (You can add it to your social media bios too, if you're into that sort of thing.) The truth of the matter is, the moment you pay the deposit to the school, you've paid for the brand name. You might as well start wielding and wearing it ASAP! This will help you as you apply for internships for the summer after high school and during your freshman year of college.

2. Once on campus, join clubs and student associations.

This is super important! So much of college is about networking. Once you graduate and leave campus, your college network can help you find jobs, travel, keep you up to date with learning opportunities/conferences, or even help you settle into to a new city. It's important to make authentic connections with people on campus outside of your immediate friend group, and a great way to do that is through common interest clubs or associations. Attend a programs fair and check your school's websites and message boards to find events.

Once you've decided which clubs you want to join, make sure to introduce yourself to the leadership! By getting to know the club leaders, you can make sure you'll always know what's next for the group so that you can take part and continue to build community.

3. ‪Spend as much time as you can at the library and in other public study spaces on/around campus.‬

Most university libraries will have cafés, help desks, computer labs, and even group study areas. Often it's okay to talk in the group study areas, so you can always take a break from studying and do a bit of socializing when you need to. When you need more privacy or quiet space, it's typically available just a room or a floor away! Bring healthy snacks like carrots and almonds and chocolate-covered espresso beans or raisins to keep you energized and alert.

Studying is obviously an important part of being in college. You don't want to get into the job field without fluency in the language/jargon or requisite content knowledge that is necessary to succeed!

4. Use the "free" time to develop your genuine interests and hobbies.

If you have the time and don't have a ton of responsibility to other people in your family, take advantage of that! You likely won't have a lot of time like that in your life again. Use this period to follow your curiosities and your interests. Make art! Join an intramural sport! Experiment with fashion! Work part-time in a place you never thought you would! The possibilities are endless. As my dad would say, "It's your world, squirrel!" (He's really corny.)

5. Be as discerning as possible with the classes you take - you are paying for each of them, after all!

Take classes that really interest you, with professors you truly want to learn from. Read the class descriptions carefully, and do research on the professors. Try to get professors that have great ratings, multiple publishings in reputable journals, books, and websites, and a good track records of helping students.

Many colleges have core curricula that you must complete to graduate. If the classes in your core don't interest you, see if you can find ways to navigate the system so that there's a silver lining or so you can make the best out of them. Always give it a shot, you may find that you're more interested once you attend than you were by reading the description alone.

Even if the class isn't of interest, the people there probably are - especially if everyone has to take it! Whether that's ensuring you get the best professor that's offered or finding a great group of friends to struggle through it with, get to know the people around you. Maybe you decide to develop a working relationship with the TA by attending office hours and asking questions about how to contextualize the content in a way that's more engaging for you or more aligned with your interests. To do this, just explain your interests or proposed field of study and ask them for examples of how you can transfer the knowledge you're learning in class toward your interest.

Another option is seeing if you can take the class pass/fail. If this is possible and the class isn't aligned with what you feel your true academic interests are, then don't expend too much effort. Attend lecture, pass the class, and devote your time to your other interests. (This is an option only for people who are serious about not failing the class. Make sure you calculate what scores you'll need to pass exams and other requirements like attendance, and hold yourself accountable to these. Do your absolute best on your papers! Taking a class pass/fail is NOT an excuse to slack off or avoid doing your best work, but it may be a way for you to free up some time if you calculate your grades and find that you don't need to do every single assignment to pass.)

6. If you can find a work-study job or start a side hustle *without* jeopardizing your grades, do so!

Again, the student loans are no joke. I avoid taking them if I can, because I hate debt. Of course, this means I occasionally have had to pay tuition out of my own pocket. I held 3 jobs when I was in undergrad and have always had side hustles even while working 9-5. Many of my favorites have included babysitting, tutoring, pet/house sitting, DJing, and party planning. I know a lot of people in grad school who also worked in restaurants or as delivery drivers, as administrative aids in university offices, law offices, and medical practices. Nowadays, a lot of people work as as influencers, photographers, video editors, and models for their side hustles. I always preferred jobs that were lowkey so I could study. My favorite work-study job was at the library! I always got to see my friends and I could read PDF copies of my assignments while I sat at the circulation desk.

7. Find out about scholarships and fellowships that are offered by different departments in your university.

A lot of fellowships and scholarships are only advertised internally by department and school. Spend time on your department's website and stop by the department office every few weeks to make sure you're up to date on the opportunities that are being offered to students. Become a frequent patron of Financial Aid to see what is available through that office as well.

Additionally, feel free to email the department chair/other professors to ask if they know of any fellowships or scholarship opportunities that may come up in the future so you can be prepared. Ask about qualifications for those as well, so you can plan ahead.

Do your research and make sure you qualify for these opportunities! In writing your essays, attend to each point of criteria laid out in the "call for applications." Treat your essay similarly to how you'd apply for the job. Why are you the right person to receive this money? How do you fulfill the criteria that this scholarship is supporting?

8. If you're struggling with your studies, use the resources on campus that you're *already paying for* in order to get back on track.

This includes TA and professor office hours, peer tutors, the writing center (most universities will have offices that can help you structure and edit your essays, etc.).

Join or create study groups by finding a partner in your class to study with, and ask the university librarians (and your advisor!) what other resources/tutoring/study help is available on campus.

A strong foundation in the content knowledge for your field of choice is a necessity once your graduate. My father always told me, "The key to success is uncommon knowledge." I agree with this somewhat, but I really believe it's actually that the key is an uncommon thirst for mastery. You move forward in your career and your personal development by learning and mastering new levels of skill. The more you know and the better you can communicate, the more respected you'll be in your field - which opens the door to further opportunities. Studying (and studying *well*) is imperative during your time at university!

Good luck this year, scholars! Work smarter & always remember, education is the key! We cannot dismantle the master's house with the master's tools//we are the gold we wanna hold! Go forth & make this school year your bitch!

Xoxo,

Kiki

(c) 2019 by Kiki Feliz

[kulcipher]

Miraculous Ladybug: Partners in Crime au

based on @gale-of-the-nomads ‘ idea for a Bonnie and Clyde-esque Miraculous Ladybug au

“This is ridiculous! Utterly ridiculous!” Chloé Bourgeois cried, voice full of contempt as she glared at her captor. The villainous Ladybug had been making her life hell for the past few years. She didn’t know where the Chat Noir was, probably skulking around in the shadows like the mangy cat he was. “Just wait until Daddy-“ She started, somehow able to keep the tremor out of her voice. Probably due to the numerous kidnappings she’d endured previously.

“Wait until he what?” Ladybug interrupted, jerking her head to her partner as a signal that it was time to gag their blonde little daddy’s girl. Ladybug could only handle so much of the spoiled brat’s shrill voice and indignant insults. Chat Noir came forward from the shadows and secured a gag roughly around Chloé’s mouth, silencing her except for the occasional muffled grunt.

Ladybug sent her partner a grateful look and he nodded back, returning to check around the abandoned warehouse they were using for the exchange. It was almost routine at this point. When Chloé was especially irritating, she would find herself snatched and held for ransom. The former mayor of Paris was only too happy to oblige, after losing his position as mayor and whatever respect his wife might have held for him he clung to his daughter and did anything he could to make her happy. Which only fueled her toxic behavior and got her kidnapped more often.

André Bourgeois was too paranoid to let anything happen to his precious little darling daughter so he usually paid up quickly without involving the police, making him the ideal mark. Today though he was late and Ladybug knew something was fishy. Her suspicions were confirmed when Chat Noir jumped down from the rafters of the warehouse next to her. “Well My Lady, I must be Polyphemus because I believe Nobody has slipped in to steal from us.” He purred, green eyes trained on a spot halfway between the entrance of the warehouse and the tied up Chloé.

Ladybug tried not to roll her eyes as she followed his line of sight. “Well Kitty, I’ll leave Miss Nobody to you then.” Time for plan B. If Hawkmoth was involved it meant André had finally grown tired of paying exorbitant ransom fees. Ladybug threw their blonde captive over her shoulder like a sack of potatoes and headed for the roof. As she did there was a scuffle and a cry of pain where Chat Noir had quickly grabbed Vanisher’s glasses after backhanding her. He didn’t break them, preferring instead to keep Hawkmoth’s akuma trapped for as long as possible.

On the roof Ladybug dropped Chloé who lay stunned and stood on the edge, surveying the police who had swarmed forward following Vanisher’s feeble attempt to free Chloé. Ladybug tsked as she watched them, hands loosely on her hips. Her lip curled cruelly and she stared at them with scornful eyes. Where had they been when Chloé encouraged Nathaniel to kill himself? When her words cut sweet, gentle Mylène so deeply the poor girl developed an eating disorder? When she had her so called friend’s father fired for doing his job?

Ladybug took a deep breath then projected her voice to the people below, “well I see André Bourgeois doesn’t care for his daughter as much as he wants us to believe.” Below, everyone froze and stared up at the spotted thief. “We warned him before but I guess he grew too comfortable, shall we see how comfortable Miss Chloé is?” Ladybug disappeared from view, lifting Chloé to her feet then dragging her to the edge as Chat Noir joined her on the roof. They stood together on the edge while Ladybug held their blonde hostage over it. “Comfortable Chloé?” She asked as Chat Noir cut through the gag with a single claw, slicing her cheek as he did.

Chloé was sobbing by now, her white shoes kick feebly as she tried to toe the edge of the roof. “N-no!” Her body shook and she strained to get back to the roof but Ladybug’s grip was too strong yet too precarious to fight properly without risking a 20 meter drop.

“Please, let her go! You’ll get your money!” André Bourgeois cried, scrambling out of one of the police cars. He’d lost weight over the past few years and looked like a wreck though that at least was usual about this situation.

“We had a deal André, the money for Chloé’s safe return. No police, no Hawkmoth involved.” Chat Noir held up Vanisher’s glasses and the already pale man turned nearly translucent. “How will you make it up to us André? You’ve got us all on the edge of our seats.” Chat Noir purred, eyes glinting dangerously.

“I-I’ll pay double- no triple! Please, just don’t hurt her!” André sobbed, stumbling out from behind the police and falling to his knees.

Chloé’s eyes widened and she started struggling. “Daddy no!” She cried weakly. Chat Noir and Ladybug had been bleeding them dry with ransom payments, she knew her father couldn’t afford to pay triple the original amount. She let out a shriek when Ladybug’s grip slipped and she almost dropped, held now by the back of her shirt in a rather undignified pose.

“Do you have the money now?” Ladybug asked, ignoring Chloé for the moment and staring holes into André who was slowly shaking his head.

“N-no,” he admitted. “But I can get it if you just give me some time!” He added quickly tremors wracking his body.

Ladybug pondered for a moment, thinking over how much money they could squeeze out of the Bourgeois’ versus how many more horrible deeds Chloé could commit as it seemed these little brushes with death weren’t enough to scare her straight. “Too bad for you, I believe Chloé Bourgeois’ time is up.” The spotted thief made a decision then and there as she let the flailing former rich girl slip between her fingers and fall to her death 20 meters below.

“Listen up Paris!” Ladybug cried. “This is a warning, Ladybug and Chat Noir do not negotiate.”

[lavenderslemonade]

Todoroki X Reader - Spicy Noodle Challenge

There is no request page, so if you have a request just leave it in the comments!

See more of my stories on   https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lurkingshadow21385

“Come on Jiro! Momo! (Y/n)!” Uraraka, tsuyu, and Mina chanted. Their faces were still burning from the spicy food they had just given up on. “Five more minutes lady’s, and no quirks!” The large man behind the counter stated with his stop watch in hand. “I can’t!” Jiro growl as she slammed her chop sticks down beside her, and quickly grabbed the glass of water that came with the large bowl of noodles.

“Come on you two are nearly there!” Uraraka stated as she peered in both Momo and your bowl. After a few more bites Momo dropped her chop sticks, putting her hands over her mouth. “I’m going to be sick!” She quickly stood up and rushed to the back, with Tsuyu and Mina trailing after her to make sure she was okay. Uraraka, and Jiro turned back to you quickly to start their chant once again. “Go (y-!” They stopped as they noticed your dropped chop sticks, and how your head rested on the counter with an empty glass of water. “More please.” You whimpered as you held the empty glass out to the man in charge.

He simply chuckled as he refilled your drink. “You girls have been coming here at least once or twice for the past five weeks. I’m guessing you ladies really want to win the prize huh?” He gave a small smile. “The prize is so cute! We’ve never seen kitty plushies that cute before!” Uraraka stated with shining eyes. “I’m going to be sick.” You grumbled as you tried to take another sip of your water. The man shot you a worried look before turning back to the girls. “You know you could get plushies like that at the store right down the street right?” The man asked worriedly.

“We know, but what’s the fun in that?” Jiro shrugged, and the man shot her a curious look. “Is it really worth coming here and getting sick all the time, don’t you have boyfriends to buy you plushies or something?” The man asked curiously as he took Momo’s half empty bowl as well as yours. “Eh, where’s the fun in that?” Jiro shrugged as she and Uraraka turned to see Momo leaving the bathroom with Tsuyu and Mina behind her, rubbing her back. “Wait, that gives me an idea.” You slowly rose your head from the bar. “Does that idea include paying the bill?” The man asked curiously.

The girls groaned as they all pulled out their wallets and paid the amount. Tiredly you and your friends trudged out of the restaurant and into the busy streets. “I’m sorry girls, but I don’t think I can do it anymore, no matter how cute the plushies are.” Momo sighed with a hand over her stomach. “We just need someone that likes spicy foods.” Mina hummed as she thought to herself. “Someone that can take the heat and not be bothered.” You stated. You all made your way into your dormitories entrance, and up the stairs. Everyone wished each other a good night before heading off to their separate rooms.

As soon as you got in, you’d received a message from Todoroki, which was soon followed up by a phone call. “Hello?” You asked tiredly as you fell on your bed. You would truly love nothing more than for your boyfriend to come over and cuddle right now. “(Y/n), are you ok? I saw you leave with some girls from our class, and Mineta said he just saw you all get back. It’s pretty late.” He stated as he looked at his watch reading close to nine. “Sorry, me and the girls went out to eat and time got away.” You apologized with a small smile. “Ah, understandable. Maybe sometime we could go out to eat this week? We’ve been pretty busy with school lately, and I feel bad that I haven’t been able to take you on a proper date lately.” Todoroki rubbed the back of his neck.

You gave a gentle hum at the idea and spending some alone time with your boyfriend sounded wonderful. “That sounds absolutely wonderful.” You gave a small sigh and heard him chuckled on the other side. “We can go tomorrow after school if that’s fine.” He checked, which you were more than happy to confirm. After a few more minutes the two of you decided to hang up for the night. During lunch the next day, Todoroki and you sat side by side enjoying your meals. “Do you have any specific place you want to go?” Todoroki asked as he glanced at you from the corner of his eye. “To be honest, anywhere is fine with me, as long as we get to catch up.” You gave him a reassuring smile.

“How about you two go to the restaurant near here that’s having the spicy noodles eating contest?” Mineta asked as he placed his tray down in front of you and Todoroki. “Spicy noodle contest?” Todoroki asked curiously. You felt your body tense and a wave of nausea rush over you at the very idea of the hot noodles. “Yep, it’s where (y/n) and the ladies have been wondering off to the past few weeks! They’ve been trying to win cute little plushie prizes.” Mineta chuckled as he ratted you out. “You little pervert, were you following us?!” You growled in annoyance. “If we’re being honest, yes. Besides, it’s been extremely windly lately, and there’s no way I’m missing a panty shot from one of you beautiful ladies!” Mineta cheered.

The boy then froze in place and started to shiver. “Did the temperature just drop for you two?” Mineta asked curiously as he stared at you two with chattering teeth. “A little.” You agreed as you shuddered. You then glanced over at your boyfriend who was glaring at the little pervert. “Todoroki?” You asked worried. “So you’ve been trying this challenge for the past few weeks? That’s why you’ve been out so late?” Todoroki turned to give you his attention. You felt your body tense and continued to stare down at your food. “(Y/n)?” Todoroki called your name. “Yes, but we passed by them in a window, and they looked so cute.” You grumbled under your breath as you took another bite of your rice.

Todoroki simply hummed as he took a sip of his green tea. “Noodles it is then.” He stated, which caused you and Mineta to stare at him curiously. “Todoroki, you really don’t have to!” You tried to get up, but your determined boyfriend quickly placed his hand on your shoulder to seat you once again. “I don’t mind a little challenge to try and win you a plushie. Besides, it’s the least I could do.” He picked up his empty tray and walked away. Mineta chuckled “Looks like you’re going to have your boyfriend die for a plushie.” He snickered in amusement. You glared as quickly shot up to chase after our boyfriend, calling his name to no avail.

It wasn’t till after class that you were finally able to get a word out of him. The two of you had met up at the gate and were currently walking away from the school. “Come on! Can’t we stop for ice cream of something?” You begged, trying hard to convince your boyfriend not to light his mouth on fire for you. “It’s cold out, something warm sounds nice.” He stated as he continued walking forward. You groaned internally as you chased after him. He walked into the restaurant and took a seat at the bar. You followed him and climbed onto the seat to his left due to it being a bit chilly inside and outside.

“Ah, if it isn’t my favorite customer of the past few weeks! And who’s this, your boyfriend? Here to try the challenge with you?” The man asked with a large smile. You gave an awkward smile. “C-correct. Though, just a bowl of chicken ramen for me please.” You requested. “Same for you pal?” The man asked before heading to the back. “No, I’ll be doing the challenge.” Todoroki stated. His determination scared you sometimes. “So, you come here often?” Todoroki asked curiously with amusement in his voice. She shifted in your seat due to embarrassment. “A little.” You mumbled and looked away.

Todoroki grabbed the menu that was resting in front of the empty spot beside him. He looked it over before his eyes landed on the spicy noodles contest section, and his eyes gazed over at the price. He placed the menu down and turned to give you a small look of amusement. “You really don’t care about that plushie my ass.” He chuckled which made you shoot up quickly, feeling even more embarrassed. “Please stop, every time you mention it it reminds me of how much of my allowance I’ve lost to this place.” You whimpered and leaned against your icy hot boyfriend, who simply wrapped his arm around you trying to keep you warm.

“The winter festival was literally last week, we could have gone, and I could have won you at least several of those plushies at the games.” He sighed. “I know, but you were so busy training, and I didn’t won’t to bother you, plus you wanted to spend some time with your mom.” You replied with a small smile. Todoroki kissed the top of your head before turning his attention to the man coming out of the back with two bowls of noodles. The man placed the larger bowl in front of Todoroki and the smaller one in front of you. “Alright, you have an hour to finish the entire bowl, broth and all. You can’t drink any water. If you take a sip of water, put your chop sticks down, or get up to go to the bathroom or outside, then you lose and pay the fee. Also, last rule, no quirks. Now if you do win, then you get your entire meal, including your girlfriends, free.” The man stated as he prepared his stop watch. “I’ll start the time once you start to eat. Begin at any time.” The clerk leaned against the counter in amusement. Todoroki broke his chop sticks and dipped them into the bowl to begin. You watched as the man started the timer, and slowly you started to eat yourself. Nearly half way done with your food you didn’t know if you should be terrified or proud. Todoroki was eating like there was no problem. Truthfully just being near the noodles was making your eyes water just a bit. “This hurts just to watch.” You thought to yourself. Slowly you peered into his bowl to see him nearly at the bottom. “I think this kid might actually make it.” The man grumbled to himself.

By the time you were finished with your meal, Todoroki only had a few bites left and ten minutes to spare. You turned your full attention to him and started to cheer him on. He placed the chopsticks down and grabbed the spoon which he used to drink the broth. After a few slow attempts with the spoon, he placed it down and instead turn the bowl up to drink easier. “My God.” You thought to yourself in horror as he placed the empty bowl down. The man hit the stop button and stared at the time. “Congrats, you had eight minutes to spare.” The man smiled with amusement and held up the stop watch for Todoroki to see his time.

“I’ll be right back with your prize.” The man took the two-empty bowls and headed to the back. You stared at your boyfriend in amazement as he wiped his mouth with a napkin. “What?” He asked curiously as he took a sip of the water that was provided. “You actually did it.” You mumbled. “What, you doubted me?” Todoroki chuckled and ruffled your hair gently. The man came back around and placed the medium sized blue kitten plushie in front of you. You gave a small squeal of joy before hugging the stuffed creature close. The man chuckled and looked at Todoroki. “I suspected you wouldn’t want it, so I hope you don’t mind I gave it to your girlfriend.” He gave a small laugh. “Not at all.” Todoroki watched as you hugged the cute animals close.

He then turned his attention back to the clerk. “Thank you for the meal.” He bowed before getting up and leading you outside. He watched as you hugged the plushie close all the way back to the dorms. Though, it didn’t surprise you that once you stepped into your room the food started getting to the both of you. That’s how the two of you ended up cuddling on your bed, sadly you being the only one with a stomach ache. “I think I’m going to be sick.” You groaned as you hugged your boyfriend close, the plushie currently resting above both your heads on a shelf. “Seriously? I just ate a huge bowl of spicy noodles and I feel fine.” Todoroki chuckled. “Yeah, but you haven’t eaten noodles for the past five weeks. Plus, I saw you chewing with your right side.” You dramatically narrowed your eyes.

Todoroki felt his cheeks starting to heat up due to being caught. “Don’t worry, I appreciate the plushie though.” You gave a small laugh before a hiccup followed. Todoroki chuckled at this and rubbed your back. The soothing feeling caused you to slowly drift off and lean closer into his embrace. “Also, it wasn’t cheating, my right side is naturally cooler than my left.” Todoroki stated. “Whatever.” You can a small weak laugh before dozing off.

[ryik-the-writer]

Rumbelle fic: A Sitting Deal

A Sitting Deal 4/6

A03 Link

Rating: T+

Summary: With the threat of a rent increase being held over her head, Lacey E. French makes a deal with Mr. Gold to babysit his three-year-old son. Soon however the town troublemaker finds herself getting close to her landlord and son…which just can’t be good!

Note: for my Rumbelle Secret Santa recipient…@of-princes-and-savages, based off the prompt: Hey, who’s kid is this

Lacey was positively pissed when she woke up on time the next morning. She had hoped she would have slept in late and Gold would give up on her.

Yet Lacey found herself trudging to Gold’s house, her hair unwashed, her clothes unfitting. She shot dirty looks at passersby and hoped Gold would tell her to scram when she rung the doorbell.

He didn’t.

“Do come in,” he insisted as he held the door open.

Lacey groaned as she obeyed, noticing with a snort that the expansive mess she and Bae had caused yesterday had been cleared away.

She followed Gold into the kitchen where Baelfire was munching on dry cereal. His eyes widened when he saw her.

“Bwasy!” he sang, holding his pudgy arms out to her.

Both Lacey and Gold stopped in their tracks.

“I…I thought you said he couldn’t speak yet.”

“He can’t…” Gold breathed, the corner of his mouth twitching in an almost proud smile.

“Well then…congrats?” Lacey shrugged, trying to wrap her head around the idea that a kid she hadn’t known for a full twenty-four hours would waste his first word on her.

Gold nodded with a hum and began cleaning his son off.

“I wanted to apologize for yesterday,” he said suddenly.

Lacey blinked. No one ever apologized to her.

“As you should,” she stated, though she couldn’t quite pinpoint what he was apologizing for.

“I shouldn’t have pried the way I did,” Gold said. “Your business and decisions are your own, and I have no right to weigh in on them.”

“Ah,” Lacey said, nodding, but felt empty. Though what he said had stung, it had felt nice to have someone see her potential and remind her of it.

Now he wouldn’t bring it up again. He didn’t care.

“But I stand by what I said,” he added. “You can do something amazing with your life.”

Lacey shrugged, desperate to shrug off the mixed feelings Gold was making her feel.

“And I also thought of what you said,” Gold added, bringing Lacey back to present.

“Oh?” she pressed.

“I have been rather rigorous with Bae’s schedule,” he said as he unlatched Bae from his chair. “If you’re willing, I’d like you to take him to the park for a few hours after lunch, long enough for him to tire himself for his nap.”

Lacey choked a bit. He’d actually listened to her.

“Um, yeah of cou—” she gasped when Baelfire suddenly ran into her leg, just as he had at the bar. She met his little pools of chocolate as he met her blue ones.

“Bwasy!” His little hands stretched up her leg, like a kitten still learning the ways of the world.

Lacey twitched at the knowledge of what he wanted.

Gold sensed her hesitation and came up behind Bae to lift him up.

“Hold out your arms,” he instructed. “Now place one under his bottom…yes that’s it. Now the other around his shoulders.”

Lacey obeyed, her heart pounding as this tiny creature nestled himself in her arms, wrapping those pudgy, softer-than-silk arms around her neck.

She could smell cereal on his breath and count every eyelash he had.

“Bwasy,” he said again.

“Yeah.” Lacey swallowed. What the hell was she feeling?

Gold chuckled knowingly and placed his hand on Lacey’s to guide it to the center of Bae’s back.

He stopped when Lacey’s eyes shot up to his.

And could only stare.

Lacey French was trouble in human form. She stayed out too late and drank too much and had not held down a functional job until now. Yet with his little boy in her arms, there was this strange and beautiful vulnerability to her. And though there was panic in her eyes, her posture was poised, professional almost.

He swallowed.

And Lacey looked away, swerving to sit Bae on top of the counter.

“So uh…you’ll be back by five?”

Gold blinked. Right.

“Yes, I’ll call you if anything changes,” he said, straightening his lapels and falling back into his overly professional persona. “Good day.”

“Same to you.”

“Make sure he at least does his phonics cards.”

“Uh huh,” Lacey nodded as she willed the aggravating blush on her cheeks to fade. She listened as the tell-all sound of the door closure signaled his departure.

With a groan she collapsed against the counter. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” She recalled that she was in the presence of a post-toddler and glanced at him, the smirking boy staring at her like she was a god.

 0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Lacey decided to take their lunch with them to the park. Bae had been strangely clingy to her most of the morning to the point where even actual educational television wouldn’t distract him.

She wasn’t angry, or even frustrated with is new-found likeness for her. It was just so odd to have a tiny person actively seek her out. Lacey had sworn since early tweenhood that she would never have children or anything to do with them.

She scoffed at the irony as she loaded Bae and a bag of supplies onto a stroller she had found in a closet.

“Belle would shit her pants if she could see me now,” she said out loud, then chastised herself for conversing with a three-year-old.

As they reached the park entrance Bae began to get antsy, excited for familiar surroundings.

Lacey released him and laughed as he made a stumbling tumble to the sand box.

“Dork!” she called after him. Lugging the stroller to the nearest bench. “And don’t get kidnapped!”

“Lacey?”

The woman in question looked up and struggled to recall the tired blonde in front of her who was pushing a little girl only a year or so older than Bae.

“Um…hi?” Lacey greeted uneasily, glancing on and off at Bae just in case this was part of a kidnapping plan.

The woman laughed wetly and took the space on the bench. “You haven’t changed a bit. You still look exactly as you did in high school.”

That one word filled Lacey’s mind with memories of a time so long ago. Chaotic lunches with her friends. Unwarranted fights with her frustrated teachers. Sideways smiles at her sister as they parted ways down the hall.

And then Ashley Boyd. The trailer park queen who thought she was the next Paris Hilton.

Lacey had been snarky, but Ashley had been downright cruel. Belle had coached her sister how to stand her ground against the blonde tyrant, but it did little to settle her into humbleness.

That is until the day her father dropped a stepmother and two stepsisters on her.  She was no longer daddy’s little girl and her new sisters made her life at school an absolute nightmare.

She only seemed to spiral further when she fell pregnant and left just before graduation season. The queen was finally dethroned and the rest of Storybrooke High’s year was much quieter for it.

However, Lacey would give her credit where it was due. Becoming a young mother strengthened her. She took some night classes while she was pregnant and soon began running the local daycare.

She’d made something of her life, which filled Lacey with a grainy bitterness.

“It’s good to see you,” Lacey said half-truthfully.

“You too,” Ashley returned with a warped smile. She released her daughter from the confinement of her stroller and sat back as she ran to join Baelfire in the sandbox.

“Well look at him,” Ashley mused. “He’s absolutely adorable.”

“He’s not mine,” Lacey pointed out quickly.

“Oh, I know who’s he is,” Ashely concluded.

Lacey glanced at Bae and then back at Boyd, her stomach turning when she saw the darkness in her eyes. She had the sudden urge to snatch up Bae and run, but Lacey French ran from no one, especially not ex-bullies.

“Is that supposed to mean something?” Lacey growled, locking eyes with Ashley when she shot back around.

She shrugged so casually Lacey wanted to wrap her hands around her throat.

“Mr. Gold wanted to enroll him in my daycare,” Ashely said, her voice chirpy like she was talking about a recent vacation. “I told him not a chance in hell.”

Lacey wrinkled her nose and looked at Bae as he filled a discarded bucket with sand. Though her experience with children was slim to none, she could confidently say Bae was the most well-behaved toddler in existence.

“Why?” Lacey pressed. “It’s not like he couldn’t have paid the fees or anything.”

“I have the trust of every yoga and soccer mom in Storybrooke,” Ashley relayed. “If I let Gold or his sprawn anywhere near their children, I’d lose that trust without a second thought.”

Lacey flinched, gripping the underside of the bench for dear life. “Bae’s three. Whatever beef you have with Gold shouldn’t interfere with you giving him the same respect you give any other brat in this town.”

“I don’t expect you to understand because you’re not a parent,” Ashely said. “But those who associate with that man sink, and they don’t even have time to hold their breaths.”

Lacey rolled her eyes. “Why the hell are you bothering me?”

“Consider this a warning from someone who almost ended up just like you,” Ashley said, her smirk triumpth. “Gold is toxic, and no matter what you do his kid is going to end up just like him,”

“You’re wrong,” Lacey fought, losing her temper fast. “Gold might be a dick, but he cares about his kid,”

“Don’t let the paycheck blind you,” Ashely scoffed. “He’s a snake, and he will ruin your life if you keep your distance,”

Lacey jumped up, twirling her fingers in her belt loops. “Well, Ashely,” Lacey breathed, biting her inner cheek. “I’m more than capable of ruining my own life, so being around Gold will hardly give me damage points.” She turned towards the sandbox and whistled, earning Bae’s attention.

“Come on kiddo,” she called out, her breath catching when Bae emerged from the sand and came toddling after her, his tiny legs barely carrying him.

She picked him up, and for once the motion of swinging him onto her hip was second nature.

“The next time you want to strike up a conversation,” Lacey growled at Ashley. “Stick to the weather.”

She grumbled fantasies of taking Ashley’s face through a meat grinder as she hazardously pushed Bae in his stroller. When she glanced down she found the boy to be otherwise unfazed.

Why did she feel so strange around this little boy? Why did she suddenly feel this need to hold him, and protect him from bitches like Ashley Boyd?

Lacey scoffed in denial as she lugged Bae’s stroller up the stairs, jumbling her curses so that he wouldn’t catch on.

This was just part of the job. She was protective of her ward because she was getting paid to, nothing more.

She nodded at this thought comfortably as she undid Bae from the stroller. But the second he was free, he launched himself into her arms.

“Bwasy!” he cheered, nuzzling his face into her bosom.

“Geez kid,” Lacey groaned pushing him away just enough to give them some space. “I’m having a crisis here!”

Bae laughed gleefully, his tiny baby teeth gleaming.

“Oh come on.” She groaned. How was he so damn cute?

The boy babbled has he reached out a hand to paw at her cheek, his soft fingers pressing into her smooth cheekbone.

Lacey followed his hand as it wondered over her face. What was he trying to do? Was this something all kids did? Was he feeling her out to suffocate her later?

His fingers made a dangerous path over her mouth and Lacey took hold of his hand before they could venture past her lips.

She glared at him, hoping to deter his strange toddler affection. No one liked her except drunk slobs. Kids were supposed to avoid her at all cost.

Yet this one was staring at her like she had just given him the moon, and she hadn’t even given him lunch yet!

“Kid…” Lacey sighed, looking at the tiny hand clutched in her own.

“Bwasy.” Bae responded.

Lacey’s throat tightened. He was too cute, too good for Storybrooke and all his its self-righteous heathens.

She laughed tightly. “Damn it kid,” she chocked as she brought the tiny fingers to her lips.

“Miss French?”

With a horrified gasp she dropped Bae’s hand, turning to find Gold at the kitchen entryway, staring at her like a ghost just walked through his door.

[thetravellingvagrant]

Day 10: Iquitos/Cusco- In Which My Head Basically Implodes

We were due to fly to Cusco, today. Our flight was set to depart at a rather comfortable 11am. Given our inability to adjust to Peruvian time properly, even after like a week and a half of being here, we were up, bright and as alert as I get, with plenty of time for a nice morning bibble. Or we would have been, if I had had the energy to have either packed my bag or cleaned the apartment, the previous night; as it stood, both of these jobs still needed to be completed and so I put my precious bibblage on hold and set about them, like the hero I am. By the time they were done, we had little time to play with if we were to follow Sam's bizarrely strict rule about getting to the airport no later than exactly two hours before your flight is due to depart, even if it's a domestic one and the airport is literally so small that it will take eight seconds to pass through security, and so, after a nice sit down for a few minutes (simply no substitute for a proper bibble), we bade farewell to our very lovely apartment and indeed Iquitos in general and jumped about what was liable to be out last motor-taxi of the trip. I still wasn't bored of them. Yee haw.

To, I imagine, Sam's infinite delight, we arrived at with literal hours to spare and, after checking in and marvelling at the truly grotesque art on the airport walls

Ugh. No. What were you thinking?

we cruised through the predictably lax security and took a seat at a small cafe in the departure lounge. More to kill the time out of any genuine hunger, we bought some empanadas, which, to our dismay, had been microwaved, making them all floppy and soggy and horrible. In addition, unbeknownst to us, each of our empanadas had both an olive and half an egg in them, making them essentially unpalatable for both myself and Sam respectively. Delightful.

Soon, our gate was announced. It was number two. (Of two. It is a very small airport). We took our place in line, towards the back of group six (of six. We were not valued as customers) and eventually, after like, literally everyone else presen, we got on board the plane. That's what arriving two hours early gets you.

We took our seats; both aisle, not next to one another – did we do something to offend you, LatAm? - and settled in for the hour and a half flight to our next stop; Cusco.

Cusco is, for the uninitiated, in the mountains. But not like, some weak, pussy British mountain, which comparatively you'd be hard pressed not to just call a steep and probably racist hill; we're talking 3,400 meters of pure Andean altitude, which, if you're interested in this sort of thing, is a little under three times the height of Ben Nevis. With this degree of altitude, comes its happy little bedfellow, altitude sickness; a nasty little ailment which effects pretty much everyone fool enough to venture this far up and which typically causes headaches, nausea, shortness of breath, heart palpitations, dizziness, lack of co-ordination and in some extreme cases, also coma and death. Lovely. Given that you are reading this blog, you've likely figured out that the latter two symptoms have not effected me, but let me assure you the rest of them have and they started, in the form of a thumping headache, the second I got off of the plane- what a great and cool place for me to have come to. Fortunately, though, the airport had a little basket of coca leaves on offer, the chewing of which is said to reduce the effects of altitude sickness. I munched down on one right away, immediately becoming a drug addict in the process, I assume and my symptoms sort of half abated, temporarily, just like magic.

We stepped outside the airport and into the sadly expected sea of taxi drivers, who were, at least in this case, mercifully held behind a barrier, some twenty meters away from the airport's entrance, to stop them haranguing passengers, right away. We did, unfortunately, need to get a taxi, however and so wandered over to the first person who waved at us. We had been given a firm limit on what we should expect to pay by our Airbnb hosts; 10-15 soles, maximum. We showed the driver our directions and he said

“Excuse me sir, this route will cost fifty soles”

I laughed right in his stupid pudgy face.

“...No, we've been told ten to fifteen, look.”

I showed him the message

“Excuse me sir, this is a twenty, twenty five minute drive”

First of all, it wasn't. I had checked on google maps and had confirmed by our hosts that it was fifteen minutes. Second, that's two soles per minute of driving; eff off, taxi man. I told him I'd try another driver, because we weren't going to pay that much.

“Excuse me, sir- Forty soles”.

That was quick; if all I had to do was walk away a bit for him to drop a fifth off the price, it really didn't suggest to me that fifty was the best price it was possible for him to offer.

“Yeah, no. I might come back, but we're going to check with some other drivers.”

he continued following us, probably quite desperate to not let us actually speak to any of the other drivers, because if we did, we'd have firm evidence that fifty soles was a ludicrous rip off and he'd be outed as the liar, he so clearly was.

“Excuse me sir...twenty soles”

And just like that he had dropped more than half the price from his original quote. It was still too much for me, though. Sam, on the other hand, seemed to think that an extra five soles was a reasonable expense to just get us in a taxi, which it probably was, but I suppose I must hold grudges more than her, because I was straight up ready to fight that man. We (she) accepted the twenty soles fee and proceeded to begrudgingly (me) load our bags into the back of his deceiver's chariot.

We drove for -of course – fifteen minutes to our apartment, paid that snivelling, fat conman his twenty and watched him speed out of our lives, hopefully forever and even more hopefully, immediately off a cliff.

By the time we had let ourselves into our homely, though immediately noticeably very, very cold apartment, the effects of altitude sickness had really begun to kick in for me. I imagined that not being able to breathe properly anyway, given the fluey chest infection I was still dealing with, probably wasn't doing me any favours, combined with the thirty percent less oxygen in the air, but it's all part of the adventure right? And if I die, then at least I probably won't be able to obsess about the extra five soles we paid for taxi.

We couldn't rest for long though, despite that being what literally all the guides, tourist and medical, both, tell you to do. We had no food and no drinkable water, and so, needed to make the customary quick pop to a nearby supermarket. A nearby supermarket which was located both entirely downhill and down what would be a frankly ruinous number of stairs, even at sea-level.

The walk down wasn't that bad; I'd go so far as to say I actually quite enjoyed it – owing in part at least to the pretty spectacular view we had

I mean, it’s fine.

and our jaunt around the supermarket was relatively painless (apart from the screaming headache I had developed, but honestly, I'm basically used to that at this point). After spending far, far too much on food, because we're good at budgeting and will definitely not run out of money before the end of this trip, we headed back to the flat.

This walk was a little more taxing. Stairs are not at all easy to deal with on your first day in Cusco and the fact that there were just so, so many of them, really was the latest and most prominent reason for me wanting to just lie down and give up, forever. We soldiered on, however, taking long breaks every three minutes or so, and finally, arrived back., wheezing, headachey and with my heart screaming in my chest for rest - totally ruined, beyond all repair. What a lovely thing to come straight into after recovering from the flu.

After a long, long rest, I had the strength to pull myself into an upright position to work on this blog, for a while, before hunger overtook the horrible discomfort and I was forced to stumble through to the kitchen, to prepare (an actually remarkably successful) dinner. I ate this dinner, using the least energy possible while chewing before almost immediately passing out, tucked under like eight different blankets, because the apartment only gets colder at night and the traditional Inca heater with which they provided us was laughably ineffectual. Good going, the Incas. You really picked a great way to live.

[wolfpackbot207-blog]

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[andrewdburton]

The Margin Loan: How to Make a $400,000 Impulse Purchase

So, I kind of just bought the house next door to me.

We’ve already gotten straight into the renovations with a symbolic first step: a new front door.

This is already somewhat amazing, for a small-town boy who refuses to even buy himself a new car.  But even stranger are the details that surround this deal:

I’m not moving into it.

I don’t really need or want a second house.

I have no long-term plans to be a landlord.

I made the decision on a whim, and the whole transaction only took about 45 minutes of actual work.

I paid “cash” for the house, avoiding the hassle of getting a mortgage – while not having to accumulate an entire house price worth of cash.

And most importantly to you, I used a financial trick that I only recently learned about, but upon further study is an incredibly useful thing to have at your disposal (as long as you use it responsibly).

The real story is this: 

About two months ago, I learned through the grapevine that the house next door would soon be on the market. There was a cryptic “for sale by owner” entry on Zillow with a $400k asking price, but no pictures and no information on how to contact the sellers. In response to the information vacuum, Zillow had just automatically sucked in a really ugly Google Street View picture of the house.

Figure 1: Just(in) listed

In my area, we are in the middle of an insane housing boom. Every new property that comes to market, no matter how modest, is treated like Justin Timberlake stepping onto the stage of a dazzling arena of adoring fans.

This has left several friends who arrived more recently searching fruitlessly and losing the inevitable bidding war for each uninspiring property, over and over again.

And my little street happens to tick a lot of boxes for our type of shoppers: a walkable and bikeable central location which also backs onto open space and features newer (1990s) houses with a layout that can easily be split into two units with separate entrances. All at lower prices than the older houses without views and without house-hacking potential, just up the hill. 

Figure 2: Actual scenes from my back yard(!)

So I knew this place was a good deal and a good investment, and sure enough several friends were interested. The only problem was, so was everybody else: a bidding war was already bubbling up and we only had a few days at most to lock it in. 

And my most interested friend was self-employed, and in the middle of a year-end business boom –  both factors that would delay her ability to get a mortgage. How could we secure this house, so she would get an amazing deal and I would get to live next to a really great group of friends (and continue my plan to gradually take over more of the street) rather than rolling the dice with a random set of new neighbors?

The solution: we made a deal where I would make an all-cash offer to buy the house, with very quick and friendly terms to the seller so we could beat the other offers. Then my friend would take her time to get a mortgage, and buy the place from me at a more leisurely pace – effectively just leasing it from me in the meantime.

The problem: I didn’t have anywhere near $400,000 sitting in my checking account, and I did not want to sell a bunch of shares and trigger capital gains taxes (which in my case would be at least $60,000), just for this short term project. I’m a good friend, but not that good.

The Ultimate Solution: Learning from a friend who has been doing this for years, I transferred some of my existing investments out of Etrade and into a new brokerage firm (Interactive Brokers), which has an unusually good Margin Loan capability.

This let me borrow money against my own shares, at an interest rate of about one percent (1%!), without selling any of them. 

So end result for me is like a very flexible mortgage, but at less than half the interest rate, and with a virtually-overnight origination speed. And I am the CEO of the bank!

Introducing the Margin Loan

Let’s start with an example of what I did, although with fictional rounded numbers just to make it simple.

The way a margin account can work, if you’re careful.

You may have already heard about the often-risky practice of “buying stocks on margin”, along with its notorious darkside, the possibility of a “margin call”. But there’s also a big potential advantage, which is why people do it. Let’s summarize both of them so we can see how to do it right.

In the best case, a margin account allows you to do things like this:

Put in $100,000 of your own money and buy, say, some shares of the VTI index fund.

Use that as collateral to borrow an additional $100,000 to buy more shares (VTI or otherwise).

You end up with $200,000 invested.

If the stock goes up by 10% per year ($10,000) and you are borrowing the money at only 2% (which costs you $2000), you get $8000 every year for “free”.

The downside is that this can happen:

You invest your $100k, borrow that second $100k, and buy the same $200k of shares.

COVID hits and your shares suddenly go down 50% (total value is now $100k)

BUT, that $100,000 margin loan you took out hasn’t changed. In other words, you still owe the brokerage $100k, and your account value is now only $100,000. The total value of your account is now zero.

Even worse, the brokerage is not cool with this situation, because they require a 50% “maintenance margin”.

They automatically sell half of your shares in order to reduce the loan balance to $50k.

You’ve just lost 100% of your money (because you own 50k of shares and owe the brokerage 50k), and you were forced to sell the shares at the worst possible time, shutting you out of the possibility of a rapid rebound (like we saw just after the 2020 Coronacrash).

Note: if the stock drops fast enough, you can even lose more than all your money.

So, margin is a powerful tool that can multiply your profits or your losses. However, since the stock market tends to rise over time, it can still be a valuable option, as long as you use it with great caution. So why, and how, am I using a margin loan? Although the basic idea (and risks) are the same, I am using my margin loan a bit differently, to withdraw cash instead of buying more shares. And I am keeping my borrowing well under that 50% threshold in the example above, in order to reduce the risk of trouble in the case of another market crash. Here is what I did:

I created a new account for myself at Interactive Brokers, selecting the “IBKR Pro” account type to get the lower margin rates, and set it up as a “margin” account versus the unnecessarily complex “portfolio margin” option.

I transferred a relatively large amount of shares of stable, diversified companies (mostly the VTI index fund and some Berkshire Hathaway) into this new account. 

With a securities transfer, your actual shares move between from your old brokerage to the new one, rather than being sold on one side and re-bought on the other. This avoids triggering unnecessary capital gains taxes. I was able to make this part happen entirely online – no phone calls required.

Then, since my account was new, I had to sit and wait for 30 days, to clear the security lockup period. This is a good reason to plan in advance by setting up an account when you aren’t rushing to buy a house. But the deal still worked out, and I’m even more prepared for next time.

After that I was able to withdraw cash using the margin loan feature. The brokerage lets me go all the way up to 50%, but I kept mine to a lower percentage.

Now, when I go to make a withdrawal from my account, I see a screen like this one:

Although I already have some money borrowed on margin (a negative cash balance), the system calculates how much extra I could still borrow based on the current value of my shares. As I pay off this loan, the green number will grow and eventually the red number will rise above zero as well.

This money simply went immediately to my checking account. I used a wire transfer, which the brokerage did for free.

Within less than an hour of that money hitting my checking account, I was able to wire it right back out to the title company, and buy the house.

Technical note: In this case, I did already have a portion of the house price ($140k) available in cash. This allowed me to borrow a smaller amount ($260k) using the margin loan, which made it possible to stay within a conservative borrowing range without requiring millions of dollars in shares.

The Real Magic: Ludicrously Low Interest Rates

For a brokerage, a margin loan is an easy and automated way to safely make money off of their clients, because they are really just lending you a portion of your own money.

So as long as they set the rules conservatively, they have your shares as guaranteed collateral and can sell them instantly if needed. This means they can offer rates barely above the prime rate. And Interactive Brokers is particularly aggressive, offering the rates below at the time of writing.

(Interactive Broker Margin rates as of Jan 2021. Note: you can always check the current rates on their website here)

For comparison, Robinhood offers margin loans at 2.5% and Etrade is something silly like 7.95% and up as I write this. Even the low-fee standard Vanguard is in the 7% range. So, Interactive Brokers is truly unique for now – which is why I created my account.

Cool Implications of This New Trick

1: Staying fully invested without fear

In recent years, I have found myself disobeying my own advice and holding more cash in checking accounts than I should have. By foregoing the returns I would have earned if I left this money in the stock market, I have cost myself many thousands of dollars.

But I was holding back due to a range of fearful excuses like, “What if there’s a stock market crash and I want to get some shares on sale? What if my income tax bill is higher than expected? What if a house comes up on the market and I want to be able to spring on it quickly?”, and so on.

With the margin loan option now in place, all of these fears disappear. I can now safely remain fully invested, and in the unlikely event of one of those “emergencies” above, I can just pull out any amount of money I might desire. No delays, and no taxes.

2: Being able to buy houses on short notice (or even become a mortgage company for your friends)

In my situation, I was able to lock in a good deal on a house due to the power of the “cash offer”, which benefits my friend who will eventually buy it from me to become the final owner. After buying several properties with actual money rather than a mortgage, I have found that the benefits are huge:

By offering cash (and providing proof of funds as needed), you show the seller that you are serious, and that you can actually afford the house. In a hot market, many buyers make offers on houses that they can’t truly afford. Several weeks later, they find that the financing falls apart, leaving the seller hanging and needing to re-start the sale process. A cash buyer is thus much more reliable

Mortgage companies can be very slow, taking a wise but extensive list of steps before they hand over the money. It can be 6-8 weeks between offer and closing. With your cash, it happens at your own pace (it could be as fast as one day, but 3-4 weeks is reasonable if you are doing inspections and other due diligence.

With a cash offer, you can make your own decisions about how to handle the inspection, or even perform your own (if you happen to be qualified as I am). You also don’t need to pay an appraiser $600 to take a random dartboard guess at the value of the house you are choosing to pay. As an advanced buyer, you presumably know the value better than anyone else.

Finally, with cash you eliminate any loan origination fees and you can choose your own insurance coverage and deductible, since you are the only one at risk.

Although this arrangement is unconventional, it doesn’t feel too risky for me, because the house is solely in my name. If my friend changed her mind or otherwise could not complete the deal, I still own the house, which could be sold at a small profit or rented out. From a legal and accounting perspective, all I’ve done is bought a house as an investment.

For those with sufficient savings (and who are not prone to worry), this “Cash Buyer Vigilante” idea could become a valuable service for other friends, or even a sort of business: you help your clients to make cash offers to buy houses, which gets you a better deal in a competitive market, and you collect a fee for the service. You may also earn a small spread on the difference between the mortgage rate and your broker’s margin interest rate.

3: Avoiding unnecessary taxes

If you never have to sell your shares, you can keep those gains on paper instead of out in the real world – perhaps even for your entire lifetime.

As long as you’re comfortable with the margin loan interest rate (which will not always be as low as it is today but should in general remain cheaper than a mortgage), you can borrow against your growing pool of investments for everyday living expenses, house purchases, and even charitable contributions.

And if you borrow to make additional taxable investments (which is exactly what I have done for the house next door) , the interest itself may be tax deductible as well. For example, consider the following hack, just one of many:

You have millions of dollars of appreciated Apple and Tesla stock, and want to tax-efficiently fund a nice lifestyle forever. You could

Use a margin loan against these shares to buy a solid multi-unit apartment building (preferably with a high yield and a hands-off management company to manage it for you)

Collect the considerable rent, while taking any allowable depreciation deductions

With a good property, the surplus after all of these expenses will more than pay for your margin loan interest and your own pleasant lifestyle. Groceries, household expenses, kids, travel, whatever you like. And you still own your original investments and haven’t paid capital gains taxes on anything.

You do have to be careful, of course. My rule of thumb is to be more than prepared for the worst stock market decline that has ever happened, and even then have a backup plan beyond that. So, my primary house will never be at risk, and only a small portion of my total investments will be subject to margin borrowing. 

But if you do it right, I believe this trick allows you to trade a very small amount of risk for a rather large increase in life options and satisfaction – in other words, fun.

So I look forward to sharing more stories of how this neighborly arrangement works out, and the intriguing adventures I have with this new margin account after that.

In the comments: if you have more experience and/or questions about margin loans, please share them, and I will update this article so we can make it more comprehensive.

—–

A note on Interactive Brokers: I chose this firm based on advice from some friends who are established investors, followed by some online research. I am happy with the results so far, and I received great customer service when setting up the account and going through the learning process of the margin loan (which is really easy). But, like everything in life, I still view it as an experiment. I have lots left to learn.

The company has a nice “online-university” style explanations of all sorts of things, with nicely formatted pages and video lessons – including more advanced forms of trading that I don’t plan to get into. But in the case of the margin loan, I found this guide to be useful.

IB also offers a referral program. If you establish an account and like the results enough to recommend it, you can share it with your friends. As the program currently stands, you will get $200 for each new customer, and your friend will get up to $1000 (1% of the value of the assets they use to fund it) – payable in the form of IBKR shares, which is kind of a novel way to pay a bonus.

If you are thinking of signing up and need a referral link to get your own 1%, you are welcome to use mine here – which will of course benefit the MMM blog so thanks if you do!

from Finance https://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2021/01/29/margin-loan-ibkr-review/ via http://www.rssmix.com/

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IELTS Practice Cambridge 7 General Training Reading Test B C7GTB

IELTS Practice Cambridge Book 7 General Training Reading Test B C7GTB

Section 1 Read the text below and answer Questions 1-7 CALL ANYWHERE IN THE STATE FOR ONE LOW SHORT-DISTANCE RATE! You have a choice of three Supafone Mobile Digital access plans: Leisure time, Executive and Highflier. They are designed to meet the needs of light, moderate and high-volume users. Calls in each plan are charged at only two rates – short-distance and long-distance. You enjoy big savings with off-peak calls. LEISURE TIME Your mobile phone is mainly for personal use. You use your phone to keep family and friends in touch. You don’t want to strain your budget. With this plan you enjoy the lowest monthly access fee and extremely competitive costs for calls. However, a monthly minimum call charge applies. EXECUTIVE You’re in business and need to be able to call your office and your clients whenever the need arises. You value the convenience of a mobile phone but need to keep a close eye on overheads. For frequent users: the monthly access fee is slightly higher, but you enjoy the savings of a discounted call rate. HIGHFLIER You are always on the move and communications are critical. You need to be able to call and be called wherever you are – world-wide. As a high-volume user you pay an access fee of just $60 a month but even lower call rates.

Question 1-7 Classify the following statements. A the LEISURE TIME plan B the EXECUTIVE plan C the HIGHFLIER plan D ALL three of the plans 1. The monthly access fee is the highest but the call rates are the lowest. 2. Calls are charged at short-distance or long-distance rates. 3. This plan is NOT primarily intended for people who need a mobile phone for their work. 4. This plan is a cost-effective choice if you spend just over $100 a month on calls. 5. It costs 21 cents for a 30-second long-distance call at 2 p.m. 6. The connection fee is $30. 7. You will have to pay a minimum amount for calls each month. Read the text below and answer Questions 8-14 WESTWINDS FARM CAMPSITE Open April – September (Booking is advised for holidays in July and August to guarantee a place.) Jim and Meg Oaks welcome you to the campsite. We hope you will enjoy your stay here. We ask all campers to show due care and consideration whilst staying here and to observe the following camp rules. • Keep the campsite clean and tidy: – dispose of litter in the bins provided; – leave the showers, toilets and washing area in the same state as you found them; – ensure your site is clear of all litter when you leave it. • Don’t obstruct rights of way. Keep cars, bikes, etc. off the road. • Let sleeping campers have some peace. Don’t make any noise after 10 o’clock at night or before 7.30 in the morning. • Dogs must be kept on a lead. Owners of dogs that disturb other campers by barking through the night will be asked to leave. • Disorderly behaviour will not be tolerated. • The lighting of fires is strictly prohibited. • Ball games are not allowed on the campsite. There is plenty of room for ball games in the park opposite the campsite. • Radios, portable music equipment, etc. must not be played at high volume. The management reserves the right to refuse admittance. Do the following statements agree with the information given in the text? TRUE                             if the statement agrees with the information FALSE                           if the statement contradicts the information NOT GIVEN                if there is no information on this 8. The campsite is open all year round. 9. You should book ahead for the busier times of the year. 10. The minimum stay at the campsite is two nights. 11. The entrance to the campsite is locked after 10 p.m. 12. No dogs are allowed on the campsite. 13. You are not allowed to cook food on open fires. 14. The owners of the campsite may not allow you to camp there. Section 2 Question 15-27 Read the text below and answer Questions 15-27 THE LAW ON MINIMUM PAY Who is entitled to minimum pay? Nearly all workers aged 16 years and over, including part-time workers, are entitled to the National Minimum Wage. Amongst those to whom it does not apply are those engaged in unpaid work and family members employed by the family business. What is the minimum wage that I am entitled to? The National Wage Act specifies the minimum rates of pay applicable nationwide. Since 1 October 2007, the adult rate for workers aged 22 and over has been £5.25 per hour. The development rate for 18-21 year olds and for workers getting training in the first 6 months of a job is £4.60 per hour. The rate for 16-17 year olds starts at £3.40 an hour. There are special provisions for some workers, for example those whose job includes accommodation. Pay means gross pay and includes any items paid through the payroll such as overtime, bonus payments, commission and tips and gratuities. I believe I’m being paid below the National Minimum Wage Rate. How can I complain? If you are being paid less than this, there are various steps you can take: • If you feel able, you should talk directly with your employer. This is a clear legal right, and employers can be fined for not paying the NMW. • If you are a trade union member, you should call in the union. • If neither of these is appropriate then you can email via the Revenue and Customs website or call their helpline for advice. You have the legal right to inspect your employer’s pay records if you believe, on reasonable grounds, that you are being paid less than the NMW. Your employer is required to produce the records within 14 days, and must make them available at your place of work or at some other reasonable place. If your employer fails to produce the records, you may take the matter to an employment tribunal. You must make your complaint within three months of the ending of the 14-day notice period. Question 15-21 Complete the sentences below. Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER from the text for each answer. 15. The law on minimum pay doesn′t cover you if you are working in your………………..or if you are a volunteer. 16. You may be paid under £5 an hour if you are receiving………………………at the start of a job. 17. There are different rules for people who are provided with…………………..with their jobs. 18. If you earn extra money, for example for working longer hours or in tips, this counts as part of your wage when you receive it via…………. 19. Anyone being paid below the National Minimum Wage should speak to their…………………………if they can. 20. According to the law, you can ask to look at your boss′s……………………………….. 21. You have a period of………………………….to complain if your boss does not co-operate within the specified period of time. DEALING WITH YOUR OFFICE EMAILS Email has completely changed the way we work today. It offers many benefits and, if used well, can be an excellent tool for improving your own efficiency. Managed badly, though, email can be a waste of valuable time. Statistics indicate that office workers need to wade through an average of more than 30 emails a day. Despite your best efforts, unsolicited email or spam can clutter up the most organised inbox and infect your computer system with viruses. Here we give you guidance on protecting yourself. Prioritising incoming messages If you are regularly faced with a large volume of incoming messages, you need to prioritise your inbox to identify which emails are really important. If it is obvious spam, it can be deleted without reading. Then follow these steps for each email: • Check who the email is from. Were you expecting or hoping to hear from the sender? How quickly do they expect you to respond? • Check what the email is about. Is the subject urgent? Is it about an issue that falls within your sphere of responsibility, or should it just be forwarded to someone else? • Has the email been in your inbox for long? Check the message time. An initial scan like this can help you identify the emails that require your prompt attention. The others can be kept for reading at a more convenient time. Replying in stages Having prioritised your emails, you can answer them in stages, first with a brief acknowledgement and then a more detailed follow-up. This is particularly advisable when dealing with complicated matters where you don’t want to give a rushed answer. If you decide to do this, tell the recipient a definite date when you’ll be able to get back to him or her and try to keep to this wherever possible. Some emails are uncomplicated and only require a brief, one line answer, so it’s a good idea to reply to these immediately. For example, if all you need to say is, ‘Yes, I can make the 10.00 meeting’, or ‘Thanks, that’s just the information I needed’, do it. If you are unable to reply there and then or choose not to, let the sender know that you’ve received the message and will be in touch as soon as possible. Question 22-27 Complete the flow chart below. Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the text for each answer.

Section 3 Question 28-40 Read the text below and answer questions 28-40 THE IRON BRIDGE The Iron Bridge was the first of its kind in Europe and is universally recognised as a symbol of the Industrial Revolution. A The Iron Bridge crosses the River Severn in Coalbrookdale, in the west of England. It was the first cast-iron bridge to be successfully erected, and the first large cast-iron structure of the industrial age in Europe, although the Chinese were expert iron-casters many centuries earlier. B Rivers used to be the equivalent of today’s motorways, in that they were extensively used for transportation. The River Severn, which starts its life on the Welsh mountains and eventually enters the sea between Cardiff and Bristol, is the longest navigable river in Britain. It was ideal for transportation purposes, and special boats were built to navigate the waters. By the middle of the eighteenth century, the Severn was one of the busiest rivers in Europe. Local goods, including coal, iron products, wool, grain and cider, were sent by river. Among the goods coming upstream were luxuries such as sugar, tea, coffee and wine. In places, the riverbanks were lined with wharves and the river was often crowded with boats loading or unloading. C In 1638, Basil Brooke patented a steel-making process and built a furnace at Coalbrookdale. This later became the property of Abraham Darby (referred to as Abraham Darby I to distinguish him from his son and grandson of the same name). After serving an apprenticeship in Birmingham, Darby had started a business in Bristol, but he moved to Coalbrookdale in 1710 with an idea that coke derived from coal could provide a more economical alternative to charcoal as a fuel for iron making. This led to cheaper, more efficient iron making from the abundant supplies of coal, iron and limestone in the area. D His son, Abraham Darby II, pioneered the manufacture of cast iron, and had the idea of building a bridge over the Severn, as ferrying stores of all kinds across the river, particularly the large quantities of fuel for the furnaces at Coalbrookdale and other surrounding ironworks, involved considerable expense and delay. However, it was his son Abraham Darby III (born in 1750) who, in 1775, organised a meeting to plan the building of a bridge. This was designed by a local architect, Thomas Pritchard, who had the idea of constructing it of iron. E Sections were cast during the winter of 1778-9 for a 7-metre-wide bridge with a span of 31 metres, 12 metres above the river. Construction took three months during the summer of 1779, and remarkably, nobody was injured during the construction process – a feat almost unheard of even in modern major civil engineering projects. Work on the approach roads continued for another two years, and the bridge was opened to traffic in 1781. Abraham Darby III funded the bridge by commissioning paintings and engravings, but he lost a lot on the project, which had cost nearly double the estimate, and he died leaving massive debts in 1789, aged only 39. The district did not flourish for much longer, and during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries factories closed down. Since 1934 the bridge has been open only to pedestrians. Universally recognised as the symbol of the Industrial Revolution, the Iron Bridge now stands at the heart of the Iron bridge Gorge World Heritage Site. F It has always been a mystery how the bridge was built. Despite its pioneering technology, no eye-witness accounts are known which describe the iron bridge being erected – and certainly no plans have survived. However, recent discoveries, research and experiments have shed new light on exactly how it was built, challenging the assumptions of recent decades. In 1997 a small watercolour sketch by Elias Martin came to light in the Swedish capital, Stockholm. Although there is a wealth of early views of the bridge by numerous artists, this is the only one which actually shows it under construction. G Up until recently it had been assumed that the bridge had been built from both banks, with the inner supports tilted across the river. This would have allowed river traffic to continue unimpeded during construction. But the picture clearly shows sections of the bridge being raised from a barge in the river. It contradicted everything historians had assumed about the bridge, and it was even considered that the picture could have been a fake as no other had come to light. So in 2001 a half-scale model of the bridge was built, in order to see if it could have been constructed in the way depicted in the watercolour. Meanwhile, a detailed archaeological, historical and photographic survey was done by the Iron bridge Gorge Museum Trust, along with a 3D CAD (computer-aided design) model by English Heritage. H The results tell us a lot more about how the bridge was built. We now know that all the large castings were made individually as they are all slightly different. The bridge wasn’t welded or bolted together as metal bridges are these days. Instead it was fitted together using a complex system of joints normally used for wood – but this was the traditional way in which iron structures were joined at the time. The construction of the model proved that the painting shows a very realistic method of constructing the bridge that could work and was in all probability the method used. I Now only one mystery remains in the Iron Bridge story. The Swedish watercolour sketch had apparently been torn from a book which would have contained similar sketches. It had been drawn by a Swedish artist who lived in London for 12 years and travelled Britain drawing what he saw. Nobody knows what has happened to the rest of the book, but perhaps the other sketches still exist somewhere. If they are ever found they could provide further valuable evidence of how the Iron Bridge was constructed. Question 28-31 Answer the questions below. Choose ONE NUMBER ONLY from the text for each answer. 28. When was the furnace bought by Darby originally constructed? 29. When were the roads leading to the bridge completed? 30. When was the bridge closed to traffic? 31. When was a model of the bridge built? Do the following statements agree with the information given in the text? TRUE                         if the statement agrees with the information FALSE                       if the statement contradicts the information NOT GIVEN            if there is no information on this 32. There is no written evidence of how the original bridge was constructed. 33. The painting by Elias Martin is the only one of the bridge when it was new. 34. The painting shows that the bridge was constructed from the two banks. 35. The original bridge and the model took equally long to construct. 36. Elias Martin is thought to have made other paintings of the bridge. Question 37-40 The text has nine paragraphs, A-I. Which paragraph of the text contains the following information? 37. why a bridge was required across the River Severn 38. a method used to raise money for the bridge 39. why Coalbrookdale became attractive to iron makers 40. how the sections of the bridge were connected to each other Show Answers

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Day Trip to The National Park on Bonaire

Day Trip to Washington Slagbaai National Park on Bonaire

Looking for a fun family outing? A romantic day visiting beaches, immersed in nature? Do you want a fun off-the-beaten path adventure on Bonaire? We HIGHLY recommend a day trip to Washington Slagbaai National Park. This uninhabited, unhurried nature preserve constitutes about one fifth of the entire island.

Visiting Washington Slagbaai National Park

When to go: Get started early in the morning. Plan to go when roads are most likely to be dry. If heavy rain fell the prior day or two you may find the park roads closed. The park, located in the town of Rincon in the northwest corner of the island is a 25 minute drive from downtown Kralendijk. Driving to the entrance of the park is easy. The road to Rincon overlooking the sea at some points, has no traffic and lots of wilderness. Although the park entrance may only be 25 minutes away, the real adventure begins once inside the park. Plan on a full day adventure as the road is long with lots of stops and rough (bumpy) driving conditions. 

First stop: park and pay entrance fee, quick orientation

When you arrive at the park entrance you will be asked to take care of your entrance fee. The fee structure, broken down below based on my understanding. For our purposes this takes into account only non-residents of Bonaire:

To begin with, everyone using the waters of Bonaire must purchase a square Marine Park Tag for $25 before using the marine park for swimming, snorkeling, windsurfing, kiting, etc. The "marine park" means ALL waters surrounding Bonaire, not just the National Park.

The marine park tag can be purchased at the entrance to the national park if you haven't already purchased one.

Scuba Divers must purchase a $45 round dive tag rather than the $25 square nature tag used for all other water use. They do not need both tags.

In addition to the Nature Tag fees you then pay an entrance fee of $15 per person per day or $20 per person per calendar year to enter the park. You must have your square nature tag or round dive tag to prove you've already paid that fee. If you have a yearly pass you must bring the paper copy with you to re-enter the park on subsequent days.

In summary - if you haven't already purchased a square tag you will be charged $25 + $15 for a day in the park. Or you will be charged $25 +$20 for more than one day if you plan to return within the calendar year. If you dive your fee is $45 for the dive tag plus $15 to enter the park for one day.

You must bring your square or round tag if you have already purchased it prior to your visit to Washington Slagbaai.

Map of the park and itinerary:

At this point the park ranger provides a map for you. They also offer an explanation of what time the park closes and what that means for your itinerary. For example you must be past a certain point before a certain hour to ensure you will be out of the park before the gate closes. A park ranger does a final drive through of the park to ensure that all vehicles that entered the park safely also exit before closing time. On arrival they write down your license plate number for this purpose. 

OK - phew - now you are in, with a map and a schedule, and a back-up plan. 

Second stop: the Museum and Gift Shop

The visitor center at the entrance of the park has memorabilia, artifacts and photos. Here you find a good explanations of the history of Washington Slagbaai and it's flora and fauna, as well as culture and heritage. A small gift shop sells books, postcards and souvenirs. This is the last stop for quite a while for restrooms.

As per the explanation above, when you purchase your day pass you'll receive a driving map of the park just like the one pictured above. At this point you have basically two options: You can take the "long route" or the "short route." The long route takes you along the coast, with stops at some breathtaking beaches. The short route is the way to go if you plan to do a hike of Mt. Brandaris.

Take the short route if you are in a hurry to get to the beach at Boca Slagbaai or Wayaka. Wayaka II is my favorite beach on Bonaire with picturesque white sand and crystal clear water, perfect for a swim and a snorkel. The short and long routes through the National Park are narrow, bumpy one way roads. Don't expect to get anywhere quickly. You are on island time now. 

The Main Event - stops along the way: The nature and Beaches of Washington Slagbaai National Park

The first stop on the long route, Playa Chikitu, is not a swimming beach due to dangerous currents. We sometimes bring a couple large plastic bags and do some beach clean-up on this beach. Large quantities of plastic bottles, shoes and other debris wash ashore here every day. You don't find debris like this on other Bonaire beaches or anywhere else in the National Park. However, Playa Chikitu offers spectacular fine white sand and small grassy dunes. We consider it a must see beach. (see the photo below). Kids love it for playing in the sand and adults love it for gorgeous views and salty, windy breezes. At the next exit on the long road, Boca Chikitu, stop to watch the waves crash on the shore.

Continue along the "long" coastal route to explore beach after beach. Stunning panorama after panorama. After Boca Chikitu you come upon Suplado Blow Hole. The photo at the top of this blog post shows some scenery along the road near the blow hole. Spectacular!

The national park is yours to explore. Each exit on the itinerary, however, takes some driving time. It may take a few trips before you actually experience all of them. So in terms of not to miss beaches on Bonaire I will go with Wayaka II. 

My favorite beach is Wayaka II pictured below

Another favorite is the beach near Boca Slagbaai pictured below

Both Boca Slagbaai and Wayaka II are accessible on the short route as well. Try the short route If you ONLY want to visit these two beaches or if you want to do a combination of a hike up Mt. Brandaris and then go to these two beaches. Of course there are other sites to see along both routes. You will be astounded by the flora and fauna. Parrots, flamingos, parakeets, iguanas and many other species of birds and reptiles are found in Bonaire's Washington Slagbaai. The beaches inside the park are an important nesting ground for all four species of sea turtles found in the Caribbean. 

What to bring:

What to bring to the park for the day? Swimming and snorkel gear, beach towels, beach chairs if you have them, lots of water, picnic lunch. If you plan to hike up Brandaris you should bring a small backpack to carry your water since some of the climb is hand over foot. If you plan to hike wear sneakers with grip or hiking shoes. Flip flops really aren't appropriate for hiking as there is an abundance of cacti and rough, hilly terrain. We recommend snorkeling with a rash guard rather than slathering on sunscreen. This helps protect the reef. 

And lastly your phone probably won't get a signal but you will definitely want it for photos! 

Have a wonderful (day)trip in Washington Slagbaai National Park!

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How to Prepare for a Trek to Everest Base Camp

When we first started planning our trip to Everest base camp, we both were continuously on Google searching how to prepare for a trek to Everest base camp. We had loads of questions regarding trekking to Everest base camp like, how hard is it? How fit do you have to be? Is it dangerous? What is the accommodation like? What kind of gear do you need? Do you need a guide/porter? And while we found answers to the majority of our questions we had to find and read numerous websites and blog posts to get the information. Our aim for this post is to provide you answers to all the questions we had, plus more. Which in turn, we hope, will help you plan and prepare your trip to Everest base camp.

Everest Base Camp

When's the best time to go?

You can actually trek to Everest Base Camp during any time of the year but it's not always easy going and can be very difficult to reach. During the winter months of January and February, the temperatures can drop to way below freezing, with snow covering the higher ground. The majority of lodges also close down higher up so it can be difficult to find accommodation. It is also advisable not to trek during the monsoon season of June to September the trails can become impassable due to landslides and rock falls, it's also not nice trekking in torrential downpours. The best times to trek to Everest base camp are during the months of March to April and October to around the middle of December. From March through to the end of April, usually by late morning the clouds start to roll in and the snow cover on the mountains is minimal, but it's the time when climbers descend on Base Camp to attempt to summit Everest, so the trails are full of trekkers and climbers. October until late December can be a great time to trek to Base Camp, the skies are usually clear offering amazing views of the freshly, snow covered mountains. Towards the end of November into December, the trails become less crowded which can make your trek more enjoyable, but the nights become cold, frequently dropping into minus figures.

Claire on the Everest Base Camp trek

How fit do you really need to be?

The fitter you are the easier it will be, but that doesn't mean you've got to be super fit. We would put both of us into the category of an average fitness. A couple months before we left the U.K we use to run 5K twice a week and tried to go on a long walk every weekend. But to be honest, unless you live in a mountainous region it will be hard to get the type of training you need to prepare for Everest base camp. As our guide told us, as long as you take it slow and steady and listen to your body you'll be fine.

How much does it cost?

This also depends on how you decide to go about it. If you decide to trek independently you will spend on average between $20 to €30 a day on food and accommodation, plus any snacks you may want to buy during the day. Depending on your negotiating skills the majority of lodges will actually let you stay for free of a few $ as long as you eat your meals at the lodge. If you take the independent trekking route you will also have to arrange and pay for transport to and from the domestic terminal at Kathmandu airport, flights to Lukla which cost $148 one way (unless you plan to trek from Jiri or Shivalaya, which will add a further 8 days on to your trek) plus your TIMS card and the Sagarmatha National Park entrance fees which costs $20 and $32 respectively. Another option is to contact a local trekking agency in Kathmandu and get the trek tailored to your liking. After much thought, we decided against trekking independently and arranged for Nepal Hiking Adventure to arrange the flights and permits and provide us just with a guide but no porter. Depending on the guide's experience you can expect to pay between $20 - $35 a day,  beforehand make sure you spend some time getting to know them. You will be spending 2 weeks trekking with the guide so it's good to get on together. The price of a porter can range between $10 - $20 a day. This option provides a happy medium between the cost of trekking independently and going with a group tour.

Everest Base Camp trek Which leads us to the last option which is the group tour. There are literally hundreds of international and local companies offering group tours to Everest Base Camp, you could arrive in Kathmandu and book onto a group tour leaving in the next couple days or larger international companies like G Adventures offer online booking. The positives of joining a group tour are, that everything is arranged for you, all you have to do is get yourself to Kathmandu. You will also get to meet and trek with a group of 10 -12 people from all over the world, giving you a chance to make new and possibly life long friends. The downside of group tours is that in our opinion you have no control, everything is arranged from the trekking itinerary to each lodge you will stay at. You will also overpay, sometimes by $600 compared to going with local trekking agencies or independently.

What is the accommodation like?

If luxury accommodation is your thing then maybe this trek isn't for you, the accommodation along the trail is very basic but comfy. Each tea house has a number of rooms, usually consisting of two single beds with one pillow and blanket, a shared bedside table and a few coat hooks, and that's it. The walls are consist of thin plywood/chipboard, so you will hear what your neighbours are up to, so bring earplugs. At the start of the trail in Phakding and Namche it is possible to find rooms with an ensuite toilet but the majority of the time it will be shared toilets. Hot showers are available but it will cost you and once you're above a certain height once you're wet, it's hard to get warm again. But don't be put off, overall the tea houses are well maintained, clean and comfy.

What kind of trekking gear do I need?

This is completely down to the choice of the person doing the trek, you could spend a fortune on all the different gear you may need for the trek to base camp but you can also get by with the bare basics. We are in the middle of putting an Everest Base Camp packing list together and will link it here once it's finished. But for now, we have highlighted the three most important things you must have on your trek, without these the trek to Everest base camp will become a lot harder and uncomfortable, but still not impossible. 1 x Thermal Jacket - This can be hired in almost every other shop in Thamel for around 100 rupees (£0.75) a day. You can also buy them for a good price depending on your bartering skills. Just don't expect them to last much longer than the trek. 1 x Sleeping Bag - Again unless you want to carry the extra weight while travelling to Nepal you can hire a sleeping bag once in Thamel for around 100 rupees (£0.75). If you are travelling in winter you need to get at least a three season bag to stay warm. 1 x Hiking Boots/Shoes - This is one item that shouldn't be overlooked and worth spending money on. You will be walking on average 5-6 hours a day, so you need to look after your feet. Make sure your boots are comfy and well broken in before attempting the trek, you don't want to make it harder for yourself by getting blisters along the way.

Good hiking boots are essential for a trek to Everest Base Camp

What permits and documents do I need?

To trek to Everest base camp you will need to get a TIMS Card, you will need to provide the dates of your planned trek, an itinerary and contact number. You will also need a copy of your passport and provide two passport sized photos. If you're trekking as an organised group or through a trekking agency they will take care of this and it should be included in the price. If you are an individual trekker you will need to go to the Nepal Tourism Board office in Kathmandu or Pokhara and apply for one yourself. You will also need to pay the Sagamartha National Park entrance fee, this can be paid for at the entry point on the trail in Monjo or beforehand in Kathmandu at the Tourist Service Centre. For more information please visit the website here www.welcomenepal.com. It is also advisable to contact your countries embassy upon arrival to Nepal, to let them know of your planned trekking dates and route. It's also a good idea to carry a copy of your insurance details and emergency numbers.

How to prevent and deal with altitude sickness?

Altitude sickness or acute mountain sickness can affect anyone, you could be the fittest person on earth but still succumb to the effects of altitude, no one knows when it will happen or at what altitude and if you are unfortunate to get altitude sickness the only way to recover is to descend back down to lower altitudes. Minor symptoms of altitude sickness are headaches, loss of appetite and insomnia, most people will experience at least one or all of these symptoms, we had all three at some points of the trek. Severe symptoms include shortness of breath, at rest, severe headaches, vomiting and diarrhea, dizziness, coughing, retinal hemorrhage and Edema. But while some of the symptoms sound terrifying very few trekkers get severe altitude sickness on the trek to Everest base camp, there are steps to try and prevent altitude sickness and reduce your risks. While booking or planning your trip to Everest Base Camp make sure the itinerary includes at least two acclimatization days. Depending on the route you take the acclimatization days are usually day 3 at Namche and day 6 at Dingboche. These acclimatization days are essential for your body to acclimatize to the change in altitude helping your chances to a successful and safe ascent. Once you reach 3,000m you should not increase the altitude at which you sleep by more than 300 - 400m a night. It's advised to climb high and sleep low, so for example when you land in Lukla to begin your trek your first night will be in Phakding which is 200m below your starting point. Drink plenty of water, you need to drink between 3 - 4 litres every day to keep you hydrated, trekking at altitude can dehydrate you very quickly due to less moisture being in the air and water vapor evaporating from your lungs at a higher rate. Take it slow, the slower you go the better. It's not a race to the top, take your time and let your body adjust. There is also a host of drugs you can buy that will help prevent/cover up symptoms of altitude sickness but we are not in a position to recommend this.

Mount Everest, the highest peak on earth

What is the food like on the trek, and how easy is it to get water?

From our experience, the food got worse the higher we went. Tengboche and below the food was actually quite nice, meat was available but we stuck with vegetarian food for the duration of the trek. Everything in the mountains has to be carried up so we didn't really want to risk eating meat that it could have been not refrigerated for 2/3 days. The types of dishes you'll expect to see are along the lines of veg noodles, noodle soups, all types of cooked eggs, Dal Bhat which is the mainstay of Nepalese food, they eat it 2/3 times a day, every day. You should definitely try it, we loved it. Fried rice, veg fried rice, and pizzas, which we heard weren't so good. The breakfast menu was quite good, you could have tea, coffee, toast, porridge, fruit, muesli and fried potatoes and eggs. Dom is quite a fussy eater and he managed to find plenty of food he enjoyed. As for getting water on the trek, bottled water is readily available and can be bought almost everywhere, but it's expensive. The cheapest we saw was 100 rupees and the most expensive at Gorak Shep was 400 rupees, compared with 20 rupees in Kathmandu. The prices rise the higher you go which is understandable but we thought this was pushing it a bit too much. To save money on buying water either buy iodine or water purification tablets in Kathmandu and ask the lodge to fill your water bottle each time. Or the other option is to get a water purification system, we used a Steri Pen Adventurer Opti which worked fine and we didn't get ill once.

Can you connect to the internet while trekking?

Yes, but the majority of the time it will cost you. All the lodges have WiFi but you've got to pay for it, and the higher you go the more expensive it is. At Dingboche, we paid 500 rupees for unlimited WiFi but in the evenings the signal usually goes. The only two places we found free WiFi was the Foot Rest Lodge in Namche and the Namche bakery. Upon arrival to Nepal, we bought a 5GB Ncell sim card at the airport and we received 3G signal all the way up to Tengboche before we lost it and then reappeared at Gorak Shep and base camp.

How long does the trek take?

The typical Everest base camp trek where you fly in and out of Lukla, trek to base camp and back safely takes 13 days, which includes two acclimatisation days that are a must. Please don't attempt the trek without including these days. If you decide to walk in from Jiri or Shivala you can add a further 8 days to your trek. There are of course other options which you can add on to your Everest base camp trek, such as Cho la pass and Gokyo lakes, Ama Dablam base camp and even climbing island peak.

Should I book a group tour or can I trek independently?

This is something only you can decide and is down to personal choice and cost. Both have positives and negatives, with a group it gives you a chance to make good friends with people from all over the world, everything is arranged for you, so all you've got to do really is turn up and walk. If you don't like your own company then this would ideally be the best option. Trekking independently gives you a lot more freedom to stop as much as you want, decided which lodges you want to stay at and extend your trip if wanted. Unless your trekking in the off season your never be lonely on the trail and will have plenty of people to chat to once you've arrived at the lodge. Trekking independently can be dangerous and if possible it's always best to find another person to walk with, the Himalayas can be a dangerous place and you wouldn't want to be on your own if you get into an accident or suddenly become ill.

Other treks in Nepal

The majority of trekkers heading to Nepal go for the Everest Base Camp trek, but the country has so much more to offer, trekking wise than just Everest. Another popular trek is the Annapurna circuit which we are yet to do, if interested and want to find out more, then check out this great post by The Common Wanderer - Read this before hiking the Annapurna Circuit: 21 essential things to know. We hope you have found the above information helpful, and hopefully, would have answered some questions on how to prepare for a trek to Everest base camp. If you are planning to go and have any other questions either send us an email or comment below and we will do our best to answer them for you. Feel inspired? Pin this to your Pinterest Board!

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[seaboundbysunrise]

Well to be honest, I’ve neglected this blog, and I probably would have continued if one of the new cadets who joined last month mentioned that they’d actually read it (cheers Andy!) so I decided that I should probably give it an update now I’ve got some free time. So, without banging on too much, what’s going on now?

Well I finished my sea time. I paid off my final ship yesterday after a long five and a half month stint. In a strange way I wouldn’t say that it’s any worse than doing four months – at that point, you’re committed to the ship life, so you just take it day by day. I’ll talk about that more in a future post, for now let’s talk about my second sea trip.

I finished college one week into August and a week later I was joining the Anvil Point in Marchwood. Being one of Foreland’s point class vessel I knew what to expect so I wasn’t too apprehensive. Upon arrival I was told that we were heading out to Duqm (Oman) via Duress (Albania) as part of the Saif Sereea exercise after a short stay in Devonport, Plymouth. So, what is Saif Sereea 3? Here’s a heavily condensed explanation taken from the Royal Navy website:

“Saif Sereea is a joint British-Omani military exercise intend to reinforce the relationships between Britain and Oman. The overall aim of the exercise was to test the UK’s expeditionary warfare strategy and maintain strategic relationships with our allies in the Persian Gulf. Involved in the operation was the HMS Albion, HMS Dragon, HMS Blyth, HMS Ledbury, RFA Cardigan Bay, RFA Lyme Bay and us, the MV Anvil Point.” Duqm (despite essentially being a carpark in the desert) is an important place to hold as it is a fantastic loading/offloading port, offers growing dry dock facilities and is situation in a prime spot for any action involving the red sea, the gulf of oman or the suez canal.

The trip started normal enough – the obligatory few rough days across the Bay of Biscay followed by an easy sail passed Gibralta and into the Mediterranean. Our first port of call, Durres, is one of the largest cities in Albania. The berth was situated right in the city centre meaning that you could go from cabin to cold beer in under three minutes – not bad at all!

Duress is what I’d call a developing city – it’s going through a period of redevelopment following the economies collapse in the late 90’s and a short period of literal anarchy in ’97. As such, you can go from well developed touristy area to less developed areas including half finished buildings and squats within a street or two. The conversion rate was definitely in our favour – you could enjoy a three course meal plus a few beers in some of Trip Advisors top ranking restaurants for under twenty quid which was great. Every other store seemed to be either a coffee shop or an ice cream stand (costing around 80p and £1.40 each) with both being really high quality. All in all, if you enjoy your food and you’re in the area already (it probably isn’t worth a trip alone) then it’s worth a visit! The amphitheater, one of the oldest in Europe, is well worth the £1.50 entrance fee, if only to soak in the surrealness of standing in a building originally built during the second century AD whilst simultaneously being surrounded by housing. Luckily the Albanian government are looking into treating it as the area of historical importance that it deserves to be but I can’t see anything happening soon. Meanwhile, sadly, it slowly falls into disrepair.

After hurrying across the med with a storm on our stern we moor up at Port Said for the night. Port Said is the entrance to the Suez Canal – as soon as day starts to break we pick up anchor and begin to lead the convoy through.The Suez Canal is a sea level waterway opened in 1869, providing a direct route between the North Atlantic and the North Indian oceans via the Mediterranean. It is of great convenience to seafarers, removing the need to sail around the horn of Africa and brave the South Atlantic and shaving over four days off of most middle east to europe journeys. An average of 47 ships traverse the 120 mile canal every day. The Suez itself will take about 10 hours to transit, but still requires three separate pilots. On one side you have Egypt – for the most part desert, occasionally broken up by military bases and statues – and on the other, Israel, a combination of more desert, 80% finished but completely derelict cities, small towns and the occasional expensive looking resort.One of the most notable sights is the Mubarak Peace Bridge. Despite only being opened in 2001, today this 2.4 mile bridge is unused, becoming little more than a photo opportunity and an entry into numerous ship’s log books. It’s an exciting transit the first time you do it, but by the third time it loses it’s appeal.

Around a week later we arrived in Duqm – visually, it looks like a cross between a car park, a DIY military base and a very isometric scrap metal yard. Over the next few days the rest of the task force arrived, filling the port with grey ships. Over the next few weeks we would spend our time delivering equipment to the task force, conducting maintenance alongside, sitting at anchor and occasionally taking part in exercises (although this rarely extended beyond slowly sailing around a designated square whilst the liaison officer took part via comms). One big issue we had was the lack of any real speed – eventually we began to run out of fresh water (we can only generate our own when sailing at over 8 knots), requiring us to take on fresh water from the quay side. It was drinkable but it wasn’t the clearest or freshest I’ve ever tried, and it certainly had a tint by the time we got back to the UK.

One perk from our time in Duqm (aside from the tan) was getting to visit the RFA Cardigan Bay (thanks to my classmate Rich who was also taking part) and the minesweeper Ledbury. Both offered very different seafaring experiences – the Bay felt very much like a hive city whilst the Ledbury was very old fashioned and claustrophobic (well, it is almost forty years old). We also made it over to Container Town – a rough town operated out of… well, check the pictures, containers – that only really opens when there’s enough ships in to make it viable. With over 5 military ships and us around... it was definitely worth opening the bar. We stayed for a couple, rinsed the wifi and got a pizza from the pizza hut container (yes, they even had a franchised pizza hut guy!) before heading back to the ship. It’s no London but after three weeks of Duqm heat it was a great change of pace.

The journey back was uneventful. And there’s a hard truth in that – back home, everyone will assume that each trip will contain some great story, but this is a job, like any other job and some trips are just…uneventful.

Now, my company will do it’s best to pay it’s trainee’s off in Marchwood. It’s simple (being a uk port) and cheaper (as they don’t have to buy international plane tickets) so it’s a bit of a no brainer. In all honesty, it works for me – I can be home within 2 to 3 hours so it isn’t actually a bad home port. However, this time I was to sail with the Anvil to Gibralta, enjoy a night on the town, and fly back the next day. Seeing as I’d only flown once in my life at this point, that was quite exciting.

I can see why sailors get excited when a Gib stop is planned. It’s so convenient! The port is only ten minutes walk from the town, everything is in pounds, home from home mobile internet access and the place in general feels like a mixture of Spain and England. We moored up at midday and by one we’d finished unloading our miniscule amount of cargo, leaving us with time to explore! I broke off from the group and decided to climb the rock myself – I didn’t make it to the top but I did stumble across Jew’s Gate Cemetery where I called it a day and wandered back into town.

One boozy night later (sensibly I decided to skip the casino) and I’m ready to fly back home. With a chronic lack of flat ground in Gibralta, their airport is built along their border with spain and the runway essentially leads to the ocean. It’s quite a surreal feeling, watching the plane speeding towards the water before pulling up. In terms of training, this was a bit of a strange trip – we actually did very little consistent sailing or cargo work, but the amount of time spent alongside or at anchor gave me a lot of time to learn on the hands on element of the third mates job. It is easy to become complacent when things are quiet for a while so I’d advise making a list of what TRB tasks you can be finished in any time period and being proactive in finding (or creating) opportunities to do so. I probably could have been more forthcoming with what I needed to complete and returned with a fuller TRB, which would have made the new trip easier, but due to the nature of this run there were some parts which just weren’t going to get done. Still, that’s easy to be said in hindsight – the trip certainly felt full on at the time!

My next post will probably be split into two and a 5 ½ month trip is a bit too large for one blog post before I reflect on dissertations, finishing your TRB and making the most of the time you’ve got.

Until next time,

Stay lucky.