#there is a limited number of people on this earth with smart phones and the free time to rot their brains online

[notquiteaghost]

re: that fucking staff post. obviously death to algorithms, but i also wanna interrogate the wider underlying assumptions of their logic there cuz. is 'success' having lots of followers & lots of popular posts??? why is that the end goal of using this website. i don't open tumblr to get attention from strangers, i open tumblr to read funny jokes and interesting commentary and to see cool art. encouraging clout-chasing will only increase user engagement if you successfully get people literally addicted to the associated dopamine hit. what if we didn't have to do that!!! what if a website could be a place you went to on purpose because you had fun there!!!!

[rebelspykatie]

Steve comes from a long line of only children. He’s the last one standing after his mother dies, left alone on a barren family tree. This deep longing for an extended family made a home in Steve’s soul at a young age. For so long, it was only Steve and his mother. She raised him as best she could, but Steve never wanted that lonely existence. 

Finding someone that would want that life with him didn’t pan out the way he thought it would. Dating in Hawkins was limited and if he wanted to be truthful with people, also dangerous. Robin was the best dating app mishap turned best friend Steve could’ve hoped for, and she encouraged him to look into solo parenting, promising to be his platonic coparent every step of the way. 

Before his transition, he started a grueling IVF journey. Wanted to quit more times than he wanted to carry on. It didn’t take the first time, and Robin was there to hold him when he wasn’t sure he could handle another round of it. They didn’t know how lucky they’d get the second time. 

Dustin was born just after Thanksgiving that year, and he turned into a precocious toddler faster than Steve could blink. He had this mass of hair that Steve was in awe of, the height definitely coming from him but the curls were a mystery gift from their donor. Steve loved his chubby cheeks and toothless smile more than anything on earth. 

Everything about Dustin brightened up Steve’s world, even when his screams kept Steve and Robin awake all night, or he spit up on Steve’s shirt right before work and he had to change into a questionably dirty shirt because he hadn’t had time for laundry. Steve loved it all. He especially loved how smart his kid was, shooting straight to the top of his class, reading above grade level, doing math equations faster than Steve could comprehend. Robin joked that the donor must have some strong nerd genes to come from Steve and be that much of a math genius. 

He doesn’t actually know much about the donor, other than the recording he has from the interview and a brief profile of his family’s medical history. It might be silly, but Steve ended up picking this donor because of his laugh. It was melodic, ringing in the air long after he finished laughing, and something about it pulled at Steve’s heart in a way the others didn’t. 

Steve doesn’t hide much from Dustin, there’s no point really when your kid’s a genius, but he doesn’t give Dustin the file until he turns 11, doesn’t even hint at it. While Dustin is a curious kid, he’s also got a knack for knowing when to press an issue or not. He had a lot of questions about the process, but always shied away from asking more about how Steve chose or who his donor was. When they finally talked about it as Steve handed over the file to Dustin on his eleventh birthday, Dustin said he always knew Steve chose to have him and that was all that mattered. 

But once he gets his hands on that file, the curiosity voyage sets sail and Dustin’s chasing leads on who this man is like he’s in an episode of scooby doo. The agency will only give them the contact information they had on file 12 years ago. It’s a long shot, expecting someone’s number to be the same, but it’s all they have. A single phone number. 

When a gruff voice answers the phone and Steve explains the situation, the man on the other line agrees to meet them. The address he gives is for the Munson ranch about an hour outside of town. He knows about the ranch in the same way everyone in a small town knows of each other. He’s never been there, but the owner brings a lot of money into the town and mostly keeps to himself. His nephew was a few years ahead of Steve in school, but they never crossed paths. 

It turns out there’s only one Munson left in Hawkins, and Steve’s pretty sure the bald man that’s twice Steve’s age and looks down his nose at Steve and Dustin, isn’t the donor. Recognition sparks in his eyes, though, when Dustin starts talking, some of that defensiveness melting off his face. It’s softening into the same fondness Steve has when looking at Dustin, that inescapable way he pulls you into his orbit and snatches your heart right up. He lets Dustin take the reins, watching Wayne fall under Dustin’s spell.

His first words after Dustin’s long rambling opener about their predicament are, “Your hair looks just like his at that age.” 

Hope blooms in Steve’s chest. He’d been afraid that they wouldn’t find anything, or what they found might disappoint Dustin. But there’s someone out there that’s half of Dustin. Someone that might have given him all these little quirks that Steve’s so fond of. Someone that might want to be a part of his life, even if Steve isn’t sure he’s ready for that. 

Wayne explains that his nephew is out of town with his band, touring somewhere until the end of the month when they come home for the holidays. That’s only two weeks away and it doesn’t give Steve long to prepare for meeting someone that helped bring the best thing into his life, but it’s enough time for Wayne to welcome them into his home with an open heart.

It’s just long enough for Steve to find out that Eddie grew up on the ranch with Wayne and his father, who abandoned them when Eddie was about Dustin’s age. To find out that Eddie always loved music more than the horses and took off the first chance he got once he had the funds. To see pictures along a mantle of another precocious kid with a wild mane of hair that looks about as unstoppable as Dustin. 

Robin comes with them the night they’re going to meet Eddie. It’s a few days after he’s returned from tour. Wayne wanted enough time to prepare him before getting Dustin’s hopes all the way up. When they got the okay, Steve wasn’t sure he could do it alone, so Robin is glued to his side when they pull up at the ranch and come face to face with Edde Munson. 

But Steve relaxes when he sees the same wide grin on Eddie’s face that he sees on Dustin’s every day. And he doesn’t know it yet, but maybe he’s finally filled out that family tree and found the home he never knew he needed, with branches for Robin, Dustin, and maybe two Munsons.

[mudaship39]

Character bio of the Asian Pasifika demigod and Afro Latine Native alien hybrid superhero main character part 4

Wrist Mounted Arm Computer:

Attached to their left arm is a human and alien magical  and technological mechanical portable wrist computer. It is a personal information processor that is powered by steam, gas, & or electricity. It has knobs, dials, buttons, & switches on the top, bottom, left, & right sides for accessibility. It comes with a red, blue, green, silver, or gold light. It comes with a keyboard. Can function as any number of useful tools. Wrist computer uses include data storage, inventory management, topographical mapping, assisted targeting, medical diagnostics, radio receiver, video player, music player, and portable gaming console, a communicator, a light, a scanner, a smart phone, a smart watch, a portable computer, etc. 

It lets him/her/them stay in contact with their handlers and allies. It gives him/her/them mission-specific information. Including where weapon caches are. It keeps track of their credentials. Is also a handheld personal force shield generator. It has crime databases, wiretapping, evidence analysis, a lie detector, and monitors its wearer's heartbeat, blood pressure, & blood sugar to ensure that its use was authorized and to send help if the user is healthy or is in trouble. Can project 3d and 4d holograms. It provides internet access and cellular reception with clear reception and unlimited data anywhere on Earth. 

Has clear reception and cellular reception in terraformed and colonized planets, moons, comets, asteroids, & planetoids star systems and galaxies of the multiverse. It uses nanotechnology to physically reconfigure itself to prevent hacking. It also has GPS functionality. Has a hacking tool. Has a compact first aid kit. Is a wearable computer. Has an interface is a holographic 3d wrist-mounted computer complete with a miniature 4d holographic projector. 

The wrist communicator is based on an alien memory metal so when they take it off it can flex into a tablet shape. Can hack computers, machines, phones, tablets, robots, & artificial intelligences. It can dispense first-aid, repair and customize equipment, and send and receive phone calls. It can record audio sound and visual video footage for later playback. Using a simple but elegant form of sonar and satellite tracking this wrist mounted computer can map out areas where its user travels. 

It acts as a database for the wearer’s personal information and inventory. It is capable of tracking the wearer’s status and organizes the user’s inventory of apparel, junk, weapons, misc, armor, mods, aid, items, & equipment. An overlay of the data is also available. In addition, the device features a built-in radio module. It has an advanced compass. 

It has a virtual 3d and 4d map that displays discovered locations. It has a holographic map projector which shows a complete 3D or 4D scan of an area. It has a sonar and motion sensor system that highlights nearby allies, enemies, people, animals, beasts, creatures, and monsters. It is a communicator, a map, a flashlight, a compass, a scanner, a music player, a smart watch, & a portable computer.

It has lighting functionality. A holographic player, video tape, CD player, & DVD player is mounted beneath the display. It is capable of keeping tabs on the user’s health condition, ammo, weapons, armor, apparel, & food and water. It shows the user’s health bar as red, yellow, orange, & green. It has a blue, pink, and purple heath bar system to show laser, plasma, & hard light shields and force fields. It has a silver, gold, & obsidian health bar system to show combat armor, power armor, & mech suit armor condition. 

The wrist computer gauntlet’s uses include but are not limited to data storage, inventory management, topographical mapping, assisted targeting, telephone, medical diagnostics, computer, radio receiver, telegram, hacking, music (CD) player, & Video (Video and DVD) Player . It can map out areas. It can take and store notes and memos. It has a built-in radio. It has a geiger counter and toxic gauge for radiation, toxins, & poisons. It has a built-in flash light used to illuminate dark areas. 

It needs to be worn as a gauntlet which seals with a biometric lock. It utilizes a revamped 3d or 4d holographic display interface with animated images. It automatically updates using satellites. Additionally, it integrates with the onboard computers of power armor and mech suits allowing a user to access their wrist mounted computer from within the armor via a HUD visor display. The inventory menu is a system used for viewing and managing collected items. The menu also displays total currency and carry weight on the screen. 

It is sorted into several tabs. Weapons, Apparel, Aid, Misc, Junk, Mods, Ammo, & Money. All guns, melee weapons, grenades, and mines fall in this tab. Specs of weapons can be viewed and compared as well as equipped and unequipped weapons.  It shows their attachments such as silencers or suppressors, compensators or muzzles, grips, flashlights, scopes, red dot sight, red laser sight, or grenade launcher. Shows the damage effect it has on enemies. It shows the weapon’s stats such as range, damage, etc. It shows the weapons condition and shows if it is in need of maintenance and repair. 

All armor and clothing appear in this tab. Specs of armor and clothing can be viewed and compared as well as equipped and unequipped apparel.  All aid such as medicines, drugs, food, and drinks are sorted here and can be used and consumed in this tab. Miscellaneous items such as keys, cds, dvds, holographic tapes, notes, and items which fall under no other category are in this tab. Mod tab for weapon and armor modifications. Ammo lists all types of ammunition for guns, grenades, & mines currently in inventory. Currency shows all dollars and copper, bronze, brass, silver, gold, & platinum coins, cash, and credits. 

A unique feature of the Mark 20 Wrist Computer is an adapter plug attached to the underside of the device. This plug is used to perform diagnostics on power armor and mech suits. It can hack into computers. It has a lockpick module to pick the locks of doors, safes, etc. In addition, the plug is also used to gain control of robots, androids, artificial intelligences, automatons, mech suits. When wearing a power armor or mech suit the user does not interact with the wrist computer directly. Instead all the information is displayed through the suit’s integrated HUD but with a different HUD color. 

This implies that the Mark 20 is capable of interfacing with power armor or mech suits onboard systems to allow access to its functionality without having to directly operate the device. It is a wrist gauntlet, wrist bracer or wrist computer. It is a piece of wrist-worn technology. It houses several technologically advanced features.  The wrist gauntlet is a small computer device worn on the wrist and features numerous controls for various items of human and alien magic and technology. It has a digitized display. The gauntlet is linked directly into a metahuman and superhuman humanoid’s combat armor, combat helmet, power armor, power armor helmet, & mecha suit and governs many of their functions. 

The gauntlet also acts as a power source for these tools although it has only limited capacity and would become depleted with repeated use. However, despite the clearly advanced nature of the technology involved, the wrist gauntlet can be recharged from any common power source such as gas, steam, water, nuclear power, & electricity.  

The mark 20 is the most customizable model made. It was the epitome of technology. Each instrument is individually crafted and personally attuned to its recipient. The device is so personalized to its user that it could continuously monitor and report the vital signs of its assigned wearer in real time. It was the quintessential personal data assistant complete with a magical AI modeled after a female humanoid alien and female human. Complete with its own mapping system, navigation system, radio receiver, computer, video and music player, cellphone, & personal inventory tracking software. It’s a souped-up PDA complete with DNA biometric lock.

[everestdreams]

Everest Base Camp Trek 2024 Registration 

Donot feel fit for Everest Base Camp, It’s a Good feeling to start with, Our customer sessions will guide you through the entire trek, from essential packing tips to critical thinking exercises that will enhance your trekking experience. Connect with like-minded individuals, form lasting friendships, and embark on a journey that will test your limits and leave you with unforgettable memories.

• Everest Base Camp- Cho-La Pass and Gokyo Valley -17 Days

Trek Schedule

12-April

26-April

10-May

Customer Registration form : https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdr5GmXeHo_VjNfQvyMeCb5eYw0Q0bpVxpAc5qRG4X9pmkjXA/viewform

 Our Program coverage

Tour Itinerary and Day Breakup

Physical Fitness Preparation

Food and Medical Preparation

Packaging

Costing and Budgeting

Culture Orientation

Visit https://EverestDreams.com

For registration please call your local operator on Whatsapp and book (Booking Enquiry Saturday/Sunday 1-:00-5:00pm your local time) Phone Number / Whatsapp Number India/APAC/UAE +91 8793000919 Singapore/Europe +65 84960490 Australia/US +61 405207868

My Days with Everest Base Camp Trek

The difficult journey of trekking to Everest Base Camp necessitates extensive planning and training. Although there isn't a set age limit for the walk, because of how difficult it is, it is usually advised for people 16 years old and older 1. But as the Earth Trekkers family, who hiked to Everest Base Camp with their children Tyler and Kara when they were 10 and 11 years old, showed, it is possible to trek to Everest Base Camp with children as young as 8 years old . The trek requires at least 14 days to complete round-trip, and it's crucial to allow enough time to travel the required distance and acclimate to the higher altitudes.

How to prepare for the Everest Base Camp Trek ?

Trekking to Everest Base Camp is a challenging adventure that requires a lot of preparation and training. Here are some tips to help you prepare for the trek:

Get in shape: It's crucial to get in condition before you travel to Everest Base Camp because the trek involves a lot of physical strain. Concentrate on increasing your strength and endurance through hiking, weight training, and aerobic activities.

Pack smart: Think ahead when packing: Don't overpack; only bring what you really need. A sleeping bag, a first aid kit (45), warm clothes, and sturdy hiking boots are essential. As Lukla flight only allow 15 KG and its very important otherwise you will pay additional for the luggage.

Hyderate your self Drink lots of water to keep hydrated and avoid getting altitude sickness. Drinking three to four liters of water a day is advised.

Go slowly; don't hurry the hike. Enjoy the view and take your time. Hiking steadily and slowly is essential to avoiding altitude sickness.

Be ready for any kind of weather: Since the Himalayan weather is erratic, it's critical to be ready for everything. Bring rain gear, sunscreen, and warm clothes.

Places to Watch for

Trekking to Everest Base Camp is an amazing experience that provides beautiful views of the Himalayas. The following are some of the top locations to see while on the trek:

Trekkers frequently pause at Namche Bazaar, which serves as the entrance to Mount Everest. It is an excellent location for rest and acclimatization and provides breathtaking views of the mountains in the area.

The world's highest airport is situated in Syangboche, a little settlement above Namche Bazaar. It is a wonderful spot to take a rest and take in the landscape, and it provides expansive views of the Himalayas.

Tengboche: The well-known Tengboche Monastery is housed in this little settlement, which is 3,867 meters above sea level. It provides breathtaking views of Mount

Avoid Altitute sickness during Everest Base Camp Trek

To avoid altitude sickness during the Everest Base Camp trek, it is important to acclimatize properly. This means spending at least two days acclimatizing to reduce the risk of altitude sickness ,. Here are some tips to help you acclimatize:

Do your research: Learn about altitude sickness and how to prevent it before you go on the trek.

Walk at a slow pace in a slow and steady pattern: This will help your body adjust to the altitude.

Climb high during the day and sleep at a lower altitude: This will help your body adjust to the altitude while you sleep.

Train your body and strengthen up before trekking: This will help you cope with the physical demands of the trek.

Drink water and fluids. Stay hydrated: Dehydration can make altitude sickness worse.

Do not drink alcohol and smoke: These substances can make altitude sickness worse.

Do not overestimate yourself and never lie: Be honest about your physical condition and do not push yourself too hard.

Take medications and other medical precautions: Consult with your doctor before the trek and take any necessary medications.

Try consuming cocoa (dark chocolate): Some studies suggest that cocoa can help prevent altitude sickness ,.

Choose the right traveling agency: Make sure the agency you choose has experienced guides and a good safety record ,.

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[dietary-supplement]

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[xygled]

XYGLED Xinyiguang LED floor interprets the new walking experience, how amazing is it?

Once the Xinyiguang G2.976 intelligent interactive floor screen was launched, it immediately became the star explosion of Xinyiguang Company. There must be special reasons. What is the reason? Don't you know Xinyiguang LED intelligent interactive floor screen? Why? ——Is it because you haven't seen the editor's tweet yet? Once the Xinyiguang G2.976 intelligent interactive floor tile screen was launched, it immediately became the star explosion of Xinyiguang Company. There must be special reasons. What is the reason? Let's take a look. How long has it been since you walked seriously? The editor noticed that when walking, people's attention was attracted by their mobile phones, and they lowered their heads and stopped. But as long as it is a place where Xinyiguang floor tile screens are installed, both adults and children take the initiative to put away electronic products, talk enthusiastically with people around them, and interact intimately with people around them through the floor tile screen. It turns out that we can play with smart products and technology through life. It looks a little weird in this way. Everyone happily bounced on the intelligent interactive floor screen, and the colorful pictures brought visual impact and joy. Even so, there are still a small number of people who dare not step on it, looking at the gleaming floor, hesitate to move forward, and are in a dilemma. "Good things in the world are not strong, but colorful clouds are easy to disperse and glass is brittle." In the eyes of most people, beautiful things are always easy to break and not long-lasting. Let alone a powered LED screen, will it be more fragile? Will it be danger? In the vigorous 2022 Spring Festival Gala, Xinyiguang floor screen broke this traditional thinking. As the music sounded, dozens of girls Shi Shiran appeared, dancing on the floor screen, sometimes scattered, sometimes gathered, interacting with the changing images on the floor tile screen, complementing each other. The audience in front of the TV and at the scene couldn't help clapping their hands and marveling: the fairyland on earth turned out to be like this. From the photos, we can’t see it at all—this is the ground spliced by multiple smart floor screens, because it is the smart floor screen of Xinyiguang’s LED small pitch G2.976, the contrast is realistic and the effect is restored excellent. 2022 CCTV Spring Festival Opera Gala-P2.976-300 square meters ▲Xin Yiguang See here, if you are still worried about the bearing capacity of the floor screen. Then the editor will tell you: the bearing capacity of ordinary ceramic tiles is 2.5 tons per square meter, while the limit bearing capacity of Xinyiguang is 3 tons per square meter. No one is careful when walking daily. Then facing the smart floor tile screen, you can also walk up it boldly and confidently, and even stomp your feet. In fact, Xinyiguang's LED floor screens have already been used in various luxury auto shows. The quality is reliable and excellent. The high-definition and delicate picture quality of LED displays empowers luxury cars. Even a car can't damage Xinyiguang's floor screen, so, are you still worried that it will be fragile? At present, intelligent interactive floor screens are commonly used in large-scale public places such as shopping malls, exhibition halls, and museums. Because people come and go in public places, it is inevitable that you chase after each other. Therefore, Xinyiguang uses imported PC materials to create intelligent interactive floor screen masks, which have good anti-slip properties, high wear resistance and flexibility. With a size specification of 500*500mm, two fixers are installed at the four corners of the floor screen. Make great efforts to ensure the stability of the floor screen, and the safety factor is higher. Let me ask, if it is not non-slip, will the ladies and sisters be able to stand on the floor screen and dance steadily this Spring Festival Gala? When it comes to smart products, we usually talk about: Is it waterproof? If electronic products can be waterproof, we don't have to worry about safety issues all the time, and we can use them easily. Isn’t a waterproof watch cool? Isn’t a waterproof mobile phone cool? Then Xinyiguang’s floor screen is really cool and dazzling. Because Xinyiguang LED floor screen is really waterproof. The bottom shell, mask, power cord and signal wire of Xinyiguang LED floor screen module are all specially designed, made of waterproof and moisture-proof raw materials, plus multiple sealing treatments to create waterproof and moisture-proof performance, and the waterproof coefficient of the front and rear of the cabinet Up to IP65 level.

Zhejiang - Qiandao Lake Tourist Attraction - 240 square meters ▲ Xinyiguang's LED intelligent interactive floor screen is hard, non-slip, waterproof, and most importantly, it is very safe and reliable. In the pursuit of intelligent technology, Xinyiguang has never neglected safety issues. It would be very frightening if the box was booming and the heat wave was billowing when it was in use. To solve the problem of heat dissipation and silence, Xinyiguang adopts die-casting aluminum with better heat dissipation to build the power box of the floor screen box, and specially designed special heat dissipation device to achieve silence and heat dissipation.

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[forever-rogue]

request: some christmassy idea where marcus moreno brings presents he bought for missy to the shop to get wrapped up bc he cant wrap for shit. And he wants to flirt with reader whos the one whos gonna wrap the presents but for the love of the above he cant. hes stuttering and hes flustered and its cute. And reader is like okay mister "i can use the force", heres my number, call me so we can shedule a date. And hes so shocked about it 😄😭😭😭 thank u patricia! 🌟

I see it's time to write for Mr. Moreno? Excellent 😌 Enjoy!

Marcus Moreno x Fem!Reader; no warnings

Pedro Characters Masterlist

»»————-　♡　————-««

A heavy sigh escaped his lips as he reluctantly returned to the store, the bag of presents in his hand a sign of defeat. How hard it could possibly have been to wrap a few presents? Apparently too hard for someone like Marcus Moreno. It wasn’t that he hadn’t tried, oh no, he’d spent several hours the previous evening after Missy had gone to bed attempting to wrap the clothes and other oddly shaped boxes perfectly. But instead of success, all he gained was frustration. 

Instead of another vain attempt at the wrapping, he gave up and threw everything back into the bag and made his mind that he would go back to the small department store and ask...beg if you required it, for you to wrap the gifts. 

He might have been able to save the world on several occasions, but apparently his talents ended at Christmas gift wrapping. Well, he huffed to himself as he pulled open the door, the soft twinkling of bells meeting his ears, everyone had a limit. His just happened to be a little more pathetic than others. 

Super Hero, he reminded himself with each step, he was a fudgin’ super hero for fuck’s sake. But alas, when it came to more domestic things, such as cooking, and wrapping apparently, he was far from super. He was working on it though - spending time each day to make sure he was learning - doing enough - to be the father Missy needed. For her, and himself. Things weren’t always easy, but they were always getting better. 

Although tired from a long day at the office, throwing swords around, as Missy had dubbed it, his face instantly lit up when he spied you behind the counter, an almost bored expression on your face. The last of the Christmas rush was almost over, which meant business had slowed down, which was both a blessing and a curse at the same time. Marcus would have been a liar if he said he didn’t have an ulterior motive for coming back; sure - he wanted the presents wrapped, but let’s be honest, the man was smitten with you. Any excuse to come back and chat with you, even if it was just five minutes was good enough for him. 

He’d known you, casually, for a few years now. You had been Missy’s teacher at school last year, and he knew that you worked the summers and holidays at your parent’s store to give them a hand with the rushes. Sometimes, being the sneaky Heroic he was, he’d made up excuses in the past to come into your classroom to spend a few minutes here and there talking to you. It was hard to believe that anyone could make him nervous, to make his heart flutter and beat like a nervous schoolboy, but there you were. Managing to do it every time. 

But he’d never act on it. No, no, no. That would be downright outrageous. After all, why on earth would you be interested in Marcus Moreno? He couldn’t even wrap a present.

Almost as if you sensed his presence, you looked up from the counter you were organized and offered him a dazzling smile, accompanied by a small wave. He was positive his heart stopped at the sight as he had to remind himself to breath. After a quick inhale and exhale, he marched over to you, ready to be firm, and hell, maybe today he’d finally ask if you wanted to get dinner sometime. Why not, after all? But then he took a good look at your eyes, those soft eyes and that gentle smile and he came undone.

“Hi Marcus,” you beamed at him as he did his best to give you a normal smile in response, “what a pleasure to see a friendly face. How are you?”

“Hi,” he managed to choke out as he calmed himself. How did you have this effect on him? He was a grown man, a man with plenty of experience in dating and love, and yet this one he couldn’t seem to nail down, “I’m fine  - you know what, why lie? I’m tired and I can’t wrap presents for shit. I hate to ask, but could you help me out? I’ve seen you do it for other people and I’m afraid if I try again, it’ll be worse than the first time. It’s been awful - oh my God, I’m so rude. I’m rambling - you look pretty - nice - how are you?”

“Marcus,” you giggled at him, watching as a nervous tinge of pink flushed his cheeks. You put your hand on his, effectively getting him to calm down and shut up, “slow down. It’s okay - I’ve got you covered. I assume work is busy?”

“That’s one way to put it,” he was instantly relieved as you took the presents from and grabbed some wrapping paper to display to him. He nodded at your choice and watching in awe as you made quick work of grabbing the first present and getting to work, “I was about ready to just leave him in the bag and give them to Missy like that.”

“Ahh, it’s not a big deal,” you shot him a quick wink, “it’s easy once you get the hang of it. But then again, I’ve been helping my parents with this stuff for years. Maybe sometime I’ll show you how.”

“You’re a lifesaver,” he exhaled as he leaned against the counter and tried to pay it cool. His heart was thumping in his chest so rapidly, he was sure you were able to hear it as well. If you noticed anything out of place, you didn’t show it, “I’ll pay you - whatever you want.”

“Marcus,” you waved him off, “there’s no need. Besides, what are friends for?”

“Friends,” he almost choked on the word as he grinned at the delicate look of concentration on your face. Your brow was furrowed, your tongue peeking out from between your lips as you made sure to get all the measurements just right, “how’s everything been? It’s been a while…”

“I know,” you agreed as you started some ribbon to start curling it, “I miss you coming into my classroom all the time, I miss Missy - it’s not quite the same without the Morenos.”

How much could hint at it before he finally got the bait? You’d harbored a crush on the man for years now, even before you became Missy's teacher. He was a Heroic after all - handsome, funny, smart, and kind. Who wouldn't fall in love with him? You'd hinted at your feelings a number of times and you thought he reciprocated a few times, but you could never be quite sure. And neither of you ever seemed to make a move. You'd come close a few times, but somehow just hadn't...quite gotten there.

“I miss it too,” he agreed quietly, turning his attention to his hands, “Missy doesn’t like her teacher as much this year.”

“That’s because I’m pretty cool,” you teased gently, “you look nice too, by the way. The all black thing - pretty sexy.”

Marcus was sure his heart stopped at your words; you couldn’t seriously have said what he thought you said. Right? Right. He looked at you with wide eyes as you refused to look up from what you were doing in case you had completely overstepped any remaining boundaries. 

“I, umm…” he paused for a moment, chuckling at his own nerves as he moved to stand in front of you, “I’m shit at this. But I, umm...I like you.”

“Marcus,” you stopped what you were doing and set the scissors down to meet his soft brown eyes. He had a small smile on his face, nervous as he watched your expression to try and get a read on the situation. Honestly? He’d rather have taken down another horde of aliens than wait for your response, “it’s about time you said something. I was beginning to think you never would.”

“Oh,” he let a nervous chuckle as your words set in, “oh. Oh?”

“I like you too, Marcus,” you admitted as a warmth flushed over you, “I just...I didn’t know how to say it. I was…”

“Nervous,” you both blurted out at the same time as you both laughed. At least you were on the same page. 

“I haven’t done this in a long time,” he confessed as you nodded in understanding, “I feel like an old fool more than anything...but I’d like to take you out. On a date. A real date. Like you know not just...this, and I’m sorry if this is awkward. Missy’s been telling me to ask you forever and I just feel like -”

“Marcus,” you grinned at him as you reached up and held up a finger to his lips, “you’re rambling again, silly. I’d love to. I’d love to go out with you.”

“Seriously?” his eyebrows raised in surprise as you just nodded. Needless to say, he was not expecting this - any of it. 

“Seriously,” you confirmed, “come on, Mr. Force Hands, give me your phone and I’ll give you my number.”

“Okay,” he looked at you with nothing but soft hope in his eyes as he fished out his phone from his pocket and handed it to you. You let your hand brush over his as you took it and quickly saved your number for him, “I...yeah. I’m looking forward to it.”

“Me too,” you agreed, “but don’t actually forget to text me.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it,” he breathed out easily, “besides, I owe Missy twenty bucks now and she’ll never forget it. We made a bet - she said I’ve never get the nerve to ask.”

“What a pleasant surprise,” you grinned at him, “now come on. Come around the counter and I’ll show you how to wrap properly.”

Marcus shuffled around the counter and you pointed to the spot you had previously occupied. Moving behind him, you paused for a moment before reaching around him to put your hands over his and help guide him. He swallowed thickly at your tender touch, trying to keep himself composed. 

“Now,” you said softly, “do it like this.”

It was definitely not what Marcus had expected to come out of this evening - but he was so glad it did. Finally. 

Maybe not being able to wrap presents wasn’t such a bad thing after all.

[drnikolatesla]

Nikola Tesla’s World Wireless System

By J. J. J.

Nikola Tesla’s theories, experiments, demonstrations, and inventions throughout his lifetime of work proved that his “World System” would provide: 

1. A perfect “secret signal service” through exclusive wireless waves for communication and entertainment: What Tesla referred to as his “Art of Individualization,” this concept makes it possible to transmit an unlimited number of signals or messages thoroughly non-detectable and exclusive both in the active and passive aspect. Such messages are completely non-interfering and non-interferable, e.g. each signal has its own unique identity (like snowflakes), irrelevant of the number of stations or devices simultaneously in operation. This literally translates to our internet and wireless communication today, but far more advanced. Today, we use communication satellites to bounce signals off other satellites and send these signals to other points around the globe. We need satellites to accomplish this in that conventional physics states that every effect diminishes with distance (inverse square law), so the signals sent on earth either dissipate with distance and/or do not follow the curvature of earth because of the concept of line of sight. This is why we can only receive radio signals at certain distances from the station. Therefore, we use satellites to bounce signals off other satellites to reach other parts of the earth. With Tesla’s system, however, satellites in this sense become obsolete. His system could send instantaneously messages all over the world, set and regulate all clocks, act as a universal stock ticker, reproduce art and photography, and allow exclusive use of video, audio and text communication (this is also how Tesla predicted smart phones a hundred years before they were developed). How would he do this? Tesla used the earth as a conductor (or a wire), and sent the energy through it with no loss of energy. With this method, the problems of energy dissipation are solved. What Tesla discovered was that the earth as a whole possessed certain periods of natural vibrations, and by impressing electrical vibrations of the same periods upon it with his transformer, they could be thrown into oscillations of tremendous nature. Thus, Tesla posited he could collect this energy and transmit it with his Magnifying Transmitter to any place on earth with no loss of energy (and practically instantaneously so). He proved this method in experiments at Colorado Springs where he sent a longitudinal wave all the way around the world and back to his receiver traveling at a mean velocity of 292,812 miles per second. I know some may balk at sending anything faster than the speed of light, but I will remind them that the speed of light is a constant, it is not a limit. The velocity of light is an expression of the ratio of energy to mass. Tesla’s waves worked on different dimensions. The electromagnetic waves we use in today’s technology travel at the speed of light, but due to the nature of these waves (which are similar to light), they diminish with distance. This is because their electromagnetic lines of force and their magnetic lines of force intercept the angles of one other, causing resistance (radiation resistance). This is also why they eventually lose energy. Tesla, on the other hand, used an oscillating wave, or a longitudinal wave, in which the electromagnetic and magnetic forces run parallel with each other (hence there is no friction or loss of energy). As a result, the more power he used, the faster and further these waves would travel. Imagine what can be accomplished with waves that do not diminish with distance!

2. The operation of flying machines by wireless power: The flow of Tesla’s currents are confined to the earth, but with his machine, he could create an electromagnetic field in the atmosphere surrounding it. Tesla theorized that if lightweight electric motors with attached circuits are placed in the airplanes (or other flying machines) and are accurately attuned, energy will be drawn into these circuits from the electromagnetic field powering the motors (similar to submerging an empty bottle in water then poking a hole in it - the energy from the electromagnetic field would flow into the circuit the same way water would into the bottle). This concept could therefore revolutionize a whole new world of transportation! 

3. GPS: Global positioning could be used not just on the earth’s surface, but via the earth’s interior as well (ex. finding mineral deposits, submarines, etc.). This is accomplished by setting up and maintaining longitudinal stationary waves in the earth, subdividing its entire surface into zones of electrical activity. This also allows data points to be collected regarding the earth’s dimensions, as well as the positioning of moving or non-moving objects by analyzing the way waves react to objects within it or without it. This would help in navigation, prospecting, or basic radar by determining positions and size of objects, in or outside earth, by determining latitudes and longitudes, the speed of travel and the respective courses followed.

4. An artificial Aurora Borealis: By shooting charged particles at the atmosphere in the sky, Tesla’s system could create the same effect that occurs during the Northern Lights. This would contribute to the concept of night vision and constructing related devices for human use based on this phenomenon.

5. Operations of all manufacturing and transportation machinery: With much more power than his “Art of Individualization,” Tesla could send power through the earth to any point on the globe (regardless of distance) and provide a business or home with enough horsepower to operate and run all its machinery, including transportation machinery. Note this would not be “free energy”, as the conspiracists of the internet assume. Tesla never said anything about free energy. We would still have to subscribe and pay for this energy just like we do today, but at a much cheaper cost. 

6. Interplanetary Communication: Tesla understood that if we ever want to make contact with intelligent life on other planets, or even communicate with humans traveling through the depths of space, we would have to use radio technology to do so. He believed that with enough power drawn from energy sources (such as Niagara Falls) to power his transformer, he could create billions of horsepower, and with his Magnifying Transmitter, send his oscillating wave signals (which travel many times faster than light) to the far reaches of this galaxy. 

7. Irrigation and fertilization of the world by wireless: Using wireless power, farmers and land owners would be able to pump water and irrigate their land from energy sent thousands of miles away. Tesla also believed that weather was of electrical origin, and thus could be controlled by electrical means. In other words, with a properly developed apparatus (different from his wireless system), he could pull water from oceans by hydraulic force, turn it into vapor and carry it in cloud form to arid parts of land (make it rain, so to speak).  Also, with fertilization, we know that an excess of nitrogen in the atmosphere is a bad thing, and not enough nitrogen in the soil will cause growth deficiencies in plants. Tesla’s experiments in Colorado Springs showed that the nitrogen in the air could be burned with electricity. By burning the right amount of nitrogen in the air, it could be turned into a fertilizer of sorts. 

8. Magnetizing of enemy battleships, submarines, and airplanes to attract missiles: This notion speaks for itself. By using magnetic waves, the metal of enemy machinery could be magnetized and therefore cause it to attract missiles. 

9. A particle beam for defense: Tesla did not believe in war and had always thought that strife or conflict could be cured by some way other than by brute force. His idea was to create a machine that would give all countries a defense weapon that would render them entirely impenetrable to enemy attacks. All have seen the photo of Tesla sitting in his laboratory in Colorado Springs where there are artificial lightning bolts filling the room over a hundred feet in length. His idea was to control this energy in a very high vacuum tube and disperse the energy in any direction desired - this was his defense weapon for war. Unfortunately, his hypothesis was ignored and America subsequently suffered the attack on Pearl Harbor four years after Tesla proposed his invention to world governments.  

I presume most people would be skeptical about how safe Tesla’s “World System” would be. If the whole earth is electrified, wouldn’t we get shocked constantly? Not the case. Tesla used electrostatics, e.g. when an electric charge is at rest, as opposed to direct current (DC) electricity and alternating current AC which are electricity moving through wires either directly or back and both. Both DC and AC are very dangerous if touched. Tesla would speed up his alternating currents so fast that the electricity would become static electricity. It could then be stored, or pass through the physical body with no harm. He demonstrated this in lectures throughout the 1890s by passing thousands of volts of electricity through his body and shooting electricity out of his fingertips. Static electricity is already all around us. It’s similar when you rub your socks on the carpet and can walk to the other side of the room and shock someone - this static electricity is stored in your body, but doesn’t harm you. The shock might slightly startle your friend, but nevertheless is still harmless. Also, unlike the wireless technology we use today - which is ninety percent radiation - Nikola Tesla’s system is clean energy. His system reverses what our technology does and uses only ten percent radiation, and ninety percent current waves. This is why there is no loss of energy, and why we should be implementing and utilizing Tesla’s system.

Our current existence would be far more advanced had Tesla been allowed to share his work with the world. Although we are advancing with greats strides in technological achievements, we are still hundreds of years behind the future Nikola Tesla hoped and dreamed for.

“My project was retarded by the laws of nature. The world was not prepared for it. It was too far ahead of time. But the same laws will prevail in the end and make it a triumphal success.”

–Nikola Tesla

(“My Inventions – V. The Magnifying Transmitter.” Electrical Experimenter. February, 1919.)

[mudaship39]

Prosthetic Arm of the Asian Pasifika and Afro Latine Native Demigod and Alien Hybrid Main Character

Wrist Mounted Arm Computer:

Attached to their left arm is a human and alien magical  and technological mechanical portable wrist computer. It is a personal information processor that is powered by steam, gas, & or electricity. It has knobs, dials, buttons, & switches on the top, bottom, left, & right sides for accessibility. It comes with a red, blue, green, silver, or gold light. It comes with a keyboard. Can function as any number of useful tools. Wrist computer uses include data storage, inventory management, topographical mapping, assisted targeting, medical diagnostics, radio receiver, video player, music player, and portable gaming console, a communicator, a light, a scanner, a smart phone, a smart watch, a portable computer, etc. It lets him/her/them stay in contact with their handlers and allies. It gives him/her/them mission-specific information. Including where weapon caches are. It keeps track of their credentials. Is also a handheld personal force shield generator. It has crime databases, wiretapping, evidence analysis, a lie detector, and monitors its wearer's heartbeat, blood pressure, & blood sugar to ensure that its use was authorized and to send help if the user is healthy or is in trouble. Can project 3d and 4d holograms. It provides internet access and cellular reception with clear reception and unlimited data anywhere on Earth. Has clear reception and cellular reception in terraformed and colonized planets, moons, comets, asteroids, & planetoids star systems and galaxies of the multiverse. It uses nanotechnology to physically reconfigure itself to prevent hacking. It also has GPS functionality. Has a hacking tool. Has a compact first aid kit. Is a wearable computer. Has an interface is a holographic 3d wrist-mounted computer complete with a miniature 4d holographic projector.

The wrist communicator is based on an alien memory metal so when they take it off it can flex into a tablet shape. Can hack computers, machines, phones, tablets, robots, & artificial intelligences. It can dispense first-aid, repair and customize equipment, and send and receive phone calls. It can record audio sound and visual video footage for later playback. Using a simple but elegant form of sonar and satellite tracking this wrist mounted computer can map out areas where its user travels. It acts as a database for the wearer’s personal information and inventory. It is capable of tracking the wearer’s status and organizes the user’s inventory of apparel, junk, weapons, misc, armor, mods, aid, items, & equipment. An overlay of the data is also available. In addition, the device features a built-in radio module. It has an advanced compass. It has a virtual 3d and 4d map that displays discovered locations. It has a holographic map projector which shows a complete 3D or 4D scan of an area. It has a sonar and motion sensor system that highlights nearby allies, enemies, people, animals, beasts, creatures, and monsters. It is a communicator, a map, a flashlight, a compass, a scanner, a music player, a smart watch, & a portable computer. It has lighting functionality. A holographic player, video tape, CD player, & DVD player is mounted beneath the display. It is capable of keeping tabs on the user’s health condition, ammo, weapons, armor, apparel, & food and water. It shows the user’s health bar as red, yellow, orange, & green. It has a blue and purple heath bar system to show aether, ether, and nether shields. It has a silver, gold, & obsidian health bar system to show combat armor, power armor, & mech suit armor condition. The wrist computer gauntlet’s uses include but are not limited to data storage, inventory management, topographical mapping, assisted targeting, telephone, medical diagnostics, computer, radio receiver, telegram, hacking, music (CD) player, & Video (Video and DVD) Player .

It can map out areas. It can take and store notes and memos. It has a built-in radio. It has a geiger counter and toxic gauge for radiation, toxins, & poisons. It has a built-in flash light used to illuminate dark areas. It needs to be worn as a gauntlet which seals with a biometric lock. It utilizes a revamped 3d or 4d holographic display interface with animated images. It automatically updates using satellites. Additionally, it integrates with the onboard computers of power armor and mech suits allowing a user to access their wrist mounted computer from within the armor via a HUD visor display. The inventory menu is a system used for viewing and managing collected items. The menu also displays total currency and carry weight on the screen. It is sorted into several tabs. Weapons, Apparel, Aid, Misc, Junk, Mods, Ammo, & Money. All guns, melee weapons, grenades, and mines fall in this tab. Specs of weapons can be viewed and compared as well as equipped and unequipped weapons.  It shows their attachments such as silencers or suppressors, compensators or muzzles, grips, flashlights, scopes, red dot sight, red laser sight, or grenade launcher. Shows the damage effect it has on enemies. It shows the weapon’s stats such as range, damage, etc. It shows the weapons condition and shows if it is in need of maintenance and repair. All armor and clothing appear in this tab. Specs of armor and clothing can be viewed and compared as well as equipped and unequipped apparel.  All aid such as medicines, drugs, food, and drinks are sorted here and can be used and consumed in this tab. Miscellaneous items such as keys, cds, dvds, holographic tapes, notes, and items which fall under no other category are in this tab. Mod tab for weapon and armor modifications. Ammo lists all types of ammunition for guns, grenades, & mines currently in inventory. Currency shows all dollars and copper, bronze, brass, silver, gold, & platinum coins, cash, and credits. A unique feature of the Mark 20 Wrist Computer is an adapter plug attached to the underside of the device. This plug is used to perform diagnostics on power armor and mech suits. It can hack into computers. It has a lockpick module to pick the locks of doors, safes, etc. In addition, the plug is also used to gain control of robots, androids, artificial intelligences, automatons, mech suits. When wearing a power armor or mech suit the user does not interact with the wrist computer directly. Instead all the information is displayed through the suit’s integrated HUD but with a different HUD color. This implies that the Mark 20 is capable of interfacing with power armor or mech suits onboard systems to allow access to its functionality without having to directly operate the device. It is a wrist gauntlet, wrist bracer or wrist computer. It is a piece of wrist-worn technology. It houses several technologically advanced features.  The wrist gauntlet is a small computer device worn on the wrist and features numerous controls for various items of human and alien magic and technology.

It has a digitized display. The gauntlet is linked directly into a metahuman and superhuman’s combat armor, combat helmet, power armor, power armor helmet, & mecha suit and governs many of their functions. The gauntlet also acts as a power source for these tools although it has only limited capacity and would become depleted with repeated use. However, despite the clearly advanced nature of the technology involved, the wrist gauntlet can be recharged from any common power source such as gas, steam, water, nuclear power, & electricity.  The mark 20 is the most customizable model made. It was the epitome of technology. Each instrument is individually crafted and personally attuned to its recipient. The device is so personalized to its user that it could continuously monitor and report the vital signs of its assigned wearer in real time. It was the quintessential personal data assistant complete with a magical AI modeled after a female humanoid alien and female human. Complete with its own mapping system, navigation system, radio receiver, computer, video and music player, cellphone, & personal inventory tracking software. It’s a souped-up PDA complete with DNA biometric lock.

[rinharu-purple]

Emmm 👉👈 can i request Gavin's spring festival date analysis?! Ehem especially when Gavin said "I've waited a long time for today.." 💙

But Of course if you're not busy.. I'll wait patiently.. I just.. love read your analysis 💙 like i can feel your love and dedication for Gavin.. a lot of Gavin stan is very smart and loyal.. just like Gavin itself

Hello nonny and of course you can! Thank you for your lovely ask and reading my posts. It makes me really happy to hear this 💞 I can also double up what you've said, Our birdcop is smart and loyal and I really love being a part of Gavin-standom which includes so many talented writers, artists, analysts and it has @cheri-translates! There are so many great posts from various accounts and one can feel the love, passion and loyalty towards Gavin in all of them! 💫

An analysis on Spring Festival date is so overdue, so it is me who should apologize for not having written this before. I will more than gladly include your request scene, I hope you enjoy it ^_^

MC Testing Waters: Spring Festival Date

At the beginning of the game, MC is a young woman with lots of love in her heart, however without much experience in love. Fortunately this starts to change when she meets LIs as adults.

Spring Festival Date takes place after Firework Date and before the Romantic Date, although the timeline is quite messy, which I will come to by the end of this analysis.

If you look closely, you can see MC checking Gavin's romantic feelings towards her by using this "boyfriend game" and also uses the opportunity to get beyond his hardened exterior and touch his vulnerable side 💗

Spoilers start below this line

This date comes to, because MC lies to her aunt about having a boyfriend to avoid arranged blind dates and even promises to visit her on New Years with her boyfriend. Speculatively it seemed like a solid play, until...the time literally came.

Thinktanking about a way out of this with Kiki and Willow, they weight different options as to tell them she broke up with him, leave the city or call in sick but then the best wingman on earth Minor saves the way and suggests that she just takes a "fake boyfriend" with her, surely enough with Gavin in his mind.

MC goes through her contacts list to search for a suitable candidate, but her heart Whispers her the answer by skipping a beat as her fingertips scroll down to one name.

... Gavin

As such... MC has chosen her player for the game and Gavin's Heart Trial with MC's family commences...

---Press Start---

Creativity Test

Unluckily Gavin actually shows up for this highly important date late, with his phone off! From the storyline he arrives a couple of minutes late to MC’s aunt's place, thus starting the game one point behind. He was late because he was buying presents for the whole family! With the spot on gifts which are well received by the family because they're expensive, imported goods, limited products, cute and thoughtful he makes up for the lost points.

But it's just the first stage and he has 3 more stages to clear, the pressure is slowly rising.

This gray suit has a lovely story behind it, which you can find by the end of the story.

Decision Test

Gavin has passed the creativity test with flying colors, but in the second stage more challenging questions are on the menu. The eldest aunt wants to know Gavin's age, occupation, salary(?!) and possessions(?!). The last two questions are fairly over the line and is a no-no in my country. Asking people about their financial status as well as bragging about it is perceived as rude and insolent, that's why the way Gavin answers these questions skillfully without bragging about his wealth adds just another brick on my Gavin-temple.

Age: 24

Occupation: Police Officer

Salary: Covers the bills

Possessions: A flat in the city and a motorcycle.

In my Prank date analysis, I've mentioned about Gavin's ability to deal with impertinence and also here, he stays friendly, but only answers the questions necessary to get through with the situation. MCs family is checking whether he's wealthy enough to take care of MC (which is sad that in the 21st century that in some countries women need to be financially secured by men). So Gavin just gives them just the right enough of information to pass the test and pass he does.

There is another aspect to his way of answering though. You see, Gavin is an unmaterialistic man. He doesn't care about money or any other meta. He doesn't touch upon the fact that he's coming from a wealthy family, or that he inherits his grandparents house or that he can afford designer dresses, overseas travels or gems without giving a second thought. That shows just how humble Gavin is and I love him for it. What defines him is not his wealth, nor does he allow anyone define him on his financial status. It's his character, the values he stand for, the vision he embodies, the way he treats MC.. Ehm.. And.. His champion body and drop dead gorgeous looks (comes as an extra;))

But the game is far from over, because the family council is now going to challenge him on...

Affinity Test

This is where things get rosy as the family would like to know how they've met and whether they've been together since high school.

Look, Gavin is actually not playing a game, but living the moment. He is well aware of the fact that once he and MC become an official pair, he will be standing on the same spot a year later. He is serious...

So when they ask about their affection, he gives them his genuine answer and confesses his crush on her during high school and says that they've been going out since fall. This dazzles MC, as if she hasn't been dazzled enough lol.

The three glasses of drink he gulps surely has a role in this sincerity and taking three glasses of a drink as a punishment also becomes a tradition for MC and Gavin in the future.

And so, he proudly passes the Affinity Test with flying colors, effortlessly. Only one more stage and he's done it!

Execution Test

Every hero has his moment, when the fight takes a gloomier turn against his favor and the odds don't look good as before when he gets a strong blow, that is when the family hits him with the question "Don't you get alone well with your family?".

This is Gavin's weak spot, his cryptonite, his bleeding wound and MC's family just pressed on it. What makes this scene so heartbreaking is not just the topic itself and we know why it is a sensitive topic for Gavin but also that Gavin actually tries to signal them that this is not his favorite topic. He tells them he doesn't go home for holidays (friendly warning number 1), the aunties pushes by telling him to take some meal with him to which he replies "Thanks, but that's okay. I've been away for a long time" (friendly warning number 2) the family pushes further and as a one last resort he tells them that during college he rarely went there and spent holidays working afterwards (friendly warning number 3). Sadly the auntie than ignorantly ask whether his family doesn't worry about him and now because he's given three fair warning shots which, he downright gives them a brief and resolute answer:

- No.

That's usually the latest where people with common sense stop digging in further. Unfortunately then the auntie asks whether he doesn't get along well with his family to which Gavin no longer responds. This is the perfect way of dealing with such people and Gavin has a very intuitive talent for dealing different people from different mindsets. Give them three friendly and fair warnings, still pushing? Then give them a last chance by one final brief and to the point answer, they choose to ignore the signal? Stop interacting, you can only waste time beyond this point.

The only problem with this situation here, is that these people are not just somebody, Gavin wants to win these people over, so he cannot just ignore them. But also he cannot do it without a timeout, so he goes to grab some wine. (God it makes me so sorry everytime he has to face his family drama or is misjudged. I just wanna hug him bring him hot cocoa, give him a backrub and bring spicy food for him. Luckily he has MC ^_^)

But let's not talk only about about Gavin, because MC is struggling too. And we should recognize her stick up for him with the most cherishing words:

-Auntie, you got it wrong. He is a decent and pure man and has come to my aid many time and in quite dangerous circumstances.

When she comes back however cannot find Gavin, once she does, a heartwarming moment blooms between them.

This scene is very crucial in Gavin and MC's relationship because this is the first time MC sees Gavin tired and flustered. She feels sad for him but also happy for herself, for she feels as though she gets closer to him, thus seeing the real Gavin. By the way she show him her genuine care, Gavins heart melts and kisses the back of her hand as a gesture and so the first intimate moment involving them having a kiss ensues. Furthermore, they show each other their mutual care, which brings them one step closer and this gives Gavin the only courage he needs to tackle the situation.

When our hero gets the courage and the stamina he need from his girl, nothing can stop him now. Having gatherer his strength, Gavin returns to the dinner table:

“I am so happy to be here with you all today. In fact, I haven't felt this atmosphere of family in a long time. I have a very strict father and a brother I seldom see...I don’t even know when I turned into such a loner. Eating alone, sleeping alone, doing everything alone...until I met her. It was a beautiful autumn day. The gingko leaves were floating in the wind. I was also going through a pretty dark time. But she saved me before I hit bottom...It’s she who told me I could live a stronger life. And it’s also she who told me I could live a more tender life. I never felt lonely before, until I met her. I started to get used to star-gazing with her, having dinner with her, spending the New Year’s with her. In the future, I'll give it my all to stay with her, to take good care of her and love her. I wanna make up many times over for all the times I wasn't there”

MC’s heart stopped, aunties eyes teary, the elder Aunt want his actions to back up these words and thus Gavin has a pass from MC's family. Now that he's won the game, it's time to collect his prize.

After they leave MC's aunt's house, our lovebirds walk together in the night full of fireworks and Gavin tells Mc that Minor has mentored him on being the perfect son-in-law, hence he was late. He also asks her what she would do if he didn't show up, to which she says that her intuition says that he won't fail her and he murmurs quietly:

- I've waited a long time for today.

Of course he doesn't repeats himself when MC asks him about what he just said. But that's what kept him going all night long.

He has waited for six whole years to meet her again, to stand by here, take good care of her and love her. Tonight, he could do them all by being her "boyfriend", giving his word to her family and having their blessings. He could see that she also cares a lot for him, worries about him and wants to be there for him. He landed his lips for the first time on her delicate skin and could give her warmth.

He could finally confess his feelings for her and say the genuine things he will only say to her.

So yes, he has waited for a long time for this moment to come and when it came, he made sure to grab it tightly.

----—----—---

Timeline issues:

- The order of the dates in the game doesn't always reflect the real course of events. The grey suit that Gavin wears is actually bought after Romantic Date, which takes place after this date.

-Even though MC plans this whole game to avert blind dates, but she still gets set up later on a blind date by another aunt lol.

Thank you once again for your patience nonny and I hope that the analysis proves to be worthy of your wait 💗

Masterlist

For MC's confession let me take you here

For Gavin and MCs relationship milestones here

For a fun trivia about this date you can click here

[david-akintunde]

10 Tips To Boost Your Email Open Rates

Here is a simple talisman for success if you’re an email marketer — higher email open rates mean more conversions. Sounds obvious? Even then, many organizations don’t end up writing emails that subscribers want to open. A study by MailChimp found that email open rates are just at 21.33% across all industries.

In a quick glance, this figure looks ok. But is it really? Suppose you have an email list comprising a whopping 15,000 subscribers. With a 21.33% conversion rate, only a mere 3199 leads are ever going to see your emails, and fewer will take any action.

Remember, there comes a point, when it doesn’t matter how extensive your email list is, but how many prospects within that list open your emails. If within the same list of 15,000 subscribers, your open rates go up to 50%, you end up with 7500 leads engaging with your pitch.

So, how do you get here? By following these 10 hacks that are sure to improve your email open rates:

1. Don’t Forget to Segment your Email List

Without email list segmentation, you cannot personalize your emails. While you can categorize your email list under parameters most relevant to you, try these three segments for starters.

Segment based on:

Demography

Challenges and pain points

Like and dislikes

2. Get your Subject Line Right

Your subject line alone is what encourages prospects to open your email. It also helps form your brand’s first impression. So, craft it well! How?

Personalize it for your target audience. Write more than one subject sentence for, say, different age groups, even if the product you’re pitching is the same.

Hold back on using too many punctuations like exclamation marks. You’d be surprised how commonly marketers use more than one exclamation point in subject lines for emphasis. Choose to emphasize with your words instead.

Keep it concise and avoid vagueness.

Draft it in the form of a question, if you can.

Use powerful words and phrases. These stir emotion and arouse curiosity. For example, the image below uses a power word like “sanity-saving.”

Source: Smart Blogger

3. Get your Email Timing Right

Remember, leads will read your emails at different times in different parts of the world. Some will read them late at night, while others will do so in the morning. Leverage whichever email automation tool you use to track the time most of your prospects read your emails.

Once you have an optimal time, send emails accordingly to boost open as well as click-through rates. Also, as a general rule of thumb, avoid sending marketing emails over weekends. Several studies have now revealed that weekends are the most inopportune time to send promotional communication.

4. Get your Email Frequency Right

Nobody, and that even includes you wants their inbox to be bombarded with too many promotional emails from one brand. Not only does this single-handedly bring down your open rates, but the prospect can blacklist you or mark you as spam.

Simply put, strike the right balance with your audience. Generally, sending emails twice or thrice and no more makes for a healthy frequency that doesn’t annoy prospects.

5. Re-engage with the Dormant Prospects

All email lists have prospects who haven’t opened promotional emails from certain brands in months. Your list is likely no different. Weed them out! And scout for new prospects.

But, before identifying and deleting them from your email list, make sure to draft and deploy a re-engagement campaign. Maybe, this campaign contains time-limited offers or personalized deals to re-engage passive leads.

6. Send Emails using an Official Email ID

No matter how small your business is at this point, don’t use your Gmail or Hotmail ids to send out marketing communication. Such a practice will likely land you in the prospect’s junk pile. Use a domain email address that carries your brand name to stay out of spam filters and boost your open rates.

7. Ensure a High Deliverability Rate

Unfortunately, over 20% of marketing emails don’t land up in your prospects’ inboxes. These emails bounce because of:

Temporary server issues on both ends

Sending emails to abandoned or obsolete email ids

Prospects who accidentally blacklist you

Upping your deliverability rate will automatically boost open rates. You can do this by:

Sending reminder emails requesting your subscribers to whitelist you.

Confirm if a prospect has willingly subscribed to your list by asking them to click on a link sent to their inbox.

8. Avoid using Certain Words in Email Subject Line and Body

Stay away from phrases and words that make your email seem less authentic. For instance, “Urgent,” “free stuff for you,” “you have won,” and several others. Think of these phrases similar to swear words in email marketing.

9. Send the Same Email Once More

Sometimes your prospects want to open your email, but they simply forget or get distracted. And, once they do, they won’t revisit your email. To avoid this situation, resend the same email to subscribers who didn’t open your first email.

Don’t worry about being too intrusive here. You’d be happy to know that this is not an uncommon practice used by marketers to boost their open rates.

10. Don’t only Send Promotional Content

Sure, the ultimate goal for your brand is to sell its wares, but this doesn’t mean all your emails must carry a sales pitch. Share informational or educational content to make your email campaigns more engaging. Help them gain light on their challenges through blogs, case studies, etc. When you send a mixed bag of email content, you are more likely to increase your open rates.

Conclusion

With these 10 tips, you can undoubtedly experience higher open rates, eventually translating into more conversions. As for subscribers who, even after all the attempts, don’t open your emails, it’s best to let them go! After all, not all subscribers turn into qualified leads, and that’s ok.

Three Tips For Writing Marketing Email Subject Lines People Actually Want To Open

Sales, marketing and branding expert. CEO of GoPromotional, distributor of promotional products with a focus on online business development.

When was the last time you sent an email? Did you know that, according to Statista, roughly 306 billion emails were estimated to have been sent and received every single day in 2020? There are only about 7.7 billion people on Earth. Let that sink in. Now, ask yourself this: How many of the emails you receive every day do you actually read? More specifically, how many of the promotional emails you receive do you open at all?

With all the benefits of the information age, it’s important to remember that we’re utterly swamped with information to an extent we’ve never experienced before. So if you want to get through to people — if you’re an e-marketer whose goal is to reach as many targets as possible via mass emails — you’ll have to put in some thought and get creative. This is a game of subject lines, and your job is to master it by crafting engaging, inviting, tempting and even daring email subject lines that will grab attention — even if it’s just long enough for a click.

The fear of missing out is your ally.

FOMO is real, and it’s powerful. For the uninitiated, “FOMO” stands for “fear of missing out,” and while it may be a behavioral trend brought about by our rapidly developing internet infrastructure, it is a valuable marketing tool. No matter what you’re missing — a new blow dryer, a different kind of juice or a wedding — the point is that you’re missing something. Maybe you just don’t know about it yet.

FOMO will be of great use to you as you draft up effective subject lines. Don’t just stop with basic additions such as “act fast,” “for a limited time” or “while supplies last.” Go all the way and use numbers. What makes you want to move faster: “while supplies last” or “three hours left?” The fewer details, the better. This is all about getting your target to open the email. Don’t worry about telling them what ends in three hours. Let them find out for themselves.

Less is sometimes more.

We’re all busy. Nobody has time to read your spiel. Yes, that even includes your 10-word subject line. How many of the hundred emails you received today had 10 words in their subject lines? It adds up, and, at some point, it just looks like alphabet soup. Crafting an email subject line is all about visuals. In my experience, a short, quippy subject line can catch the eye of someone looking at their email inbox because it helps break up the sea of text.

Consider shortening a subject line such as “New jeans from Lucky Brand, Calvin Klein, Collection by Michael Strahan and more” to something more like, “Lucky. Calvin. Strahan.” You can call it a laconic method if you want, but when you treat every word like it’s a scarce commodity, they instantly appear more important.

Laugh it up.

I think we can all agree that email is no longer the stuffy, daunting, formal affair it may have once been. Email is something we do without even thinking. It’s on our phones. It’s how we confirm toothpaste orders. It’s like socks: totally ubiquitous. And consider this: More and more, your target audience is made up of people who weren’t even born before email was invented. These consumers grew up in the beginnings of a post-advertising era, when I believe traditional advertising began to lose its grip. They know a promotional email when they see one.

The solution? Laugh it up. Be a little self-aware. I’ve found that millennials and Generation Z pick up on self-awareness, and they appreciate it. Make fun of yourself a little; it can’t hurt. Switch out your stock enthusiasm for deadpan humor. Be honest. Instead of, “This week’s top picks just for you,” for example, you could try, “We want your money.” The content matters, but what matters more is getting your target interested.

Remember, the meat and potatoes are in the body of your email, but the subject is your alluring dessert. You can have dessert before dinner — as long as you eat.

Forbes Business Council is the foremost growth and networking organization for business owners and leaders. Do I qualify?

Your Email Marketing Is Destined To Fail Without These 3 Essentials

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Think email marketing is all spam? Think again! In a world where marketing pitches come at us from all angles and on every device, email marketing has held steady as the favored channel for consumers. When used well, this platform can help you attract, convert, close and delight your buyers. Don’t underestimate it — your company’s email strategy can make or break you.

When it comes to building a successful email-marketing strategy, there are three specific elements that will help you achieve your business goals or move you further away from them, depending on how well you use them.

Let’s take a closer look at each of them.

1. Frequency

Nobody wants to get ten emails a day from a subscription. It doesn’t matter if the content is brilliant, useful or undeniably accurate. Your leads will get annoyed if you send them too much information. Even though they might read it (with some luck), at some point, they’ll feel bothered and eventually click the unsubscribe button.

Avoid losing contacts by not only asking their desired frequency to get your emails, but also by relying on your metrics. Don’t pay too much attention to your open rate alone — look closely at your click-through rate too. This will indicate how interested your leads are and how often they take action to prove it.

While every industry and situation is different, a good place to start with email-marketing cadence is about once per week. This establishes a relationship with your subscribers that can turn into a habit-forming routine. Being too timid about frequency can lead to a sporadic cadence that will end up irritating recipients. If you wait too long between emails, even opt-in subscribers may report you for spam — simply because you’ve let them forget all about you!

2. Relevance

While subscribers may certainly become frustrated by the frequency of your emails, they are more likely to become annoyed if your content is not relevant to their interests and needs.

Relevance is a tricky concept because it depends on many factors like the consumer’s knowledge level, his or her stage in the buyer’s journey and good timing. You must know your audience in order to understand what type of content they want.

Specifically, you need to know what they want from you, which is often dictated by where they are in the buyer’s journey. Are they ready to buy? Are they trying to get valuable information? Are they looking to solve a problem? Are you able to solve that problem?

In every industry, there are two types of buyers: “now” buyers, who are progressing down the purchase funnel, and future buyers, who have no interest in or need for your product currently, but may down the road. For future buyers, the relevance of your content is what’s most important to them; it’s what builds the brand trust that will bring them back to you when they are ready to buy.

Finally, timing is everything. Relevance is about getting the right content to the right person at the right time.

3. Action

We receive emails basically everywhere — at home, work and while on the go. When receiving an email, we may take a look at it immediately, but sometimes it requires further action like submitting a form, watching a video or visiting a website. Try to reduce or streamline required actions in order to make it easy for contacts to follow through at any time of day.

First and foremost, make your offers simple. Your buyers don’t like to be given too many choices; when they are, they often won’t buy anything at all. Even in the physical world, this is the case. In the famous “jam study” by Columbia Business School Professor Sheena Iyengar, for example, she set out two tasting booths for a brand of jam. One table offered six flavors to choose from; the other offered 24.

While the tasting booth with 24 flavors attracted more people, the booth with six flavors sold much more jam — 30% of those who stopped at the booth bought a jar, compared to just 3% of those who stopped at the table with 24 varieties. These visitors were too confused and overwhelmed to make a purchase decision.

The difference between stopping at a booth and buying from a booth is similar to the difference between opening an email and clicking through to an offer. Your email campaigns must be able to achieve both to be successful. The more personalized and concise you can be in your offers, the simpler the choice will be for your email subscribers.

BONUS To enjoy the best email marketing software, click here

[astrognossienne]

friendship with the signs

sun, moon, or venus

aries: they may not be constant but they are true. since they’re rarely available, they’ll irk more clingy personalities, but their occasional contact will show that you are still on their mind and in their heart. this is not because of any lack of interest, necessarily; it’s just that they’re always doing something, so they will have little time to spend with friends. they’ll give you unsolicited advice whether it’s wanted or not and they will tell you the truth whether you like it or not. if you happen to be their best or oldest friend, you may be more like a brother or sister to them. they love lavish celebrations and their birthday is a big deal to them. don’t get them any throwaway or cheap gifts. hot take: they’re chattier than any gemini, and having friends in common will guarantee that there will be tea spilled, usually by text or phone.

taurus: these people are rocks, as constant as they are true, and they’re there in your time of need. disclaimer: only ask for their help if you truly need it. they are truly involved in helping you out whenever possible, but they may give the wrong kind of advice while being convinced that they are absolutely right, feeling that their counsel should be followed without question. like all fixed signs, they can be generous, but they will also want your respect in not taking advantage of their generous nature. they seem to view everything so clearly in black-and-white terms, but what they see is too often only what they want to see. nonetheless, they’re usually fun to be with and down to earth.

gemini: they may be fair-weather friends, but the fact is that geminis are much more fun to have around when things are going well. they can’t handle emergencies or long-standing problems. they’re well-known for their light and nonserious attitude, and they bring joy to almost any activity. communication is gemini’s forte. if they’re interested in you, let’s hope you can keep up with their rapier-quick minds and chatter. one of the things about geminis that annoys people is that they’re shitty listeners, so you gotta tell them to shut the fuck up and put on their listening ears every now and then. i wouldn’t take their advice though. a gemini’s advice isn’t that helpful; they like to come up with all kinds of off-the-wall and delusional suggestions that sound fascinating but could never work. also, they’re not always that great at keeping touch, so clingy and needy folks will definitely get in their feelings with a gemini. everyone else will be cool with them. geminis know that time stops for no one, so they assume you understand if they are busy with other activities for long periods. and when they get back in touch, it’s as if no time was lost, and things carry on as normal.

cancer: cancers are a never-ending fascination to those who are lucky enough to become their friends. their sensitivity and responsiveness guarantee that they will be well aware of your emotional state and highly respectful of your feelings. cancers can be particularly counted on in times of need. although they’re interested in trying to solve your problems or lend a sympathetic ear, don’t expect them to share their own experiences so easily, for they tend to keep personal matters to themselves. they often lead low-key private lives. their friendships are usually limited in number, but they value friendship highly and, as with most other areas of their lives, value quality more than quantity. if you’ve proven your worth to one, the door to a cancer house is always open to you as their dear friend, and they are very giving and generous (almost too much so) when it comes to helping out in times of need. if you’re smart, you won’t dare take advantage of their generous nature, or they’ll make sure you regret it. they do not always have the time or inclination to keep or initiate contact with you on a regular basis, but they will almost always respond to your contacting them. like scorpios, cancers can be excellent communicators, able to get their often thought-provoking ideas across to others in few words. if they take awhile to get back in touch, don’t be surprised: cancerians can be slow movers.

leo: leos can be very good friends. they can be loyal, devoted, and supportive and they stand by their closest friends in both good times and bad. like cancers, you should be careful not to take advantage of their good nature, for several reasons. first of all, you can become too dependent on them. second, you keep yourself from developing as a capable and independent-thinking person. as needy as they are for attention and validation, their to be needed in general is not overly great, so they’re good at leaving you alone for long periods, if you prefer it that way, without the friendship suffering. they enjoy spilling tea, but they prefer actual meetings to virtual ones. lines of communication are open with leos, and you usually have only to ask in order to receive their help. like virgos, they take it personally when you don’t take their advice, so if you’re not gonna abide by their advice, don’t ask for it. also, leos despise mixed messages, hearing the truth from a third party, or being left out of the loop altogether. they’re straight shooters, so if you’re a real friend to them, you better tell them the truth directly from your mouth without any bullshit attached to it.

virgo: virgos can be very helpful with advice, since they think logically and are able to anticipate most problems that might arise. however, virgos tend to be both judgmental and critical, and after receiving advice from them you might not wish to have your behavior scrutinized. they usually help out when everything in their life is together and they are willing enough to give it. they're so often involved with their own personal problems, however, they are not always in a stable enough emotional state even to help themselves.when not in a state of anxiety and nervous tenion, virgos can be extremely supportive and helpful. although virgos in general can be very needy individuals, they find it difficult to ask for direct assistance, so when they finally do come, they should be taken seriously.

libra: libras can be really great friends, however libra friendships ususally don’t last too long and can end quickly and unpredictably. whether or not libras are always responsible is not the point, but they do have a tendency to plunge into intense relationships and, at some point, begin to ghost them. as cowardly as this is, most libras feel they are acting fairly and making judgments that are realistic for all concerned. libras tend to live in their own world, populated by their many friends and acquaintances. if you’re a private and sensitive, personal type, the libras wouldn’t be a good fit because they have a way of broadcasting the news to all within hearing range. they give the BEST parties, but will rarely formally invite people over. this is due less to a need to be alone and more to wanting to have a lot of time to fully prepare for a major exhibition. libras hate to be seen in anything but the best light, being particularly sensitive to criticism, and they pride themselves on providing a great time to all their friends.

scorpio: scorpios are very selective in their choice of friends, so if you are picked to be one, you should feel honoured. they have to know they are not only your good but your best friend. these people often keep their best friends on ice until they need them, usually for the best moments. scoprios aren’t particularly needy most of the time, and they usually contact you when they want to enjoy themselves, celebrate, or just go out. scorpios are cool, but they build their friendships mostly on their own terms and often on their own turf. the ones who are doormats of a more versatile and mutable nature often get along best with them, since they are willing to adapt quickly to a scorpio’s moodiness and changes in their complex emotional states. as dramatic as they are, they don’t need your attention, so don’t bother them with constant inquiries to see how they are. fussy behaviour will just irritate them, preferring to be left alone. when they have something to share with you, they will get in touch. they’re cool in emergencies, and can be lifesavers to their friends, both literally and figuratively. if there’s an earnest tone in your voice, they'll spring to your assistance and, if necessary, even go on the attack against those who are opposing you. but before you enlist a scorpio’s help, you should think carefully about what the consequences of their actions might be; they can be very destructive individuals.

sagittarius: like aries and scorpio, at first you might not get along with one. but once you get over that hump, they can be cool. as friends, sagittarians are FUN to be with, and they’re known for their sense of humour. if you want a good time, call a sag—or rather, they’ll usually contact you when they are ready to have a good time and wish to share the experience. they’re not needy, whiny, or otherwise high-maintenance. they keep their problems to themselves, but they don’t brood about it like cancers do; they maintain a positive, philosophical attitude and an upbeat composure about it all. sagittarians like giving advice, but won’t waste too many words, especially if you get into the same shit over and over again. the way they see it, many of your troubles have a simple solution; sags feel that you create your own troubles by continually making things more complicated than they are. in turn, sags can ultimately benefit from their friends’ encouragement when it comes to discussing their problems. they can be too optimistic and pollyanna, necessitating that you bring them down to earth (no matter how painful such a process may be), since suppressing their feelings and indulging in private worries can only lead to depression.

capricorn: capricorns take friendship like they do everything else: very seriously. if you are a friend to one of them, you may find yourself their “best” friend, with all the seriousness that comes with occupying such a position in their lives. being the best friend of a cap can be a heavy task, and not always a pleasant one. nonetheless, capricorns treat their best friends very well and, in some cases, even prefer their company to that of anyone else. even when your involvements with caps aren’t that deep, they’ll express concern over your difficulties and be there for you  in times of need. they are very rigid when it comes to their opinions on things, so you may already know what their advice will be before asking for it. this may keep you from seeking their advice at all. at any rate, they will take your questions seriously and be generous with their time and thought. capricorns will rarely admit that they were wrong in their initial assessment of your situation, usually finding another excuse for the failure of a given tactic. if you repeatedly ignore their advice or misuse their help, don’t bother asking for it in the future, because they don’t like their time wasted.

aquarius: as detached as they are, friendship is extremely important to most aquarians, but it takes on more of a conceptual, idealistic, and universal significance than a personal one. as such, they have a very hands-off approach to most of their friendships—you can count on them for objectivity more than any other sign. if you catch them at the right time and moment, they’ll help you out, but only if it’s with something immediate. they don’t deal in any long drawn-out future planning or heavy emotions—this is the “positive vibes only” squad. like aries, their contact is intermittent, but this is because of their need for freedom. aquarians are spontaneous and love a good time. since they like to live freely on their own terms, aquas will usually contact you, either while they are on the run or when one of their latest activities is over. don’t count on for stability or consistency but rather as an interesting sidelight in your life—one that can be both entertaining and a bit special. rarely will they reject your advances once they have admitted you to the inner circle of their friends.

pisces: pisces can make excellent friends, and often make friends fast, due to their openness, but they are likely to want you all to themselves and not share you with mutual friends. while you are out living your life, they’ll wait patiently for you to get back to them. they like hearing about their friends’ lives in great detail. they may be vague about their own needs, however, in acute need, they can become quite dependent on your support. they can be extremely empathetic, and they’re very generous with their money and resources. they may value their privacy highly, but if you’re a close friend, pisceans don’t mind it if you drop in unannounced. in fact, they welcome these impromptu visits as pleasant distractions from their many moods and this often helps lift them out of the melancholy or depression that plagues them. pisces love when people make time for them. pisces are among the most receptive and empathic of friends. however, when it comes to springing into action, they tend to hold back and be cautious, and their support tends to be more emotional than dynamic. nonetheless, their sympathy and understanding can usually be counted on.

[evermorehaikyuu]

Day 2

Title: The Last Goodbye

Note: This one does have mentions of death and the state of dying in it, along with a character death; proceed with caution. Not going to lie, this is probably the one I've been looking forward to writing because one scene was inspired by the umbrella academy. See you on the other side.

˜”*°•.˜”*°•.•°*”˜.•°*”˜

“Hey, what do you think happens after you die?” Y/N said, sipping on her drink, staring at her best friend since they were babies. Sugawara Koushi, the boy she could trust with her life, the boy she would do absolutely anything for if it made him continue smiling. 

“Hmm…” He looked at the sky, swans migrating overhead from their original destination, before glancing at the lake across from them. They always went there whenever either one of them was feeling stressed or they just wanted to be together. “Well, there is a legend of what happens before you head to the afterlife. Why?” He poked her cheek, grinning from ear to ear. “You’re more curious by the day about everything, aren’t you?”

Y/N reciprocated his smile and grabbed his wrist gently. “Don’t leave me like that, tell me what’s the legend.”

“Well, the legend is basically that after you die, you wait three days and then you have a few minutes before heading off. You get to go and see the person you love the most and be able to talk to them before leaving. No one’s really allowed to speak about the moments. However, no one wants to talk about it because it hurts them. Some people leave too early and it’s heart-breaking.” Sugawara sighed out of sadness for what might have happened in everyone’s last moments.

Y/N hugged him tightly, her lips turned up. “You won’t leave me alone though, right? Not even when you go out with someone?”

He laughed and embraced her. “No, I’m never leaving you alone. You’d be reckless without me.”

“Hey, at least I can cook without burning the house down!”

“Can you really though?”

“I cooked for you last time, didn’t I?” She pouted, squinting at the boy before her that was currently doubting her skills. She ran her hand through his hair and said, “But seriously. You won’t leave me right? You’ll stay with me?”

“Of course, Y/N. I’m not going anywhere. I promise.” 

~

It was a phenomenon how someone’s day could be turned upside down with only a few words. Those words could convert the happiest day of your life into one of the worst days of your life. Bad news spread faster than wildfire, faster than rumors. Pitiful looks were one of the gifts you would receive as condolences for your loss. Moving on took time.

Unless you missed something that could’ve happened but escaped your grip faster than you could blink.

Nostalgia was a powerful emotion, more powerful than anything else. It was one of the emotions that you could not suppress no matter what. Any emotion could ruin you, that was for sure, but nostalgia gripped your memories and taunted you with them right in front of you. There was nothing you could do, nowhere to go. 

Y/N was currently walking back home from school, exhausted from the day’s work. However, she stayed awake, waiting for Sugawara to arrive around 8. Yet...he was late. He was never late to one of their hangouts.

Her phone rang around 9 pm and she looked at the caller ID, Daichi’s nickname appearing on the tiny screen. Answering the call, she said pleasantly, “Hey, Daichi, what’s up? Do you know where’s Suga? He should’ve arrived an hour ago.”

“Y/N.” His voice was breathless and rising in panic, but he tried to swallow it trying not to let her know what was going on.

But Y/N was too smart for that. Her arms started going numb as she swallowed dryly. “Daichi. Where’s Sugawara.”

“He…” Daichi gulped before speaking again, his voice coming out shakily. “He’s in the hospital...he got into an accident. Something happened to him, but Y/N--” His voice cracked, on the verge of tears. “They think he’s not going to make it.”

And just like that, the world around her collapsed, her earth spinning out of its axis. The sound of her phone falling to the floor was far away as the realization that her best friend was in the hospital, on his deathbed. Her legs were numb as she sunk to the floor, Daichi’s voice far away. “Daichi. Where are you?”

“On my way to the hospital.”

Grabbing her keys and ending the call, she started sprinting out of her house, adrenaline pumping in her veins. Her lungs started screaming for air and her legs were working themselves to their limit but still, she persevered, determined to get to Sugawara on time. You won’t make it, you don’t have the will. A tiny voice in her head said, trying to state the facts.

This wasn’t a Disney movie, she knew that. However, if she was able to get there, even if he was in a coma, even if he lost his memories, if she was able to get there and see him wake up, consequences and all, she’d thank every god there was above.

The hospital was in her line of view, her breath coming out shakily as she slowed to a stop in front of the tall building. So many people died inside of its walls. If Sugawara was one of them...she’d lose everything. Everything would’ve been awful, gray and bleak without him. He was the reason she woke up in the morning, he was the reason she laughed all the time, he was the reason she believed in love. 

And yet…

And yet, somehow, she never got to tell him. 

It’s not too late, she thought as she got to the receptionist’s desk, quickly giving the woman Sugawara’s information. She tried to look at the receptionist’s face for any sign of Sugawara’s status, whether he was hanging onto his lifeline or already gone from this earth. The stink of antiseptic made everything surreal.

“Fifth floor, darling.” The woman said, nodding towards the elevators.

Y/N ignored the mechanical devices and pushed her way through a wooden door where the stairs were. Her legs could’ve groaned at the sight above her. The fifth floor was high up but it was nothing. She wanted to see him, no matter the position he was in. 

Before she knew it, she had reached the fifth floor, barreling through the halls as she tried to find her way to Suga’s door. When she found the number A-14, she tried to open the door, only to find it locked.

“Come on, come on, please, please, please…” She pleaded, her breath held in her chest as she watched the door with desperation in her eyes. One sign. That was all she needed. One sign that he was still alive. 

She paced outside of the doors, trying to get her mind out of the worst situation. What seemed like an eternity later, the door opened, a nurse walking out of the room. She stared at Y/N and asked, “Are you here to see Sugawara Koushi?”

“Yes! How is he, is he in there--” Y/N knew he was in there and she tried to crane her head to look inside.

Several weary doctors walked outside and stood next to the nurse. With a melancholy voice, she said, “He...he didn’t make it. He passed away from blunt trauma to the head at 9:14 pm.”

9:15 pm. It was as if fate was tormenting her. She had barely passed the chance to see him, to see his smile one last time. Now she never got to say goodbye. The last words she ever told him were: “I’ll see you later.” And that never happened. Her world had already started crashing around her.

She shoved her way inside, pushing past the doctors and slamming the door open. Respect for the dead was something everyone talked about, and she’d actually do it if it wasn’t the fact that her best friend was there, no life in his body.

Cautiously walking over, she expected him to open his eyes and say something, anything. But he remained lifeless. She reached out to grab his hand. Cold. Limp. 

Dead.

“No, no, no, no! You can’t die on me now!” She screamed after being silent for a minute. She gripped his hand, wishing that it could bring him back to life. “You promised me that you wouldn’t leave me alone! You promised!” She cupped his face, tears streaming down her cheeks as her hands only felt the coldness coming from him. He was gone. There was nothing she could do about it.

The dam in her broke, tears flooding through as she fell to her knees, covering her face as she sobbed. She sobbed until she couldn’t anymore and right when she stopped, she only had to see his limp hand over the bed and broke down again.

She didn’t remember heading back home. She didn’t remember getting into bed. Daichi and Asahi did that for her. But none of those memories would ever get back to her.

He was gone. 

~

It had been three days since Sugawara’s passing. Y/N could only roll out of bed, eat at least a cracker and climb back into bed. But...something was different about today.

Getting away from her bed, everything around her was hazy, yet she knew her routine. Without thinking twice about it, she started walking to the lake where, a long time ago, she had talked about death with Sugawara. She didn’t know it’d catch up to them so quickly. Not them, only him. 

The walk to the lake took longer than usual, only because she wasn’t chattering and laughing with Sugawara. She could only see the bleak darkness around her and she didn’t understand how everyone was happy. Then again, not everyone knew him.

The lake reflected the sunset, making the atmosphere around look ethereal. She stood there for a minute, her stomach twisting from the feeling of loss. It was funny how fast your life could turn upside down without a second thought. You were expected to mourn and move on as quickly as possible. How hard was it to lose someone you couldn’t say those three words to? How hard was it to lose someone who you had a chance with but never got to take it?

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”

Y/N whipped her head to look in the direction from which the voice came from. Her eyes widened and her lips parted as she realized who was talking. He appeared, shimmering from the light of the sunset. Sugawara was next to her again. He turned towards her, a sad smile on his face. “Come on, smile for me. I don’t want to leave without seeing your smile one last time.”

“I-I can’t…” Y/N replied, her heart twisting as she recalled the words he once said, the legend he had spoken about. 

“Turns out the legend was true, huh?” He extended his arms, looking at them. “Well, I do look shiny, that was on my bucket list, I guess.” Sugawara gazed at Y/N with a tender expression. “Remember what I said? You only have a few minutes to see the person you loved--”

“Or could’ve loved…” The realization sunk on her, her expression changing from lamentable to fruition. 

“Guess I should’ve said something earlier. Maybe I should’ve gone to you earlier, maybe we would’ve still had time.” His voice was creeping towards shrill before taking a deep breath and staring at her with despair in his eyes. “I don’t want to go, I’m scared, Y/N.” 

“You deserve paradise. You deserve every good thing that this world could not provide for you--”

“No. I’m not scared for me. I don’t want to leave you or Daichi or Asahi or any of them alone. I don’t want to ever feel you cry, I don’t want you to be alone. I broke my promise!” 

She wished she could touch him, but it was in every book: touch the spirit and they’d fade away. Y/N had to restrain herself from reaching over to hug him, even if her heart hurt for him. “Hey...you didn’t break your promise. I’ll be okay, I promise. I know it doesn’t seem like it right now, but it will be okay. I’ll see you when it’s my time. I swear I’ll look for you so we can be together again. Just don’t panic about any of us. I’ll look after them, it’s my promise to you.” Her breath hitched in her throat as she realized he was sluggishly fading away. 

Sugawara slowly beamed at her and pursed his lips. “You promise to find me when it’s your time? I want you to take your time, to live the life I couldn’t have. Do you swear that you’ll do those two things?”

“I swear, Koushi.” Her lip was quivering, but she forced herself to look at him with a brave face. 

“Good.” He looked at himself again, noticing that he was fading slowly. “Can I ask for a favor?”

“Of course.”

“Can you hug me as I go?”

She swallowed and reached out for him, bringing him into her embrace, squeezing her eyes closed. Quiet tears came out of her as she tried to cling onto him for a longer time, hoping that her grip was enough for him to stay with her, even though she knew that that wouldn’t happen.

Sugawara held onto her as long as he could, his vision blurring with tears as everything started going black. He knew he only had seconds before he left the earth, left Y/N alone. He didn’t want to go, he didn’t want to leave her alone, but if he had to go, he wanted to leave her with something that she would remember until it was her time. Clutching onto her tightly, he swallowed and whispered before fading away completely.

“I love you.”

With those words, he was gone.

~

Taglist: @skyguy-peach​ @jovialnoise​ @versatilewindow​ @tsukiibaka​ @jaegersblogh​ @kodzuken-pie​ @sugusho​ @kara-grayson04​ @erialexerz​

[lifewithsehun]

From Planet Exo: Xiumin

Who are you?

Kim Minseok/Xiumin (Alien) x Reader (Human)

Alien Au Superpower AuGenre: Fluff, Slight Angst, Smut

Warning: Smut (first timers, so maybe you can call it somewhat fluff smut)/cussing

Note: It’s long, didn’t want to split it into parts, since this is already a side story to a series I am working on. 

Summary: Xiumin otherwise known as Kim Minseok here on planet earth is not a human, but an alien as humans would call him if they knew what he was. He was from a planet named Exo and he wasn't just any normal alien, he like his brothers had his own special gift, he could make and control ice. His parents sent him and his brothers far away from there home when he was the mere age of 5 and unfortunately got separated from his brothers, but he knew it was for the best in order to avoid being found by the enemy. He had ended up in Washington, D.C. which was where he met you and he became fascinated with you immediately and determined to make you love him and accept him for who he was... one day.

July 2019

 It was a hot summer day, everyone looked annoyed with the heat and they kept fanning their faces, but not Minseok, he was lucky he could discreetly use his power to keep himself fresh. "Sucks for them", he whispered to himself as he smirked and got into his car. He was headed back to work after a nice week off visiting his adoptive parents. He worked for NASA, not a coincidence, it had been instructions his parents relayed into his memory, so he could be aware of any problems from outer space that could put his brothers or him in danger. He really did enjoy his job though and well he was very smart making it easy to get the job. Today he was instructed that a group of new interns were going to need a limited tour, which meant keep an eye on them, to which he rolled his eyes. "I have more important things to be doing, I'm not a tour guide", he complained to Mr. Mills. "I know, but David is out today and the others will probably end up taking the interns into restricted areas on "accident", Mr. Mills replied and chuckled. "They were hired as tour guides, but can't even do the job they were hired for'', Minseok groaned as he heard a knock at the door. "Looks like they have arrived", Mr. Mills pointed to the door and Minseok shook his head, but headed to where the interns were. 

 As he got a view of the interns he noticed you immediately, something about you caught his eyes, it was like a magnet pulling him in. He was taken aback because he had never found himself wanting to look at a human girl, no woman would be the correct term for you, he had never been attracted to any woman before maybe because although he was raised as a human his blood and nature was not. He always thought that his mind and body were expecting a woman from his planet to be with, but at the moment he wasn't sure any more. The other interns nor you had noticed him yet and he was thankful because he was trying to admire your features, you were quite short, possibly 5'2 or 5'3, he wasn't too sure but he liked that your head would rest perfectly against his chest. He was taking this too far maybe, he didn't even know you, but he knew he wanted to. You looked so perfect, small enough for him to hold you and your face was immaculate in his eyes, you had pretty eyes with long eyelashes that touched your soft full looking cheeks when you blinked and small but pouty lips. Shit he thought he was already so fucked, until he heard you speak, then at that moment he realized how really fucked he was. "Hello, are you Mr. Kim", he heard you speak again, but only realizing that you had already asked him that. "Uhh, ye..yes I'm Kim Minseok", he stuttered and cleared his throat. "Oh we're the new interns, I'm Y/N", you replied with a smile and extended your hand out to him. Minseok could feel his palm sweat, something new to him, but he cooled it down immediately before he shook your hand and smiled back. He held onto your hand a little longer than you expected, so you raised your eyebrows at him and he let go immediately with a small sorry. 

 After everyone had presented themselves, Minseok led them to the places on the list that they would be using for their work and other interesting areas they could explore. He tried not to be distracted by you, but he would sneak glances at you and he loved how excited and happy you looked. He also liked that you were the one mostly asking questions because you had such a beautiful voice. The tour was coming to an end sooner than he wanted. Mr. Mills suddenly popped up to introduce himself and noticed that Minseok didn't look upset. "You liked the tour?", Mr. Mills asked the interns and you. "Yes'', you all replied. "Good, maybe I'll make Minseok do these tours more often", Mr. Mills replied, causing Minseok to glare at him. "Or not", Mr. Mills laughed and the interns along with you laughed also. Okay something was wrong Minseok thought to himself, he was liking you too much, your laugh had just made his stomach flip or feel butterflies however people described it. He didn't want to seem like a creep, but what the hell was pulling him towards you so much, damn it. Once Mr. Mills was gone, you thanked and said goodbye to Minseok, which looked a bit conflicted, but replied that it was his pleasure and a goodbye. You walked over to get your badge and necessary items from the front desk, since tomorrow would be your first day and then you were off to your apartment without realizing that Minseok was looking at you with sad eyes. The next day arrived and you felt nervous, but excited. You met the rest of your coworkers and even got to see Minseok and Mr. Mills around. By the time you knew it a month had passed since your first day and you felt comfortable with your coworkers, everyone was so nice, especially Minseok, he kept popping in to check on everything and always sent a warm smile. He was quite handsome and nice you realized as you saw him walking towards you. "Hi, Mr. Kim'', you greeted him with a smile. "Hi Miss YLN, please call me Minseok", he replied back. "Okay, but you call me Y/N then", you replied. "Will do", he replied with a smile. His smile was cute, you noticed and realized you like seeing him smile everyday at work. 

 Time was flying by, you had been working with him for 2 months now and Minseok didn't know how to ask if you wanted to get lunch or dinner with him. He would get quite nervous every time he wanted to ask you, but he didn't want to waste more time anymore, so today he decided today would be the day. "Hey, Y/N", he called out to you as he stood in front of your desk. "Oh hi Minseok", you looked up at him. "Umm I wanted to.. umm are you busy tomorrow since it's Saturday and it's our day off", he finally let out. You looked at him surprised but nodded your head no. "I wanted to know if you wanted to go get dinner with me tomorrow", he asked with expectant yet nervous looking eyes. Cute, you thought to yourself as you saw him shift his eyes nervously. "I would love that", you finally replied after what felt like an eternity to him. "Great, I will pick you up then at 7 tomorrow, how does that sound?", he asked. "Perfect", you answered with a smile. He nodded and smiled as he started to walk away. "Wait Minseok, you need my number, so I can give you my address for tomorrow", you said with a teasing tone. "Ahh, yes how dumb of me", he chuckled as you handed him your phone number on a piece of paper. The next day you were feeling quite nervous, Minseok had texted you for your address and some details about the date, well he didn't specify that it was a date, but why else would he ask you out for dinner and to a fancy restaurant at that, it must be date right you thought. You decide to wear a nice black dress not too fancy, but appropriate for the restaurant with some matching heels, you waved your hair, and wore some light makeup. You felt pretty, well at least you hoped he would think the same, you were quite bad at this, you never had dated someone, always concentrated on school and by the time you knew it you were at this point in life without any dating experiences. You had learned Minseok was 30 and probably very well experienced and you at 23 weren't experienced at all in anything why lie, so you hoped you wouldn't fuck it up today. You heard your doorbell ring taking you out of your thoughts and you headed over to open the door. As you opened it, you were taken aback with how much more handsome Minseok looked and he looked at you from head to toe making you feel a little uncertain about your look until he suddenly said, "You look beautiful". "Thank you", you replied and tried to hide your blushing face from him, but he saw and smiled. You both took off to the restaurant and enjoyed dinner together, you both spent dinner getting to know each other and you realized that you really enjoyed his company and hoped he enjoyed yours too. Over dinner you learned about his adoptive parents and he learned about your family. Minseok kept his siblings a secret telling you he was an only child and giving you information about his human life, but you didn't know he had secrets anyway, so you just thought you were getting to know who he really was. After dinner, you both went for a small walk at the park and then headed home, Minseok didn't want the night to end and why lie you didn't either, but it was getting late. He drove you home and walked you to your door. "Would you like to come in for something to drink '', you offered, but he smiled and replied a small "Thank you, but I'm okay, next time though". He knew it would be harder to leave if he went inside. You nodded and smiled. "I had a great time", he said. "Me too", you replied with a smile. "Well I should go''... "Drive safe Minseok'', you replied with a smile. As he left and you went into your apartment you hoped you would have more dates with him.

 More dates did happen and you enjoyed every single one of them, you even lost count of how many dates you both had. You even learned that just like you Minseok had never dated, so it was all new ground for both of you and you loved being able to experience new things with him. Today Minseok had told you to dress casual and that he would pick you up at around 5pm. You got ready and he arrived for you on time like usual. Minseok had planned a picnic and the weather was so nice on this October day, you were extremely grateful for his thoughtfulness. As you both sat there after enjoying the food, Minseok suddenly grabbed both your hands causing you to look at him with a questioning gaze to which he just smiled. "Y/N", he said afterwards. "Yes?"... "You know I really like you, I love spending my days with you, you make me feel cared for", he told you. "You make me feel the same way Minseok and I like you too", you replied. "Will you be my girlfriend?"... "I would love that", you said happily as you threw your arms around him causing him to laugh, oh how much you loved his laugh. "Baby", he said as he unwrapped your arms from him. Oh, him calling you baby just melted you right then and there. "Hmm", you hummed shyly. Minseok looked you in the eyes and then proceeded to put his hands on each of your cheeks and leaned forward and by the time you realized what was going on you felt his lips on yours. They felt so soft and shit you didn't know how to kiss, this was your first kiss! Minseok felt you tense and wondered if he did wrong, but then remembered that it was your first kiss, so he pulled you in closer and moved his lips more until he felt you relax and follow his movements. Once he felt that you started feeling more comfortable he swiped his tongue on your bottom lip and felt your mouth part a little more and he inserted his tongue in proceeding to explore your mouth completely and even suck on your tongue causing you to let out a small sound that he would say sounded like a moan. You both separated from the kiss and your lips were quite swollen and your cheeks were so red that he found you so adorable. "I thought you had never kissed", you asked him. "That was my first kiss", he replied and pecked your lips. "Now that was my second", he chuckled.

July 2020

   Months passed and Minseok was always surprising you, he was such an amazing boyfriend. You could honestly say you loved him and you hoped he loved you too. These past months the world had been hit with a pandemic and you had been getting so stressed about it and Minseok was always there for you for anything, even when you freaked out for the smallest things. Today you both had decided to have a movie night and you cooked dinner. Once dinner was done and you both sat on his sofa, he turned on the TV, the news popped up immediately showing all the bad weather and pandemic crisis going on and you sighed. "This year has been so scary", you said to Minseok and he nodded while changing it to the movie instead. "I mean what's next, an alien invasion?", you asked. You felt Minseok tense and he put the remote control down. "You think so", he then said. "Well I don't know, I mean would they come kill us or befriend us", you replied. Minseok knew either or could happen, he knew his people wouldn't harm them, but he knew there were others from the enemy planet that wouldn't even second guess killing everyone here on earth. "Do you believe they exist?", he asked. "Maybe, I mean you could be one, even your grumpy neighbor could be one", you shrugged and laughed. "Yeah we could be right", he said with a serious tone. "Min, I'm kidding, I mean like hello that's too much and if you were one you would've told me anyway"  you laughed. "Y/N, I should tell, I think I should've told you a while back", he started to say. "Tell me what Min, you're acting weird", you interrupted. "I'm an Alien, I'm not human", he responded. "What are you talking about Min, you're so weird", you said and laughed. "I'm not kidding, and look what I can do", he said as he stood and started to form some ice in his hand. You stood immediately and looked at him with wide eyes. "This is a dream, right or a prank, that can't be real", you immediately said. "Baby, it's real, I should've told you sooner, but I am not human", he replied. "Then why didn't you tell me?", you asked, still doubtful and a bit freaked out about the situation. "For safety reasons and to not freak you out", he replied and walked towards you. You stepped back immediately and you saw a hurt expression form on his face. "Safety?, did you think I would tell others and I am freaking out now, I thought I knew you Min", you said. "I'm sorry baby, I do trust you, I meant safety for you not me, and please don't freak out, it's still me, your Min", he said with a desperate tone. "My Min.. huh? If you were my Min, you would've trusted me!", you responded. He reached for you, but you moved back again. "Look Minseok, if that's even your real name, I need time, I'm freaking out okay", you said. "Don't leave", Minseok begged. "I'll come back, Minseok we need to talk, I just need some air right now", you responded and headed to the door and left.

  You got in your car and drove to the nearest park. You just needed some air to calm down, it's not like you would stop loving Minseok in a couple of minutes. Alien or not, you were just hurt he didn't trust you, you would tell him everything, every single thing and yet he left out something so huge. After 2 hours of sitting on a bench and taking some deep breaths, you headed back to his apartment. You couldn't bare imagining how sad he must be right now and you were right as soon as you entered his apartment he was sitting on the couch staring at the wall with dried up tears on his cheeks. He turned around to look at you once he realized you were next to him and let out a weak, "Baby you're here". "I am", you responded and sat next to him. "I'm so sorry", he said and sounded so sincere. "Tell me who you really are.." He told you his birth name was Xiumin, he was from planet Exo, he has the power to make and control ice, and he has been on earth since he was five due to enemies wanting to either experiment or kill him and his brothers because of their powers. Once he was done telling you more about what he vaguely remembered and what his parents implemented in his memory, you couldn't help, but realize you had been selfish to leave because he was the one suffering away from his real parents and home. You hugged him and he responded immediately and even picked you up onto his lap within a second like if you didn't weigh anything. "I'm also quite strong and have a lot of stamina", he said after seeing your shocked expression. You hummed and buried your face in his neck placing a small kiss there. "Xiumin", you decide to call him to try it out. He leaned back into the couch so he could see your face and you just stared back at him. "Say it again", he said. "Xiumin", you repeated. He leaned forward and captured your lips in a desperate kiss. He was usually soft, but right now his kisses were hot and desperate. After shoving his tongue into your mouth and sucking on your tongue like if it was his favorite candy, he broke the kiss to let you breathe. "I thought you were going to leave me, but now have you here sitting on my lap and calling me Xiumin is doing things to me", he breathed out against your lips. "What kind of things", you replied back.

     You saw his eyes turn blue for a mere second and then become full of lust as he pulled you closer to him to where you could feel his bulge. "Oh", you moaned lowly and decided to grind yourself on him. The friction made you both moan simultaneously. "You sure you wanna be doing that'', he said with a low moan as you grinded against him again. "Well I heard you say you have good stamina", you teased. "Oh, I'll show you, but only if you are 100 percent sure baby", he said as he remembered that this would be the first time for both of you. You had just learned something major about Minseok and although it made you feel shocked, your love for him was stronger and you felt the same from him in the way he held you, kissed you, and looked at you, so you were sure that if today was the day you'd both get closer than ever, this was the moment to give yourself completely to him. "I'm sure, I even wore matching underwear and bra", you giggled trying to calm your nerves. You saw him smirk and then you were being lifted up and he headed to his bedroom. "I can't wait to see that'', he whispered in your ear and placed a small kiss below your ear afterwards. Minseok laid you down gently on his bed and then hovered over you as he started to place kisses on your face starting at your forehead to your nose, your cheeks, and finally your lips. His kisses were gentle and he seemed like he was trying to be careful with you, which you appreciated because this was something you had never done before, but you also wanted him to touch you more. "Touch me please", you begged as you broke the kiss. "Of course baby", he said and kissed you again as he ran his hand over your body tracing from your neck down to your waist where he lightly squeezed and lifted your shirt up to feel the skin of your stomach. "You're so soft", he whispered against your lips and sat up slightly with both knees on either side of you and started to lift your shirt. You lifted yourself up slightly so he could slide your shirt off and once he did he pushed you back down and started placing kisses on your neck, collarbones, and chest. "Min more please you're going too slow", you slightly moaned as he sucked slightly on top of your breasts. "I want to take my time with you baby", he chuckled causing you to whine. "Let me take care of you..hmm trust me", he whispered in your ear as he reached behind you to unhook your bra.

  Once he removed your bra completely he couldn't help but groan, "You're beautiful baby". You blushed and started to cover yourself with your arms, but Minseok pushed them away and pinned them next to your head. "Let me see you and touch you like you begged", he said as he wrapped his mouth around your breast and used his other hand to massage the other. His hands were usually cold, so you were accustomed to them, but his mouth felt even colder and it made you gasp once you felt it wrap around your nipple. "That feels so good", you moaned as he swirled his tongue. He switched to the other and continued to squeeze and suck. "Take your shirt off", you whined as you tried to pull it up. He sat up and pulled it off, tossing it across the room and you admired his firm chest, abs, and his arms, he was fit and you wanted to feel his skin on you. You pulled him forward and felt bliss when his skin came into contact with yours, since he was always somewhat cold to the touch, his cold skin against your hot skin felt so good. Minseok reached his hands down to unbutton of shorts and as he dragged them down with your underwear in one go. "Fuck, how are you so perfect", he said as he looked at you from your eyes down to your core which was wet and ready for him. He swiped his index finger through your lips and tapped your clit making you buck up at the sudden touch. "So wet baby", he groaned as he held your hips and continued to swipe two fingers up and down now and rub your clit in circles with his thumb. "You like that?", he questioned as you continued to moan. "Yes your fingers feel so good", you moaned out. Suddenly you felt him prodding your entrance with his finger and you tensed. "Relax", he said as he placed a kiss on your inner thigh and then on your clit causing you to relax like he said. He continued to prod your entrance and eventually slowly pushed his finger in. "Shit", you moaned at the sudden intrusion that felt weird, but good. Minseok slowly started to thrust his finger in and out slowly and suddenly you felt him add a second finger, it was making you so wet and when he added his tongue on your clit, you felt your body on fire. "How are you so good?", you whimpered in pleasure. "Umm I read about it..", he chuckled. "Wow, you read about it, that's random", you answered with amusement. "Well I wanted to be ready to make you feel good baby", he said and went back to swirling his tongue on your clit and pumping his fingers faster bringing that knot feeling in your stomach to increase. As he continued, he could feel your body slowly starting to tremble and he added a third finger. "Xiumun, Min, Minseok fuck", he heard you moan as you finally orgasmed and started trembling in his hold. He removed his fingers and started using his tongue to probe your entrance and clean up your cum. 

  He felt you tap him on the shoulder and he lifted his face away from your core and up to place a deep kiss on your lips, you sucked on his tongue and could taste yourself. "That was amazing", you breathed out as you both parted from the kiss. "That was only the beginning", he said with a smirk and started kissing you again. You reached for the button on his jeans and once you succeeded you reached in to stroke him over his boxers. "Baby", he moaned against your lips as he bucked into your hand. Minseok felt big and you felt like he probably wouldn't fit easily, but you trusted him. You started to push his jeans and boxers down and he pulled himself off you to push them off completely. You saw his member spring up and slap against his stomach, he was big like you felt and thick. His member look so hard and it was leaking precum at the tip. You felt yourself getting nervous, but mostly wet again and you wanted to feel it. You sat up and reached for his member, it was quite big in your hand, but Minseok seemed to enjoy your touch by the way he whimpered. You started to stroke it tentatively and as you saw his mouth gaping and his eyes roll back, you knew you were doing good, so you increased your pace a tad bit more. More precum started to leak and you wanted to taste it, so you licked the slit on his tip. "Damn.. baby wait", Minseok moaned pulling you away from his member. You looked up at him and he pushed you on your back while climbing over you. "I need a condom", he said and moved back up. "I'm using the pill", you said and pulled him back onto you. "Wait will that work with your cum?", you asked since he wasn't human. Minseok let out a laugh and nodded a yes. "Okay proceed", you responded shyly. "Oh, you're so cute", he said adoringly and pecked your lips. Minseok positioned himself at your entrance and rubbed himself up to your clit and back down to spread his precum and get you prepared. He then proceeded to put his tip in slowly causing you to whimper. It was definitely a foreign feeling more than his fingers had felt earlier. He continued to push in slowly as he asked if you were okay. You nodded, but still whimpered in slight pain as you felt him stretching you out slowly. He stopped again and caressed your face before he continued to push further in. He suddenly stopped moving completely and you could feel him in so deep and your walls pulsating around the foreign object. "Let's wait until you accommodate and tell me when you are ready", he said. "Okay", you replied trying to hide the slight pain in your voice. Minseok started to place kisses on your lips and then your neck. He rubbed his fingers soothingly on your hips and waited patiently for you to adjust. As you felt the pain subduing into pleasure you told him to move. "Are you sure?", he questioned. "Yes Min please move", you replied. He started to pull out slowly and push back in. He kept the pace slow as he listened to your whimpers turn into moans. As you continued to moan, he started to make his thrust longer and deeper. "Faster please", you moaned. He started thrusting a tad bit faster and your moans confirmed that you were feeling good, so he picked up his pace even more. As he thrusted in and out he could feel your walls pulling and pushing around him causing him to moan. "You're so tight", he groaned. He continued to thrust in and out, but at one particular thrust he heard you moan louder. He had hit your sweet spot. "I found it", he smirked as he kept thrusting and hitting the same spot over and over again. You felt your toes curl and you couldn't hold back from moaning out his name loudly, you didn't even care if his neighbors heard you. "Please don't stop", you begged. "I wouldn't even dream about stopping", he replied. You felt him rub your clit as he continued to thrust faster and faster. The knot in your stomach started to form again, but this time it felt bigger than the first. "You're doing so well baby, taking me in so good, I want to feel your tight walls trembling against me, hear you moaning out my name, and for you to look me in the eyes as you cum", Minseok moaned as he kissed your lips. "You're going to be a good girl and cum for me right?", he asked. "Yes, yes please I want to cum", you moaned. He increased his rubbing on your clit and his thrusts grew faster than you thought possible. Your toes continued to curl, your legs started to tremble, and the knot finally broke and your orgasm hit you like a train, hard and heavy. You tried to keep eye contact with him, but your eyes closed in pleasure and you continued to moan his name like a chant as he thrusted in and out, helping you ride out your orgasm while chasing his. As you felt his thrust become sloppy, you tightened your walls even more until you felt his cum shooting deep into you. He stopped thrusting as his cum filled you up and you felt him tremble slightly and saw his face contorted in pleasure while he moaned out your name. 

 As you both came down from your highs, Minseok stayed inside you and laid carefully on you while trying not to squish you. You wrapped your arms around him and rubbed his back as he laid his head on your chest. "Are you okay?", he questioned as he looked up at you. "More than okay, my alien boyfriend just satisfied me so well", you replied with a wink. He laughed as he slowly slid out of you and got up to the restroom to clean himself up. He came back with a warm towel and started to clean you up slowly, but you still flinched slightly at the touch. He threw the towel in the laundry bag and then laid back down next to and wrapped his arms around you while you snuggled against his chest. "Y/N", he said. "Yes Min?", you responded. "I love you", he said as he placed a kiss on your forehead. "I love you too Min", you replied and placed a kiss right above his heart. His hold tightened against you as he told you to get some sleep. You relaxed against him and listened to his heart beat. He ended up sleeping before you and you started thinking how today had been a surprising day, you found out aliens did exist and as a matter of fact your boyfriend was one and he had a superpower. You had definitely freaked out, but that didn't last too long, because alien or not you loved Minseok. He meant the world to you and you'd do anything for him. You had given him your heart and now your body, you were his completely and you were going to stay by his side no matter what. His secret was safe with you even if his enemy came to torture you for his whereabouts you'd never say anything. To them you were a weak human, but your love for him was stronger than anything. You were ready to face anything with him and for him, your boyfriend from Exo planet. You heard a phone notification ring and you reached out for the phone without waking Minseok up. You realized it was his phone, but the message on the screen made your hands tremble as you read it. 

"Xiumin hide, they know we're on Earth -Suho"

[islanublar]

CEO'S BLOG

Simon Masrani: Masrani Chief Executive Officer, Simon Masrani, in the JW001 Helicopter overlooking Isla Nublar.

It's been a long time coming but finally I can update my blog. So many of the endeavors we are preparing behind the scenes here at Masrani have now entered new stages of development. This has freed up my schedule to finally fly down to visit Jurassic World and oversee our latest attraction: the Indominus rex.

The last year has been very busy for me so I regrettably haven't been able to oversee the development behind this new dinosaur. However the scientists at Jurassic World are a truly awe-inspiring group of people and have brought us unforgettable experiences since 2005. I'm sure the Indominus will be another worthy addition to our ever-growing prehistoric population on Nublar. I'm also certain that I'll be able to understand how our public will react to the Indominus as I will personally see it for the first time so close to its release. I admit it's been a while since I have had the privilege to experience something like this with fresh eyes. Not long now!

Our investors will want to keep a close eye on our progress over the next six months as we hope the Indominus will prove to be our biggest showstopper to date. As many of you are aware our goals are never finite. Here at Masrani we're always looking to develop the latest concepts to break through potential misconceptions in this ever changing world we live in. So now the time had come to prove just that.

Simon

P.S. I should hopefully have time to personally meet some of you at Jurassic World upon my visit. I'll try my best to experience the park with those we're aiming to educate and entertain. See you very soon!

BLOG ARCHIVE

March:

So the celebrations have settled down here in Shanghai and what a fantastic way to begin the year: Masrani has boosted the funding behind InGen, we’ve got something incredibly exciting happening with Masrani Oil (more news on that soon), and we announced Jurassic World's exciting new attraction -- the Indominus rex.

2015 is already off with a bang!

I will be heading to London this month to attend IventiCon 2015, which promises to show off some big game changers, mainly from the virtual reality crowd. VR has the ability to reinvent our daily lives, when we have the ability to enter 3D worlds, like computer games, the mind opens itself to all sorts of possible futures. For Masrani we’re looking to create the first VR "web structure", a virtual playground that anyone connected to the internet can explore. Imagine your social networking webpage becoming an entire custom built structure someone could walk into, and hang out in. Our minds over at Tatsuo Technology believe we have the ability to make this possible within the next five years.

I envision that Masrani Global will be at the forefront entering this brave new world. We’re already laying out plans to have a VR tour of Jurassic World, for those unable to travel to Isla Nublar. Obviously it will have its limitations, but it would share the wonder of our amazing theme park with those who have yet to experience it.

For those who will be attending IventiCon, Masrani will be situated in the central showroom with some special surprises on hand like our highly anticipated Tanius 7 smart phone from Mascom! We hope to see many faces there.

January:

Welcome to 2015! I hope everyone celebrated the new year with open arms. Here in Shanghai, we are a little over a month away from reigning in the Chinese new year, but it was exciting to finally see the arrival of what will become such a pivotal period in our company's history.

Today at Masrani, we have a fantastic announcement to make. Over the last three years, the brilliant minds at InGen, lead by the great visionary Dr. Henry Wu, have brought us a new attraction for Jurassic World–the likes of which have never been seen before. While I cannot reveal any important information behind its creation at this time, I can reveal the title of our finest endeavor: the Indominus Rex.

The name means fierce and untamable, it is one of fascinating design and a product of our important foray into the future of science. The new attraction is set for a release in mid-June and is the result of three decades of crucial and integral research into genetic technology.

We are all proud of this and cannot express our excitement enough to show you the Indominus in all of its glory.

December:

It's December and we're already at the end of the year. I am extremely proud of everyone at Masrani — 2014 has seen our company rise to new heights. Thank you again to everyone who has made this year possible.

I'd like to take this opportunity to talk about 2015, as next year promises to be our most innovative yet. Our team at Mascom will launch "Ervic", a weather satellite built with a lifespan of 35 years (the longest in history). Thanks to the brilliant minds over at Tatsuo Technology, "Ervic" will redefine the future of the satellite as we know it. Our focus for this project is to limit the amount of objects in orbit around the globe, and work on having self-updating systems that will adapt to shifting technologies back on Earth. Fingers are crossed for "Ervic." #GoodbyeGlinda #HelloErvic

Our scientists at InGen are finalizing their work on a new attraction coming to Jurassic World this June. I would love to share more on this bold step forward in genetics, but here at Masrani we like surprises. For now, I'll just say this: no one has ever seen anything like it, and our investors will see the park advance to even higher levels of profitability over the coming decade.

I'll be spending the Christmas period in Shanghai to oversee the renovation of our corporate offices there — and I may even stay until February 19th to ring in the New Year! A personal curiosity as I've never spent new years in China before. I've heard it’s quite the event.

Merry Christmas and have a Happy New Year!

November:

November is here and it's been another amazing month for Masrani. We left our mark at this years IventiCon with our prototype XL5 wind turbines, which gathered huge media attention pushing the project forward into phase two. Our great minds over at Aerospace Dynamix worked for months on end bringing the project to life. 2016 will be a year for the books!

Working closely with the young minds at Aerospace Dynamix reminded me of how lucky we are finding graduates who surprise us with their visions. Every day I meet young inspiring people who offer up unique ideas they believe will benefit our everyday lives. Those who change my view of our world, and those I see potential in, I note down. Masrani is a company that is changing every day and for myself I look to change my opinions from the moment I wake up, to the moment I sleep. I remember those who leave their mark because I believe that every life-changing idea deserves to have its time in the spot light, and I’d like Masrani to provide that light for them.

...and it doesn’t just end there. Our already established teams break new ground every month bringing fresh concepts to the table. I can’t say too much but one idea has been brewing for a number of years now and recently it’s become a reality. Unfortunately, you’ll have to wait for that one.

[chickensarentcheap]

Best Part of Me -Chapter 33

Warnings: none

Tagging: @c-a-v-a-l-r-y​, @alievans007​, @innerpaperexpertcloud​

It’s six thirty in the morning when he steps out onto the front porch; barefoot and blurry eyed, still clad in just a pair of boxer briefs, cup of coffee in one hand and phone in the other.  After Nik’s call he’d fallen into a restless sleep; dreaming of Dhaka and the night at Gaspar’s house when he’d been given the five million dollar deal. This time he’d made a different decision; willingly giving both Ovi and Esme up in exchange for money and his freedom. Asif had been there, sitting in a darkened corner; watching and listening. A pleased, victorious smile on his lips as his right hand man brought over his two new favourite playthings. They’d been drugged; minds and eyes hazy, their movements sluggish and uncoordinated.  He’d had a change of heart at the last moment; offering his life in exchange for hers. Begging and pleading with Asif to ‘take me instead of the girl’.  Asif had just laughed, then grabbed her by the hair and forced her to look at Tyler. Mocking her, telling her to look at the big, strong man now; crying like a baby and bargaining to save her. How did that make her feel? Knowing he could be so weak? That she was the one capable of making him that way? Is that really what she wanted? Someone so pathetic? Or did she want a real man like him. Then he’d his hand had moved to her throat; fingers digging into the soft flesh with enough power and pressure to steal her breath. And he’d kissed her. Savagely. Brutally.

And she’d kissed him back.

Tyler woke up breathless; near sobbing. Tears spilling down his cheeks,  his heart thundering, and chest aching. Initially panicking at the unfamiliar surroundings and bolting upright, wide -almost terrified- eyes taking in everything around him; the furnishings, the color of the walls, his old friend sleeping soundly across the room, the cattle dog sitting beside the couch, curiously watching him.  And it hadn’t been until he’d glanced out the window and caught sight of the mountain range, tree line, and brush that reality had finally settled in.  He was no longer in Dhaka. Not at Gaspar’s outside the city limits.  It was seven years ago. Not now. He’d turned down the offer and Asif hadn’t been there; he’d never laid a hand on her and he’d never kissed her. None of that had ever happened. Just his mind -broken and in tatters- playing tricks on him. They’d made it out of Bangladesh. She was saife. At home. In bed. THEIR bed.

He’d been tempted to call; just to hear her voice; needing that extra bit of reassurance that everything was fine. SHE was fine. But he knew what the mornings could be like; up before the sunrise with the baby, then tending to Declan and getting breakfast made and three kids up and ready for school. Ovi would be there; promising to keep an eye on things and lending a hand whenever it was needed. Kyle couldn’t be relied on; too busy getting his rocks off with Salena. Or whatever the hell her real name is. And Tyler had briefly wondered if getting into Kyle’s life had been part of whatever the new neighbor was up to; a way of weaseling her way into their lives for some fucked. The uncertainty eats at him; knowing that something isn’t quite right yet not being able to prove it or get the information that he needs. Way too many things pointing towards trouble; the Jeep with the stolen plates and the driver with the earpiece that had been watching him and the kids. Salena getting out of the passenger seat with a stack of folders under her arm and no record of her actually existing. All the ingredients, everything needed, to create a huge goddamn mess.

His head throbs. A mixture of lack of sleep and not eating properly. The cravings are intense. When he’d gone into the kitchen to make himself a coffee, he’d been greeted by all the whisky and scotch bottles that littered the counters and shelves; some empty, others half full, a handful still sealed.  And his hands had been shaking as he’d considered it; one on a glass and the other around a bottle of scotch. His brain exhausted from dealing with the nightmare,   trying to piece together the bullshit with the neighbor, and the call from Nik and the threats she’d made.  A single wouldn’t hurt. That’s what the demon on his shoulder had been telling him. That he could stop at just one and walk away; get enough to satisfy the craving, get the taste of it on his lips and tongue.  And he’d been close. So close. Seconds away from pouring the scotch into a glass.  And then as quick as the desperation and the need had come, it had disappeared. Leaving him feeling  weak and shamed and completely disgusted with himself.

Now he sits on the edge of the porch, feeling ground with his feet pressed against the damp earth. It had rained considerably last night; puddles of mud, lower temperatures, and a fresh and familiar earthy smell in its wake. Sadie hasn’t left his side since he’d arrived yesterday; now pressed tightly to him, chin resting on his thigh as he sips his coffee and checks his text messages and emails. Skipping over the angry rants left by Nik and the irritated ‘clearly out of fucks’- one that Yaz had contributed. Tyler hasn’t heard from him since New Zealand; the one other man taking it as a personal slight that he’d given it all up and walked away without even a glance back.

There’s dozens of emails from the contacts he’d reached out to; mercs wanting to work for him and offering their services, retired guys wanting to get back into the game, people who can supply him with weapons and ammo and every other accessory and piece of technology he can imagine.  Even mail from former clients; guys he’d done jobs for and had been so impressed with his efficient -and successful- work. They’re pleased  that he’s not only   back in action, but that he’s actually still alive. They have resources for him; supplies, money, names and numbers of other high profile people that may need some work done.  And he sees the emails that his wife has returned, smiling as he reads her replies; concise, confident, intelligent. As if she’s never spent a single moment away from the job; smoothly and effortlessly transitioning back into her old life.

It won’t be easy; balancing the job and running a business while trying to keep a marriage afloat and raise five kids. But there’s no doubt in his mind that they can do it. They’re stronger together than they are apart; they always have been. And if they can survive the past seven years -especially his addiction issues and a six month separation that should have broken them-, they can survive anything.

He sends a text message. Telling her how much he loves her. Misses her. How he can’t wait to see her. That he’s proud of her. Not just the way that she’s handling the business side of things, but EVERYTHING.  The way she’s always fought for them. For HIM. How she raises his kids. Pouring his heart out with every letter that appears on the screen. He’d not normally that ‘type’, grand displays of affection and sincere, romantic words not his strong suit.  But the nightmare -especially the way Asif had kissed her and she’d reciprocated- has left him feeling unsettled; needing to get things off his chest. The things he feels but always struggles to say.

She quickly sends a text in response. I LOVE YOU. SO MUCH. WE MISS YOU.  Accompanied by a selfie of herself and Millie lying in the middle of their bed, both with sleepy smiles and messy hair and hands down the two most beautiful girls in the world. And he thinks of what Koen had said; about how lucky he is and that any woman who would stuck his side -through everything- was a woman worth holding onto him. She could have easily left that day on the bridge; he wouldn’t have blamed her if she did. But she’d ignored Nik and stuck around and put her own ass on line in an attempt to save his. And that’s nothing you easily thank someone for.

“You really are out of your damn mind,” Koen grumbles, as he wanders out onto the porch, his own cup of coffee in his hand; hair messy from sleep and eyes stilly glassy from all the booze he’d consumed. “Up at these hours of the morning.”

“This is pretty normal for me. Has been since I got clean.”

“Probably used to getting up with the rugrats,” Koen reasons, and takes a seat beside him. “Everything okay?” he nods down at the phone still clutched in Tyler’s hand. “At home?”

“Yeah. Everything’s good. Just checking in on everyone. Making sure they haven’t driven their mom crazy yet.”

“She must already be crazy. Having that many kids with the likes of you. How the hell she puts up with you is beyond me. I’d only be able to stand looking at that ugly mug for so long.”

“You must not look in the mirror very often.”

Koen smirks. “Smart ass. You always were quick with the shit head comments. Thought maybe all that oxygen you were deprived of might have slowed you down a bit. But here I am, dealing with your crap.”

“Admit it. You missed me.”

“About as much as I miss my two ex wives,” Koen scoffs, and then digs a playful elbow in Tyler’s ribs. “You miss it? Living out here?”

“Not really. I have a better life now. A nice place right on the beach. Tons of property. Perfect for raising kids. Wouldn’t have been able to do that out here. We probably would have tried, bt…” he sips his coffee and shrugs. “...we’re happy where we are.”

“Smartest thing you ever did; coming home. No better place to bring up a handful of kids, if you ask me. It’s weird as hell though,” he chuckles. “You doing the whole daddy thing all over again. Never thought I’d see the day, to be honest.”

“Neither did I,” Tyler admits, and he thinks about the picture he’d received just minutes before. Millie with her messy, unruly hair and those huge blue eyes that crinkle at the edges when she smiles. How’d he cried when she’d been born and a nurse had placed her in his arms; tears of both relief that she’d made it safely and immense gratitude that he’d been given that chance again.

After Austin had passed away and his marriage disintegrated, he’d thought that it was it for him. His life had been a mess...HE’D been a mess...and he couldn’t imagine meeting someone that he’d be able to have that kind of experience with. That he’d trust enough to let his guard down around and that could tolerate him and his bullshit long enough to actually fall in with him. That he’d ever find someone to fall in love WITH.

“She’s going to be a heart breaker that one,” Koen says. “The oldest. Those eyes of hers? All the boys are going to be tripping over themselves to get to her.”

Tyler frowns. “They’re going to have to get through me first.”

“Poor bastards. They’re going to be scared shitless when they walk up the house and you’re the first one out to greet them. I feel for them; trying to date a girl that has you as their father. They’d have no clue that you’re capable of tearing them in half.”

“Anyone touches either of my girls, no one will ever find their bodies. No boyfriends. No dates. No dances. None of that. No one is getting close to them. Ever.”

“Yeah, good luck with that,” Koen chuckles, and takes a swallow of coffee. And for several minutes they sit in silence;   enjoying the feel of the breeze and the smell of fresh, damp earth.

“I hope you know what you’re doing,” his friend says. “With the whole merc business. I thought one brush with death would be enough. Apparently not.”

“Things will be different this time. I won’t have to go out in the field as much. Only if things really go to shit.”

“Don’t they always go to shit?”

“Sometimes. Dhaka was the worst, but it wasn’t the first time things went wrong and it won’t be the last. Hopefully we can avoid that level of shit show. I know what I’m doing. I’m not some rookie going into this blind. It was my life for years.”

“But why do you need it to be your life now? Look what you’ve got going for you. You’ve got a wife and little ones. Stability. Why put all that on the line for who you used to be?”

“You having second thoughts?”

“Nope. I said I’m in, I’m in. I’m just worried about you. I don’t you throwing your life away. I don’t want you losing your kids and that pretty little wife of yours. You got a thing going. A damn good thing. You don’t need to fucking that up.”

“It’s something I need to do,” Tyler says. “I need to get back out there. Get back that piece of who I was. I need to feel like I’m doing something worthwhile with my life.”

Koen frowns. “You don’t think you are? Doing something worthwhile?”

“What am I doing? I don’t have a nine to five job. No skills outside of what I learned in the military and on the job. I pick up odd shit here and there. Nothing steady. I spend more of my time in the gym or out in the water or spending time with my wife.”

“And you’re complaining about that last part? Spending time with the likes of her? What the fuck is wrong with you? Give her to someone who’d appreciate her then.”

“I’m not complaining. Far from it. I’m just saying there needs to be something more to this life. I feel like I need to be doing something more. I need to feel useful again. Like I’m not just washed up, broken down ex soldier with a drinking problem.”

“You’re a husband. And a dad. You help raise little human beings. There’s nothing useless about that. You should be sitting back enjoying your life. Appreciating what you have right in front of you. How you gonna feel if all this blows up in your face? If things go to hell and you lose everything? What the hell you gonna do then?”

“I don’t know. Put a gun in my mouth?”

Koen scowls. “I’m being serious, mate.”

“So am I.”

“All I’m hoping is that you got your shit together and you know what you’re doing. Because this is some serious stuff here. Getting back into being a merc. And you’ve got a lot to lose now. You’ve got everything to lose. That’s all I’m saying.”

Tyler smirks. “When did you become so sensitive and sentimental?”

“Don’t be a dick about this. I’m just worried about you. I don’t want you going back into this and losing what you have. Because you finally got your shit together and got a life that’s worth living.”

“I appreciate you worrying about me and all that, mate. I do. But I’ve got it under control. I know what I’m doing. This isn’t going to be like last time. I won’t let it be.”

Koen sighs. “You always have been a stubborn sonofabitch.”

“I know what I’m doing,” Tyler insists. “And I wouldn’t be doing it if I couldn’t handle it. Things will be alright. Esme and I are in this together. We’re on the same page. We’re not going to let this break us.”

“I hope not,”  Koen says. “Because I don’t think you’d survive that.”

***

His flight arrives on time, touching down shortly before noon hour at Cooktown airport. She parks the truck on the tarmac and waits; a pair of aviator style sunglasses covering her eyes, fingernails drumming against the steering wheel. She gives the pilot a small wave and a pleasant smile when he nods in her direction; they’d met briefly two days before, when he’d come to the house after Tyler had sought out his help.  Short and broad shouldered; brown hair cropped tightly to his head and kind green eyes that sparkle when he smiles. The quintessential ‘boy next door’ with his youthful wholesome good looks and his khaki pants and crisp white golf shirt.  Quite the juxtaposition compared to Tyler; all power and muscle and the tattoos and scars that tell of a hard life spent living on the edge.  

This is the furthest she’s ever gotten into the job; not only helping organize and run things, but the acquiring of weapons and ammo and other supplies, and the handling of money -big money-  aside from her own payouts. It makes her anxious; knowing that she’s one of two people that others will come to now. Instead of being approached with work and offered jobs,  now she’s in charge of finding and assigning them. Gathering intel had been one thing; she’d spent years honing those skills. Being boss is an entirely different animal all in itself.

So much for not getting ‘too involved’.

Four large and heavy locked trunks are placed in the bed of the truck, followed by several smaller duffle bags that are loaded into the back seat. All containing a shockingly generous amount of automatic and semi automatic rifles and handguns, various types of grenades and their launches, knives, and utility vests. Whatever immediate gear that a merc would meet. All would be placed in a storage facility on the outskirts of town, save for a handful that would be kept in the two locked and secure  gun lockers  that already exist at home; one in their garage and the other in the attic.

Once things are safely loaded, an envelope of money is exchanged. Everything being handled off the books; no paper trail that can connect the pilot to the or the very illegal transport of weapons. You never know who is watching. Now that word has gotten out and spread like wildfire, support and interest are pouring in. But it isn’t just the good-intentioned that are paying attention; a man like Tyler Rake burns a lot of bridges and makes a lot of enemies. Evil, dangerous people who feel as if he wronged them and have been holding onto grudges and fantasizing about revenge.

“Hey,” she cheerfully greets, as he slides into the passenger seat. “How was the flight? How…?”

His mouth is on hers before she gets the rest of the words out; a hand tangling in her hair as he aggressively pulls her into him.  The kiss is long and soft and sweet at first; his lips bearing a hint of coffee and a touch of mint. But then things quickly take a more intense turn; his tongue pushing its way way into her mouth, the miss much more ravenous and needy. Desperate.

“Wow…” she breathes, when he pulls away, forehead briefly resting against hers before his lips brush against the bridge of her nose. “...what was that for?”

“I wanted to kiss my wife. That’s not allowed?”

“Of course it’s allowed. And encouraged. But that was...intense. That wasn’t your usual ‘back after only twenty four hours’ kiss. That was your ‘I’ve been gone for two or three weeks’ kind of kiss.”

“Guess I just missed you.” he reasons, and then presses his lips to her temple before settling back into his seat and reaching for the belt.

“Okay, something is going on. You kissed me like THAT and you’re letting me drive your truck?”

“You had to drive it here, didn’t you?”

“Yeah, but you’re here now and it’s your baby and usually…”

“It’s just a truck,” he says with a shrug, and buckles his seat belt.

“Something is definitely going on with you.”

Tyler chuckles. “There’s nothing. I didn’t sleep well last night and I have a killer headache and it’s probably just better if you drive. That’s all.”

“Do you have a killer headache because…?”

“I wasn’t drinking iof that’s what you’re going to ask. I stayed sober. I told you I wasn’t going to be like that again and I meant it.”

“What was the dream about?”

“Can’t remember. I just know it was fucked and I don’t want to have it again.”

Her eyes narrow as she watches him, noticing the way he grimaces when he stretches his legs out in front of him and the frown on his face as he rubs at his troublesome knee. The scar is long and jagged; starting three inches above and stopping four inches below. There’d been complications; the surgeon discovering more damage, bone fragments and scar tissue than he’d initially expected and having to not only replace the knee, but repair ligaments and tendons that were nearly severed.

“What’s this about?” She reaches over to tussle his hair. The length on the top is the same as when he’d left, but the sides and back now shaved as close to the skin as possible.  High and tight; a Marine cut.  

“Just something I thought I’d try.”

“You’re going back to the old hair aren’t you,” a slow smile spreads across his face. “You’re going to let the top grow out.”

“It’s the look you liked the most, yeah? Now you can’t say I never do anything nice for you.”

“Baby…” she leans across the space between their seats and presses a kiss to his cheek; his beard still full yet trimmed and tidier. “...you’re the best. You know how to keep your girl happy.”

He grins. “Sometimes.”

“All the time,” she says, and places a kiss to the corner of his mouth before settling back into her seat and starting the ignition.  A companionable silence falling between them as they pull out of the hanger and head for home.

****

“ARE you okay?” Esme asks several minutes later.

“Fine,” Tyler replies, his head tilted back against his seat, eyes closed; one hand on his stomach, the other on her thigh, thumb continuously brushing against her skin.  “Just tired. It was a long night. Couldn’t fall asleep and when I did, I had that fucked up dream.” “And you don’t remember what it was about?”

“Nope. It wasn’t one of the usual ones, though. Never had this one before. But it was messed up. I remember that much.”

How do you explain a dream like THAT? That you’d been  willing to sacrifice someone’s life for five million dollars; knowing that a drug lord would have used and abused them  in horrific and degrading ways before killing them? She doesn’t even know about the whole truth about what happened at Gaspar’s. For nearly seven years she’d assumed that the deal had been for Ovi; that Gaspar had been hell bent on killing him and Tyler refused to give the kid up and all hell broke loose.

“Hmmm…” she turns her full attention to the road, chewing absentmindedly on her bottom lip. She’s used to this; his constant need to keep everything inside and shoulder every single burden on his own. It’s his protective nature; not wanting to add any extra stress or worry to her already overflowing plate. “...and things went okay?”

“Everything went fine. Got Koen on board, got everything we need to get started. Things went good. Place doesn’t even look the same anymore. Not inside, anyway.”

“And he’s still okay with letting us stay there?”

“Yup. Just said to make sure we change the sheets. Said he doesn’t want to be lying in our ‘business’.”

She laughs at that.

“Did Nik call you?” he casually and calmly asks, hand sliding onto the inside of her thigh; fingertips against the bare skin just below the hem of her shorts.

“Nik? Why should she call me? I’m probably the last person she wants to hear from after that night at the restaurant. I’m sure she blames me for Kyle calling things off.”

“Well in all fairness, you did kind of instigate the whole thing. Hooking him with the neighbor. Even after I told you to stay out of it and mind your business.”

“Hey, it’s not my fault it was instant lust between them. We know all about that, don’t we.”

He grins.

“But no. She didn’t call. That’s kind of a weird thing to ask, About Nik.”

“She called me,” Tyler admits, and he notices the way both of her brows arch. “Last night. I only answered because I thought it was you and that maybe something was wrong at home.”

“Why would she call you? Was she having a lonely night? Wanted to have phone sex?”

“I didn’t have the energy. I’d already had phone sex with you, so…”

“Boy that must have broken her heart; the fact you keep shooting her down. Maybe she feels if she keeps bugging you enough she’ll wear you down and you’ll give in.”

“Not gonna happen. I already told you; I’m not a cheater. I don’t want anyone else but you. And she actually called to give me shit. I guess word travels faster than we thought it would.”

“Well it was going to happen sooner or later.”

“Later would have been nice.”

“I take it she wasn’t happy.”

Tyler smirks. “That’s one way of putting it. She lost her shit. She’s taking it personally; thinks I did it to purposefully fuck her over and put her out of business.”

“Mercs are jumping ship left, right, and center. I can’t keep up with all the messages and the emails. She’s not going to have anyone left.”

He shrugs. “Guess she shouldn’t have let things go to shit.”

“They went to shit seven years ago when she made the decisions she did. That should have been the end of it; when she was so willing to leave you on the bridge to die. She totally fucked you. And not in a good way. Like whose dick is she sucking that she keeps her job?”

A grin tugs at the corner of Tyler’s mouth. “You’re feisty today.”

“I hope you do put her out of business. I hope she loses everything. Because she fucking deserves it. She’s done a lot of shitty things and I’m glad karma is finally biting her in the ass.”

“She’s not going to go down without a fight. She’s pretty pissed. And pretty determined to make my life hell.”

Esme frowns. “She said that? That she’s going to make your life hell?”

“Not in so many words.”

“Well what did she say? Did she threaten to show up and kick your ass? I’d love to see her try.”

“She just said some shit. About us. When I said something about how my wife and my kids will always be around, she made a comment about how she’ll ‘see about that’.”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

“I don’t know. But I told her I wasn’t fucking around. Don’t threaten my family. It didn’t end well for the last person who tried it and it won’t end well for her.” “Nk hardly seems the type that would hurt kids. There’s no doubt in my mind she’d come for me. She’s been wanting me out of the picture for a long time. But to do something to hurt the kids? I can’t see her stooping that low.”

“I don’t think it was a physical threat. Nik’s all about screwing with peoples’ heads. Look what she did to me. She knew I was messed up and she knew exactly what buttons to push to get me to do what she wanted.”

“You think that’s what it is? Psychological warfare? Because she’s never gone up against me and that's a  battle I will not lose. I’ve gone up against bigger and better than her and I’m still here to tell about it. Besides, what could she possibly say that would bother me that much? After everything I’ve been through in the past seven years? Nothing could unnerve me that badly that it would screw things up between us. Look at everything we’ve been through. That shit we’ve survived.  She doesn’t even know HALF of it. Trust me, there’s nothing she could say that could hurt us.”

“It’s Nik. She’ll make shit up if she has to.”

“She can save her breath. I know all your deepest and darkest secrets. So if she thinks she has something to surprise me, she’s got another thing coming. I do, right?” she casts him a sidelong glance. “Know everything I need to know?”

“There’s nothing I haven’t told you. I told you most of it in the first couple of days. Everything else you’ve lived through with me.”

“Then let her make shit up,” Esme shrugs. “I think I trust you word over hers. After everything she’s pulled,  I wouldn’t believe a goddamn word she says. And the fact she’d even threaten you? Like, she knows who she’s talking to, right? Someone who killed two people with one garden rake. That’s really who she wants to go up against?”

“She probably thinks I won’t retaliate. I don’t give a shit what history we have. You don’t threaten my family. Ever.”

“Normally I’d tell you you’re being paranoid and you’re way too overprotective, but this side of you is kind of hot.”

He grins. “Kind of?”

“Totally hot,” she admits, then giggles and shoves his hand away when he slides it towards her crotch. “Seriously?”

“Seriously.”

“What’s gotten into you the last few days? You’re a little...I don’t know...assertive...when it comes to the whole sex thing.”

“I’m not allowed to want to have sex with my life? First I can’t kiss you a certain way, now I can’t have sex with you either?”

“It’s not that you can’t. You’re just a little more...demanding...than usual. Needy.  Needy is a good word for it. And we’ve always had a lot of sex but lately, you’ve just been...extra...about it.”

He gives in an amused smirk. “I’m extra?”

“In a good way,” she assures him.

“Look, I love you. You’re beautiful. You’re sexy. And I want to fuck you. So…”  his hand once again slides along her thigh, slipping under the leg opening of her shorts. Fingertips grazing against the edge of her simple cotton pants. “...when we get home, that’s what we’re going to do. Fuck.”

“Addie and Declan are there. Ovi’s watching them.”

“Send them to his place. Tell him we need half an hour kid free. He’ll know what that means.”

“A half an hour?” she playfully inquires. “When has it only taken half an hour?”

“I’m in a mood,” he replies, and slides a finger under her panties, and she swallows noisily and her entire body tenses when it pushes through her folds and grazes over her clit.

“Obviously. And you’re going to put me in a mood!” She squeezes  her thighs shut, trapping his hand between them. “Stop! I’m trying to drive!”

“Just relax. Let me do this.”

“You’re crazy!”

“Come on…” he grins. “...do it. I know you want to. It’s something we’ve never done before. You can’t tell me you don’t want to try. What’s the worst that could happen?”

“Oh I don’t know, Tyler. I could crash and kill us both and our kids would be orphans. That’s pretty much the worst.”

“Do it…” he encourages. “...open your legs...let me do this for you...let me make you feel good.”

She glances at him out of the corner of her eyes.

“Our little secret,” his grin widens. “I promise.”

“You're insane. You really are.”

“Maybe. But I can feel how wet you are. “I know you want it just as much as I do. Just do it. Just this once. Let me to this for you.”

She sighs heavily, thighs releasing the grip on his hand.

“That’s my girl,” he praises, swallowing noisily when he slips another finger between her folds, watching her face as the tips press against her clit. Noticing the flush that creeps into her cheeks and the tips of her ears, the way her teeth dig painfully into her bottom lip.

“You really are a bad influence,” she half-heartedly complains.

“Yeah,” he agrees, as his fingers continue their ministrations.  “But you love me though.”

She doesn’t even attempt to deny it.