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notafrogblog · 4 years ago

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Who wants to read an entire fucking essay I’ve been writing over the last few months it’s about viddy games wooooooo

Video Games's Popularity

16% of entertainment hours in 2018 were spent playing video games, according to a study by The NPD Group, an American market research company (Stych). Video games have become more and more popular as they have become easier and easier to access through consoles, computers, tablets, and phones. Video games and gaming have become some of the most popular topics to watch on youtube, twitch, and other platforms, which is shown by the fact that youtube has a trending section just for video game content. I myself watch video game content whenever I get the chance. Merriam Webster defines video games as "an electronic game in which players control images on a video screen." If you use that definition for video games, it means gaming is a lot more widespread and prevalent than you'd first think. It would be a struggle to find anyone below the age of twenty who's never played a video game in some form. There are thousands of people in online communities who discuss video games and the people who play them, on sites like Reddit, Twitch, YouTube, Tumblr, Instagram, and more. Video game music, posters, clothing, and general merchandise is popular and lucrative for the companies that make and sell the products. People continue to invest their time, money, and energy into playing and enjoying video games. Video games are such a big part of the online community and my life that I decided to take this opportunity to learn more about them.

While researching this paper, I found different types of sources than I was expecting. Many articles on video games are outdated, poorly written, or simply didn't contain much information. Most possible sources were game reviews, tabloid-esque gossip, or talked about events occurring recently in the gaming community. These weren't very helpful for the type of topics I wanted to discuss. When I set out to write this, I expected to find more analyses of video games or game genres as a whole, or perhaps more in-depth writing. Although I did find articles that were in-depth, they were often very niche, scholarly, or outdated. Video games as a culture moves indescribably quickly, with new games always being released. The vast amount of content and places to share said content on the internet makes video games so widespread, it's near impossible to categorize and talk about video games a whole, rather than individual games or franchises. I suppose that's why there are so many game reviews. People are always looking for new games to play, new content to view. I did my best to find articles and sources I could use to talk about video games a whole, as a culture, and as a complex and nuanced form of entertainment. Part of my own interest in video games is due to the large variety of games and game content available. I would consider myself fairly knowledgeable about video games, especially after researching this essay. But I don't know much about games as a whole, or why people play them. As much as I love to talk about and watch video games, I don't play them often myself. I wanted to know what made other people love playing video games so much. Both my brothers are very engrossed in their respective games and consoles, and I found myself wondering what compels them to put their time and energy into something that doesn't give me that same satisfaction. Which begs the question, why do people play video games? What keeps them coming back? What makes video games so enjoyable?

I started by looking in the school databases, and on credible sites like the Washington Post and the New York Times. Video games is such a broad topic, but many articles focused on specific games or events. While I researched, I wondered what is so compelling about video games. I had some hypotheses. Video games often have a plot, a list of tasks to complete, or some sort of storyline. I found an article about the stories and plotlines of first-person shooter games, one of the most popular genres of games. In the article, David M. Leeson explains what differs between a multiplayer and a single-player shooter: "Most multiplayer shooters are gameplay-driven: play sessions consist of one or more matches, in which players compete with each other (either individually or as teams) to win the game, either by scoring points or capturing objectives. Most single-player shooters, by contrast, are story-driven: play sessions consist of one or more levels, in which the player is told the story so far and then must overcome a series of obstacles to find out what happens next." Already this provides some insight into what compels people to play video games. Multiplayer shooters, such as Fortnite, some Call of Duty games, Battlefield games, and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, depend on other players to keep you interested. Winning a match is the main objective. In single-player games, the goal isn't to win a round, it's to complete the story. In a way, this makes a single-player shooter similar to a book or a movie. The difference between them is that the player takes an active part in moving the plotline forward, which keeps the player interested and motivated to find out what happens next.

A storyline isn't the only thing that can be necessary to keep a player motivated. The gameplay plays a big role in keeping the player interested in continuing the game. Games have two main parts, speed and strategy. Speed-based games rely on fast reflexes, immediate feedback, and quick thinking to be enjoyable. Games like these require you to be in the moment the whole time, ready to react to whatever is thrown at you. Games that are more speed-based include titles such as Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and endless runner games such as Temple Run or Subway Surfers. Despite being very different games in style, aesthetic, plot, and goals, these all rely on speed as a main mechanic. Another aspect of games is strategy. Strategy-based games take a slower route, and are more based on planning and thinking before you act. Strategy games often have some sort of back-and-forth mechanic between the player and some sort of other entity, usually a non-player character (npc) or the game itself. This includes games such as battling games such as Pokemon, storyline games like Stardew Valley and Animal Crossing, and many mobile games. Strategy games require the player to think about what they want to do before they do it, and often have multiple storylines or options for how to play the game or what to do when. All games have elements of both strategy and speed, but usually one takes precedence over the other. Each category of game has its pros and cons and its own problems.

There are a few problems with speed-based games that the developers must remedy for the game to be enjoyable. Firstly, games with speed-based mechanics are often very easy to pick up and learn. Many Super Smash Bros. players will mash buttons or spam attacks rather than use combination attacks or the full variety of moves available. Speed-based games must introduce a learning curve for players to learn new skills, become better at the skills they already have, and some sort of challenge that requires those skills to be used. Another problem with speed-based games is the lack of variety. One character with only one set of moves can quickly become boring to play. Most games don't have this problem, with many games having multiple characters. Breath of the Wild, however, only has one playable character, Link. Nintendo keeps BotW from becoming boring by having Link have many weapons and clothing to collect and choose from to use, food items to temporarily boost stats, and a way to upgrade Link's health points as the game grows more difficult. Many endless runner games (i.e. Subway Surfers or Temple Run) lack this attribute, which causes players to become bored of them after playing for a while. While they may include customizable or lots of character choices, the changes are purely cosmetic and don't impact the gameplay.

Strategy games have issues as well, most notably those to do with speed. Strategy games often have a slower pace, and making the pace too slow can cause players to become bored. This was an issue with the role-playing game Final Fantasy VII, a 1997 turn-based rpg by Square Enix. Final Fantasy VII is set to have a remake by Square Enix, the first part of which was released on April 10, 2020. An article I discovered addressed some flaws in the original game as well as what the remake should have to make the game better. The article reads: "Modern releases of Final Fantasy VII include an option to speed up combat by a factor of three, and after turning it on, you quickly learn that you almost never need to turn it off to more carefully manage the flow of battle, such is the monotony of just attacking and healing over and over. This speed boost is greeted by latter-day players as a crucial "quality of life" improvement. It doesn't matter how many oakleaves you've acquired in 22 years; when letting the player essentially skip the gameplay is treated as a godsend, you don't have a very good game." (Vogt) As said in the quote, the ability to speed up gameplay shouldn't be necessary. The gameplay is also described as monotonous. Games must be interesting to keep players motivated to continue playing. Keeping players interested in the game is a big part of video game making.

Game designers and developers must put player enjoyment first when making a game. Even if the ultimate goal is to make money or gain popularity in the community, player enjoyment is what leads to a game's success. If a player isn't having fun playing a game, they won't recommend it to others, or join an online community about it, or even continue playing it. For this reason, I decided to find information about the process of game design and development, where ideas came from, and how enjoyment of the game came into the mix. I found an academic study of a game jam in 2013. A game jam is an event where multiple groups of game makers come together to make games in an allotted time using a given prompt. The study discusses multiple aspects of the game jam, including initial ideas, prototyping, and game development and testing, the latter of which is shown in the quote here: "Participants [in the game jam] removed systems within the game (e.g. attacks requiring combinations of buttons rather than single buttons) or reduced the total number of components used (e.g. fewer game levels or types of enemies). Swapping mechanics occurred when already implemented systems were buggy or dysfunctional or when playtesting (personally or with others) showed them to be overly complex or unintuitive." (Zook) This quote shows how game developers must think about how the players will interact with mechanics, especially mechanics they aren't used to. Mechanics are how you do things in the game, whether it be with certain buttons, an item, movement, interaction with the environment, or a combination of these. Mechanics must be easy to pick up on and learn for beginning players, but difficult to master so as to keep players entertained. The quote shows how initially complex mechanisms such as button combinations or buggy systems can be unintuitive for the players, and therefore need to be fixed. If a player has difficulties with the game's function, it won't be fun to play. Games must be fun if they want to keep players interested.

For this paper, I interviewed one of my friend's younger brothers, an avid player of video games. Ian plays video games for a few hours every day, he says, on xbox, nintendo switch, and mobile devices. In the interview, he says that what he thinks makes video games enjoyable is having fun. Although he plays video games more suited to younger users, there were a few things he had to say about games he disliked. The main things he didn't like about games were the difficulty (too hard, too easy) bad graphics, or he "wasn't as interested as he thought he was." His viewpoint as someone who plays a lot of video games is very useful for the question I'm asking. Difficulty of games is something that is hard to balance for game developers. As discussed earlier, the mechanics must be intuitive so the player can pick up on them easily. However, if the entire game is easy, the player will get bored, just like Ian did.

"What makes video games enjoyable?" is the question I've tried to answer. So, what does make video games enjoyable? I'd say it's a variety of things. Video games are so complex, and what makes them entertaining is even more complex. There's such a huge variety of video games available to play, on dozens of platforms and consoles, and in many different ways. Expecting to find just one answer for such a broad question would be unjustifiable. So, I've determined a couple things that make video games enjoyable. As Ian said, games should be fun. Fun means different things to each person, so different games will be better for different people. Different difficulties and styles of games will be different for different people. A more casual game style, like mobile games or kid's games, might be more enjoyable for a gamer like Ian. However, strategy based games such as Pokemon, Assassin's Creed, or shooting games such as CS:GO might be more suited to older players. In short, what makes video games enjoyable is the variety of games there are to play. Games are for everyone, and each type of video game has people who enjoy it, and people who don't. There is no one clear answer to this question. Unfortunately, this means that if I want to be more involved in playing video games, I'm going to have to try some games and find out what I like. If you're interested in video games, I suggest you do the same.

Works Cited

Jabr, Ferris. “Can You Really Be Addicted to Video Games?” New York Times, 22 October 2019, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/22/magazine/can-you-really-be-addicted-to-video-games.html. Accessed 2 November 2020.

Leeson, David M. "Northrop Frye and the story structure of the single-player shooter." English Studies in Canada, vol. 37, no. 2, 2011, p. 137+. Gale In Context: High School, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A294194389/SUIC?u=midd34407&sid=SUIC&xid=e5b85bc6. Accessed 18 Oct. 2020.

Merriam-Webster. Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/video%20game. Accessed 5 November 2020.

S., Ian. Personal interview. December 2020.

Stych, Anne. “Americans' favorite forms of entertainment are digital.” bizjournals, 28 March 2019, https://www.bizjournals.com/bizwomen/news/latest-news/2019/03/americans-favorite-forms-of-entertainment-are.html?page=all#:~:text=The%20shift%20to%20digital%20is,research%20by%20The%20NPD%20Group. Accessed 2 November 2020.

Vogt, Ryan. "For all its greatness, Final Fantasy VII wasn't a good game. Let's remember why." Washingtonpost.com, 7 Apr. 2020. Gale In Context: High School, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A619723232/SUIC?u=midd34407&sid=SUIC&xid=0b17c660. Accessed 11 Oct. 2020.

Zook, Alexander and Mark O. Riedl. "Game Conceptualization and Development Processes in the Global Game Jam." School of Interactive Computing, College of Computing, Georgia Institute of Technology, http://www.fdg2013.org/program/workshops/papers/GGJ2013/ggj13_submission_4.pdf. Accessed 11 Oct. 2020.

#idk what this is #hopefully now I won’t fail english class

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viostormcaller · 5 years ago

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Thinking about it, it kinda sucks just how little new horizons has.

Like... I love the game to pieces and maybe this is just bc im in a shitty mood (which i am) but like... god this is gonna be long and ranty and I'm sorry in advance that mobile tumblr doesnt have the read more feature

For starters, holidays are all scheduled on the company's terms, meaning in 7+ years or so there will be no more in-game holidays because by then they'll probably be thinking about/getting ready to release the next installment of the series on whatever console is out at the time and they won't want to update new horizons anymore. And adding onto this, you need the internet to download the updates. What happens to the players who don't have internet?? Can they just never experience the holidays like bunny day and toy day and turkey day? That takes a HUGE part of the fun of the series out right off the bat. Sometimes making everything rely on the internet is a bad idea. Idk if anyone can like tell me if having no internet means you can't take part in the holidays, but like... god if that's true thats really sad.

They recently took out the hybrid flower and big fish islands, which makes no sense whatsoever why they would do that to a game that has so little, but ok?? It's not like that feature was hindering the gameplay any

There's a lot of furniture but Not a Lot of Furniture, you get me? They took out EVERY set except the classic set (renamed "antique") that you can buy for an insanely high price, and the log and wooden block sets that you can craft, but other that that it's all unrelated items that aren't part of any set, aside from the cute set and diner and throwback sets which as far as I can remember are the only other sets you can buy in the game. No alpine, no ranch, no minimalist, no princess or gracie, no modern or sleek, none of that. And 90% of all the buy-only furniture in the game is just the color variants. You can't even customize them! And it's hard as fuck to find the color variants you want, much less for completing a furniture set

And speaking of which, your starting villagers don't get their default house interiors. Your first three + your two starters from the tutorial days have the same generic layouts. You NEVER see what their houses are supposed to look like, and even if you give them the wallpaper and flooring they're supposed to have (if you figure that out online somewhere), their house doesn't change (I tested this with Sherb and was kinda disappointed).

And stuff is so EXPENSIVE. I know it adds a challenge but my final loan was NEVER 1 mil+ bells in New Leaf. And you can't even expand the extra first floor rooms you get. I'm literally getting less for WAY more. The biggest rooms you get are the basement and upstairs rooms. The first floor rooms aside from the main room really don't have a lot of space and with the different furniture they DO offer, I don't have a lot of room to put things in. But it's not like I can even afford it anyway -- just a freaking air conditioner was 63,000 bells. In New Leaf it was 2500. That's a MASSIVE jump. And the kitchen items are so freaking expensive, as well.

And speaking of houses, for someone who was literally in the real estate industry in the last game, tom nook adds very few house exterior options. And the even more shitty thing is that a lot of the colors straight up don't match. They couldn't even add a plain white roof.

God and the fucking DIY recipes. I know I've said this before on my other tumblr but the RNG for this game is the worst I've ever fucking seen. There is no reason why, two months into the game, I can be given a recipe for a simple DIY bench, which EVERYONE LEARNS IN THE TUTORIAL. Who the fuck am I giving it to?! No one, because literally every player knows it already, and you can't gift diy recipes to villagers! And I keep getting repeats of recipes. My villagers give me fruit DIYs all the time, it's so rare for me to get any new ones. And two days in a row I've gotten the recipe for the deer head mount thing from the same villager. New recipes should 100% take the priority before repeats. This game is slow paced, sure, but that's just frustrating. It doesn't make me excited to learn more recipes, it makes me feel like I'm never gonna learn any new ones because I'll get the same fruit DIYs for a week straight.

And speaking of which, you can't put trees, bushes, or flowers in your storage, which to me makes literally no sense. I can fit a giant ass fountain in my storage but I can't put a flower plant? Really? And speaking of storage, for a game that added 300 whole slots for mail instead of the usual 10, I will never understand why they decided to halve the amount of items a player can order a day from the nook shopping, AND make it so that it takes a whole day to get there instead of making deliveries at 9 am and 5 pm like in New Leaf.

And the fact that they made it so hard to get non native fruit and flowers and shit??? Like they at LEAST added Lief so flowers aren't as much of an issue anymore, but you actually have to travel to other people's islands just to get all the fruits?? I know you have to do the same thing in New Leaf but the reason why this is an issue for me is because you have to pay for online access, meaning most of those nook miles for planting all the fruits are locked behind a paywall unless your villagers can gift them to you. And your mom, when you first start the game, has a chance of giving you the one fruit that's on the non-native fruit mystery island, meaning you'll only get ONE new fruit and not two separate ones (for example, my sis got pears from mom but her non native fruit islands have cherries i believe. I got pears from mom and my fruit islands also have pears. Doesnt help that that's the one fruit i hate lmao). They also took OUT a bunch of fruits, like mangoes, durians, lemons, bananas, lychees, persimmons...

And the fact that your nook miles rewards are ISLAND LOCKED. That is the WORST SHIT. Not everyone has the ability to play with others, bc no internet or no money for the subscription every month. Not everyone WANTS to play with others bc maybe they get social anxiety (like me, which is why i havent asked for things that are impossible for me to get even though i want them for my island or house), or maybe they simply just don't want to. But the fact that each island has their own color variants of the same goddamn rewards that CANNOT BE CHANGED makes me so upset. I do not want nor should I have to rely on others to get the items I want because my game doesn't have my preferred color variations. And it's not like I'm far enough in the game to have anything worth trading for said items, nor do I have the bells.

And Isabelle does next to fucking nothing and I'm really irked about how they made her character in this game. Yeah she's cute, but that's ALL she is. She became more ditzy than anything else. She doesn't let you know about visitors in the town or the plaza or if a bridge or incline was built bc of a completed donation goal. Like really useful info to know would be if Flick or CJ is in town or who is selling stuff in the plaza. Flavor text is nice but if that's all you say 24/7 it loses its charm. In New Leaf she was helpful and hardworking and super focused and on top of things. Idk why they changed that aspect of her. I know her role in New Horizons isn't as big as it was in New Leaf, but still.

And then there's glitches that STILL haven't been patched (as far as I know anyway), like the game-breaking villager corruption glitch (which you'd think nintendo would have made a priority but they're too busy removing other features it seems) or the house exterior glitch.

And it's bad enough that your game saves to your fucking system a la Fantasy Life. But even WORSE, no one can have separate islands on one console. It's not enough to own two copies of New Horizons. Each player has to own one copy of the game and a whole new Switch just so they can play on their own islands. Parents can't usually afford that (aka $360 for each kid give or take) so for a game marketed towards kids, I don't know why they thought that was a smart move (well, I DO know, and that's because money, but still). And to top it all off, cloud saves are not supported normally. If you lose your game or your switch and aren't subscribed to nintendo online, well, it looks like all your progress is gone! And there's nothing you can do about it. And they directly claimed that they did this just so people can't manipulate the game because it's supposed to be played in real time. But people can still fucking time travel by setting the system's clock! They achieved nothing except to make the players frustrated!!! If you make a game you need to accept that the player is going to play how THEY want to. You shouldn't try to make everyone conform to the way YOU want them to play. That just makes you a controlling asshole and the game loses a lot of its fun.

This game was 60 bucks and they took so long to make it and we ended up with less than we got in New Leaf. The main thing they gave us was a shit ton more clothing items (which I really like). Like I said, I love this game to pieces and it's actually one of my favorite games right now. There's so much I love about it -- I certainly don't hate it or anything. But this game has SO MANY flaws, a lot of which are needless. And I think the kid in me just misses the days where you can pay for a game and get the whole game right away. No updates in tiny batches, no content locked behind paywalls, no day one patches, no reliance on internet connection and multiplayer... mainstream companies have all gone really downhill with that shit and it just disappoints me to no end. But because Nintendo is kid-oriented, I think that's where it hurts the most. It was supposed to be accessible, family friendly fun like back during the days of the Wii and the DS. But companies get so wrapped up in competing with each other and trying to make the most money that they forget about all that. I dunno. It just sucks.

If you read all this, god damn I'm surprised XD I got super ranty and I apologize. But I'm in a sad mood and I after learning about features they've taken out I just had to get all this off my chest. It's been weighing on me since the game released, especially since for months prior this game was all I could think about and I was really looking forward to it. It just let me down in a lot of ways, I guess.

#long post #rant #animal crossing new horizons #acnh #vio stormcaller

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homeformyheart · 4 years ago

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How many LIs are there in The Wayhaven Chronicles? And what exactly does the app work like? Is it like choices?

hi anon!!! i hope you feel comfortable popping into my DMs sometime😊 i promise i’m a safe space / person to talk to !! (right @angela8754, @withbeautyandrage, & @geriwyn?) because i LOVE this ask and LOVE to talk about TWC!

okay so here’s my best attempt at a quick summary and i will try not to be spoilery ----

LIs (or Romance Options / ROs, which seems like it’s used for interactive fiction more consistently) in Wayhaven center around 4 agents that make up Unit Bravo (UB) - Ava/Adam, Nat/Nate, Morgan/Mason, and Farah/Felix (for shorthand, you’ll see these referenced by the first letter - A, N, M, & F respectively).

you can create multiple OC detectives (MCs) to romance each individual and your detectives can be female / male / non-binary, and you can choose to be attracted to only men / only women / or both. you can also choose a friendship route and not romance anyone (but the creator has said it does limit the dialgogue and scenes a bit).

TWC itself is not an app - it’s a book you purchase on any number of apps that host interactive fiction games - Steam, Hosted Games, Google Play, Choice of Games; some of which can be accessed via browser, not just mobile.

here are some key differences between Choices & TWC (i haven’t fully played other IF games but i know many out there follow similar structures):

pronouns are aligned to whatever you select upfront (she/her, he/him, they/them)

the female/male mix of the ROs may vary randomly depending on your pronoun & sexuality selections in the game (i.e., A/N are paired together as male or female & M/F are paired together for male or female)

LIs are not “customizable” the way they are in PB - depending on your pronoun & sexuality selections in the game, you may get all male UB, all female UB, or half female/half male UB (which half depends and may be random)

no visuals / scenery / art in-game like in choices. the game reads like a book with multiple chapters and so a lot of the visualization is written

no diamond choices or “keys” - you pay a fixed price for each book and can replay it as many times as you want

you cannot replay individual chapters, however; if you want to replay different routes, you have to start over

your choices absolutely matter (i’d say this is a key difference given the majority of recent choices books lol) - you get different dialogue / outcomes / scenes depending on your action or dialogue choices

there are a lot of dialogue options (usually 3+), some of which are not that romantic either - there isn’t as much of the “forced LI” vibe because you choose the dialogue that impacts the reaction from the other characters

your selections also impact your relationship with each major character, not just your RO, your own character’s personality and ability to overcome in-game challenges / achieve certain outcomes, and stats (e.g., combat vs. people skills - certain choices favor having higher stats in one area over another)

there are a minimum of 5 romance routes / options you can take (something for everyone and each one worth exploring) and given the number of choices within each route that give you different scenes / dialogue, that number can easily triple (but don’t quote me on that, i can’t math)

there are also multiple friendship options of unit bravo that will give you slightly different dialogue or moments with them as well

here are some similarities between the two:

you can save your stats / choices from book 1 and import those over to book 2 (i assume you can do the same to book 3, but book 3 is not out yet)

you can also choose not to import your book 1 choices / data and just start over in book 2 - you have the option of going with a premade character and/or doing a recap, or you can rechoose every key option from book 1 quickly before starting book 2

chapters are relatively short and a quick read, so it’s easy to do multiple playthroughs of different routes

if you like using the wiki to figure out the impact of each choice, there is a fan-created guide on tumblr (i use it all the time)

these are all i can think of off the top of my head, thank you for the ask! and please slide into my DMs anytime to talk about TWC 🤗💖💖💖

#ask #anon #twc #choices #twc v. choices #playchoices #pb choices #way more differences than similarities lol #jen answers

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thetinypsychologist · 5 years ago

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STARTING A STUDYBLR

So since I’ve restarted / rebranded my blog, I feel like I’d be able to give some advice on starting a studyblr.

WHAT IS A STUDYBLR?

Studying + Tumblr. It’s a community of people documenting their academic journies as well as supporting and motivating each other and posting study tips! There are many reasons to have one, such as holding yourself accountable for studying, support from the community, motivating yourself, finding new and effective ways to learn, as well as admiring all the beautiful notes out there!

MAIN BLOG OR SIDE BLOG?

There are pros and cons to both. If you’re wanting to have a completely new account, follow people and interact via your studyblr etc, then opt for a main. If you’re happy to continue on one account, then create a side blog. However, when you use a secondary blog for your studyblr, it will follow as your main account. Personally, I made mine a main blog because I don’t have another Tumblr account, and preferred following people off my main account anyway. You can find more information on the differences here.

PICKING A URL, ICON, THEME ETC.

URL: Most people just put their user name as (their name)studies. However you can be more creative if you want! Incorporate your interests, your subject major, etc. I chose @thetinypsychologist because I study psychology and I’m short!

Icons: Some people choose random pictures for their icons, but some people make their own on Adobe Photoshop, Canva or other applications. You could also commission people to make an icon! Check out @annistudio icons here.

Theme: Choose a mobile theme and desktop theme. Choose a colour scheme to fit your account and a header image if you want one. If your studyblr has mostly photos, multicolumn/grid themes work best but if you have text posts as well, I’d recommend a single column theme for easy reading. Great theme-makers include @theme-hunter @sorrism @skythemes @shudesigns @pohroro @stardusthms

BLOGS TO FOLLOW

A few of my favourites are: @emmastudies @alimastudies @studymlk @studyquill @likeimstudying @legallystudies @studyign @studypetals @universtudy @universi-tea @eintsein @studyspisces @weststudies @munibahstudies @revisign @anthropologie-s @archedemia @learnign @piscestudying

And me :-) @thetinypsychologist

ACTUALLY POSTING:

Set up a navigation system: Decide whether you’re going to tag your posts and set up a filing system. You can look at my navigation page here for inspiration. You might also decide to make extra pages like faq, social media, study playlists etc.

Write an Introductory Post: Tell people who you are, what you’re studying, your interests etc. Tagging your favourite studyblrs / inspiration will get your blog out there!

What to post: Study tips, what you’re currently working on, planner / bujo inspo, masterposts, big blog posts, 100 days of productivity challenge etc.

Hashtags: Popular hashtags to add to your posts are #studyspo #studyblr #studyspiration #whatsonmydesk #whatsonmytable #studying #studymotivation #stationary. Some studyblrs track tags such as #heysareena #elkstudies etc.

GETTING FOLLOWERS

Most people gain followers after posting a really aesthetic post or a helpful masterpost. Equally, interacting with other studyblrs also helps get your blog out there. More content leads to more followers so if you know you’re going to be busy, use the queue option. Also excessively tag your posts (see above).

TIPS

Post regularly

Make friends and reblog posts

You don’t need a fancy camera for pictures! Just use your phone.

You also don’t need fancy stationery

Believe in yourself!

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therainroguefanfiction · 4 years ago

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✻ Ichi-go, Ichi-e (Baekhyun Byun) Gets Better

📑 Table of Contents

Genre: Fluff, Crack, Slice of Life

Word Count: 1,241

Pairing: Reader x Baekhyun

World: EXO

Prompt: #22, “It’ll get better, right?”

Author’s Note: This was written for @challengingwords writing challenge.

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“Calm down and tell me what happened.” Baekhyun gently took you by the shoulders, his concerned eyes meeting yours.

You shook your head angrily and he was sure he could see steam coming from your ears. “No, you won’t understand!”

“You won’t know that until you tell me.” His lips met your forehead. “Breathe, baby. In and out.”

You mirrored his deep breathing, your head feeling lighter as your anger lowered to annoyance. He slid the desk chair over, motioning for you to take a seat as he kneeled in front of you, holding onto your knees to steady himself.

“Now, tell me how you feel.”

You rolled your eyes at the amused glint in his own orbs. “Not funny, Baek.”

He pouted. “You don’t like the idea of me being your therapist?”

“Pretty sure it’s morally wrong to sleep with your patients.” You clicked your tongue in disapproval. “You can’t have your cake and eat it, too, Byun Baekhyun.”

“Yeah, yeah.” He wrinkled his nose, lightly smacking your outer thigh. “Stop avoiding the subject. Tell me or I’ll be forced to cuddling you until you give me the info I want!”

Despite yourself, you smiled which made him beam with pride at his accomplishment. “I hate you,” ‘Because you always make me smile no matter how upset I am,’

“Hmm, my spidey senses say otherwise.” Baekhyun wiggled his eyebrows.

“Ew,”

“Y/N~”

“Fine!” You threw your head back and began to recall your story of woe.

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You loved to write stories and chose to post them on a site called Tumblr because you liked being able to customize your blog. What you chose to write was mostly fanfiction about your favorite fandoms, which helped you to meet people that thought the say way you did and liked the same things. Baekhyun didn’t know anything about this site that its users called a hell-site, but being the supportive boyfriend that he is, he always patiently listened to you every time you needed to rant about the site.

And Tumblr certainly is not a site without its fair share of problems.

You liked to keep your queue rather full so you didn’t spam your followers. That way, if you had a long day or simply didn’t feel like posting, you could relax without having to worry. You pulled up your masterlist so you update it with that day’s posts, but when you clicked on the link, however, a sense of dread filled your body. The once colorful links were now white, the default text color for your theme. Why were the links gone? You had over three-hundred stories at this point and the links were gone.

You were on the verge of panicking.

Had you messed up something when you edited the post yesterday? You were sure you hadn’t, so then why? Trying to calm yourself, you messaged your friend, sending the link and asking them to see if the links were there for them. Surprisingly, she reported that the links were fine, all intact as they should be. She also reported, though, that she believed the site had a link limit per post and guessed the number to be around one hundred.

You tried pulling up the post on your phone – the links were intact and working as they should be. So then, why were the links whited out when you pulled the post up on your computer? ‘Well… as long as my followers can see them,’ you frowned at the screen, trying to put it out of your mind.

After adding the new links, you clicked over to the tags page, relieved to see the colorful links, but after adding a couple new tags and saving, they also whited out. “You have got to be kidding me…”

You quickly debated with yourself on created an external list somewhere because the thought of having multiple masterlists and a rabbit hole of links per fandom made you feel queasy, but you worried that your followers would not be happy with a masterlist on a site outside of Tumblr. And then you remembered the existence of pages.

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“It’ll get better, right?” Baekyun interrupted you, feeling his temples start to throb at the tale.

“Shush, you’re ruining the mood!” You cleared your throat, picking up where you left off.

Baekyun felt like his mind was going insane, but he remained quiet, trying to keep up with the words leaving your lips.

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If you just added a new page with your theme rather than getting fancy with customized HTML, it should work just fine for mobile users. At first, you simply copy-pasted the list, but that did not work – for some reason, it made the text black which could barely be seen against the dark grey background of the post.

With a scowl, you deleted the page and tried again. ‘Okay, paste as plain text, then… yes, it worked!’ While the links were not there, all of the text was, which would save you some time. You did feel slightly annoyed by the lack of a header option, though, but it was fine because the preview looked quite nice, so you continued your work.

It took you nearly three hours, with distractions, to finally re-link everything and clean up your blog. The preview was perfect so you saved the page, feeling excited to finally look upon your hard work. You copied the link to the page, pasted it into the browser, and clicked enter.

Your heart sunk like the damn titanic.

The links were whited out, not a single one intact.

“Son of a bitch!” Your face fell to the keyboard with a thunk and you groaned, a mixture of frustration and pain coursing through you. “Stupid, idiotic, bastard hell-site! Why are you like this, huh?! Why are you doing this to me, huh?! Are you trying to make me lose it?!”

Baekhyun cautiously slipped into the roam, unsure how to feel as he watched his partner gripping both sides of the computer monitor, screaming questions at it as if it weren’t just an inanimate object. He had seen you freak out at the computer on more than a couple of occasions, but this? This was definitely new.

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“And that’s when you stopped me.” You huffed in annoyance, folding your arms across your chest as you sent your boyfriend an accusing look.

“Babe… I stopped you because you picked up a bat.”

“And? It was just wood, it would’ve been fine.”

He sighed, bringing his hand to his forehead. “That computer is expensive, you know.”

“It’s Tumblr’s fault for being such a dick!”

“If the site upsets you so much, why don’t you just stop using it?”

You recoiled back as if he had just made a move to strike you, the wheeled chair sliding back a bit. “I could never do that, Baek!”

“What?” His brow furrowed in confusion. “Why not?”

“Because I love it, obviously!” You responded matter-of-factly, sending him a look as if he should know this information.

Baekhyun deadpanned. “Why am I dating you again?”

“Because you love me~” You grinned, sliding the chair back over to him.

“That’s debatable.” He tried to keep a straight face but failed, lips curling up into a smile as he pulled you into his arms. You returned the smile, hand gripping his so you could bring it to your lips, planting a soft kiss upon his knuckles.

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The term “Ichi-go, Ichi-e” literally means “one time, one moment”. As explained in [this] article, it is meant to act as a reminder that we should treasure every moment because it will never recur again. I thought that was beautiful, so I decided to use that as the title for this set.

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boogiewrites · 5 years ago

Text

Choking On Sapphires 90

Characters: Alfie Solomons x Genevieve (OFC)

Title & Song: Right Back Where We Started From

Summary: Genevieve has her Bat Mitzah, a grand celebration with everyone important to her. But Alfie uses the opportunity to turn the already memorable night into something she'll never forget. Song is Maxine Nightingale - Right Back Where We Started From

Warnings/Tags: FLUFF. Bat Mitzvah. LOTS OF FEELINGS. A LOOOOONG awaited chapter.

Click on my icon then go to my Mobile Masterlist in my bio for my other works and chapters. (Had to do this since Tumblr killed links, sorry.) Please like, comment and reblog if you enjoyed it! It helps out us writers A LOT!

Another Shabbat passes and Genevieve finds herself becoming more and more preoccupied with the planning of her bat mitzvah ceremony. Although simple compared to a traditional bar mitzvah, as she didn’t want to ruffle any feathers with the orthodox and read from the Torah, she still had plenty to plan and worry about. Currently, the location being the biggest concern.

another sigh escapes her, Alfie had lost count of how many now. She hurriedly flipped through the notebook she’d been using to lay out her plans. The little leather-bound book hadn’t left her side for weeks. It was full of speech bullet points and notes for her chosen subject to speak about but she was currently stuck on the list of places left she could choose from. The options were dwindling by the day as they became booked. Every night Alfie would watch her tap her pen on the top line, a sad limp mark through her first pick for where to have her ceremony and party, but she’d been declined.

But he was always the close observer and decided to try his hand at giving her an early bat mitzvah gift. The first of many to come.

“Ya gonna bore a hole in ‘at if ya keep tappin' at it so.” He remarks with glasses sliding down his nose as he side-eyed her from his reclined position.

“I’m feeling so very indecisive about the location.” She sighed out frantically for the umpteenth time that evening. “I have everything else I want but...nothing feels RIGHT.” She clenches a theatrical fist in her conviction.

“You aren’t used to being told no.” He states it as the fact it is.

“I’m afraid I am entirely serious.” She retorts with a frown. “I have full power to customize this but the one thing I want I cannot have. It’s frustrating when this means so much to me.” Her face was round and pouting, pursed lips he thought were rather soft and precious when she was angry.

“I know love, I know. But ya can have whatever you like really. Just gotta know how to get it.” He gives her a pat to her knee in support.

“You would think with how much I’m paying for all this.” She huffs. “This is on par with one of my birthday parties.” She reflects. “Good thing we skipped that this year.” She grumbles. “I’m so perplexed. I’m paying for all this to not get what I actually want.”

“You’re paying for everythin'?” He challenges with an out of place smile.

Gen gives him a look that judges his intellect. “Yes, clearly. I haven’t asked you for so much as a pound have I?”

“I wish someone had told me this before I went and paid for the venue then. Shame, that.” He shakes his head.

“Alfie. I haven’t chosen. My word, have you not been listening at all?”

“You have chosen though. You wanted the museum.”

“And they told me no.” She responds with flushed cheeks. “Repeatedly.” she lets out a frustrated whine.

“Well, I wish someone had informed me of that before I paid for the bloody thing.” He responds to her blustery rant with a confusing indifference.

“Alfie? Are you okay? Are you smelling oranges dear because you are making no sense.” She places the back of her hand to his head.

“I’m makin' perfect sense if you’d just calm down and listen.” He chuckles.

“You said for the museum.” She states again. “But it’s not available.” She insists.

“Say that first part again. Forget the last.” He instructs with high brows as he sets his book aside. The poor thing was so distraught over her rejection she couldn’t see he was handing her the answer to her problems.

“You paid for the museum.” She rushes out.

“Yeah. And again. Slow it down pet, think of the words.” He keeps a fully amused look on his face.

“You paid for the museum.” She repeats slowly. “But…?” Her brows furrowed in question.

“I paid for the museum. For you to have the bat mitzvah ceremony there, love. I asked them and with a bit of persuasion, they said yes. You’re gonna have the museum.” He has to clarify in basic terms for her rapid-fire brain to grasp onto.

She blinks in a rush of realization. “You got the..?” She stammers.

“You have your heart set on it and I was tired of watching you lament every night about not getting it. This is important and I want it to be as close to perfect as it can for ya.”

“You…?” She whispers.

“Yes. With some exhortation, I managed to talk them into it.”

“You…?” She stammers again.

“Oui.” He lets out a laugh this time. “dois-je le dire en français pour que vous compreniez?”

“Oh Alfie, darling.” She coos, one hand to her chest and the other to his cheek.

“That’s more like it.” He smirks, reaching to hold her hand and kiss it.

“Oh bless you Alfie, you thoughtful man.”

“Nah. I just pay attention’s all. Not gonna let me own woman not have the bat mitzvah she wants. What sort of man would I be?”

“You wouldn’t be Alfie Solomons.” She smirks softly and kisses his cheek.

“Fuckin right love” he grunts and nods.

She chuckles against his cheek. “Oh, darling you’ve made me so happy.” She coos and nuzzles her nose into his ear. “Shall have to start calling you, Sweet Solomons.” She grins and kisses his cheek.

“Oh go on Genny.” He puts on a mean face but soaks up the affection. With her hands in his beard and hair, she turns his face to hers.

“Thank you. I love you. This means the world to me, darling.”

“I’m glad you’re happy.”

“And all because of you.”

“Was nothin'.”

“And modest! My goodness!” She chuckles and squeezes his cheeks, giving him a soft and affectionate kiss to his pouted lips.

“Man's gotta have his values.”

“Even a man like you.” She kisses him again and speaks softly.

“Even me.” He answers in a muffled voice before she takes her time, slow kisses to his plush lips that make him hum with content.

————-

Gen stood tall on her pedestal in her closet, Freddie tending to the last minute adjustments for the embellished gown he’d created for her.

“These stones are being little buggers.” He mutters, keeping his thin face focused on the hem of the silk and beaded gown. It fell to the floor in a pearlescent puddle around her feet, Sheer little sleeves and a silver hue throughout that made her skin and hair stand out against its paleness.

“I can’t say enough good fings bout it, Fred.” Alfie captures their attention as he comes in freshly showered, slicked and perfumed with his trousers and white shirt on.

“You could try.” He smirks and Alfies face is kind and amused. The dress fit her like a glove, a band of embellishment around her waist and everything loose and flowing around her, she looked like an angel. He wasn’t one to get emotional about such things but perhaps the significance of the occasion was wearing the old boy down. He’d heard Gen practicing her speech, speaking of growth and change and finding meaning in the chaos of life and perhaps he was swayed to reflect himself. Tonight was a rather important night for both of them.

“Would you think it brash of me to suggest some pieces for you to wear with this, Chanah?” Her only been calling her by her given name all day and Gen couldn’t find it in herself to mind. She watches him looking through the glass-topped drawers at her collection of jewels.

“As long as I retain the right to turn them down, Certainly no.” She gives him a warm smile as she stays still for the sake of Fred’s sanity.

“‘Course.” He says obviously with his usually gruff tone. “I only had suggestions. I saw that dress and thought of certain pieces as soon as my eyes took it in.” He elaborates with a shaking hand as he moves about the circular space and collects pieces in his hands.

“I think that has it for now. I’ll have my kit with me all night. Won't have you looking a bead out of place if I can help it. Tonight’s too important. You’ll have photographs and I refuse to have you look anything short of angelic.” Freddie speaks with a pointed finger as he gathers a small satchel with beads, stones, and thread.

“It is gorgeous and it will be perfect. Thank you, Cheri.”

“Don’t make me cry just yet.” He protests with an exasperated voice as she takes his hand and kisses it.

“Not yet.” She shakes her head and pats his hand before releasing it.

“I’m off to change. I’ll be at the door waiting for you for the last check before your entry.”

“Lovely.” She says softly as she runs her hands down the textured surface of the gown.

Distracted, Fred has a whirling list of things to do in a short amount of time and is muttering to himself as he leaves.

“He’s a mess, bless him. He doesn’t handle sentimental occasions very gracefully.” Gen observes with a fond by pitying expression.

“He has a lot of heart, that Fred.” Alfie nods and agrees. “But I wanted to speak of yours while we had a moment, love.” His voice is cool and even, demanding her to him as he holds out his hand and she steps off the raised platform.

“What of it Ari?” She implores with inquisitive eyes.

“I wanted to give some significance tonight to what you wore. Jewels wise. I wanted to bring a bit of me into the ensemble. Even if it is a bit of a prick thing to say on such an occasion now that I say it out loud.”

Genevieve smiles and insists he’s incorrect with a shaking head, her long hair cascading down her shoulders. “Don’t be silly. You were so crucial in getting to this point. I value your input so please share.” She holds both his hands in hers and gives them a squeeze.

“As you wish, my love.” He gives her a rather formal nod and turns to start with one piece. “I would like to first recommend Sapphires for such an occasion.” Be announces loudly as if he were presenting to a group, But only Genevieve was in his company. “I believe your favorite stone, Yeah?” She nods with a gentle smile as he brings forth a ring she knows well. “I would suggest this first.” He puts the ring onto her finger and holds her hand, the warmth was felt not only through his skin but in the mild crinkle around his eyes as he spoke. “You wore this the first night you accompanied me out. I couldn’t make up me mind if I wanted to stare at you or your jewels and that is sayin’ somethin’ Both for your taste and your beauty, love.”

She leans forward to kiss his cheek and gives him a smile that disarms him as her soft hands rub against his hardened ones. “I’ll always remember that night.” She speaks softly. “Lovely choice.” She praises.

“And ‘is. A bit farther down the line.” He holds the long and weighted large sapphire stone encased in a halo of tiny diamonds. “You wore this the night I took you to the opera.”

“The night I cried like a baby at the show.” She huffs out a laugh to herself.

“The night I found myself truly mesmerized by you, love. Such softness under that wild exterior. Like a weeping angel, you were, yeah?” He gives a gentle pat to her cheek and she nuzzles into it with a soft kiss. “The last. So far the most important.” He begins with the teardrop Sapphires earrings that dangle from Diamond studs. “Our trip to Paris.” He says with a fond nostalgia in his voice. He puts them on her with strong and steady hands. “My promise to never make you cry real tears, only those of stone.” He pauses and takes her hands again. “I’ve not kept that promise I’m afraid.” He frowns.

“We cannot know the future Ari. As badly as we might want to. You know anything that caused me to shed tears that you caused is forgiven. You’ve only ever had my best interests at heart. That’s worth more than the mere falling of tears.” She squeezes his hands and he nods, not fighting her on it and deeply Proud of her understanding of him and their life together. “I recall it as the best time I’ve ever had with a man in Paris. When we told one another we loved the other.” She speaks softly from the heart and puts her hand to his cheek. “Where we danced by the Seine and played pretend like children to be married.” She sighs, her eyes misty at the fond memories.

“Oi, I recall. You becomin' my real-life fantasy of Lily Lafitte.” He gives her a soft smile.

“The only man I’ve ever introduced to uncle as well.” She adds with a nod of her chin.

“Speak of the Devil,” He smirks, “He and your mum will be there today.”

“Really?” Her band drops to his chest and her eyes go wide. “Mother wasn’t sure if she’d be able to, What with George being difficult with her leaving.”

“I believe a promise from Altar Lafitte when I hear it. He and Alma will be here this evening.”

“Oh, Ari.”She tears up and wraps her arms around his neck. “You’ve made everything so perfect already. I’ll be owing you after tonight.” She teases and kisses his cheek.

“It’s nothin if it’s to make you happy Chanah. You know within reason and reality I’d do anyfin' to make you so, yeah?”

“You lovey gentleman. You absolute mensch.” She nuzzles her nose against his. “I couldn’t think of a single thing you could do to make me happier tonight.” She whispers as she kisses him gently.

“There’s always somethin', Chanah.” He smiles and kisses her cheek innocently. “Always more I can do for a woman like you.”

—————

Her entrance was dramatic with musical accompaniment in the grand style she was known for. The lights hitting her gown just right in the golden hour as she ascended the decorated stone steps. Alfie stood in her shadow and watched as she was received by every sort of Jewish folk in London. Altar brought a few of the French family members and the east end roughians that worked for Alfie got to stay as long as they behaved. The posh wealth were in attendance as well, some out of good wishes and some to see if things would fall apart, either was fine with Alfie if they were giving her money.

Her art of religious text was spotted throughout the room, some for sale and others just for show. Flowers cascaded over columns and tables as the smell of lavender filled the air with their pastel palette warmed by late summer heat. The tall room with its giant windows and painted ceiling were a perfect setting to the important ceremony, stained glass cascading down jewel-toned light as the sun set and Genevieve became a woman.

After being greeted with loud hugs and kisses by some she hadn’t seen since she was a child. A beaming Altar and a weeping with joy Alma allow her to be pried from their grasp by Alfie who adjusts her jewels and tenderly asks if she’s ready.

Genevieve Chanah Lafitte was formally inducted into the community with a short but praising introduction by her mentor Rabbi Gold. She gave a beautiful speech, all tying back to her studies and Rabbi Golds teachings over the past year or so. She spoke of growth and change, of tradition and finding one’s place in the world. She ghosts over the bad, only mentioning she hasn’t had an easy sort of life. She tells tales of the good with a charming smile. She chooses to focus on her mitzvah project and how they would be continuing after tonight. The teaching of all religions, the scholarships for Jewish girls, the importance of health and education among the youth and women of the community that she was choosing to focus her efforts on. She told of when she was a young girl, lost and lonely, and how the Jewish community embraced her and gave her a life. Altar pretended he wasn’t crying but Alma fully embraces the emotion of the night. Genevieve ends with mentions of donating to her scholarship and the charities she works with, as well as thanking her closest friends and colleges, Freddie, Claire, Aggie and Alfie among them.

Then came the other speeches as she took her seat at the table with those loved ones she’d just thanked on the stage.

Altar boomed and demanded cheers, telling of knowing she was special from the moment he held her. How he could not be more proud of the woman she had become. Alma confesses this night was her most wild dreams coming true as she had always wanted her most special daughter to find her place in the world and know her people and where she came from. She cries and so does her daughter, emotional tears run in the family. Aggie gives a very short speech sharing the same sentiment as Alma, how she thought of her as her own daughter and as everyone else had, she expresses how proud she is. Claire, much to Gens surprise also speaks and keeps it brief as is her way of doing things. She gets as sentimental as Claire can, calling Gen not only a business partner but a life long friend and sister to her, and that she was looking forward to what the next thirty years brought for them. Fred threatens stories of her wild youth but refrains with a laugh. Calling her a friend and confidant and even if he wasn’t Jewish, he was glad to know there was a warm community to keep her while they lived so far apart. Then came Alfie.

He had been preparing for this night for some time, a lifetime it felt now. He was so gifted at demanding the attention of a room he couldn’t pass up the opportunity to make a show of it all. He stood straight, hands accompanying his endearment and his voice rich and deep and full of affection for the woman of the hour. “I know, as a man, that I am lucky to have a woman like Chanah. And I want you to know that us, as a people, are lucky to call her our own. She has the capacity for tenderness which astounds me every day. Especially with some of the lot she has to work with. I include myself in that. She is brilliant. Smart, fierce, funny and not as important but it is worth mentioning that she is rather easy on the eyes. I have no doubt she will be a pillar for our community. Through her words and actions she is everything a Jewish woman should aspire to be, educated, charitable and strong. A survivor, as we all are and continue to be. I am honored to have a part in her story that brought her to us. Although I will take no credit for any of her achievements. She was already successful when I met her and since she has only grown in leaps and bounds both personally and professionally. We are proud to call you ours, love. And I am even more proud to call a woman like you mine.”

Gen was holding it together, crying but not weeping as Alma currently was into Aggie's shoulder. Altar sat proud and impressed, watching Alfie kiss her cheek and her beam at him with love and admiration. With his hand in hers, he closes out with telling the room to donate, give gifts and eat and be merry. It was a joyous occasion and they’d paid enough for everything so make good use of it. His humor as always comes through and the crowd chuckles and moves, conversations floating about and food being eaten, wine drinking and money changing hands. Gen is embraced with warmth and love, hugs and kisses, thanks and congratulations from all who came across her. She was lost in a whirlwind of praises in English, Hebrew, and Yiddish and was proud to understand each one. Altar networks, as is his way and the women closest to her all huddle like hens and reflect on the hard work they all put in to make Gen who she is. The room is full of life and love and Gen feels full in a way she never had before. A feeling of belonging, of completion and family that made her heart so full it ached in her chest. As the crowd settles into its groups, laughter, and discussions all weaving in and out as she moved about the space, Alfie finds her and takes her hand to pull her from the praising current she was swept away in.

“Might I have ya back now?” He smiles. “I surrendered you to the mob and it seems they’ve all feasted on you enough for now.”

“When the wine kicks in it’ll start back up.” She chuckles and moves to his side without hesitation.

“How about we let them marinate in it then eh? We’ve got plenty to see away from them yeah? And I’d like a moment with you on a night like this. Call me greedy but I rather like Keeping you to myself.” He teases as they lock arms and move to the edge of the room towards some hard looking lads by a velvet rope. “Boys.” Alfie nods and one pulls the rope back.

“Are we allowed back here?” She whispers and looks over her shoulder.

“I got the whole bloody museum love. Just didn’t want no one wandering about, wanted you to have all the attention and have the whole place to yourself. Which is what those rather rough lads were doin' there.” He motions back with his hand as they walk into a dim hallway.

“Never been here with everything so dark. Almost spooky.” She gives a small giggle as her hands rest on his arm.

“I had them light candles for ya love. I thought it’d be interesting to see it in a different light.”

“It’s lovely daring thank you.” She coos at him softly.

“How’s about we go to France eh? Your favorite?”

“Yes please.” She nods enthusiastically.

Only their footsteps echoed as he guided her through the flickering light in the hallways, towards a brighter room that housed the paintings she loved most.

“Monet is the one you like so much innit? The one you’re always on about when you’re out by the pond painting?”

“Yes, I love his work. So dreamy.” She sighs as they round the corner to the room and she stops and stares at the state of the room. “Oh my God.” Alfie stops and lets her take it in. The entirety of Monet's Water Lillie’s in its massive form. But it wasn’t only that that caused her to blink with disbelief. “Alfie.” She exhales softly as her eyes widen and dilate at the splendor of the view around her. The long and tall Water Lillie’s sit center as smaller paintings take up the rest of the space on the walls, but what covered the rest of the usually white space were flowers. Of every pastel color and variation, all surrounding paintings of similar tones as if the colors were bleeding off the canvas and onto the floor.

“I wanted something special for you tonight love.” He spews softly as her eyes flutter shut and she breathes in the floral perfume that filled the space.

“You’ve already done so much.” Her voice breaks, weak and breathy praise as she grips his arm in her hands unconsciously.

“Always more to be done. Like I said.” He fusses back as he moves her slowly into the room as she looked rather overwhelmed. “I told the florists I wanted the whole room covered, wanted it to look like they were coming to life for you.”

“It does. It is. It’s...breathtaking I don’t even know what to say.”

“That you love it and I kept it a surprise.” He smirks and she gives him a huge smile.

“I love it. Adore it. I had...no clue. Not even an inkling.” She enthuses, impressed. “It’s...like a dream. And such a beautiful and artistic take on an installation Alfie, you brilliant man.”

“I wanted tonight to be about your dreams comin' true. You talk about wantin' to get lost in those paintin’s, and I wanted to give ya that.”

She shakes her head and her mouth stays open and stutters. “I don’t...I just.” She stands dumbfounded. “It’s brilliant. Genius. Perfect.” She holds a hand to her chest now to steady her heart. She had been so caught up in her work and planning she had given Alfie room to plan something himself in her whirlwind of plans and appointments. She stood awe struck and speechless in the glowing light of hundreds of blooms. She recalled no other time in her life she had ever been.

“Since I finally have you alone. I did want to say a few things I couldn’t earlier. Or rather I don't fink you’d want me too.” He chuckles and takes both her hands into his as he holds her attention in the center of an artificial field of flowers. “The first time I had to make an apology to you, I used flowers.”

“I’ll never forget it. Just as I’ll never forget this.” She speaks so sweetly, squeezing his hands. “I remember feeling so much when I kissed you. How I didn’t want to stop.” She sighs and swoons and puts her hand to his cheek. “I do wonder often in my moments of reflection of how we came to be how long it truly has been that I’ve loved you. Ari.” She tiptoes and kisses his lips softly. “Sometimes it feels like I always did. I can’t recall a time in which I didn’t at least find you special.”

“From that first night I met you. In that gaudy golden club sitting next to Tommy. You are even more beautiful to me now than you were then, and I would’ve said that was impossible.”

“You were so handsome. So funny and cheeky.”

“You were full of clever wit and a smart mouth. Bold and fearless to put me down.”

“The brown was fucking awful.” She says with a low turn of her voice and he laughs out loud at her.

“And you’ve never shied from telling me a truthful opinion.”

“You’re a strong man. You can take it. Easy to see from the beginning.”

“Aye, but you are stronger, love.” He kisses her forehead. “And of the things you’ve had to face that prove time and time again that you are tougher and more resilient than I could ever claim to be… I wanted this tonight to act as another apology. For all the bad I’ve brought into your life, whether my own doin' or by relation.”

“We’re here now. We don’t have to dwell on it. Always forward.” She insists. “If it means having you and what we have I know I will always find it in me to forgive you.”

“I’m not worthy of your lovely heart.” He speaks softly.

“Luckily for me that isn’t up to you to decide.” She smiles.

“I am so proud of you. For tonight. For tomorrow and yesterday. In all the company I’ve kept in my life, I have never met someone like you before. No one has your spark, your imagination, and cleverness. Of all the minds I’ve known, yours is my favorite and I never tire of knowing you. I’m always left wanting more.”

She flushes in her cheeks and gets an almost bashful look on her face.

“There’s no one else on this fuckin miserable earth that I love as much as you. No one id rather work with or be with. No one else that keeps me interested and always wanting more from them. You are one of a kind, I truly believe that.”

“Ari.” He voices cracks as she wipes at her eyes with both hands and he shifts his weight.

“Which is why I have an offer to make you.”

“An offer?” She asks with soft eyes and an inquisitive voice as she expects papers to come from his pockets, but only a flat and rectangular box held out and presented.

“This.” He opens the box, inside, a bracelet that completes the set of jewels she wears. A row of round and shining Sapphires and diamonds.

She covers her mouth and the stones catch the light and reflect in her eyes.

“An offer of this for a commitment.”

He sees it in her eyes she’s still unsure of everything he was leading up to.

“Genevieve Chanah Lafitte.” He begins with a clearing of his throat. “Would you accept this gift and in return make the commitment to me, Alfred Ari Solomons in the form of marriage?”

He could swear he saw her heart stop for a moment. She choked with surprise. Which admittedly he’d wanted it to be. She blinks rapidly and he sees her mind working behind her eyes in frantic and unexpected chaos. “Y-Yes.” She manages to force out, heart in her throat and frozen there. “Yes. Yes! Of course I would I-YES!” She lets out in an ecstatic expression of joy and laughter as the tears gather in her eyes.

“Then with this,” He puts the heavy stones around her wrist. “You will be Mrs. Alfie Solomons. The other half to my soul, with my promise to love and cherish, to provide for and support you for the rest of our lives.”

She stares in disbelief still. Finally meeting his eyes and looking away from the stones. “Alfie I... this is...it's perfect. I love you. It would be a blessing to be able to join my soul to yours. A pairing no one except God Could tear apart.” Her heart was overflowing, as were her eyes, bless her. She cries and he holds her, feeling her against him in this perfect moment, acceptance and peace fill his mind. A promise to be joined as one, a partnership that could not be broken, something solid and stable in the life of his that was anything but. She was a constant, a confidant, a friend, and lover and now soon to be officially his other half to complete himself in the eyes of his peers and God. She had him feeling things he hadn’t since he was a boy as she kissed his face and thanked him, whispered of how happy he made her, how perfect the night was.

He dries her tears, a warm smile as she sniffles and gazed up at him with love in her eyes. “Would you like to announce it?”

“It would be a good time to.” She nods. “But could you, I’m a mess.” She laughs and puts her forehead on his chest.

“Nothing would make me happier.” He kisses her head and rubs her back before calming her and heading back toward the stage.

“A final announcement to close out the evening.” His voice books over the room as the happy and mostly tipsy group swung their heads his way. “I must admit my loves bat mitzvah was not the only thing I had planned tonight. And I, or I should say WE now, are very happy and I am very proud once again to announce, that our woman of the evening, Miss Genevieve Chanah here has accepted my proposal and will soon be my wife.” The cheers make her cry all over again. Altar slams his fists on the table he sits and yells in excitement, Aggie and Alma sob into each other’s blouses. Another wave of love and support wash across the room. “So as we wind down to a close tonight, I would like to thank you all for coming, Thank Genevieve for accepting and being exactly what a man like me needs in a wife and we will be seeing you at the wedding. L'CHaim He raises a glass left on the table and a reply of the same and various mazle tov's jumble in the air.

They are both embraced and congratulated, Altar squeezing Alfie and patting his back so hard he coughed before kissing his head. Gen was certain in that moment, surrounded by happiness and well wishes and those she loved the most that every bad thing in her life had been worth it for this feeling. She’d never known such contentment, such love. And it had all brought her to where she was now, and she felt thankful and hopeful. Knowing this feeling, this love existed made her certain that no matter what life threw her way that she could overcome it. Especially now that she wouldn’t ever be alone again.

Please like, comment and reblog if you enjoyed it! It helps out us writers A LOT!

@jaegeeeeer @cosettewinchester @lookuptheskyisfalling-blog @brianaisasongbirdd @cry5t4l-w4rri0r @jess2464 @hardygal69 @thegarrisonpublichouse @a-flock-of-angry-pigeons @pootle @negansdirtygirl22 @musingsby-night @shine-dont-shadow @inkinterrupted @vale0413 @emerald-bijou @elaenom @give-jack-a-lightsaber @ultrablackwidower @tinastarkandco @arrowswithwifi @marvelgirl7 @they-are-not-just-stories @ugly-crying-over-bucky-barnes @alitheamateur @gold-trashbag @divadinag

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marceltorak · 5 years ago

Text

Simmer, Get to know

Tagged by the lovely @katsimsdreamer and @whyhellosims ♥

Under the cut, these are so long ☻♥

Your name: Patricia is my Real Life name but on the internet, I go by MarcelTorak for account names and Sinostra (usually) for my avatar in games.

Languages you speak: English, a tiny smattering of Spanish and French because you know school and education. French is required in elementary school in Canada and Spanish, German or French are usually options for you in Highschool. I studied Spanish for 4 years but that was 20 years ago so... I retained NOTHING!

Are you a mermaid: I am a Life Bouy I float... literally FLOAT like I can dive into the water and just keep my arms and legs straight at my sides and I will end up on my back floating perfectly.

Your playstyle: Mostly just Gameplay but I have been trying challenges recently. I never tried any challenges before I joined Tumblr.

Your self sim picture: I might be a bit thicker but I’m sure I set her to the heaviest setting. I’m lucky in that I retained my figure even when I gained 100 pounds it helps me look less than I really am.

Stories or gameplay builds, lookbooks, edits or cc: I love reading people's stories. I love doing gameplay and just seeing what randomness can happen at times. I’m too lacking in confidence to really do lookbooks or builds but I love looking at other peoples. I adore CC just not talented enough to make it but I certainly APPRECIATE IT!!! I did do my first edit ever the other day for the Lunar Zodiac Challenge!!!

Your favourite age state: I would love the age states a hell of a lot more if there was -more- I could do with them. Infants, Toddlers, Children are so adorable but I feel really limited in their activities and personalities. Teens are great because the game treats them like practical adults so there is little you can’t do with them. I love the growing up and watching them become someone...

Your favourite season: Every time I start a new save I start in spring because I feel that is the order of things. Birth life ageing death and birth anew. It feels off if I choose a different season to start with. I did it with the Santa Baby Challenge but that’s because she’s all about winter so I had to.

Your favourite holiday: Winterfest was my favourite because of the Santa Baby Challenge and the fun I had with it but I’m growing to really like Love Day and the warm fuzzies I get seeing my sims do special things for their loved ones.

How was your day: I didn’t really get much done today but the things I really wanted to get done today I did finish so I feel accomplished.

Your favourite career: If you don’t mind needing to travel around a lot the Conservationist Career when you do the stay at home functions was really fun when I started out with Pearl but as my families grow I lose the time to spend focusing on the stay at home tasks as much so I usually pick a job that suits their personality or aspiration and send them off without me.

Your favourite aspiration: I love family aspirations.

Your favourite EP, SP or GP

Favourite Eps: Island Living

Favourite SP’s: The toddler one. I forgot what it’s called.

Favourite GP’s: Vampires and Realm of Magic

How old is your simblr: I should be hitting 1 year old within the month? I’ve had the account for much longer but I’ve only been active for a year.

Have you woohooed: I should say so. I’ve been married, divorced and now live common law with my current darling who I hope to be with forever. It’s been 8 years so I think I will. ^_^

Your favourite skill: Any musical skill, Flower Arranging and Wellness.

The size of your mods folder: 16.6 gigs with about 580+ folders sorting by the creator.

Your 3 favourite mods: Deaderpool for MCCC, LittleMsSam and all her mods, Polar Bear sims and their Personality and vampire mods. I suppose but I really am tied up with several more I would want to list.

Your interests (other than sims): Reading, Crochet and Video Games... Mostly RPG types like World of Warcraft, Starwars and the like.

Your favourite sim (picture if possible): I made her for a bachelor(ette) challenge that never went anywhere so she’s never gotten to be featured in anything but I seriously think this is the most beautiful sim I’ve ever made and will ever make.

which sims games you have played (including mobile games): The Sims 1, 2, 3 and 4. I had the Wii sims uhm... those little box head ones? Both mobile versions as well. Oh and the Castaways one. I still own (in storage somewhere so the disks might not work anymore... all the expansions, game packs and stuff packs of Sims 1, 2, 3, and almost all of 4 I’m just missing tiny living.

Propose a crazy scheme: *raises pointed finger in the air* I believe that what sims 4 needs the most is what sims 3 had! That website connected to the game that lets you purchase little addons for the game! You could by something as simple as a hairstyle or a whole town! you had to use real money and I can’t see why it wouldn’t make them billions of dollars because I swear by the time sims 4 came out I had invested about 1,000 dollars myself alone and I still hadn’t bought all I wanted to buy! Hell! They could even save themselves time and give out like a... I dunno uhm.. royalty payment? to current modders to feature their stuff on the sims official site if they let the company own the CC from then on but the artist either would get a single fair payout or a couple of cents per download kinda payout.... it would motivate the people who make CC for money as well as fun and give EA a massive pool of content to choose from!

The best part of simblr: Seeing all the amazing talent, imaginations and humour of the people around me who have the same joy in playing sims as I do. Seeing comments on my posts even if it’s just a <3 I get all happy seeing it!

The worst part of simblr: Well I haven’t really gotten to see the dark side of Simblr to be honest but I do think that people sometimes can get out of hand with their differing opinions.

What other games you play: World of Warcraft, Starwars Online, Any MMORPG really I’ve tried almost all of them if they are free to try. Lately, my husband and I play Titan Quest together it’s fun it’s like Diablo 2

other websites or accounts (origin, twitter etc..): uuuuuuhm I have a Facebook account for personal use that I hardly use other than to get messages from people I need to hear from since I do not have a phone. I have a twitter I never use that I linked to things so they post on it for me? I have an Instagram I was putting crochet stuff on it but I can’t remember the password for it anymore I never use it really I don’t really Uhm... do the social thing... I’m on Discord?

I’m tagging: @quinnterestingsims, @kalissimsblog, @lotusplum, @sammsims, @sadmachinepng, @nyxfoxx if you already have done this or don’t want too then just ignore it.

#socials

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creativetrashcans · 5 years ago

Text

Simmer - Get To Know

By @cupcakegnome

Tagged: @ talemagne

CHIWAWA

Your name: Lonely Chiwawa (she/her)

Languages you speak: Catalan, Spanish and kinda English

Are you a mermaid: No not really... can barely swim tbh

Your play style: mmmh i like most things, creating sims, builidng is so much fun too, also challenges mmh stories no tho i cant write em LOL rip

Your Selfsim picture:

Stories or gameplay, builds, lookbooks, edits or cc: Challenges, builds and some other things coming heh

Your favorite age state: Teen or young adult

Your favorite season: Winter!!! i feel it has a lot to do and the snow is soooo pretty

Your favorite holiday: Only played harvest fest so far... in sims BUT irl i like Christmas

How was your day: It was chill and nice, even went outside wew

Your favorite career: Painter...........................maybe?

Your favorite aspiration: Soulmate

Your favorite EP, SP or GP: Seasons

How old is your simblr: Less than a year i think

Have you woohooed: Yes, many times

Your favorite skill: Cooking, parenting and painting

The size of your Mods folder: 37,7 GB

Your 3 favorite mods: uhhhh hahaha impossible to choose

Your interests (other than sims): Drawing, make up and nails, mmh minecraft old anime and series too

Your favorite sim (picture if possible): Maybe not my favourite Sim of all time because we got so many! But this is our version of Franky form One Piece. Before starting any project just for fun we made him and I always felt so proud of how he turned out. Not only he looks very attractive, i also feel its a good representation of how a human him would look like.

Which Sims games you have played (including mobile games): Sims 2, 3 and 4

Propose a crazy scheme: People being nice always and world being in peace and not dying in gud old climate change

Best part of simblr: seeing how other people enjoy the sims and how they play also them aesthetic

Worst part of simblr: mmhhhhhhhh lack of comunication between players i don’t feel much sense of community here at least now... i actually suck at comunicating so..... dunno

What other games you play: Minecarft recently but not much into games actually

Other websites or accounts (origin, twitter etc..):

Twitter --> https://twitter.com/creativetrashc1

Intagram --> https://www.instagram.com/creativetrashcans/

Personal Instagram --> https://www.instagram.com/elia_clco/

My side tumblr --> https://generationtrashcan.tumblr.com/

Are you single: Nuuuupe

WORM

Your name: Lively Worm (she/her)

Languages you speak: Catalan, Spanish and some English.

Are you a mermaid: Nope, I’m a worm.

Your play style: I love building houses and decorating them, dressing sims and doing their makeup.

Your Selfsim picture:

Stories or gameplay, builds, lookbooks, edits or cc: I do gameplays, challenges and buildings.

Your favorite age state: I think it’s young adult because I can explore more.

Your favorite season: Autumn, because of the beautiful colors.

Your favorite holiday: I don’t know yet, I haven’t explored all of them.

How was your day: It’s 15:40h and I’m hungry, I want to eat soon.

Your favorite career: Musician.

Your favorite aspiration: Musical genius, unsurprisingly.

Your favorite EP, SP or GP: Pets and vampires.

How old is your simblr: Less than a year.

Have you woohooed: ¬_¬

Your favorite skill: I don’t know, maybe the singing skill?

The size of your Mods folder: 29,9 GB.

Your 3 favorite mods: I can’t choose. There are so many so good!

Your interests (other than sims): Singing, drawing, anime, manga and kpop.

Your favorite sim (picture if possible): Why?? I can’t choooooseeee, I love most of them! Okey, after a lot of thought I’ve chosen Una, Usopp’s daughter from our 100 Baby Challenge, because the three of us love her and I love drawing her!! She’s really charming and she’s grown up really well. I relate to her because she also loves drawing and vampires.

We posted some drawings of her on twitter and insta!

Which Sims games you have played (including mobile games): Sims 2, 3 and 4. And some PS game I don’t remember.

Propose a crazy scheme: Making people learn expectatives are bad and judging others hurts everyone involved.

Best part of simblr: I can share our art and tell many stories with interesting sims.

Worst part of simblr: The lack of comunication.

What other games you play: Kingdom Hearts, Hollow Knight, The Last of Us... mostly play station games.

Other websites or accounts (origin, twitter etc..):

Common Twitter: https://twitter.com/creativetrashc1

Common Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/creativetrashcans/

Personal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/makaru_walker/

Are you single: No, I’m Turtle’s.

TURTLE

Your name: Lazy Turtle (she/her)

Languages you speak: Catalan, Spanish, English and some basic French.

Are you a mermaid: Pretty sure I’m not.

Your play style: Starting projects and never getting past the building process is a playstyle? I usually like to have some objective though, instead of just playing aimlessly.

Your Selfsim picture:

Stories or gameplay, builds, lookbooks, edits or cc: I find stories pretty awkward to portray on Sims, and fashion and decoration were never my strong point. So I stick to challenges, both found and created.

Your favorite age state: Depends on what for. Young adults are the easiest to manage and have more options, but toddlers are the most challenging on a Baby Challenge.

Your favorite season: Autumn, always. Its colors are just beautiful.

Your favorite holiday: Haven’t played them all yet, so I can’t say.

How was your day: (Tumblr erased all my hard work on this thing, but the day I first wrote it I had my blood taken so not great). Today, I discovered the extent of human stupidity in mass hysteria situations. Never seen a supermarket so empty of food before.

Your favorite career: Hypotetically, writer. But I haven’t played as one yet so I can’t confirm.

Your favorite aspiration: Big Happy Family’s been pretty fun for our matriarch, but I still have many more to explore. (I can say it’s not the kid’s mobility one. Stupid mecanography.)

Your favorite EP, SP or GP: Probably Seasons so far.

How old is your simblr: Less than a year.

Have you woohooed: Uh.

Your favorite skill: Uhhh... No idea.

The size of your Mods folder: 29,9 GB. Worm and I share a game and a mods folder, but Chiwawa dumps her messily organized mods on us from time to time.

Your 3 favorite mods: Wow nope.

Your interests (other than sims): Mostly writing and reading (I’m the main writer of this tumblr, btw), but also videogames, anime and k-pop.

Your favorite sim (picture if possible): I wouldn’t say it’s my favourite sim of all time, I have far too many sims I love for different reasons, but this one was specially hard to get right so we feel particularly proud.

His name is Carles Serra, and he’s a parental figure for two of the MCs of the story we’re working on. He’s a math and ethics teacher on a very exclusive highschool, and he needed to have both a very refined and snobbish air and this inevitable awkwardness all math teachers seem to have. Plus, he has to deal with teenage drama all through the story, so I feel like he needs a lot of love. And maybe some vacation.

Which Sims games you have played (including mobile games): Sims 2, 3 and 4. And I think I once tried to make a sim on a terrible PS2 version or something.

Propose a crazy scheme: Mandatory therapy for teens so everyone learns empathy and management of one’s emotions would be pretty neat.

Best part of simblr: Sharing our common passion with others in a free and creative way, probably.

Worst part of simblr: The lack of interaction, I guess. I had only ever been in a very small fandom here on tumblr before, and compared to the closeness of that comunity, I feel like simblr is... very scattered.

What other games you play: Play Station ones, mostly. Whatever gives me a compelling story.

Other websites or accounts (origin, twitter etc..):

Common Twitter: https://twitter.com/creativetrashc1

Common Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/creativetrashcans/

Personal Twitter: https://twitter.com/ALazyTurtle1

Are you single: I’ve been dating Worm for years now.

We will tag: @hellobreadsims

#sims #sims 4 #new simblr #franky #op franky #one piece #one piece franky #oc #original character #100 baby challenge #selfsim #sims tag #get to know tag

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edosianorchids901 · 6 years ago

Note

Hi! If you're still doing the Garashir prompts, how about number 91. "I can't breathe."? Either angsty or fluffy would be fine by me, so whatever you feel like writing. Thank you so much!

Thank you so much for the prompt!!

Read on AO3 - if Tumblr mobile formatting is acting up, this is likely your best bet

The walls loomed, tipped, collapsed.

Garak clutched the edge of his table. Deep breaths, in andout. That was all he needed. Deep breaths.

As if I haven’t spenthours forcing myself to take deep breaths, he thought. The entire dayconsisted of one deep breath after another.

Just breathe. Just calm down. Just relax. The asinineplatitudes given by those who’d never endured true panic, never known thecrushing weight of rubble. Rubble didn’t care how deeply you breathed, howloudly you screamed. It was immutable, oppressive, eternal.

But now, the rubble existed only in his mind. When he lookedup, his shop walls stood innocently in place. He waited, challenging them tomove in again.

They remained still, and Garak bent over his work. The fabriccaught on his trembling fingers. Something exploded in his chest and he hurledboth dress and tailoring tool onto the table.

The tool skidded across the smooth surface before crashingagainst a bolt of cloth with a satisfying thud. The dress, however, simply fluttereddownward, brushed against the table edge, hung there for a mere second, andthen slid lifelessly to the floor.

“If that isn’t typical,” Garak muttered. He bit back theseething mass of rage, fingers digging into his thigh. A true Obsidian Orderagent wouldn’t allow himself to knocked off his place by a disobedient garment.

And yet, the dress seemed to mock him from the floor. You can’t even control fabric. How can youever hope to control yourself?

“Perhaps I’m not a true agent anymore,” he said to the inertpile of cloth. “Perhaps I never was. After all, didn’t I repeatedly fall preyto sentiment? And now… I’m certainly not doing much to serve my people thesedays.”

Informing on them, yes. Fighting against them, yes. Killingthem all, yes.

Serving them? No.

“Elim?”

Garak jerked his head up. How had he missed the footsteps?“Ah, Julian.”

Deep furrows carved into Julian’s brow. He strode throughthe shop and pressed his fingertips to Garak’s temple. “God, your pulse isracing again. Are you all right?”

“Perfectly fine.” No time for weakness. “Whatever are youdoing here? It’s late.”

“Precisely. It’s late, and you never came home.”

Ah. That. Garak wriggled out from under Julian’sministrations and scooped the dress off the floor. He deposited the outfit onthe table—more calmly this time—and gathered errant scraps of cloth. “I wasworking.”

“You looked like you were talking to a dress.”

“Yes, well, it’s like plants. The clothes grow better if youtalk to them.” The stranglehold on his throat refused to ease. He shook thescraps out and laid them on the table one by one, then neatly folded them.

“That’s…nice,” Julian said in that I’m not entirely sure if you’re joking tone. “But really. It’sincredibly late, and you need rest. You’re under a lot of stress lately—”

“Oh, am I? I hadn’t noticed.” Really. What was it withhumans and their constant need to state the obvious?

“—under a lot of stress lately,” Julian pressed on, “andit’s important that you rest. You’ll never recover otherwise.”

Recovery. Another odd human concept. As a Cardassian, therewas no recovering from those sorts of memories. One either integrated theexperiences into their proper place and went on with life…or one didn’t.

Perhaps that was what Julian meant by recovery. Theexperiences couldn’t be erased, not even by humans’ fading memories. Butlearning to live with those memories, to continue with life…that was a necessary,if uncomfortable, process.

Garak added another folded scrap to the stack. “Sleep evadesme these days, my dear, as I believe you well know.”

“Garak.” Julian leaned against the table, and Garak edgedaway. “I know you’re not sleeping well, but that’s exactly why you need to comehome. Even if you can’t actually sleep, the rest will be beneficial. It’sbetter for you than spending all night…”

Being completelymiserable and questioning why I’m alive? “Brooding?”

“Well…yes.”

Garak sighed. Not many options left at this point. Oh, hecould always create a scene with Julian, the same sort of thing he’d done toEzri. But that hadn’t been fair to her at all, and lashing out at Julian wouldbe horrifically cruel. The good doctor was only trying to help, annoying thoughit was.

Yet perhaps a fight was preferable to admitting why hecouldn’t go home.

Ridiculous. Pullyourself together, Elim.

“Yes, of course. You’re quite right.” The rest would benefithim, leave him fresh for the miseries of the next day. If only he couldactually make it to their quarters.

Julian’s shoulders relaxed and a smile played on his face.“Good. I’m sure you didn’t eat, so we’ll have dinner before bed.”

“And kanar.” Goodness, he needed kanar. He brieflyconsidered raiding Quark’s private stock. The bar was closed at present, butbetween one ex-spy and one genetically enhanced doctor, they could defeat Rom’selaborate locking mechanism.

“Did you have your session with Ezri?” Julian asked,breaking Garak’s criminal contemplations. “I sent you a message earlier askinghow it went, but you never responded.”

A sharp twisting pain stabbed Garak’s stomach. He tipped hishead back and studied the empty walkways on the Promenade’s second level. Not only a traitor to my people, but aterrible partner. I suppose it’s true to form. “My apologies.”

“I was worried.” Julian touched a warm hand to the small ofGarak’s back as they walked. A sweet gesture, one he didn’t deserve after hisnegligence. “It’s not like you to completely vanish.”

“You could have come to check on me.” The nearer they drewto the lift, the more his restless energy sought an outlet, a target. “It’s notas though my shop is a great distance from the Infirmary.”

He winced at his own tone. Julian, however, merely looked athim. “What’s going on?” he asked with his usual disarming directness. “Is itjust the decryptions? Or has something else happened?”

“Does something else need to happen?”

“That’s not an answer.”

“Ah, humans. Such a narrow view of ‘answers’.”

The lift doors parted like the maw of a great beast. For afraction of a second, Garak’s steps faltered. But no, he wouldn’t allow himselfto be defeated again.

He passed into the abyss, into the dark cage of metal andcircuitry. Each breath echoed in his ears. His head roared, heart pounded,hands quaked.

And then the doors to the trap sealed shut. They’d neveropen again. He’d die here, in this box. And he wasn’t just trapped in the box,in this coffin. No, the entire stationwas a trap, a metal monstrosity suspended in vacuum. There was no air outthere, no air in here, and he couldn’t breathe—

“Stop!” He slammed his hand against the door. Everythingfell away around him, leaving only his frantic breaths, only darkness, only thewalls closing in, crushing him…

“Computer, emergency override, open lift doors.” Handscaught him, pulled at him. “Garak, come on. Garak.”

He surrendered to those hands, just as he’d done in thecrawlspace at Internment Camp 371. There was an odd lurch, a sense of being lifted,and then he was on solid ground again.

“Elim, look at me.” A warm hand on his cheek. “Garak, I’mhere. You’re safe.”

Julian. Yes. “I can’t breathe.”

“You’re all right, you’re not trapped. We’re back on thePromenade.”

The Promenade. He blinked, twisted. The lift lurked behindthem, doors frozen open by Julian’s emergency override. The damned contraptionstill looked like it wanted to eat him. It was at an odd angle now, though.Sideways.

Oh. It’s me, not thelift. I collapsed again. Lovely. He splayed a hand against the cold deckand pushed into a seated position. Julian knelt beside him, expression almoststubbornly professional. “Easy, Garak,” he said, grasping Garak’s shoulders.“Not too fast.”

“I believe I’m somewhat better now.” His heart still thumpeddramatically, and his breaths raced as if he’d just flowed through acomplicated series of stratagems. And his head…oh,how it ached. But the walls remained stationary.

“What the hell is wrong with you, Garak?” Julian’s voicethrummed with barely suppressed fury. “Why didn’t you tell me you were havingtrouble with the lifts?”

All my lessonscertainly haven’t gone to waste. He’s getting quite good at this. “Why doyou assume I was having trouble prior to this?”

That earned a look that the doctor usually reserved for hisworst patients. Which was perfectly fair, in truth. “You should have told me.How many times did you try?”

The tightness in Garak’s chest finally eased, and he manageda deep breath. The air filled his lungs, clearing his head. “Three, but thiswas my best attempt. I actually managed to stay in until it began moving. Quiteremarkable, to say the least.”

Julian caught his arms and tugged. “Come on. Get up.”

Absolutely not. Garak rocked his weight back and remainedfirmly in place. “I’m not up to another try, Doctor. I believe I’ll just sleephere tonight.”

“Do you really think I’d try to shove you back into a small,dark space?” Julian gave another pull, and Garak didn’t resist this time. “I’mnot forcing you to come home, but I’m also not gonna leave you sleeping on thedeck. You’ll give yourself hypothermia.”

Another annoyingly fair point. Garak let himself meltagainst the doctor’s side. “So, where are we going?”

“As you pointed out earlier, I happen to have an Infirmarynot too far away.” The gently teasing note returned to Julian’s voice, and herubbed Garak’s arm. “An Infirmary with lots of beds.”

That was certainly a better alternative than another trip inthat damned coffin of a lift. Garak leaned closer, greedily absorbing the warmcomfort that Julian so freely offered. “Lead the way, then.”

#garashir #garak x bashir #elim garak #julian bashir #star trek #deep space nine #ds9 #plain simple writing

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taeyohonic · 6 years ago

Text

Seat Stealer

(I know Taeyong has red hair in this fic, but not in the picture. However this is the closesed I’ve come finding a gif with the vibe from this story. So please, forgive)

This is my entry for @nctwriters summer prompt challenge! I hope you guys like it.

Prompt: It’s summer break and you love it because that means the library will be totally empty for you to enjoy all to yourself. Except for the fact that when you walk in one day some really cute guy is sitting at your table.

Member: Lee Taeyong

Genre: summer romance / mostly fluff, a bit smut @ the end, so i’ll classify this as m (I guess?)

Words: 7.3k

“This isn't funny.” “Excuse me?”, cute boy sitting in your seat is looking genuinely confused by your sharp tone.

“That’s my seat.”, you say, pointing unnecessarily at the stool he's wrongfully occupying. Cute boy’s brown eyes change from confusion to mischief in a flash. His mouth forms a sinister grin when he responds.

"You really think you have a right to a specific seat in a public library?" You don't think you do, you know you do.

Nobody else spends as much time here as you. Not even the two librarians. And especially not during summer break.

What is someone like him even doing here? His fiery red hair is tousled in a stylish mess, the kind where you can’t really tell if the guy put in a lot of work or none at all. His sun kissed skin makes you think that being indoors isn’t his preferred choice. And his cloths – swim trunks and a plain white shirt – scream beach day, not making Y/N’s life harder-day.

This boy is so far out of your – and this library’s – league, maybe your best friend Seugil is playing a prank on you.

But even she wouldn’t get a guy like that into a place like this just to mess with a slightly deranged and desperately awkward outsider like you.

Seugil is a solid seven, but this person in front of you is scratching on the ten. And the look he gives you indicates he’s fully aware of that.

You try to stay calm – interactions always bring out the worst in you.

“I always sit here.”, you say trying not to sound as snappy as before.

“Well, you're not sitting here now. So-... this sentence is grammatically incorrect.”, he responds and smirks at you. Oh no, not good. You feel your face getting hot. Even though you try to be rational, this guy is getting to you – both physically and mentally.

You could just walk away, find another place where you can continue your limbo of reading trashy romance novels and writing smutty fanfictions in peace. But this seat is perfect: right under the AC, with a nice view of the indoor court and a shelf full of inorganic – and untouched – chemistry books at the back, that nobody bothers to check out. This is heaven for introverts in the summer.

And this seat stealer is not taking it away from you. Deep breaths Y/N. Deep breaths.

“Would you mind sitting somewhere else?”, you ask in a sweeter voice.

Seat stealer is now looking you over, measuring you up. He won’t be impressed. You didn’t put too much effort in today’s appearance: A white summer dress, floor length so you didn’t have to shave, and a messy bun full of black hair, being hold together by dry shampoo.

You are not ugly. But you sure do not try to put your average features in the best light. Who do you have to impress? The answer is sitting right in front of you, clearly unimpressed.

Self-consciously you try to avert your gaze. Maybe another seat isn’t that bad. But to your surprise seat stealer contradicts his nickname by standing up. The loud scratching of the stool against the linoleum is the only sound in the library.

“I don’t mind. Please.”, he responds standing.

Flabbergasted you switch into autopilot and move around the table to take your rightful seat. But cute guy isn't exactly retreating. He just waits next to your seat and watches you sit down, still with this ridiculously handsome grin on his lips. He definitely is in your personal space. You can smell the sun screen mixed with an herb nuance of freshly cut grass on his skin.

Now sitting, you look up into his dancing eyes.

“Thank you.”, your mom raised a semi polite kid.

“No problem”, former seat stealer says and sits down right next to you. And sits down right next to you? What the hell? You openly stare at him. What. the. hell? There are roughly 40 empty seats in this building. This isn’t a polite distance. This is an invasion. This guy is giving you an amorism just by existing.

You are one move away from just standing up and aborting this whole mission, leaving in defeat. But there is still your pride. And the fact that seat stealer is now no longer watching you but looking at his phone. If you weren’t so sure he is trying to fuck with you... But what alternative is there? At home there is no AC, which would slowly kill you. Finding another seat after the whole stand you just took would undermine your fragile credibility.

And even though you don’t know this guy, loosing this charade with him is not an option. So, you do what any introvert does – detach from the social situation.

Opening your laptop, a dozen new notifications pop up and you are pleasantly surprised that even tough real life is surreal right now, your online community is reliable. You take your time responding to the asks about your next updates and the few chat messages you received since last night. Then you post a text on your tumblr:

gonna finish new chapter as soon as seat stealer lets me exist in peace

Not even a minute later your phone vibrates. You feel curious eyes on you while reading Seugil’s message.

[seugil 10:04 am] somebody dared to sit on your seat? [y/n 10:04 am] somebody has reception while camping? [seugil 10:04 am] somebody tries to change the subject? [y/n 10:05 am] there is not much of a subj. guy was on my seat, guy moved to the seat next to mine, guy is annoying. [seugil 10:05 am] guy is cute? [y/n 10:06 am] guy is cute.

You try to breathe normal. This you can manage. Even if his presence is unwanted and quite frankly rude, you’ll just do what you always do.

“You’re sitting in a library full of books.” Cute boy is definitely not low-maintenance.

“Yes”, you curtly nod, not even looking up from the screen.

“Yet, you read on your computer?” You can feel his eyes on you and turn around. Sure enough there he is – facing you, leaned back, right arm causal swung over the armrest, the whole body angled towards you.

“Rich coming from you, seat stealer.”, you bark and point accusingly at his mobile device resting in plain sight.

“Well, I am here against my will, so…”, he answers and causes you to pause. So, you were right – the boy doesn’t fit in here, and he doesn’t want to. Curiosity wells up, so you try to suppress it, but it’s no use. Who are you kidding? You are interested.

“Who forces you to spend your time in a well-tempered room, surrounded by written knowledge and people who understand the concept of giving you space?” The end sounds like an accusation emphasized by your widened eyes mapping out the sheer nonexistent distance between you two. Cute boy, who just chuckles in response, leans forward to answer your original question, simply skipping your critique.

“Failed my finals, so I have to take them again during break.” So cute boy is dumb, what a waste of perfect appearance. You don’t judge people on things they can’t change. But sitting in a library to study for a test you failed and then only being on your phone? Self-fulfilling prophecy of getting fucked. Seat stealer seems to read your facial expression like an open book – hard to believe given his aversion to print.

“I tried to help my neighbor, got caught, teacher thought it was me cheating, took my test away –“

“-and your summer.”, you finish for him, nodding and believing him. Maybe you want to think of him as a smart person, or maybe his eyes tell you that he wouldn’t lie to a stranger about such a thing.

“No, my mother stole my summer, when she personally drove me here this morning to quote work my ass off unquote”, he corrects me and uses air quotes as well as an unbelievable high-pitched voice to mimic his mother. You really like that he uses “unquote” as well, not many people do.

“So, you didn’t tell her that you actually don’t need to study?”

“I tried”, a huff emphasizes his frustration, “but she won’t believe me.”

Parents who don’t listen suck. But you think that it’s a good preparation for adult life. No adult trusts another adult.

“Sooo-“, you motion towards his cell, “you’ll just bid your time?”

“I wouldn’t call being on level 54 of Candy Crush bidding my time.”

“That, my friend, is the definition of bidding one’s time.”, you chuckle, and he joins you.

“Huh, friend? You don’t even know my name, Y/N.”, he says, mocking you and-… using your name? What the hell? Your confusion must again be readable, because seat stealer answers your unspoken question.

“Your hard case.” The explanation is accompanied by a demonstrative tap on your laptop. Ah, your name tag Y/N’s property – touch and die, a birthday present from Seugil.

Now you don’t know what to say. Should you ask for his name? What added value has this information? There isn’t a single scenario, where his name would be important to you in the future – well no plausible scenario. He could have just offered you his name, but he teases you with it. That’s why Seugil wants you to go out more. Your social skills are underdeveloped at best. So, you just stare at him and blush a bit, because he does the same. After a minute, what feels like eternity, you have enough and just break the contact, focusing once again on your laptop. You feel foolish for even engaging in this banter in the first place.

“Taeyong” It is spoken minutes after your failed attempt to get back to reading and his soft voice holds a hint of an apology. You don’t turn your head again, not ready to face cute boy again so soon after your defeat.

Taeyong – it fits. You can’t wait till you can call him by his name.

Your opportunity arrives two hours later. You have really tried to finish this chapter, but his presence is distracting at best, sabotaging at worst. Although he does go back to his phone after waiting some time to get a reaction out of you from revealing his name.

Again, what the fudge were you suppose to say? Thanking him for telling you? Agreeing with him? What is the protocol when someone whispers his name to you? This is so bizarre, there isn’t even a Wikipedia article for that type of situation – you know, you checked!

But now your battery is running low and the adapter is in your locker with your lunch, which you could use right now. The clock is just shy away from one and your stomach demands food. Normally you would eat in here. At one the receptionist takes her break and smokes behind the garbage cans, which you can see from your seat. So, you can do the forbidden, eat in the reading room.

But now he is here, making everything so much more difficult. Reluctantly you turn in your seat to face him.

“Uhm- Taeyong?”, you start and test out his name. It sounds nice, a bit soft at the end, but with a strong start. You approve.

“Yes, Y/N?”, he answers emphasizing your name as well. He locks his screen, giving you his full attention.

“I’d like to eat lunch now so-“

“Thank god! I really tried being patient, giving you space, yada, yada, yada, but I am starving!”, he groans in relief and stands up from his seat. What is happening? He couldn’t possibly think?

“You coming, Y/N?” Taeyong is steps ahead of you, around your table and you just stare, dumbfounded.

“But..but my laptop?”, you stutter and look at him helplessly and totally overwhelmed. You just wanted him to look after your laptop while you eat outdoors in peace.

“Just put it in your locker.”, he answers nonchalantly and motions for you to get up. What is seat stealer doing with your perfectly planned day? Destroying it, that he does! You stand up, defeated and hungry, and follow him.

“So, you are telling me you’ve never watched Star Wars?” Taayong speaks with his mouth half full, which should be a deal breaker, weirdly enough isn’t. You both are sitting on the grass, even though your white dress is crying its fabric soul out. He is munching on a sandwich, that you are 99,9% sure is a work of his mum. Your own cuscus salad is delicious, and you are glad you spend the extra hour in the kitchen yesterday.

“No, I said quote I’ve never watched the newer ones unquote. Luke, Leia and Han?” a dramatic pause follows, “That, Taeyong, is Star Wars.”

He just shakes his head, looking at you like you’re some foreign entity, ready to fight the humans to death.

“I don’t disagree with you,” Oh it sure feels like it, “But what about Anakin, Padme and Jar Jar Binks? That’s Star Wars as well!” He is getting more animated as he continues, “You can’t just exclude parts of history, just because they aren’t up to your standards!!”, his arms are flailing comically, making his biceps far too present for your liking. This boy sure is beautiful, and wrong.

“I’m the consumer, I make the decisions!”, you proclaim and put a big spoon of your salad in your mouth, chewing contently.

Taeyong’s personality is like a warm winter day – surprising and welcoming. He isn’t as teasing and forceful as you’d predict from your first meeting. His smile is easy, and his mind is fascinating. Even though his appearance, and his confidence of it, makes you sometimes swallow in silence. But the last hour the both of you ate and talked, an easy banter surrounding you. You’d never imagined being comfortable enough to eat next to a strange guy.

Taeyong, however, is such a force without trying, making every sheer obscure decision seem like a no-brainer. Letting your laptop in your locker? Sure. Eating on the grass while wearing white? What are washing machines there for? Watching a prequel that is objectively bad? How else would Georg Lucas financially survive?

“What do you like to do, when you’re not demolishing cinematic classics, Y/N?”, Taeyong asks after a while to end the silence.

You shrug. “Nothing much.”

“You like to read, right?”, he probes, trying to get a more sufficient answer. Well, wrong counterpart, seat stealer.

“It’s effortless and fun.”, you answer packing up your lunch box, signaling the end of this break. Sure, talking to Taeyong is exciting and refreshing. Talking about you makes you feel uneasy, like you are not enough of a subject to talk about.

“I like to swim.”, he says switching gear, not even contemplating packing up his sad remains of a sandwich. You look at his body, which is perfectly build for this sport. His shoulders are broad, his biceps defined. Taeyong is tall in general, his hands being extremly big.

“Isn’t the chlorine bad for your dye?”, you ask slightly judgmental about the red fire on his head. He groans flipping onto his back stretching his whole body on the lawn. His shirt rides up with the motion, revealing a tiny trail of hair, peaking out of his swim trunks. Oh my, you quickly look away, but the thoughts of where this trail leads stay with you and color your cheeks in a rosé blush.

“Don’t remind me.” His hands are in his hair, gripping it tightly. It seems like he is trying to rip it out. “I cannot believe I lost this bet.”, Taeyong adds and looks up at you. Ok, now you are judging hard.

“You dyed your hair because of a bet?”

“I was so sure I’d beat this guy at our last competition before summer break.”, he explains and continues telling you about his perfect swim record, slightly bragging, that it was a no-brainer to win the swim meet. That he absolutely would have, if it weren’t for his googles shifted in an awkward position, leaving him disoriented and his eyes irritated.

“So, the guy who won doesn’t like you very much.”, you conclude.

“Why would you say that?”, Taeyong asks and raises himself up, propping on his elbows.

“Because he chose that color.” The explanation is met with a lopsided grin.

“Nah, Tail is my best friend.” Who needs enemies when you have best friends like that?

“You don’t like it?”, Taeyong asks as he stands up, holding a hand out for you to take. Like so many other things you did today, this again feels easy. You put your hand in his warm palm and he pulls you up in one swift move. Taeyong doesn’t release your hand. He just puts yours into his hair. Who does that?

“Isn’t it soft?” This guy knows no boundaries.

[y/n 03:41 pm] this guy knows no boundaries [seugil 03:45 pm] cute guy is still there? lmfao [y/n 03:45 pm] he put my hand in his hair!! [seugil 03:50 pm] …seat stealer has guts [seugil 03:51 pm] how did it feel? [y/n 03:51 pm] burned like fire [seugil 03:54 pm] ? [seugil 03:54 pm] ? [seugil 03:54 pm] ? [seugil 03:55 pm] ? [seugil 03:55 pm] Y/N!! [y/n 03:55 pm] chill – his hair is flaming red, it’s a metaphor [seugil 03:58 pm] know only 1 boi with flames, snap a pic y/n [y/n 03:58 pm] after u lower me in my grave [seugil 03:58 pm] Y/N [seugil 03:58 pm] Y/N [seugil 03:59 pm] Y/N [seugil 03:59 pm] Y/N [y/n has sent a picture 04:20 pm]

“Did… did you just snap a picture of me?” He sounds incredulous and your blush automatically appears. Damn, damn, damn. With shyness you face him. His eyes are slightly narrowed, and you can’t make out if he’s mad or just impressed.

“No?” More a question than an answer, because you did exactly that. He leans over coming dangerously close.

After lunch you grabbed your adapter and the both of you sat at your prior seats. For the next hour both of you presented millennials at their best, you on your computer, him on his phone. But then Seugil had to be a pain. So, you awkwardly tried your luck. However your paparazzi skills are mediocre at best. Of course he’d noticed. In which universe does such a thing actually work?

“No?”, Taeyong repeats. Now he just sounds impressed by your blunt lie. You shake your head, too deep in this mess to come out unembarrassed.

His face is close, and you can again smell the fresh grass on his skin. The lunch break gave him a slight simmer, making this boy look seriously delicious.

“Let’s make a deal.”, he starts and points to your phone.

“Send me the picture,” over your dead body, “and I’ll never ask why you took it.”

Never? “You’ll never mention it?”, you ask with suspicion in your voice. Taeyong nods. “What it?”

“What’s your number?” He patiently dictates it and you save his contact, sending him the picture without a comment. Seugil’s reply pops up and you feel strangely defeated.

[seugil 04:24 pm] TY-TRACK TAEYONG!! omg omg call me asap when home!!

So, she knows your seat stealer. Taeyong told you that he lives in the city right next to yours. Therefore, the chances of your best friend knowing him were big – Seugil had dated Mark, presumably from the same school – last year. But you had somehow hoped that this seat stealer was yours. Now you are at a disadvantage again.

[Taeyong 04:25 pm] I look like the hottest man in the library

That day will end with an aneurism.

It didn’t. It ended with you leaving soon after the phone debacle with one contact more on your SD card, cute-boy-exposure for more than six hours, enough blushing to permanently damage your skin and a phone call with Seugil. So, Taeyong was not lying – he is wildly known for his swim talent. His gift to effortlessly flirt is legendary, especially given the fact that he never has a steady girlfriend. Not even a parade of flings. Either he silences them with an enchantment or this boy is all talks, no play. But just imagining it, you don’t think the second option is very possible. And it irks you how much that fact sours your mood when you try to go to sleep that night. There is no way in hell you’ll see this guy again. But even when you think that, somehow you know this is a lie. And you’re glad.

“You are really testing me, seat stealer.”, your stern voice is contradicted by your small smile.

But Taeyong moves over in one swift move, taking with him the almost empty cup of iced coffee.

“Just saving you your seat.”

You just shake your head and take your place right next to him. Today he wears a pastel green button-down shirt and jean shorts, hiding his red hair under a black cap. He looks like sin and it irks you how impressed you are and how your heart flutters uncomfortably.

“Yeah, because there are so many seat stealers waiting to make my summer miserable.”, you respond under your breath while firing up your laptop.

The next half hour is spent in silence. Taeyong is on his phone, while you are catching up on the last fanfiction updates. After years of reading and writing smut, you kind of got used to not reacting to fandom fluff in public. But still it feels exciting to read about cockwarming so dangerously close to him.

Just his presence makes your summer much more exciting, even though you would never admit it out loud. For the first time ever, you feel uncomfortable in a good way. Like you could actually manage to sit next to a ten and occasionally talk to it. You hear Taeyong’s moan before you feel his head drop on your shoulder. Your body reacts before your brain does and you title your head towards his. A few inches are separating your lips and you can't breathe.

"Look Y/N! Look at my friends enjoying themselves while I’m a slave of my own misery!", he proclaims and shoves his screen in your face.

There are five guys cramped together into one selfie. All of them with bare chests and shit eating grins. Two of them are holding suspicious bottles in their hands, while one of the guys is concentrating hard on the watermelon slice in his hand. The beach in the background is very familiar and you just continue to stare at the picture. The other option would be Taeyong’s lips. And your body isn't ready for that.

It’s the fifth day in a row this boy has graced your normal, slightly boring, day with his presents. You can officially say, that there is a crush building. And by official you mean that you are sure your intense blushing, the awkward silences after his flirty remarks and your hard to repress heart-eyes whenever he talks about something passionately, are a clear indicator for outsiders. And Taeyong. But he doesn’t tease you much. He talks to you, sometimes brushing his hand against yours, or like now, resting his head on you. This guy sure has some boundary issues and somehow, it’s not driving you away from him. No, you feel yourself moving forward.

Taeyong is a fixpoint for the next weeks, filling in for your best friend, who is still camping in the wilderness. You get to know the cute boy with an ego like Zeus, making it harder to disregard your crush on him. Now you’re again taking a break in the little garden of the library. The sun is hitting your skin hard today. Taeyong’s head is rested in your lap, his phone covering his face, while you lean against an old tree to block the sunshine. Like him, your cell is in front of you, as you see the invite.

[Mark Lee invited you to bonfire party this Friday] accept or decline?

Huh, you aren’t really that tight with Seugil’s ex, but you try not to scare people away that really try to make an effort. And they both parted on good terms, Seugil still sometimes going out to his parties, him sporadically joining our movie nights. This invitation though surprises you. He knows Seugil isn’t here, why asking you to come?

[seugil 02:32 pm] GO! [y/n 02:32 pm] are you stalking me on fb?? [seugil 02:33 pm] stalking, raising, loving – all the same! [y/n 02:33 pm] how boring is camp with fam? [seugil 02:33 pm] unbelievable [seugil 02:33 pm] go to the party [y/n 02:33 pm] why? [seugil 02:34 pm] u deserve to have fun [y/n 02:34 pm] and being alone @ a party is fun? [seugil 02:34 pm] sure seat stealer will be there [y/n 02:35 pm] not good enough

But then you look down and see Taeyong’s eyes. His phone is thrown away and his smile is directed at you. Warmth spreads around your body. Maybe good enough?

“I can just see your inner crisis not being able to claim a seat.”, a very familiar voice chips in your ear and there is an instant blush covering your hot cheeks.

So Taeyong is here. You slowly turn around and there he stands shirtlessly trying to kill your fragile heart. This crush is getting ridiculous. And this guy is just too damn attractive for his and your own good. Taeyong is wearing the same black swim trunks you first saw him in and nothing else. You can see his defined abs. It's no bodybuilder level, but just enough muscle to get your muscle clenched.

His sun kissed skin has a light glister and makes him shine. Taeyong looks like he stepped out of a beachwear ad. You are now just blankly starring at him, but not in the eyes like a normal person. No, your stare is directed at his stomach, then his arms, the lanky bicep and then his fully displayed collarbones. His long neck looks so bitable, you start to chew on your lower lip out of reflex. Then your view moves to his face, where you're met with a teasing smile.

“I'll-... manage.”, you chough out and shield your arms around your midriff. The black strappy summer dress you chose is hugging your figure a bit more than you'd normally tolerate, but summer is ending and you were 80% sure that you’d meet seat stealer here and you wanted to impress him.

“Let's get you a drink and me a refill, shall we?”, he answers and wows his index finger into the right shoulder strap of your dress tugging you lightly into the direction of the keg. Drinking with seat stealer isn’t exactly playing it safe. Not when you have this immense crush on him. And not when he so knows this.

Taeyong sees the hesitation on your face and cocks his head to the side.

“Or... we could discuss why you were just now shamelessly ogling me?”

“Lead the way.”

You see the victory in his smile as he moves his hand away from your shoulder and places it on your back. After all those weeks of physical contact with him, you're still surprised how much his touch does to you. Your heart is pounding fast as he leads you to the table, accompanied by bystanders curiously following the pair of you with their hushed gossip. Self-consciousness creeps up your bones. Do they think we are a couple? Are they judging you for even trying with someone like him? You avert your gaze and focus on the sand at your feet. It's less harmful to your insecurity. Sand doesn't judge you.

“You drink beer, right?” You just nod your head and he gives you a funny look.

“Why so quiet, library girl?”, he asks and fills your cups, placing one of them in your clammy hands. Before you can think of a snarky remark, that won't give away your fragile feelings while still getting him to shut up, you hear his name being called.

“Yo Tae, come back here!”

You turn around and spot a small group of guys sitting in a circle. The bonfire is not far away from them, but just far enough to give the boys an exclusive air around them. All the other guests, that are not swimming or dancing to the summer hits being jammed out of some boxes, are huddled around the big fire, lazily talking in soft voices.

“Thanks for getting me a drink, I'll just go and find my frie-”

“And bring Y/N with you!”, a familiar voice adds, and your eyes widen in shock. Mark? Just your luck, that the only other person you know is evidently a friend of Taeyong. Of course. More people stare at you and follow this exchange curiously. How embarrassing. Taeyong’s friends have the situation reading skills of a seagull.

“Come on, meet my friends, Y/N. Don't make me beg.”, he says and because you don't want to be the center of attention any longer, you crave.

“The guy with the silver hair is Ten, he's sitting next to Mark, who you seem to already know.”, Taeyong starts to murmur in your ear. His skin smells like grass again and it makes your mouth water.

“Lucas is the one closest to the chips – a deliberate choice. I have never seen a human eat so much. WinWin is leaning against him. He can't hold is liquor very well and we've been here since seven.”, he continues as you arrive at the circle.

There is an empty spot, presumably Taeyong's space. It's between WinWin and Ten and it's small. Before you can start your mental breakdown over this, seat stealer intervenes.

“Make room jackasses and let the lady have a seat. She sure likes her seats.” The last part is whispered just for your ears and you feel a shiver running down your spine.

You sit down as gracefully as possible with a drink in hand, wearing a dress and standing on sand. Taeyong follows swiftly, positioning himself dangerously close to you. His shoulder is touching yours and you can feel the warmth of his skin. Trying to control yourself, you take a big swing out of your red cup, wincing at the bitter taste of warm beer.

“I’m so glad you could make it, Y/N.”, Mark begins and winks in your direction.

Mark has always been easygoing, a jock without the teasing layer of bullying unpopular kids. When Seugil dated him last year, it was truly a miracle how well you fitted into their couple activities. They wanted to ride rollercoasters till they had to vomit? You were waiting for them, eating pinkish cotton floss, until you had to vomit. A boat trip? Count your single ass in with a thick book and enough sunscreen to give you a ghostish aura. Maybe your compatibility with the pair was the first sign, that although Mark and Seugil liked each other, they didn’t have the spark making your presence disruptive.

“I haven’t seen you all summer.”, he continues while stealing a chip out of Lucas’ hand, earning a slap in return. All the other boys are looking at you curiously, making you realize that you haven’t said a single word since joining them. You cough shily and respond with caution in your eyes.

“You know me, outdoors isn’t my preferred setting.” “So you’re saying Y/N”, Taeyong starts a lopsided smile dangling close to your face, “your preferred setting is indoors with me?”

“Let’s say indoors, and you are an acceptable disadvantage.”, you answer, bringing the beer to your lips to get some much-needed distance from this boy. You hear a few oh burn from the guys and stare at Taeyong. To hold eye contact with him makes you tingle, the brown of his eyes so deep, you never want to stop staring. The air hums between your bodies, leaving you excited and your heart feeling alive.

“So, you’re library girl?”, WinWin asks and breaks the tension, takes a sip of his own drink while looking curiously at you.

Taeyong talks about you? To his friends? And he uses your nickname? Why? And more importantly, what does he talk to them about? Your crude – antisocial – behavior? Or the way your shoulders keep brushing against each other every time you show him a meme on your computer? Or your tendency to fall silent every time you feel too uncomfortable? Or how he shares his headphones with you, when you just have to listen to the new album of his favorite artist? Or the fact that you have a giant crush on him, which is basically written on your forehead with waterproof sharpie?

“I am?” The answer sounds more like a question, doubt clouding your voice as you look around the circle of his friends. WinWin seems to love your response, clapping his hands together. Clearly excited and clearly just as drunk as Taeyong said, because this boy forgot he holds the cup of beer in his hands, accidentally showering you in warm alcohol. You shrike, closing the distance to your seat stealer to avoid getting more liquid on your dress. Taeyong’s arm comes around you and he tries to twist you into his body, shielding you from the unwanted alcoholic shower. The smell of grass is insane this close to him, your nose stroking his collarbone, breathing in deeply as his upper body shakes with silent chuckle.

“What the hell man?”, he accuses his friend, his voice sounds muffled through your human cocoon.

“Sorr-… sorry. Damn.”, you hear WinWin trying to get up, “I’m just excited to meet the girl keeping you from us this whole summer.”

His words are slurred and laced heavily with alcohol, but you can understand the sentence clear as day. It just doesn’t make sense. You keeping him away? He has to be at the library, because of his failed finals. His mum, not you, forces him to be there every day. Is WinWin that drunk? But as the words leave his lips, your self-proclaimed shield, one second chuckling, goes stiff. You can hear the faint sound of the bonfire crackle behind you, but Taeyong is silent, suspiciously so. Your cheeks heat up, because there is obviously some inside knowledge you’re not prior to.

You peek at Taeyong, just seeing his pointy chin, so you squirm yourself out from under this boy to look him in the eyes. But his arms are stonily holding you in position, direct at his chest, his biceps more like steel bars than flesh.

“We’ll go clean up.”, he says curtly, standing with you in his arms, effortlessly lifting you up in one swift move.

“You’re not even dirty.”, Ten laughs while Taeyong takes long strikes away from his friends, putting growing distance between you and their drunken laughter. You sneak a last glance at them, seeing Mark’s grin, WinWin’s hand on your abandoned beer, Lucas’ face in the chips bag. They don’t care a bit that Taeyong basically manhandled you, half carrying you, half letting you hobble along with his long legs.

You try to scramble your thoughts into an order, which doesn’t sound insane. What the hell just happened? You are heading to the dark water in front of you, totally deserted from the few swimmers earlier. The waves crash against your bare feet and you shrike at the cold water touching your skin. He wouldn’t. No. He wouldn’t dare.

“Take your dress of, Y/N.”, he says, some laughter coming back into his voice while he snaps one of your shoulder straps away with his finger. This was a beach party. Of course you have a swimsuit under your dress. But this was an alibi choice, a deliberate decision to not look too out of place, while still never even considering to actually go for a swim. But you never imagined going to a party without your best friend, or sitting next to seat stealer and his friends, or how good his body felt pressed against you, and how alive you feel with his hand on your shoulder.

So, you take a leap as the both of you continue going into the water. The cold wet is already up to your knee, as you try to stop your feet from moving. You plant them into the sand and Taeyong does magically halt, looking at you, searching your face.

“You don’t have to.”, he breathes gloomily, taking his hand from your shoulder. You must be insane, but that he actually gives you the option to back out of whatever this is, makes you adventurous, as your fingers grab the hem of your black dress, pulling it over you head in one single motion.

Now you are standing in front of your crush in a dark red one-piece suit, which modestly covers most of your body. With shaking hands, because the water is freaking cold, not because you’re just the bravest you’d ever been, you wad the piece of clothing into a ball, giving it to a stunned Taeyong.

“Let’s not even pretend I can throw that far.”, you joke, your voice abnormal high due to the anxiety cursing through your veins. The only answer from your crush is a single toss, sending the item safely onto dry sand. So, at least something is safe in this scenario.

Taeyong’s eyes burn into your skin as the both of you slowly begin your ascend through the deep water. The ocean soon closes in around your bodies, making you less self-conscious about your appearance. Taeyong leads, his back against the open sea, with his front never leaving your sight. Cold fingers dance hesitantly around your clothed waist as he stops, water just covering your hard nipples.

Before he can speak or do anything to silence you, you try to make sense of WinWin’s comment, the remark still fresh in your memory.

“When is your make-up exam?”, you ask with a heavy layer of accusation. Somehow knowing the answer, before Taeyong confirms your suspicion.

“Two weeks ago.”

“Why?”, you whisper, while his hands now rest confidently on your waist.

“Because I like you, library girl.”, he confesses and closes the distance between your bodies.

“How much?”, you whisper and let your fingers hold onto his biceps for support.

“That much that I spend the last two weeks in a library.”, he chuckles confidently and leans down, letting his nose bump into yours.

His breath is visible due to the cold evening air and you stare at his lips, now in plain view. How many times had you dreamt about this? Him? Like that? Before the moment vanishes, Taeyongs lips drive onto yours.

They are warm and soft and fit perfectly on yours. Your mouth matches his intensity, as you feel his tongue tracing your bottom lip. With a soft whimper you let him in. His arms are around moving from your waist to your cheeks. Taeyong’s wet hands frame your face and title your head back.

Your bodies are pressed together, and your tongues explore each other in a heated banter. He tastes like beer and honey and you try to get closer to him. He moans, feeling your breast flushed against his bare chest.

No more distance, you think and touch every inch of skin. Your fingers brush against his abs, mapping out the muscles and earning a deep growl from him. In a flash his hands are no longer on your face. Now they are firmly on your butt cheeks. You yelp in surprise as he lifts you up, guiding your legs around his waist.

The air is leaving you as you get drunk on this kiss, warmth arising in your core. Tayeong lets go of your mouth and moves his lips downwards to your neck, lightly sucking on your wet skin.

“How?”, you whimper, your brain no longer capable of the syntax.

“How what?”, Taeyong murmurs into your neck, never letting his lips leave your body.

“H- how can this feel so good?”, your voice is strained from a tension you have never felt before. Automatically you start to roll your hips and hope it will relieve this strain in your lower body.

“How can it no-… Y/N,” Taeyong’s groans, “you trying to unman me?”

His hands try to still your motions, but then he snaps, buckling into you.

“Ah”, breathlessly you encourage him. This is fast. This is not playing it safe. Your lips are on his and you try to consume him. Taeyong’s hands move from your butt to your hips, assisting your hips and fastening their speed. It feels like the water is boiling as one hand reaches between you two. He uses two fingers and lays them directly against your clit.

“Ahh” Too much pressure, just enough, never enough.

“P-pplease.”, you beg. “Shit”, he starts to move them in sloppy circles. You continue to grind against him, now feeling a hard length press against your slit. The moan out of your seat stealer’s lips sounds desperate as you rub against him. It feels so good, even through his trunks can you feel his cock twitch and it makes you so hot, you’re certain the water around you is boiling.

“Never stop”, you whisper and find a rhythm. The tension continues to build. “You feel so good wrapped around me” His words are spoken against your mouth, trailing wet kisses across your jaw, finding their purpose on your collarbone. Taeyong’s fingers move the fabric of your swimsuit away to touch your clit without any barrier. You flex your legs instantly, overwhelmed by the electric current running through your body, making your skin tingle.

Then his teeth sink in your neck at the same time his index finger moves between your folds. All thought is lost as you scream silently buckling franticly against him. You see light flash behind your eyelids as an orgasm rips through you. Never had your own fingers managed to give you this high. Your hips draw lazy circle around his length as you are trying to regain control.

“Wow”, you breathe, and your hands roam around Taeyong’s upper body, who still lightly nibbles on your collarbone. He chuckles against your wet skin.

“How you feeling, Y/N?”, he asks and moves his hand away from your heat, up to cradle your cheek. You look into Taeyong’s eyes and see a fondness in them, that shines through the darkness of this night. He looks as smitten as you feel. But at the same time there is a hunger in his stare that reminds you of his hard erection still pressed into your lower body. Now your shyness comes out in full force. What to do? What to say? Everything up to this point felt as natural as breathing, now you’re again overwhelmed, and your mushed, orgasm-high brain is no help either.

“You want me to..?”, you question and try to sound seductive, your hand vaguely motioning to his crotch underwater. Taeyong just shakes his head, letting small waterdrops rain from his wet red hair. Before you can feel rejected, he kisses you openmouthed, making you forget the slight pain of the mark on your neck.

“Please, if I don’t get my first handjob from you in the reading room of our library, my dirty fantasies would never forgive me.”, he answers warming your heart more than his gifted orgasm beforehand.

[seugil 11:38 pm] Y/N WHY ARE YOU WET ON EVERY SINGLY TAGGED PIC OF THIS PARTY?? [seugil 11:38 pm] AND WHAT IS THAT ON YOUR NECK? [y/n 11:42 pm] anD WhAt iS tHaT oN yOuR nEcK?

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jarienn972 · 6 years ago

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Only a Little Superstitious - Chapter 18

I realized yesterday as I was getting ready to post the latest chapter of my other ongoing story that I hadn’t posted this recent chapter update on Tumblr yet. It’s been up on AO3 and FF.net for a little while so I apologize for the delay getting it posted here. This new chapter picks up right about the same time as the cliffhanger ending of Chapter 17 and if you haven't figured out yet why Kronk continues to pursue Emma and Killian, I've dropped a few not-so-subtle hints here.

Previous chapters on Tumblr: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17

Carlos managed to make the hike back to his government-issue SUV in approximately fifteen minutes less than it had taken to ascend to the cavern. Armed with photographic evidence of the matching symbols, he had practically skipped down the mountainside, still lost in disbelief that this hidden hiking trail just might hold a gateway to another world. If they were right about everything, by tomorrow, he would be able to physically witness magic. Grandmother had always insisted that it existed and now, they would be able to see its return. He had heard these legends since he was a boy and never dreamed that some might just be true.

He tossed his backpack onto the rear seat before sliding behind the steering wheel and stretching across the center console to flip open the glove compartment, retrieving the charger cord for his phone. Not having a signal out here in the middle of nowhere was quite draining on the battery. He'd barely glanced at the phone all morning except to check the time or to make use of the camera since he knew he wouldn't have service until he reached Highway 60. As soon as his phone was in range of a tower though, his phone chimed with notifications and Carlos would soon learn of the drama unfolding down in the Valley.

Unlike his own beat up Suburban, the Park Service SUVs were fully equipped with built-in Bluetooth so he could listen to his messages without needing to fumble with the speakerphone button. He had only a single message but it had Carlos pulling off to the side of the highway the moment he heard it. There was no mistaking both the urgency and hint of fear in Emma's voice as he listened to her words, realizing that she'd left the voicemail for him just ten minutes earlier. Had she contacted Tim already and if so, what action might they take?

He'd barely screeched to a stop before slamming the gearshift into Park and grabbing his phone, dialing Emma's number impatiently while hoping she would pick up quickly.

"Carlos, I'm so glad you called," Emma answered on the third ring. "Did you get the message I left and are you back in the city yet?"

"Yes, I got the message but no, I'm not quite there yet. I'm still a few miles east of Apache Junction – maybe forty minutes away if I disobey a few speed limits… Did you get ahold of Tim?"

"I had him paged by one of the nurses here in the Emergency department. He's on his way." She didn't sound entirely convinced though.

"I'll give him a call myself in case they didn't relay the urgency, but I'm sure he's on his way. I'll make sure he knows what it's about and call you back when I'm closer to Mesa. I don't know how we'd do it, but I think we may need to get the two of you out of there…" Even as he suggested it, Carlos reflected on how risky that idea might be but he didn't see any other option.

"I'm honestly inclined to agree, but I don't think that would be easy…," Emma replied as a tall, dark-haired man in a cadet blue uniform pushed open one of the double doors across from her. "Carlos, hang on a minute… This might be your friend, Tim, now…"

"Sheriff Jones?" the uniformed man asked as he approached, extending his hand toward her in greeting. Emma nodded as she shook his hand, reading the name on his badge which confirmed who he was even before the security chief introduced himself. "I'm Tim Stillwater, head of security here at Mesa General. Glad to finally meet you in person, despite the circumstances…"

"Tell Tim hello for me," Carlos said with a chuckle from his end of the phone call. "I'll leave you in his capable hands and call you back when I reach Mesa."

"Excuse me one moment, Mr. Stillwater," Emma apologized as she wrapped up the call. "Thanks, Carlos." She disconnected the call and returned her attention to the man standing before her. "Carlos days hello and he's on his way."

"No need to apologize," Tim replied. "If anyone should be apologizing, it should be me as I got dragged into an incident out in the ambulance bay trying to help restrain some high as a kite guy paramedics brought in who attacked two orderlies. So sorry for that delay, but how can I be of assistance?"

Emma contemplated her words carefully. She knew that Carlos had provided Tim with portions of their situation but she hadn't been privy to those conversations so she didn't know exactly how much had been discussed. "You're familiar with how my husband got here?"

"I'm sure I don't know all of the details but I know that Carlos rescued you from up in the mountains after your husband was stabbed by someone. He also told me that the attacker was still at large which was why he chose to bring you here for my oversight…"

"He's here," Emma interrupted, not wanting to waste too much more time explaining right at this moment. "I just saw Killian's assailant, Nehemiah Kronk, in the cafeteria a few minutes ago. He was carrying around a box of flower bouquets, probably pretending to be a florist…"

"Okay, in that case, why don't you come with me?" Tim suggested, reaching for the radio clipped to his belt. "Let's go look at the security camera footage so you can point out the man, then I'll have my people get this place on lockdown…"

"No, you don't want a lockdown," Emma stopped him. "That might push this guy to do something rash. I don't want to put anyone else at risk."

"Okay, Sheriff," Tim began, taking her warning under advisement, "how do you think we should proceed?"

"Well, the first thing I need to do is get to my husband. He doesn't even know any of this yet but I don't want to go back through the cafeteria to the main elevators in case Kronk is still there. Is there some other way to get upstairs?"

"There's another elevator back this way that isn't open to the public. Your husband is still in the ICU right?"

"Yes. He was sleeping when I came downstairs to get coffee so he doesn't know Kronk is too close…" Emma stopped when she realized she was rambling, worried that Tim might think she was unstable.

"Do you think this Mr. Kronk knows your husband's room number?"

"We've kept that information pretty quiet so I doubt it. My parents don't even know the room number, but Kronk knows how seriously wounded Killian is. I don't know if he'd think about ICU though."

"This is a very large hospital campus so there are a lot of rooms for him to search unless he knows where to begin. Obviously, he would eliminate certain floors like pediatrics, but it will still take a while. Our staff is trained to protect our patients' privacy, but if he starts talking to other patients or their families and friends, we can't control what information they might give out."

"We're going to have to get Killian out of here," Emma stated as Tim pushed open one of the double doors into the Emergency area. "And we've got to do it fast, before Kronk finds us."

"This guy's pretty tenacious to have hunted you down. What exactly does he want from you?"

"I honestly don't know," Emma replied and she didn't even have to skirt around that answer. She really didn't know for certain why Kronk was trying so hard to find them. "It feels like he needs something from us and maybe it's about something that happened after the attack… I just don't really know…"

"Hard to gauge the intent of some people," Tim said, not questioning her vague response. "Now, I'll be happy to help you both out with getting your husband moved to another facility, but are you sure about this? It might not be safe to move him."

"No, it might not be, but I have to weigh which would be the bigger risk – potentially causing my husband further injury by moving him or the possibility of putting others in danger if Kronk doesn't find what he wants?" Emma's dilemma was certainly a valid one and she sensed that Tim didn't envy the choices she was facing. She knew she would also be making this same argument to medical staff very soon, but she didn't doubt her decision and she knew that neither would Killian. No innocent people would be put at risk for their sake.

By the time Carlos called back, Emma had already engaged in two separate arguments with medical personnel who didn't agree that Killian should be discharged and moved to another facility even if his condition had improved overnight. Tim Stillwater had intervened as best he could, explaining that it was a necessary relocation due to personal security concerns for the law enforcement officers. Tim was in agreement that remaining here at Mesa General wouldn't be safe for anyone so Emma had made a phone call to Dr. Whale, requesting a favor from him to set up a fabricated transfer of Killian to a private, unnamed location. After a few minutes of protesting, Whale agreed and had his administrative assistant draw up formal-looking instructions which were sent to Killian's attending physician in Arizona. The Mesa medical staff had finally relented, still voicing their disapproval while a nurse began disconnecting the multitude of monitors and machines he'd been connected to.

With Carlos only a few minutes away, Emma was hurrying to help Killian get dressed while Tim and his staff kept a watchful eye on the hallways and security camera monitors for any sign of the man Emma had identified for them in footage filmed earlier. Getting Killian clothed however was proving to be a more daunting challenge than planned due to his mobility limitations, and he was growing increasingly frustrated by his inability to perform even the simple task of pulling on his own trousers. She'd grabbed the most basic pair she could find amongst the clothing Carlos had acquired for them a few days ago – elastic waist, soft fleece pants which weren't too dissimilar to the ones Emma often wore to bed.

Killian despised this helpless feeling as he lay there allowing his wife to dress him. His chest still itched from the irritating adhesive that had once secured various medical sensors to his skin and he was anxious to be rid of the last remaining tether – the IV catheter taped to his forearm which was delivering a last dose of medication. He might as well get the last of the pain medicine before they departed this building. Emma had a long-sleeved, button-up shirt draped across his waist and was digging his boots out of the backpack when the nurse returned to yank out the IV, placing a bandage over the tiny crimson bubble left behind.

Emma gave her husband a quick sideways glance as she gathered up their belongings, shoving them nonchalantly into the backpack while awaiting their friend's call. As much as she was loathe to admit it, she still found the sight of Killian's bandaged chest unsettling, but she did her best to keep up a brave face. She knew he was doing the same in attempt to bolster her spirits, but she recognized the cracks in the façade, knowing all of this exertion was bound to take a toll on him.

With his arm free from the tubing, Killian reached for the shirt, determined to do at least one thing for himself. Despite a mild tremor, he managed to hold up the charcoal grey shirt long enough to shove his maimed arm into a sleeve, tugging the fabric as far up onto his shoulder as he could manage, already thankful to no longer have his deformity on display. He then raised his right arm above his head, reaching behind his neck in attempt to grasp the collar of the shirt, but it was just beyond his fingertips. With his teeth already gnashed from the discomfort this position was inflicting on his body, he struggled with the reality that he was going to need to ask for help. Emma spared him that indignity though as she moved swiftly to his side, taking hold of the fabric and moving it into a position where Killian could grab it and maneuver the other sleeve so he could slip his right arm inside. The pain he'd just inflicted on himself was agonizing but at least he felt as though he'd accomplished something, however small, but he conceded defeat when he stared at the row of itty bitty buttons.

"Could use a hand with these, Love," he said, eyes still downcast with embarrassment.

"Of course," Emma replied without judgement, recognizing how difficult all of this was for him. She buttoned it as rapidly as she could, wanting to be ready to move the moment Carlos called. Killian didn't even fight her as she pulled socks onto his bare feet then shoved his boots on. He was basically ready to go as soon as an orderly brought them a transport chair.

It was Tim Stillwater who first poked his head into the room though, informing them that one of his guards spotted Kronk on the floor below them, delivering one of the bouquets Emma had seen him carrying earlier, evidently in attempt to maintain his cover. He seemed to have no indication that he'd been made which was Emma's one consolation. Kronk was just getting too close though, she fretted, so caught up in that thought that she practically jumped when her phone rang. Carlos' timing couldn't have been better.

The conversation was brief – Carlos instructed her to meet him outside by the ambulance bay. She relayed the plan to Tim who ducked out of the room in search of the tardy orderly while Emma tossed their last few items into the backpack, the last of which was the specimen jar containing the broken tip of the dagger. They were going to need this later.

In minutes, they were ready to go and despite some minor grumbling on Killian's part, Emma and the orderly managed to get the pirate maneuvered into the wheelchair. He wasn't particularly enthusiastic about his wife having to push him, still cursing his inability to walk, but with no other choice available at the present, he swallowed his pride and accepted the aid.

Handing Killian the backpack to hold onto while she pushed the chair, Emma was noticeably tense while they awaited Tim's signal that Carlos was in position. Tim had already waved off the orderly, circumventing standard hospital protocol in this situation to avoid additional sets of prying eyes. So many thoughts were swirling through her head but her primary concern was for Killian. The morphine would wear off soon, plunging him back into severe agony. It pained her to even think of subjecting him to it all over again but hopefully, Grandmother would have a solution.

"Carlos is here," Tim announced as he re-entered the room. "Coast is clear to the service elevator, but we need to go now. I've got two of my men guarding the main elevators and one watching the east stairwell. They've been ordered not to engage Mr. Kronk should they encounter him, but I don't want to push our luck."

"We're ready," Emma assured the security chief. "No one else has spotted Kronk yet?"

"We've been keeping a close watch on the security cameras," Tim began as Emma carefully spun the wheelchair around, then pushed it through the doorway and made the turn to her left. "Unfortunately, the cameras don't cover all areas, but unless something has changed in the past few minutes, he's still on the third floor." Emma nodded, quickening her pace as Tim led the way down the unauthorized corridor toward the private elevator.

Reaching the ground floor, the elevator doors parted to reveal another uniformed guard standing sentry. The guard stepped aside to allow them to pass while confirming to his boss that their quarry wasn't in sight. No words were spoken as Tim cleared a path through the busy Emergency area for Emma to follow, making their way toward a side door that exited into the ambulance bay which was typically only used by paramedics. On the other side of that door, Carlos stood outside of the Park Service SUV and he immediately jumped into action to help Emma get Killian into the vehicle. They had to do this quickly as they didn't want to remain out here, exposed, for too long.

While Emma and Carlos scrambled to get her mobility-impaired husband into the relative safety of the SUV, above them, Nehemiah Kronk had reached the fourth floor, closing in on their prior location. Intensive Care was a little trickier for the former Marshal to navigate as the rules generally permitted only immediate family. He'd approached the desk in his guise of delivery man, inquiring about a patient by name of Killian Jones and very briefly explaining that he had a delivery from the patient's family back in New England, but they hadn't known his room number. The nurse behind the desk denied him any information, but as he listened to her response about patient privacy and safety, Kronk's eyes were soaking up every little detail around the desk. He noticed that the rack of patient charts contained six clipboards, but the names or codes printed on their labels were far too small to read from his vantage point so he mentally tried to correlate them to the surrounding rooms that might appear to be occupied. Out of the eight rooms in this ward, six had closed doors and but open curtains to allow nurses clear view of the patients, one had an open door and open curtain, and the eighth had its door open but curtains were drawn closed. If occupied rooms were indicated by those closed doors, what was different about this possibly unoccupied room that led to its curtains being closed?

Kronk grinned at his good fortune as an alarm suddenly drew the nurse's attention away. In the brief seconds that her back was turned to focus on another patient, Kronk darted into the room with the open door, prepared to apologize should the room be occupied but he couldn't help but indulge his curiosity that this room could be related to the pirate.

Ducking inside, he could tell that the room was either occupied or had been very recently vacated as the bed linens were still rumpled and a not-fully depleted bag of IV fluids still hung above the bed. The patient's chart had already been removed so Kronk took a brief inventory in hopes something might have been left behind that could confirm the identity of the room's occupant. The countertops were bare and monitors were already powered off, but he realized that the trash can hadn't yet been emptied as a basic brown, heavily taped cardboard box caught his eye. He snatched the box out of the waste can and a smile widened across his face as he recognized the addressee – Emma Jones, Care of Ranger C. Littlecreek.

The remainder of the address label was torn but he had enough evidence to confirm his suspicion. The Storybrooke savior and her pirate husband had been here, the injury he'd inflicted on the pirate severe enough to warrant Intensive Care treatment and scrutiny. He also realized that it meant that the item he sought likely wasn't here any longer. A surgeon would certainly have removed it, probably with complications, but it meant he'd still have to track down Sheriff Emma and his first clue was the second name on the discarded package.

C. Littlecreek. Ranger?

Was that how they'd made their way off of the mountain? Assistance from a Park Ranger?

He tried to speculate how this new information would aid him when his train of thought was momentarily derailed when a young, dark-haired woman clad in flowery scrubs strolled into the room pushing a small cart, presumably to collect the used bed linens.

"Oh, sorry," the startled woman stammered. "Wasn't expecting anyone to be in here…"

"Apologies," Kronk replied, plastering a fake smile onto his lips. "The patient who was in this room, Mr. Jones, do you know what happened to him?"

"Sorry, all I was told was that the patient room was empty and I got sent to clean up," the woman responded.

"Ah, well, someone Mr. Jones knew back East sent him a get well bouquet that I was trying to deliver. Unless we have a new location to deliver it, I guess it's going back to the shop," Kronk explained, hoping it would make his presence less questionable.

"Afraid I can't help you," the young woman stated as she yanked the blanket from the bed. Kronk smiled at her one last time before exiting the room, thankful that the nurse at the desk was still occupied and didn't appear to have noticed his nosing around the vacant room without authorization.

Pausing in the elevator lobby, Kronk took a moment to gather his thoughts and ponder his options. Had the pirate been move to a different room within this same facility or had he been discharged? The latter seemed unlikely from Intensive Care, but then the possibility remained that Jones died. If he wasn't dead, he might have been moved, but was he still here or had he been transferred to another facility? There were still dozens of rooms to search in this building but while he knew he was on the right track, should he keep searching or regroup and try another approach?

He thought about that second name on the torn address label, C. Littlecreek. He wasn't in Texas so the title of Ranger most likely would refer to a National Parks Service Ranger, the same inclination he'd had earlier, before he'd been interrupted. A fortuitous encounter with a Park Ranger had likely saved the pirate's life and it didn't seem like much of a stretch to think that the Sheriff might have befriended that same Ranger. She'd obviously had her package mailed to the Ranger's address, probably a place of employment based on use of the title. A Park Service field office maybe?

Now, armed with this new lead, he was convinced he was close. His prize was well within his grasp and with that, he'd be home soon.

Tagging @killian-whump for this latest update as I think I forgot to tag her on the last chapter. (I realize that this chapter is a little light on the whump unless you want to count bested by a button down shirt) Not done with the pirate just yet though. If anyone else would like to be tagged for future chapters, please let me know!

#cs ff #cs fan fic #cs fan fiction #captain swan ff #only a little superstitious

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mobilemechanicsomaha · 4 years ago

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Best Tonneau Cover Installation Service and Cost in Omaha NE | Mobile Mechanics of Omaha

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Tonneau Cover Installation service near Omaha NE: Are you looking for Tonneau Cover Installation service near Omaha NE? Mobile Mechanics of Omaha, offers other tonneau covers as well. Choose from a Soft Roll Up, Tri-Fold, Full Tilt Tonneau Covers, and much more. Cost? Free estimates! Send us a message or call us today. Best Tonneau Cover Installation Service around Omaha NE. We serve Omaha NE and other areas. Get a Free Quote Now!

TONNEAU COVER INSTALLATION SERVICE IN OMAHA NE

OMAHA TONNEAU COVER INSTALLATION

Tonneau Covers & Installation in Omaha NE

Tonneau Cover Installation service near Omaha NE: Tonneau Covers & Installation not only make your truck look sharp, but it protects your cargo inside the bed too! With hard tonneau covers from either Ranch or Leer, you will be satisfied with the choice you made.

If you’re not looking for a hard painted tonneau cover, Mobile Mechanics of Omaha offers other tonneau covers as well. Choose from a Soft Roll Up, Tri-Fold, Full Tilt Tonneau Covers, and much more. Mobile Mechanics of Omaha carries many tonneau covers with the best prices in the Omaha NE area.

No need to look anywhere else, Mobile Mechanics of Omaha only carries the best in any product available for any vehicle.

Mobile Mechanics of Omaha in Omaha NE has any Truck Accessory available! Looking for a Grille Guard or Bull Bar, Mobile Mechanics of Omaha has it!

Give us a call today to speak to one of our truck specialists about protecting your vehicle with one of our many accessories.

Benefits Of A Tonneau Cover For Your Truck

Tonneau Cover Installation service near Omaha NE: We can all agree that Tonneau Covers are really visually appealing. They provide a classy element to the image of your truck, covering up the dirty bed that is typically visible. But the benefits of a tonneau cover goes way deeper than this aesthetic appeal.

There are five major benefits of a tonneau cover that we’re going to go over , each of which is a major reason that every truck owner should have one.

1. Safe transport of your equipment or luggage

The most obvious benefit of a tonneau is the protection of whatever you are hauling. Whether it is equipment for a long day of work, luggage for a family trip or a bed-full of mulch this spring, there is no safer way to secure your haul. A tonneau cover can protect you from rain, snow, wind, or whatever element crosses your path. And as you know, it is extremely important to have year-round protection in Ohio.

2. Improved Gas Mileage

This may be the most overlooked advantage of a tonneau cover, but it is in fact a big benefit. Due to the aerodynamic design of a tonneau cover, your bed will generate less air drag. This will increase your gas mileage by around 5%, though some vehicles are able to save as high as 10% gas mileage, compared to an open bed.

With these savings, your tonneau cover will pay for itself over time!

3. Increased Security

Keeping your precious cargo out of sight and out of the mind of potential thieves is a great step in protecting your equipment. A truck bed cover does just that; covers up whatever you are hauling, keeping it out of plain sight. In addition to simply concealing what you’re carrying, many tonneau covers also come with some sort of locking mechanism, which helps to completely protect whatever you put in the bed of your truck.

4. Organization

How many times have you loaded up your truck and driven around, just to find later that everything in your truck spilled or shifted? Well, don’t be caught in this annoying dilemma again. Tonneau covers help to keep things in their place, protecting against the wind that so often attributes to the shifting of supplies. Load up your truck and trust that everything will be exactly how you left it when you arrive at your destination.

5. Value

With all of these features of a tonneau cover, your truck will do well to save you money now and make you more money upon resale. A tonneau cover will help to save you money from low gas mileage, lost/damaged cargo and theft. It will also protect the bed of your truck and help to prevent serious damage that will cause repairs to be needed. But upon reselling your truck, the bed will maintain much better shape than if the bed was exposed. This will help to maintain the value of your vehicle, more than paying for itself down the road. So don’t just upgrade your vehicle; invest in your vehicle with a tonneau cover.

TIPS

Tonneau Cover Installation service near Omaha NE: Once you’ve found the perfect tonneau cover for your pickup, it’s time to install it in your vehicle!

In the following section, we will show you how to install the WeatherTech Roll up Pickup Truck Cover on your vehicle. If you purchased the WeatherTech AlloyCover, installation instructions are available here.

Preparation

● Start by unpacking all tonneau cover components and placing them on a clean surface. Second, gather any tools needed for assembly, including wrenches, additional clamps, tape measure, protective eyewear, and scissors.

● The first step is to install the tonneau cover side rails. It is important to read and follow the specific instructions included in your cover’s packaging as some kits contain special side rail instructions.

● Position the side rail with weather-strip against the lip of the box. Push the rail forward until it touches the front of the box. Make sure the end of the rail with the nylon strike is in the rear of the truck bed.

● At the front of your truck bed, adjust the top of the rail flush with the top of the box and hold it there with assistance of another person or a spring clamp.

● Install the first clamp as close to the front of the bed as possible and use a ½"’ wrench to tighten.

● With the rail flush at the top of the box and teeth on the clamp engaged, tighten the clamp. Check to see if the rail is level. If the rail tilts upward, loosen the clamp, lower the rail, engage the clamp’s teeth and re-tighten the clamp.

● Once the rail is level and secured in place, install a second clamp on the rail at the midway point of the box. Adjust the rail flush at the top of the box and repeat the clamping procedure, making sure the clamp teeth are engaged on the rail grooves.

● At the tailgate, adjust the rail height flush with the top of the tailgate. Repeat the clamping procedures, placing the third clamp as close to the tailgate as possible. After the first rail is complete, repeat these steps to install the rail on the opposite side.

● Apply Front Header Seal

● Assemble the Tension Adjusters to the Tonneau Cover

● Mounting the Cover to the Side Rails

COST

How much does it cost to install a tonneau cover?

Tonneau Cover Installation service near Omaha NE: Tonneau covers are highly essential if you have a truck. You want your truck bed to have a secure sense so you can feel at ease when you leave your equipment in the truck bed. Most of us find this useful because we know truck users have gears that they need to protect.

However, tonneau covers are very much expensive. Yes, they are pricey but all of them are worth the cost. When people come for us to gain ideas, we only give them one advice: You must determine who is installing the tonneau cover.

Most soft tonneau covers can be installed in 30 minutes to 1 hour duration by someone with limited mechanical skills. Hard tonneaus generally can be installed in 30 minutes to 2 hours by someone with limited mechanical skills. But, most covers work best only if they are properly installed. You must remember this!

If you don’t line up the rail correctly on a roll-up tonneau, the chances are it may be more difficult for you to close it. If you missed the correct seal placement on a hard tonneau, the chances are it may not be as watertight. It is the reason why you should be knowledgeable about the people you ask to install the tonneau cover.

Soft tonneau covers tend to be more tolerant on the installation than a hard tonneau. You can check this to have better understanding — we guarantee you that it will be beneficial!

Another question people ask us is how much money they need in order to install a tonneau cover. A lot of you are probably asking how much it cost to install a tonneau cover. We are going to answer this question as straightforward as we can. Soft covers generally cost $150 to $550 whereas hard covers start at about $500 and go up to over $2,000. As you see, the prices are high because tonneau covers are so effective. With this truck cover, you will never have to worry about your things to be missing.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How To Choose The Right Tonneau Cover?

There are many things to consider when shopping for a new tonneau cover for your truck. What should you look for in your next tonneau cover? Whatever features your truck needs, the Truck Gear by LINE-X brand has a selection of tonneau covers made to suit any truck owner.

What To Look For In A Tonneau Cover?

This guide will give you the tools to select the perfect tonneau cover for your truck to safeguard your cargo. One of the biggest questions truck owners often have is How am I going to protect the cargo in my truck bed? Between toolboxes, drawer systems, toppers and more, truck owners have a wide variety of bed customization options. While all of these products offer great solutions, one of the most popular products to protect cargo for decades has been the trusted tonneau cover.

Today's tonneau covers are made of several different types of materials, open and latch in different ways, and feature a range of security options so choosing the right one can be challenging. Tonneau covers have become the gold standard for protecting gear you want to keep clean, dry and secure. A good bed cover can also improve your gas mileage.

What's The Best Tonneau Cover?

When selecting a tonneau cover, truck owners need to consider the level of security that meets their needs, ease of use, budget, and type of cargo being hauled. A professional tradesman with thousands of dollars in tools, parts and supplies is likely to need much more security than a truck owner who hauls basic cargo for weekend projects.