#Airbnb Listing Management

[realxystay]

Relaxy Stay is a airbnb listing management company in Dubai, Relaxy Stay: Your trusted Airbnb listing management company in Dubai. We handle all aspects of your Airbnb property, from listing creation and optimization to guest communication and cleaning services.

[raatart]

a complete boycott list in alphabetical order

a complete list of companies / brands / franchises to boycott in support of palestine that i have been working on putting together for a while now.

remember to support your local businesses

stand with palestine against genocide

(Food & Beverages)

A

Activia

Acqua Panna

Akmina

Absolute Vodka

Algida

A&W

Aquafina

Alpro

Actimel

B

Burger King

Baskin Robbins

Ben & Jerry's

Bugles

Betty Crocker

Badoit

Becel

C

Coca Cola

Costa Coffee

Cadbury

Cheerios

Cheetos

Campbells

Calve

Cappy

Chiquita

D

Dominos

Dasani

Dunkin' Donuts

Doritos

Dr Pepper

Danone

Dolcela

Damla

Dogadan

E

Evian

Eden

F

Fanta

Frito-lay

Fruit by the Foot Roll Ups

Falim

Fresca

G

Gatorade

Greggs

H

Hardees

Haagen Dazs

Heinz Ketchup

Hershey's

Hard Rock Cafe

Heinz

I

Innocent

Israeli Fruits & Vegetables

J

Jacob's

Jaffa

K

KitKat

KFC

Kbueno

Kraft Mac & Cheese

Kellogg's

Kraft

L

Lipton

Lays

M

McDonald's

Mars

Marks & Spencers

Maggi

Marila

Monster

Mountain Dew

Mehadrin

Minute Maid

Milk Bar

M&M's

Magnum Ice Cream

Milka Chocolates

N

Nestle

Nestle Cereals

Nescafe

Nesquik

Nespresso

Nido

Nutella

Nature Valley

Nestle Milo

Nestle Carnation

Nestle Coffee Mate

Nestle Nestum

Nimbooz

Nestea

O

Orea

Original Shredded Wheat

P

Papa John's

Pepsi

Pringles

Pizza Hut

Perrier

Pillsbury

Popeyes

Pretty a Manager

Pure Life

Powerade

Popup Bagels

Q

Quality Street

Quaker

R

Redbull

Ruffles

S

Starbucks

Subway

Smartwater

Sweetgreen

Snickers

Sprite

Sabra

Sunkist

Strauss

Smarties

S.pellegrino

Schweppes

Sana

Sirma

Sara Lee

T

Toblerone

Tang

Twix

Tesco

Tropicana

U

V

Vittle

Volvic

W

Wall's

Walmart

Walkers

Wrigley's

X

Y

Z

7Up

(Clothing)

A

America Eagle

Adidas

Alo

Adina Eden Jewelry

B

C

Converse

Calvin Klein

Cat

Castro

D

Drew

Diesel

E

F

G

Good American

GAP

H

H&M

I

J

K

Kamili

L

Levi's

Lumberjack

M

Mango

N

Nike

O

Oasis

P

Puma

Q

R

River Island

S

Skims

Skinny Dip

St. Mark

Style Nadia

T

Timberland

U

V

Victoria's Secret

Vakko

W

We Wore That

Wyeth

X

Y

Z

Zara

(Beauty)

A

Aveda

Amika

Avon

Aussie

Aveeno

Always

Aesop

Ahava

B

Bobbi Brown

Blistex

Bath & Body Works

Britney Spears Fragrance

Becca

Biotherm

Beauty Blender

C

Clinique

Covergirl

Colgate

Calgon

Camay

CeraVe

Christina Aguilera Perfumes

Clean & Clear

Crest

CND

Cacharel

D

Dr. Jart+

Dove

Dettol

Darphin Paris

Dark & Lovely

E

Essie

Elidor

F

Fenty Beauty

Fair & Lovely

G

Garnier

Gillette

Glam Glow

H

Honest Beauty

Haci Sakir

Herbal Essences

Head & Shoulders

Hugo Boss

I

J

Jo Malone

Johnson & Johnsom

K

Kerastase

Kiehl's

Kylie Cosmetics

Kylie Skin

Kotex

L

L'Oreal

Lacome

La Roche-Posey

Lifebuoy

Lux

Lubiderm

M

Maybelline

MAC

Moroccan Oil

Maui

Matrix

Max Factor

N

Nyx

Neutrogena

Nivea

Nature's Beauty

Niely

O

Olay

Origins

Orkid

Oral-B

Oax

P

Pepsodent

Pantene

Q

R

Revlon

Rimmel

Rexona

Rhode

S

Summer Fridays

Schick

Smashbox

Sephora

Sensodyne

Skinceuticals

Skin Better Science

T

The Body Shop

Too Faced Cosmetics

The Ordinary

Tom Ford Beauty

Tampax

Takami

U

Urban Decay

Ulta Beauty

V

Vichy

Vaseline

Veet

W

X

Y

Yes to

Yuesai

Z

(Luxury)

A

B

C

Chanel

D

E

Estee Lauder

F

G

Georgio Armani

H

I

J

K

L

LVMH

Louis Vuitton

La Mer

Lavs

Le Labo

M

Mugler

Maison Margiela

N

O

P

Prada

Q

R

Raplh Lauren

S

T

Tiffany & Co.

Tom Ford

Tommy Hilfiger

U

V

Valentino

W

X

Y

Yves Saint Laurent

Z

(Tech & Entertainment)

A

Aol

Amazon

AirBnB

Apple

B

BBC

Buxton

Barbie

Booking.com

C

CNN

D

Disney+

Dell

E

Energizer

F

Ford

Fiverr

G

Galaxy

H

HP

Hyundai

Hulu

I

IBM

Intel

J

K

L

Lego

M

Motorola

Movenpick

Mattel

Microsoft

N

National Geographic

Nokia

Netflix

O

Oracle

Oxi

P

Philips

Q

R

Rolls Royce

S

Siemens

Sodastream

T

Toys R Us

U

V

Volvo

Valvoline

W

Wix

X

Y

Z

(Other)

A

Axa

Ariel

Aero

Ambi Pur

Airwick

Aroma

AVC

Amway

Ace Hardware

Andrex

American Express

B

Bounty

Black & Decker

Bonux

Bref

Braun

Benadryl

Band-aid

Barclays

Blue Cross Blue Shield

Better Help

C

Caltex

Chevron

Culligan

Citi Bank

Chicco

Cravola

Clearblue

Capital One

D

Dash

Drynites

Dosmestos

Doona

E

Expedia

F

Finish

Febreeze

Fixodent

Fairy

G

Goop

Gerber

Gys

H

HSBC

Huggies

Hayat

I

Imodium

J

JCB

K

Kimberly-Clark

Kleenex

L

Lion

Little Swimmers

Lenor

M

Mr Muscle

Minidou

Monsanto

N

Nicorette

O

Omo

P

Pampers

Purina Felix

Payoneer

Palmolive

Protex

Pull-ups

P&G

Prima

Pril

Paramount Pictures

Q

R

Rejoice

Rinso

Rogaine

S

Signal

Sensus

Sudafed

T

Tide

U

Unilever

Us Cellular

V

Vim

Vanish

Vicks

W

X

Y

Yumus

Z

(Places)

A

B

C

D

Disney

E

F

G

H

I

J

K

L

M

N

O

P

Q

R

S

T

U

V

W

X

Y

Z

(People)

A

Ashley Tisdale

Amy Schumer

Andy Beshear

B

Bono

Ben Savage

Bella Thorne

Beyonce

C

Chris Evans

Claire Holt

Ciara

Chris Rock

Chris Pine

D

Demi Lovato

Dwayne Johnson

DJ Khaled

E

Eva Longoria

F

G

Gal Gadot

H

I

Ian Somerhalder

J

Jamie Lee Curtis

James Maslow

Justin Bieber

Jennifer Aniston

Jaclyn Hill

Jack Harlow

Jordan Peele

Joseph Quinn

Jack Black

K

Kylie Jenner

Kim Kardashian

Kris Jenner

Kerry Washington

Katie Perry

Karlie Kloss

Khloe Kardashian

Kat Graham

Kendall Jenner

Kourtney Kardashian

L

Lebron James

Lana Condor

Lana Del Rey

M

Millie Bobby Brown

Malala

Mindy Kaling

Mark Hamill

Madonna

N

NFL

Nina Dobrev

Natalie Portman

Nabela

Nicole Richie

Noah Schnapp

O

Octovia Spencer

P

Perez Hilton

Paul Wesley

Phoebe Tonkin

Pia Mia

P!nk

Q

R

Ronaldinho

Rihanna

S

Sofia Richie

Shaquir O'neal

Selena Gomez

T

Tara Strong

Taika Waititi

Taylor Swift

Tyler Perry

U

Usher

U2

V

Vanessa Hudgens

Viola Davis

W

X

Y

Z

[bellaxgiornata]

Falling For the Devil [Part thirty-one: "The Flight to Chicago"]

Pairing: Matt Murdock x Fem!Reader

Summary: Matt accompanies you on his first ever flight to meet your family for Thanksgiving tomorrow.

Or

Matt has a really, really bad time.

[Series of one-shots about Reader meeting, falling for, and dating Matt Murdock.]

Warnings: 18+ for this series; contains humor, fluff, romance, angst, smut (like...a lot of it later in the series), language, some violence

Word Count: 3k

a/n: This installment is a hurt/comfort piece involving Matt having a really bad time flying to Chicago with Reader. With his senses, realistically I don't think Matt could handle airports and flying all that well. You can find the entire list of installments for this series on tumblr here. Enjoy!

The Airport

Eyes closed, your head rested along the top of Matt’s. You were currently sitting in the packed terminal for your flight at the airport; it was even more crowded than usual because of Thanksgiving tomorrow. Matt had been trying to relax by focusing on your scent and your heartbeat as he rested his head along your shoulder, his face buried against your neck. You’d managed to get him through checking in and checking your shared bag, along with the entire pain-in-the-ass experience that is airport security, but he had been struggling the moment you’d even neared the airport. The moment you’d both gotten out of the taxi he was already putting in the noise-reducing ear plugs.

So far, everything had gone about as horribly as you’d expected despite you researching air travel for someone who is blind and dealing with overstimulation ahead of time to help prepare the both of you. Matt was still doing his best to put a tight-lipped smile on his face because he clearly wanted to meet your family, but internally you felt horrible for even letting him convince you to try flying. You were completely positive you’d have to rent a car and drive home for Christmas if Matt was still open to coming with you based solely on your experience just in the airport. Despite him putting on a smile, as strained as you knew it was, you could tell this was torture to him and you hadn’t even gotten to the actual flight yet. All you wanted to do was apologize, but you figured you’d wait to profusely accomplish that until you were in the rental car and far away from the airport so that he wouldn’t try to take on your guilt with everything else going on. Because you knew he would. 

You were also hoping he’d appreciate the surprise Airbnb you’d rented–you figured you’d rent a condo instead of booking a hotel. It was cheaper, but the main reason was that there were vastly less people around than in a hotel, and with the way Matt had struggled at Marci and Foggy’s wedding, you’d figured he’d appreciate it. You had also chosen an evening flight on purpose, giving your family the excuse that you and Matt would be too tired from flying and settling into your Airbnb to visit this evening, when really the excuse was so Matt had a breather after this whole ordeal. And you were glad you’d done that, because you could already tell he needed it.

Thankfully the noise-reducing ear plugs you’d gotten him had helped muffle some of the extra noise of the airport without completely cutting off that sense entirely on him. He’d been extremely grateful for them when you’d gotten them in the mail; you’d tested them out with him at a grocery store a couple of times last weekend and during the week to see how well they would work. He’d actually managed to go an entire grocery trip stocking his apartment with a smile on his face. The sight had made your heart feel so full it was ready to burst. 

Matt shifted along your shoulder, burying his nose further into your neck. Raising your hand on the arm you had encircling his shoulders and holding him to you, you carefully began to stroke his hair. You heard and felt the little vibration in his throat that came in response.

“Is this okay?” you asked softly. “Or is it too much right now?”

“No, feels good,” he murmured.

Smiling, you continued to stroke his hair as your eyes opened, scanning the airport terminal around you. Your focus eventually landed on one of the nearby screens; your flight would be boarding in about five minutes and because of Matt’s disability, the pair of you would get to board before the other passengers. You hoped that would make the process less of a pain without having to navigate him around multiple other people trying to stuff their carry-ons in the overhead compartment. 

For the next five minutes you continued to absently stroke Matt’s hair with your eyes fixed on the nearby screen. Time felt like it was moving slower than usual. You just wanted to get the flight over with for Matt’s sake. Pretending you were fine and trying to keep your body calm so as not to alarm Matt had been taking a toll on you already, too.

“You still doing okay?” you asked him.

He nodded his head along your shoulder. “Focusing on you helps,” he whispered. 

“You need anything?” you asked next, noticing the flight attendant at the gate looking ready to begin pre-boarding.

Matt only shook his head against you. Your eyes were on the flight attendant, watching as she set the phone she’d been speaking on down. A moment later you watched as she made an announcement to in fact begin pre-boarding. 

“And that would be us,” you told Matt.

Both of you rose to your feet, Matt beside you quickly unfolding his cane as you pulled both of your tickets out. You placed Matt’s hand on your bicep, mentally noting the very tight grip he had on your arm which only made you feel guiltier for asking him to come with, and led the pair of you towards the flight attendant. She greeted the both of you brightly, scanning your tickets before asking if you needed any extra assistance. After you’d assured her that you didn’t, you led Matt down the short little hallway that led to the plane. His grip tightened further.

“It’s loud,” Matt told you.

“You want the noise canceling headphones, too?” you asked. “I kept them in my purse, just in case.”

“Yeah,” he answered quickly.

You paused, taking a moment to unzip your bag before shuffling a few items around. Eventually you found them and pulled them out, placing them on Matt’s head for him. The corner of his lip twitched faintly upwards, but you could still see that pained expression stretched across his face even with his glasses on. As you began to lead him to the plane again, you had a sinking feeling in your gut that this would be a terrible experience.

Thirty Minutes into the Flight

Matt had been sitting extremely motionless beside you ever since he’d buckled in before take-off. You could see his eyes were clamped firmly shut behind his dark glasses, his fingers white-knuckling the two armrests beside him as he sat rigidly in the chair. His jaw was clenched, occasionally a muscle twitching in it.

You’d given him the window seat for a bit of privacy as he struggled through the flight, and you were glad your side of the airplane only had two seat rows. If you’d had to deal with some older woman telling you all about her grandchildren that she was on her way to see for Thanksgiving, like the woman who was currently two rows behind you talking so loud it was as if she was behind you, you’d have probably gone insane. Your stress was already through the roof as you chewed your bottom lip, but you were trying to rein it in. You didn’t want Matt to pick up on it; he was already having a hard enough time. 

With a frustrated sigh, you tried to focus on your breathing. It was only a two hour and forty minute flight. You’d both survive and then you’d get Matt out of O’Hare airport as fast as you could. And you would never let him talk you into flying again.

Sixty Minutes into the Flight

You’d been chewing on your thumbnail for the past fifteen minutes, your own nerves gnawing away at your stomach. Focus switching either between Matt’s still stiff-as-a-board rigid posture in his seat or the window just beside him, you hadn’t had much to do. You’d brought earbuds to listen to music you had downloaded onto your phone as a just-in-case scenario, but you didn’t want to make it so you couldn’t hear if Matt needed something. And you were honestly too on edge to even settle down and listen to music at the moment. 

A tentative hand on your shoulder caused you to jump in your seat. Whirling your head around, you saw one of the flight attendants shooting you a compassionate smile.

“Do either of you need anything?” she asked, her eyes darting to Matt. “Is there anything I could do to help make him more comfortable?”

Shooting her a strained smile in response, you shook your head. “No, we’re good. It’s his first time flying,” you explained to her. “He’s just having a hard time with all the loud noises and smells. He’s uh, just a little extra sensitive to that.”

A sympathetic expression washed over her face as she glanced at Matt beside you. “I’m sorry to hear that,” she replied. “If there’s anything I can do to help, please let me know. We’re at least almost halfway into the flight and the weather is holding up so we should at least be making good time.” 

“Thank you,” you said politely.

She sent you one last smile before she continued her way down the aisle. You went back to chewing your nail and staring at Matt.

Ninety Minutes into the Flight

Matt’s hand had slid over to your thigh, no longer gripping the armrest but now your flesh through your jeans. It was such a tight grip that you were certain you’d have a bruise later, but you didn’t really mind. Slowly you reached your hand down your leg, carefully placing it over the top of his. His hand almost instantly turned upwards, his fingers entwining themselves with yours. 

Your eyes caught sight of Matt’s head turning towards you out of your peripheral and you turned to look back at him. He shot you a pinched smile and you gently squeezed his hand. Gradually, so as not to startle him since he was most likely a little disoriented with the noise canceling headphones on, you drew your enjoined hands up towards your lips. As you placed a soft, lingering kiss to the back of his hand, you swore you saw a few creases of worry ease from his face.

You returned your enjoined hands back to your lap. Beside you, Matt shifted in his seat, his eyes closing behind the dark glasses again as he resumed his rigid posture in the seat.

One-Hundred and Twenty Minutes into the Flight

A few minutes ago you’d raised the armrest between the pair of you, allowing Matt to practically wrap part of himself over the side of your body. His face was currently buried in your neck, both of his hands holding onto yours like a lifeline. Your head was resting atop of his, eyes blankly staring out of the window beside him as you willed time to pass faster. There was a cramp forming in your lower back and your ass was starting to go numb, but your worry over Matt was still taking top priority at the forefront of your mind. You were ready for this flight to be over.

With the both of you practically cuddled up together in your seats like you were, you would occasionally shift your head and affectionately kiss the top of Matt’s, trying to offer him some form of comfort. Every time you did, you’d feel his own mouth from where it was burrowed against your neck place a returning kiss to the skin beside his lips. Each time it made you smile, but the guilt for having him fly with you was still roiling in your gut. 

At least there was only forty minutes left.

One-Hundred and Sixty Minutes into the Flight

The plane was thankfully beginning its descent to the ground, your eyes excitedly taking in the sight of O’Hare airport out of the airplane window. Everything was quickly becoming larger and larger the closer to the airport runway the plane became. 

Matt had been shifting uncomfortably in his seat once the plane had initially begun its descent; he’d asked you a minute ago if you were landing and you’d told him yes–more like, relied on holding his hand along your cheek and nodding as you’d done the time you’d found him disoriented in a dumpster because he couldn’t hear you. He seemed incredibly anxious to get off of the plane and you didn’t even remotely blame him. You were ready to get off the plane yourself, eager to grab your checked bag and pick up the rental car and leave O’Hare airport far, far behind the pair of you. The sooner you got onto the road towards where you would be staying tonight, the sooner Matt could hopefully begin to relax.

After a few minutes, when the plane had finished taxiing and eventually come to a stop, you’d kept your eyes glued to the flight attendants. The exact moment the woman you’d spoken to earlier had come to let you and Matt unboard first, you were quickly patting Matt’s thigh and unbuckling his seatbelt. Then you dove forward for his cane and your purse in the seat compartment before you before grabbing his hand and guiding him as quickly as you could off of the plane and into the airport. You were determined to make this your fastest exit from O’Hare yet.

Leaving the Airport

Closing the trunk lid of the rental car, having just placed the large bag of luggage inside, your hands remained on it for a minute as you tried to catch your breath. Matt had already gotten into the car, his posture looking a little less tense now that you were both about to be away from all of the noise and smells. He’d pulled off the headphones shortly after getting off of the plane, but the noise-reducing ear plugs were still in his ears.

With a sigh, you headed towards the driver’s side of the car, opening the door and settling in. Starting it up, you left the radio off and remained silent, trying to give Matt a break from extra and unnecessary stimulation as you began navigating your way out of the parking garage. 

Your eyes were focused on the road, hands gripping the steering wheel tight as you eventually and finally made your way away from the airport. You had about a forty minute drive to get to the condo you’d rented out near your parent’s house–as long as traffic wasn’t too terrible. But with every mile closer, you felt the tension almost palpably reducing between the pair of you. 

It was probably fifteen minutes into your driving when you noticed Matt shifting in his seat beside you. Taking a curious glance, you noticed him pulling the ear plugs out and placing them in his coat pocket. You bit your lip, fighting the urge to speak. You weren’t sure if you were just overthinking and being extra sensitive to his needs, but you were afraid to initiate conversation with him after that until he seemed ready.

Which apparently was another five minutes later.

“That was definitely not an enjoyable experience,” Matt said, breaking the silence in the car.

“I’m sorry, Matt,” you quickly began apologizing in a rush. “I had a feeling it would be awful for you, that’s why I kept assuring you that you didn’t have to come with or that we didn’t need to fly. I’m so so sorry. It’s all my fault. If you want me to rent a car and drive us back I’m sure I can get Ellison to give me an extra day.”

“Sweetheart,” Matt cut in, “relax. Neither of us exactly knew what to expect and now we do. I’ll manage the flight back, but I…definitely don’t plan to fly again.”

“I’m sorry,” you apologized again.

“Hey, it’s alright,” Matt said gently. “Now uh, are we checking into the hotel and then stopping by your parents’ place? So I can…mentally prepare for all of that?” he asked hesitantly.

You shook your head, eyes still focused on the road as you continued to drive. “No, actually,” you began. “I sort of figured you’d need time to decompress after flying. That’s why I booked an evening flight–I used it as an excuse for us to not stop in and visit tonight so you wouldn’t have to jump straight into meeting everyone and making conversation. I figured you’d want a break.” You cleared your throat briefly before telling him, “And I didn’t book a hotel, I rented a condo. Through Airbnb. It had a ton of great reviews and I was searching for something that wasn’t in a huge building. I uh, I remember how hard staying in the hotel had been for you at Foggy and Marci’s wedding so I was hoping a condo might be less…stimulating? Because there wouldn’t be as many people or fluorescent lights buzzing and elevators moving at all hours of the night. And employees up and talking all night long.” You licked your lips anxiously before adding, “I hope that’s okay?”

Nervously you glanced over your shoulder at Matt; he was staring back at you with a warm smile that was gradually overtaking his face. Your stomach squirmed at the sight as you focused back on the road.

“You’re amazing, you know that?” he said, the compliment drawing heat to your cheeks. “Even though flying was not a pleasant experience, you have done so much trying to make me comfortable. Trying to anticipate my needs. Even–even going so far as to book something other than a hotel with my senses in mind? Making sure I had time to unwind after this entire experience before meeting your family?” he said, sounding almost in awe. 

“I just–just wanted you to be comfortable,” you muttered. “I know you hate leaving Hell’s Kitchen. I know it makes you nervous. And I know flying was something you were also nervous about.” 

His large palm landed on your thigh, the heat of it soaking through your jeans. “If you weren’t driving right now, I’d kiss you,” Matt stated.

Lowering a hand off of the steering wheel, you carefully grabbed onto his. “Give me another twenty-five minutes, Matty,” you told him. “Then I’m all yours to kiss.”

You caught the smile that slid onto his mouth, a matching one quickly slipping its way onto your own.

[carmybears]

Movie Night

Just in time for Halloween - Here's to all of my fellow horror watching, Carmy lovers out there!

pairing: carmy berzatto X reader

summary: Even though Carmy isn't a fan of the genre, he braves watching a horror movie just for you. (mentions/possible spoilers for The Rental, because how could I pass up the opportunity to make Carmy & reader watch the actual horror movie JAW starred in?)

word count: 1.2k

“Never let it be said that I don’t do anything for you,” Carmy mumbles under his breath as you settle into the couch together.

“Don’t be so dramatic, it’s going to be fine,” you tell him as you open up Netflix, scrolling to the movie you had queued up. “It’s just a scary movie.”

Horror had been your favorite genre for as long as you could remember - ever since you watched your first horror movie as a teenager. This year, you had challenged yourself to watch a scary movie every day in October leading up to Halloween. You had been having a great time with the challenge - enjoying old favorites, new releases, and some movies that had been on your watch list for ages. Carmy, on the other hand, was perplexed by your ongoing marathon.

“I just don’t get it,” he had said to you a few nights ago when he came home to find you sitting in complete darkness, curled up underneath a soft fleece blanket while watching The Ring.

He listened patiently as you regaled him with an explanation about the catharsis of experiencing fear from the comfort and safety of your own living room and rattled off theories about Horror being an excellent vehicle to understand societal anxieties of the era.

As much as he appreciated your love for the genre and the surprising amount of thought that went into your favorite slashers and supernatural chillers, Carmy couldn't quite relate to your enthusiasm. He recalled being young — far, far too young — when Mikey had shown him The Blair Witch project and it terrified him for weeks afterward. Needless to say, the nightmares that plagued him as a child following the experience put him off the genre as a whole.

Somehow, through no shortage of sweet talking, you’d managed to convince him to watch a movie with you tonight. You’d prattled off several movie titles (many of which Carmy shot down for being “too Catholic” for his liking) before eventually deciding on a horror/thriller from a few years ago about two couples on vacation at a scenic, oceanside Airbnb who gradually come to realize they’re being watched by a killer.

Popcorn bowl in hand, you press play on the movie, tucking yourself under Carmy’s arm as the opening scene plays.

“You look a little bit like him, you know,” you tell him, several minutes into the movie.

He scoffs. “Who? The guy whose girlfriend is clearly sleeping with his brother? I don’t see it.”

“Are you kidding me? Look at him!” You point to the screen and back to Carmy. “He’s got the same strong nose and dreamy blue eyes. If you cut your hair, you’d be twins.”

"Dreamy blue eyes?" He sounds skeptical of you, pursing his lips for a moment before he relents.

“Ok, maybe we look a little alike. We’ll see how I feel about that at the end of the movie though.”

Some 50 minutes later, a dog is missing, there’s a man dead in a bathtub, and the four main characters are decidedly having a much worse weekend than they had bargained for. Your mind is racing as you try to piece together the mystery of the killer’s identity. You feel your pulse quicken just a little as one of the characters suddenly hears the sound of the shower running in a supposedly empty house and Carmy’s arm tightens around your shoulder almost imperceptibly.

“Scared?”

“Nah, I’m good,” he stammers, looking just a little dazed.

“Very convincing,” you chide, interlocking your fingers with his as the chilling scene unfolds onscreen.

The simmering sense of dread trickles through your veins as the story gradually builds to a climax. Despite the plot being a bit of a slow burn, the image of the masked killer lurking though shadows and and sprinting through the fog has you on the edge of your seat. Carmy’s grip on your hand tightens with each passing scene and you have to remind him not to crush your hand within his own.

When at last the credits start to roll, he lets out a deep breath and drops your hand, wiping his sweaty palms on his thighs.

“So what did you think?” You ask, turning to him expectantly. “Did you love it?”

“Nope.” He shakes his head at you swiftly, although you don’t miss the fond smile on his face. “Do you wanna go ahead and turn the lights on?”

You stand, laughing a little under your breath as you cross to the far side of the room and snap on the lights.

“Oh so you don’t wanna sit in the dark and plan a remote, oceanside weekend getaway?”

“It’s not on my list, no.” He presses a kiss to your cheek as you drop back down onto the couch beside him. “So, horror buff, what did you think of the movie?”

You take a beat to gather your thoughts, fiddling with the frayed edge of throw blanket you’d pulled over your lap. “It was alright, I suppose. The plot was a bit thin, but that killer was seriously creepy.”

Carmy nods in silent agreement and you reach out to him, twisting an errant curl around one finger before resting your hand on his jaw, drawing his bright blue eyes to meet yours.

“It means a lot to me that you did this by the way. I know you don’t really like or understand horror movies, but I really appreciate that you still watched one with me tonight.”

A faint tint of pink rises in Carmy’s cheeks and you recognize the way he sometimes balks at such outright expressions of your affection. Carmy’s love was a warm meal after a long day at work; it was carving out time for unglamorous dates and nights in at your apartment; it was tight embraces and whispered confessions when he was at his most vulnerable. It was a kind of love that was often shown and acted upon, but much more rarely verbalized.

“I love you, Carmy.”

He smiles briefly and turns his head to press a kiss into the center of your open palm. “Even though I’m afraid of scary movies?”

“Especially because you’re afraid of scary movies.”

“Good, because I love you too – scary movies and all.”

Your heart feels full and your skin feels warm as you stifle a yawn and check the time on your phone, only to see that it had gotten later than you realized.

“Oh damn, we should probably get ready for bed.”

You reach for the remote, intending to turn off the TV, but Carmy grabs it first, turning the device over in his hand as he looks at you sheepishly.

“You cool with watching a cooking show first? As a, uh, palette cleanser I guess.”

“Of course,” you chirp, settling back into the couch, draping an arm his middle. “Show me the spine tingling terrors of Iron Chef America.”

[thecutestlittlebunbunfairy]

You Better Watch Out

Pairing: Krampus!Loki x Reader

Summary: You've decided to spend Christmas alone this year, but someone is going to pay you a visit

Word Count: 3100

Warnings: Mosnterfucking, Slight Dubcon, Bondage, Degredation

a/n:Hey all! My last fic of 2022! And my last fic i'm going to publish on this blog! Staring in 2023, all of my fics will be published on my new writing blog @thebunnyslibrary! I wanted to do something Christmas-y and this just scratched the right itch for me! Enjoy and have a happy new year!

Ho. Ho. Ho. Your brain had all but tuned out the Christmas music as you drove further into the woods. You’re not sure why, but for some reason this year, the holiday spirit had missed you completely. You had a feeling, though, it was the loneliness.

It seemed your friends were all busy spending their lives with spouses, partners, and their families; Leaving your only option as going to your parents. Which was usually okay; mom always cooked the best food and the huge tv was nice. But this year you opted for some personal quiet time. If you were going to be alone, may as well do it in style. You’d booked a little cabin in the woods, bringing only your laptop and a large stack of books. You’d taken from the 23rd through New Year’s off and you intended to make the most of it.

                The cabin itself was gorgeous. An A-Frame listed on AirBnB by some architect who was spending his winter in Switzerland with his little wife. Little being the operative word, you thought looking at a photo of the two of them that hung in the kitchen as you let yourself in; he was a giant hulking man and she a curvy brunette with big round glasses. But you could see the love between the two of them. Something you’d been seriously lacking as of late. Every relationship you’d had this year crashed and burned and you felt ready to give up.

                You explored more around the cabin until you came across the thing that’d made you book this place. The jacuzzi. It was on a convertible deck; set up to be outdoor in the summer, but now in the winter, a wall of glass enclosed it, giving sight out to the woods. You could see the sun was already starting to set, damn winter, and knew you still had to get your groceries inside and your things put away. The rules for the cabin they’d left were nothing major. Don’t trash the place or set it on fire. Easily manageable

                You opted for a frozen pizza for your first night’s dinner. You’d stocked up PLENTY at the local grocery store before arriving at the cabin. Cocoa packets (with marshmallows), those Pillsbury sugar cookies with the snowmen, and even a Christmas classics collection on DVD you’d fished out of the bargain bin. You’d decided to make a small roast beef with some baked potatoes for actual Christmas dinner, and you were even going to make a small vat of homemade mac and cheese tomorrow to go with it.

                As you walked more through the cabin, you found a cozy reading room with an impressive library. One half architectural and art books. The other poetry and literature. You looked through the shelves and unsurprisingly found “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens. You unpacked your stuff and the groceries while you ate dinner, then lit a fire and settled on the large sofa in the reading room. It had been sometime since you’d read it and thought it would be fun to re-read some tonight, and some tomorrow on Christmas Eve.

                You made it to the ghost of Christmas Present before you’d started to yawn, knowing it was time to head to bed, unaware of the eyes watching you from the forest.

                The next day, you’d slept til nearly 10 in the morning; waking up to find the outside world covered in a slight dusting of snow. Having a quick cup of tea, you got to work on fixing the few things you needed to do for Christmas and Christmas Eve dinner. For Christmas Eve, you were following the family tradition of a lasagna. While it cooked you seasoned the roast, prepped the mac n cheese for baking, and even found time to make a cheesecake. All the while, Christmas classics played from the record player in the den filled the house with warmth, even helping to restore a little Christmas cheer. You would have to leave a note to the owners to see if they were interested in becoming friends; they had impeccable taste.

                The lasagna was, as expected, fantastic. You’d bought a box of cheap Texas toast garlic bread, which in your opinion was better than homemade, and afterward had leftovers for the rest of your stay.

                You opted to spend the rest of evening in the jacuzzi with the book. The parts about Scrooge and Belle tugged at your heart a bit. While you knew Scrooge was greedy and selfish of his own volition, you could understand the loneliness and rejection that had turned him so. You yourself had never had many friends growing up, often finding yourself more in the company of books than your peers. You longed for someone to call yours who would call you theirs. It’d been so long since you’d actually been with someone.  

                The story finished with Tiny Tim’ s famous line, and you closed the book. You stared out into the woods, but the dark forest offered no solace to your loneliness. But you thought you saw…was that…?

Was that…something moving in the forest? You swore you had seen a pair of red eyes staring at you but…it couldn’t be, you told yourself. Just a trick of the light. You sighed and leaned back in the jacuzzi, staring up into the stars. You were in awe at just how many more you could see out here in the woods. You closed your eyes and with something last shred of hope you made a simple Christmas wish, that someone would make you feel something…

                Suddenly, you did feel something as a massive gust of cold air blew through the porch area. But that was impossible! This was a completely enclosed area…right? You made a note to tell the owners that their porch might have a draft. You checked your watch; 12:01. Merry Christmas. You pulled yourself from the hot tub, wrapping yourself in a towel as you padded through the cabin. Your parents had given you a small stack of presents to open. You stacked them carefully under the tree before changing into the new pajamas you’d bought yourself. Extra soft and covered in little stars.

                “Merry Christmas” you whispered to yourself as you fell asleep, but as you fell asleep, you felt that same rush of cold air.

                Cold. That was what you felt as you opened your eyes. Where was the blanket? You reached to pull the covers back up but found you couldn’t. Instead, your arm felt…restrained. You frantically turned and saw your wrists had been shackled to the headboard. Oh shit…shit shit shit… you looked and saw your legs were spread wide, bound with black silk ribbon. And your clothes; gone were the warm fuzzy pajamas and instead you wore a midnight blue babydoll and black silk panties that matched the ribbon binding your wrists. You squirmed, trying to undo yourself from the restraint. You looked at the nightstand tables, desperately searching for your phone.

                “Oh, don’t struggle, pet. Wouldn’t want you harming that beautiful skin of yours….at least not before I get my chance.” A raspy voice purred. Sounding like a freshly sharpened skate gliding across an icy lake.

                “Who…who’s there?” you asked, meekly. You could see a figure lurking in the shadows.

                “I am here to fulfill your Christmas wish. To feel something.” There was a mischievousness in his voice, but it was not playful or comforting. He stepped into the moonlight beaming in the windows and you instantly wanted to shrink away.

He was tall, his…horns, nearly scraping against the ceilings. They were black and curved, with some small chains with decorative stones wrapped around them. His skin was a pale, icy blue. But his face was marked with ridges and lines and he had ritualistic tattoos up his arms and all over his chest. His hair was inky black, a few plaited braids hung against a massive mane. Crimson red eyes raked over your form. You wanted to cover yourself, hide; but with the restraints, you had no chance.

“Please…please…this has to be a dream.” You closed your eyes and shook your head, making the chains rattle. “Whoever you are, please just leave. I’ll never say a word…” You gasped as a long-crooked nail, more like a claw…ran down your cheek.

“Hush, little pet. No harm will come to you on this night.” He paused, smiling wolfishly, revealing sharp pearly fangs. “At least none that you cannot stand.”

“Who-who are you?” You were starting to feel even more of a chill with this man, this creature, being so close.

“I am Loki, a spirit of Winter and the woods. One who seeks out and tries to restore a warmth to those who are lacking it.”

“And you do that by chaining people to their beds?” You demanded. Still afraid but trying to not to show as much.

“Well, my methods can be a bit…unconventional at times. But it seems you are in need of some truly unconventional methods.” His fingers grabbed your chin and forced you to meet his crimson eyes.

He stared at you, as if studying you. “So alone…” he mused, as if he didn’t quite mean to say it aloud. The fingers holding your chin, ran down your chest to where your nipples had hardened from the chills. “Is this all from the cold pet, or are you excited at the feel of my touch?” He purred as he tweaked your nipple, making you inhale sharply.

The more you looked upon him, the more you couldn’t help being entranced by the angular jaw and his piercing eyes. His chest was exposed, as he wore only dark black pants and boots, and there were more markings and tattoos all over his body.

His fingers trailed down, rubbing over your panties. “And your little quim is getting so wet.” You bit your lip and shook your head, wanting to resist and fight. But his hand slipped under the panties and his long nail rubbed your clit, making your hips buck. The slight edge of pain drove the intensity of the pleasure.

“My wanton little slut. I think I know just how to fill you with Christmas spirit.” He said, emphasizing the fill in a way that made your breath hitch. He climbed up on top of you in the bed, kneeling between your spread thighs, but still managing to push them even further apart.

“Please…no…this has to be just a nightmare.” you protested weekly. But he ripped away the panties like they were made of tissue papers.

“Perhaps…perhaps not.” He said, his voice low. “But if it is, let us make it one you never forget” He adjusted himself, bringing his face close to your cunt, letting out a small breath of icy air. “So sensitive, little one.” Giving a slow gentle lick, you could feel his tongue felt cold on your hot cunt. But the feeling drove you wild with pleasure and you let out a low moan. He chuckled and went about his work, laving small licks against your clit. He brought two fingers up, just to ease them into your cunt, his touch just as icy as his tongue.

“My little pet, your little quim is absolutely divine.” He growled. “And it’s all mine.” His tongue and fingers were bringing you the most blissful pleasure you’d ever felt. Reaching the most intimate spots that you never could.

“Loki…I’m…I’m gunna…” you panted, getting closer and closer to climax.

“Yes, my pet. I feel your cunt tightening around my fingers. Cum on my face; let me taste you.” He ordered. His commanding voice drove you over the edge. You called out his name as you came, bucking your hips as far up as you could in the restraints. Your hands long for something to clasp, seeing his horns right in front of you… Why were you enjoying this so much? But why did this monster seem intent on pleasing you?

He licked up every drop of cum he could, sucking lewdly on your clit as he fingered you through the orgasm. When he finally pulled away, breathing heavily, you could see his chin in the moonlight, completely soaked.         

                Without a second thought, he pressed his lips against yours, kissing you fiercely. He ground his hips against you, his form making you feel small. He broke the kiss, panting heavy.

                “Well well, for someone on MY list this year, you sure do TASTE like a good girl. Tell me, my little snowflake, why so glum?” He asked, tenderly stroking your cheek with his finger.

                “Why…why would you care?” You breathed. “Isn’t this what you wanted?” you said, confused and dazed.

                “Yes, but I didn’t expect you to be sensitive and…frankly, cute.” He said, grinning. Your face heated up.

                “Well…I suppose…I just didn’t expect you to be so…nice?” You said, sheepishly. “You seem to WANT to make me cum.”

Loki stared at you in disbelief. “Are you saying you’ve never had a partner who was trying to please you?” he asked, incredulously.  You looked away, not wanting to answer. A sigh left his lips.

“How foolish mortals can be. Constantly in search for beauty but ignoring it when it’s in plain sight.” He gave you another kiss, much gentler this time. And you both paused for a moment, he even laid gently on top of you so as not to hurt you.

After a brief moment of kind silence, you spoke. “Perhaps I ended up on your list not because you were here to punish, but because you were NEEDED. I did wish to feel something. And I’ve certainly felt some things tonight.” You let out a small chuckle.

“I suppose that could be possible.” He smiled a true smile this time, but that mischievous glint was in his eye. “I’m still not convinced this isn’t a dream, but why don’t we make this my best Christmas, yet?” you asked

“As you wish,” He purred. “Shall I keep the restraints on?” he asked, genuinely.

“Yes, I wanted to feel. Make me feel.” You said, your voice now heavy with desire.

“Well, who are you ordering me around, little thing?” he said, reaching down to tweak your nipple, HARD.  “I am the one who commands you. I am your god.” He leaned down, squeezing your cheeks and holding your mouth open to spit into it. “Swallow that my sweet cum whore.” You did so, your eyes rolling back. He smirked.

“I take it back. You ARE a naughty little girl.” He said, kissing you as he pulled his pants down, freeing his cock. Big, and blue. Just like the rest of him. Your toys back home could barely hold a candle to his. You bit your lip.

“You want this, don’t you my sweet girl? You want to be my little whore? Beg for my cock.” He said, sliding his cock along your cunt, feeling you get wet.

“Please…please fuck me Loki. Please.” You bs egged.

He pushed his cock in, making you gasp at the feeling of being split open by him.

“Fuck…this tight little quim…” he grunted, rocking his hips and fucking you deeper. “So perfect around my cock.” His cock was cool, like the rest of his touches, but you felt yourself getting hotter and hotter from his touches. As he fucked you, he peppered your neck and face in kisses, growling sinful things in your ear. “Such a naughty little girl…I’m going to claim this cunt as mine…you will always remember…you belong to me…” He promised.

“Loki please…fuck me….” Your please were cut off when Loki wrapped his hand around your throat, squeezing just enough.

“I. Told. You.” He growled, each of his words being punctuated by a hard thrust, driving the full length of his cock inside you. “I don’t.” Thrust “Take orders.” Thrust. “From bratty little whores.” His last thrust had your eyes rolling back as he resumed a punishing pace. You were already so sensitive from your last orgasm, and his other hand was circling your clit and driving you even crazier.

“I can your cunt tightening around my cock AGAIN.” He degraded. “But if you want to come this time, I better hear you ask nicely for it. Go on…tell Loki what you want for Christmas.” He mocked. But it seemed to make you want it more. His hand was still squeezing your throat, but you choked out

“Please…please can I cum…for Christmas?” you whimpered, tears leaving your eyes out of desperation. He leaned close to you and whispered.

“I am going to cum within you, so that you always know, always remember, who you belong to. Now. Cum.” He ordered. You came hard, harder than you’d ever truly thought possible. Every nerve was on fire with pleasure and passion. Above you, Loki stilled as he filled you with his cum, squeezing your throat so hard you thought you’d pass out. He gave a few more thrusts, riding out his orgasm, then slowly lowered himself to meet your body, kissing you again, but with all the tenderness of a lover.

As you two lay there in post coital bliss, you could feel the bonds fall away from your arms and legs.

“Loki?”

“Shhhh.” He breathed, adjusting you two to lay on your sides, still connected. But as he held you, you did not feel cold. You felt safe and secure.

“You mortals have some interesting customs nowadays. Not bad, just interesting.”

“I suppose. But some of the old customs were pretty odd too. Candles on a dried tree? No wonder London was constantly on fire.” You both chuckled.

“I wish there was some way to tell if this was all a dream.” You said; your eyes heavy with sleep.

“Perhaps. But even if it is, I’m sure you shall remember it.”

“Absolutely.”

“Then remember the good times and fret not about the details.” He mused.  You wanted to respond, but his soothing voice and gentle touches pulled you into sleep.

The next morning you awoke, feeling better rested than you’d had in some time now. You looked around the room and all was as it should be. Your clothes, your bed, the sun was shining bright on a beautiful Christmas morning. But as you looked, there was a small blue box sitting on the night stand.

“No….it couldn’t be.” You opened the box and there, encrusted with your birthstone, was a small silver “L.” In the box was a note.

Merry Christmas, my darling pet. I hope I’ve made this one to remember.

[annaholak]

Inktober, Tiffany Aching, Barbie, and a General Life Update

The Plan: Read the Tiffany Aching books during the summer, re-make her, and use her as the main character for my next Inktober.

The Reality: while I was finishing Cupid Cafe my landlord decided to sell the apartment I've been renting for over a decade. It was an extremely shitty one (no heating, broken air-conditioning units, dark, moldy, etc), but it was dirty cheap, and the best I could afford.

It was sold in mid-June, and the new owner (surprising no one) wanted to raise the rent. I don't know how the rental market is wherever you live, but here (in Athens, Greece) it's a right nightmare (Airbnb has a lot to answer for...). I couldn't find anything in the same price bracket that wasn't basically a tiny basement-turned-into-a-studio. I was panicking. Heavily.

In the end a (really good) friend came to my rescue. She convinced her mom (who had moved to her vacation home during the pandemic) to rent me the city apartment she was rarely using anymore. With the same money I was paying for the previous one. A fucking life saver let me tell you.

It's a much bigger, and generally much nicer, one than the previous shithole I was living in. I finally have enough space for an actual studio. It's also in a much nicer neighbourhood. One I normally would not be able to afford. Lots of green spaces, and very pet friendly (I don't have a pet at the moment, but I'm greatly enjoying meeting all the happy puppers on their walks, whenever I'm out and about).

I moved in in mid-July. I'm still working on it, as I've been going through a lot of the things I had in storage, deciding what to keep, donate, or throw away, and that takes time. The studio is still a mess, but here is a sneak peek of my current working space (the walls were supposed to be lilac, but I'm not complaining - Peppa-the-pig pink it is):

Anyway, back to Inktober. As you can imagine I had hardly the time to read anything during the summer, so the Tiffany Aching idea will have to wait. I also felt extremely uninspired by this year's Inktober prompts. I dug around a bit and found a prompt list I actually like. It's the Mystical Witchtober one, hosted by agingerly aianaiya isabee Madie Meri Marigona Suli Aria and Talita on Instagram. Here's the prompt list (by isabee):

As I was going through the things I've had in storage I found some of my childhood Barbie magazines and sticker albums. So I'm thinking of riding the nostalgia wave, and turning my Witchtober into a slightly Barbie-esque, and a bit late 1980's/early 1990's themed, witch-vampire romance.

I will be working on it at a rather leisurely pace, since I'm still busy working on my new space, and also recovering from a recurring freak throat infection I've had since mid-August (was it strep? was it mono? Who knows? Not my doctors). I've been through two rounds of antibiotics and I'm still not completely well, so please be patient with me.

I think that's all for now. Stick around for a very soft and pink Witchtober. And worry not, I have a lot of Wyrd Sisters things planned once this one is over.

P.S.

Oh yeah, I've also somehow managed in the middle of all the chaos to acquire a new boyfriend. Which hasn't happened in a while. So that's nice.

P.P.S. (bonus for still reading this essay of an update)

I made last year's Wyrd Sisters Abroad Inktober into a zine for the Comicdom Con in May. In true ADHD fashion it was written at five a.m. the morning it had to be at the printer's, after the third all nighter in a row. So typos were inevitable. But the fact that this was the only typo that made it through to the printed version, had me giggling uncontrollably once I discovered it (a couple of months later, it took me a while). Enjoy:

[umichenginabroad]

Stockholm Week 9: Booking the Rest of the Weekends!

This week was supposedly a stressful midterm week but thanks to the work I put in last weekend, I had an oddly relaxing week. 

I booked a bunch of flights (hopefully the last) this week too ⸜( ˙ ˘ ˙)⸝♡

My wallet is suffering but I’m brainwashing myself that this is a lifetime opportunity I need to catch. 

3/11 Mon: Ivar Los Park + Italy!

I had the mission of finding the tablecloth my mom bought in Stockholm Stadsmission during her stay. She was sad that she didn’t buy more of the same design since it fit the table size too perfectly. As a good daughter, I decided to do a scavenger hunt for it before it ran out of stock. 

Unfortunately, the ones with the same design were gone when I arrived. Although I failed my mom’s request, my own hunt was successful! I found a skirt and dress that fit perfectly. I couldn’t resist buying them since they were less than $10 each too. 

My Midterm paper for Crime Fiction class was due on Tuesday but I was close to being done due to last weekend’s grind. With light steps, I continued to spend time outside, enjoying the sun. Since I was already in Mariatorget and didn’t want to go home yet, I took a long walk around the Ivar Los Park. 

The park was smaller than I thought. I sat down on a bench for a little while until I got up to walk alongside Monteliusvägen. The clear sky amplified the beauty of the view, lightening up my mood as well. 

I tried to capture every moment in my head so that I could look back to these moments when I was exhausted. 

During my 40-minute walk, I discovered a kindergarten, church, ballet school, and Mojang studios (shoutout to Minecraft fans). I shared my happiness with my grandparents in Korea by calling them and chit-chatting for a while. 

A few snaps from my point of view 

I walked back home since the park wasn’t too far from my apartment. I noticed that our apartment also had a small garden and walking paths, so I strolled around in the little garden until I was satisfied with the amount of Vitamin D intake. 

For the longest time, something inside me had been bugging me to travel to Amsterdam and see the tulip festival. I tried scheduling times with my friends, but I couldn’t find anyone available during the weekend I was planning to go. 

It was then that I got in touch with my friend from home, who is also studying abroad in Europe. We started talking about our travel plans and scheduling availability. Going to Amsterdam failed again because of our tight schedule, but we managed to find a weekend to visit Italy!!! It didn’t take us long to book our flights and come up with Airbnb lists ( ˃ᴗ˂ ) 

3/12 Tue

In Swedish class, we were assigned random groups to do a team assignment.

There are too many ways to pronounce words

I don’t know how but dumplings kept coming up in our conversations (we were hungry), and I just had to go grab dumplings after class. 

These pork dumplings were a bit greasy but they tasted a bit like dim sum and I loved that 

I walked around the vicinity after getting re-energized. More and more flower vendors have been popping up here and there, and I walked by slowly to enjoy the sight and the scent of flowers. 

Tulips usually aren’t my favorites but the ones here are absolutely gorgeous ✿(′ᵕ′*)

For dinner, I followed a kimchi fried rice recipe with cabbage instead. It was delicious as usual :) 

I’m running out of menus though ;-; 

3/13 Wed: Productive Day 

Wednesdays without any field studies are arguably the best! 

I slept in and made a sandwich salad combo for brunch. 

Pesto is always right

I stayed home and worked on the second midterm essay of this week for Glued to the Screen TV Film course. I was more of a test girl than an essay girl but oddly, I enjoyed writing the three essays that are 2.5 pages each. I really think blogging is helping to lower the mental hurdles I have for writing essays. 

After finishing the essays early, I switched the subject and worked on two different group projects. It was a very productive day! 

3/14 Thu: Malta! 

I stayed in the DIS building after the morning class until my late afternoon core class began. I was going to go to one of these recommended study cafes but got too lazy to go out. 

A map of good places to study! 

I couldn’t get rid of the thought of going to Amsterdam, so I logged into Ryanair again. 

The Ryanair website had an option to select “Anywhere” for the destination. Out of boredom and curiosity, I set the dates to one of my available weekends and scrolled through the possible destinations. 

I found relatively cheap flight options to Hungary, Germany, Latvia, Estonia, Austria, the United Kingdom, Greece, and Malta. Out of those options, Greece and Malta caught my eye. I would’ve loved to go to Santorini but that wasn’t an option. When I searched Malta on Google, I was captivated by the scenery. I LOVE the beach and it happened to be Malta’s specialty. I could feel my lingering desire for Amsterdam finally dissipating as I looked at the pictures of Malta. 

I contemplated for a while, calculating the expenses, and clicked the button to buy the flight ticket. A solo trip to Malta in April is officially confirmed! I’m becoming more and more spontaneous but I don’t hate the change. I’m working on trying out things that I wouldn’t have done before, and this is a step towards my goal. 

For dinner, I made a quick and healthy meal out of oatmeal. I’ve been into oatmeal recipes lately; they are easy and fulfilling! Since oatmeal was healthy, I ate chips to balance out. 

For the rest of the night, I read the second half of The Legacy by Yrsa Sigurðardóttir for the Crime Fiction class tomorrow. 

3/15 Fri

I woke up early around 7 am to finish the book. 

After classes, my friend and I grabbed lunch at a Thai restaurant.

The pad thai was good but I couldn’t stop comparing it to No Thai

If you’re reading this in Ann Arbor, please get pad thai or drunken noodles or potato curry at No Thai for me. 

Anyway, our lunch date didn’t end there. Yes, we were full after lunch. Yes, we got boba. I have been refraining from getting boba too much because I knew my addiction would kick in again soon enough. But it was Friday and I was productive this week, so I got it as a treat for myself. 

I tried working on homework that evening, but I couldn’t get myself to focus enough to finish it. So Friday night ended up as a self-care night in my bed as well ( * ˘╰╯˘ *)

3/16 Sat: Study Date

On Saturday, I got to sleep in until 11:30 am. I was still in my bed rolling around when my friend asked me if I wanted to come with her to go do work in a cafe. It didn’t take too long to realize that I wouldn’t do any work if I stayed home, so I composed myself and got ready to go out. 

We headed to Gamla Stan but it was packed with even more people than usual. I blame the good weather. 

After failing to find a spot in three different cafes, we moved over to T-Centralen and found a good study place. 

The cafe is called the Kaferang City - I got Snapple but it was $5.50 ;-;

The music and distant conversations helped me focus and finish my assignments (+ blogging) for the week! 

On the way back home, I stopped at ICA to get groceries. I bought a pack of raw chicken breast for the first time, and it took me TWO hours to cook it + make dinner. My legs hurt by the end but once I tasted my dinner I knew it was worth it!

I was so afraid that chicken would be raw so I cut some into thirds, not even halves

When I went back home I was irresistibly drawn to stay horizontal in my bed. I made a good choice to start a new novel but a bad choice to read until 5 am.  

3/17 Sun 

Free time! 

My roommate hasn’t come back from her weekend trip so I had all the space to myself. Moreover, I didn’t have much to do because I did most of it yesterday at the cafe. 

Sooo I basically spent the whole day finishing reading the novel except doing a brief project meeting and submitting finalized homework assignments. 

This week was an opportunity for me to rest peacefully, both mentally and physically. I love traveling but felt that taking a rest was a necessary step for me. 

It has been two months already since I came to Stockholm. Thank you for reading my weekly essays and I promise you that I’ll come back with more stories to tell next week! 

Vi ses, 

Jiwoo Kim 

Chemical Engineering

DIS Study Abroad in Stockholm, Sweden

[hanbeanz]

chaotic 11.30pm thoughts about nct nation:

- why did i fly to korea for this i am old i should be retired

- going alone is scary as fuck don’t do that again

- i was supposed to reach at 3 to buy merch but reached at 4.15 instead because i got lost several times at the train stations

- someone thought i was chinese (i am) and asked me for directions and somehow i managed to help

- i ate so much odeng because i was scared the concert was going to end late (it did)

- idk if i can do this again at another age i am OLD

- jungwoo is obok personified!

- the screens that they use for the concerts are similar to the ones they use at graduations and i kept thinking how i looked like ass at my graduation but nct looked absolutely gorgeous aka they are not human

- they are all very very pretty!!!!!

- yangyang and renjun’s features were the best captured by the camera

- also i’m very happy they are at the point of their career where they can be more free with their commentary on stage

- i should get floor 1 or nothing because 2 floor is too far

- i should bring food!!!! they don’t check bags

- i should wear an adult diaper so i don’t have to use 1/4 of the total female toilets available (i didn’t count but honestly considering the queues…)

- i’m glad i experienced this but i don’t think i can do this again for another one year at least

- WHEN I WANTED TO GO HOME I FOUND OUT I LOST MY TRAIN CARD???????? idk if someone stole it or i lost it but WOW then the queue for the train became so long

- overall i am glad i did this my bucket list????? and will only do another one if better planned out (aka not last minute trip)

- thank u for reading i am now on the way to my airbnb and it’s 11.46pm

- updates: i missed the last TRAIN SO I HAD TO GO TO THE POLICE STATION TO ASK POLICE UNCLE TO flag down a taxi for me and now i’m in a taxi at 12.30am

- taxi uncle says my korean is good thank u taxi uncle

[realxystay]

Relaxy Stay offers comprehensive property management services, ensuring hassle-free experiences for property owners and guests alike. With their expertise in managing various types of properties, including vacation rentals and long-term accommodations, Relaxy Stay handles everything from bookings and guest communication to maintenance and cleaning, providing peace of mind to property owners while delivering exceptional stays to guests.

[mariacallous]

As few as 2 percent of New York City’s previous 22,000 short-term rentals on Airbnb have been registered with the city since a new law banning most listings came into effect in early September. But many illegal short-term rental listings are now being advertised on social media and lesser known platforms, with some still seemingly being listed on Airbnb itself.

The number of short-term listings on Airbnb has fallen by more than 80 percent, from 22,434 in August to just 3,227 by October 1, according to Inside Airbnb, a watchdog group that tracks the booking platform. But just 417 properties have been registered with the city, suggesting that very few of the city’s short-term rentals have been able to get permission to continue operating.

The crackdown in New York has created a “black market” for short-term rentals in the city, claims Lisa Grossman, a spokesperson for Restore Homeowner Autonomy and Rights (RHOAR), a local group that opposed the law. Grossman says she’s seen the short-term rental market pick up steam on places like Facebook since the ban. “People are going underground,” she says.

New York’s crackdown on short-term rentals has dramatically reshaped the vacation rental market in the city. People are using sites like Craigslist, Facebook, Houfy, and others, where they can search for guests or places to book without the checks and balances of booking platforms like Airbnb. Hotel prices are expected to rise with more demand.

Search for a short stay on Airbnb, and there are few places scattered across the map. Many of those old listings have turned into stays of 30 days or longer—meaning they do not need to be registered.

AirDNA, a short-term rental intelligence firm, found just 2,300 short-term rentals on Airbnb in New York City by late September. The number of stays advertised as long-term rentals now makes up 94 percent of Airbnb’s listings in the city, AirDNA’s data shows. Hosts must meet strict requirements to be approved as a short-term rental—they can have only two guests, and the host must be present in the home during the stay. This change banned many whole apartment listings, except for those that fell under a Class B dwelling category, like hotels, boarding houses, and clubs.

But people are finding ways around the rules. Many listings on Airbnb now include a space in the property’s description for hosts to enter a registration number or state that they are exempt. WIRED searched Airbnb for stays in New York and found many short-term rentals that list themselves as exempt from the city’s registration rules, but there are still several entire units available for short stays that do not appear to be hotels or exempt units.

In one listing marked as exempt, the host asks for guests to avoid interacting with the building’s concierge. On another listing, a host claims they used to live in the unit but have moved to New Jersey and now rent it out. One appears to be a rowhome in a mostly residential neighborhood in Brooklyn. Airbnb uses the city’s verification system to flag unregistered units. The company did not provide comment for this story addressing these specific listings flagged by WIRED. Nathan Rotman, the public policy regional lead for Airbnb, says the company is “working closely” with the city as it implements the new registration law.

Inside Airbnb’s data shows some 2,300 short-term properties have listed themselves as exempt from registration on Airbnb. There are a few hundred more that do not say whether they are exempt or registered, according to the data. Another 35,000 are long-term rentals. Airbnb did not confirm the numbers in the data scraped by Inside Airbnb. The Mayor's Office of Special Enforcement in New York, which manages the registration program, did not provide an update on the total number of short-term rentals it has registered, or whether it has issued violations for illegal listings. 

The New York City law is just one striking way cities are fighting back against short-term rentals. Supporters of the rule argued it would free up apartments for New Yorkers, who pay high rent prices and are facing housing shortages and insecurity. But others, including small-time landlords, said it would take away a source of flexible extra income without making a dent in the housing supply crisis.

Those smaller landlords are still pushing New York City councilors to change the rules to allow them to rent out their units. RHOAR is made up of hosts who own and occupy single-family homes or homes with two dwelling units. These hosts feel they have been unfairly looped in with big landlords. Grossman says RHOAR has met with city councilors in hopes of changing the law so that smaller hosts can still legally do short-term renting.

Outside of Airbnb, people are posting listings and seeking short-term rentals in Facebook groups. Ads on Craigslist for rentals have weekly or nightly prices listed—WIRED found one listing with a weekly and nightly price on Craigslist that also appears on Airbnb, but can only be booked for 30 days or longer on Airbnb. These off-platform rentals pose risks to both guests and hosts, who could get scammed without the protections of bigger companies like Airbnb. 

Craigslist did not respond to a request for comment. Meta, Facebook's parent company, did not comment on specific listings flagged by WIRED, but the company's policies require buyers and sellers in Facebook Marketplace to comply with local laws, and the company prohibits people from promoting illegal activity in Facebook pages and groups.  

Then there’s Houfy, another website listing short-term rentals. WIRED found that many of the listings come from guests who joined the site in September, the same month New York’s new registration rules took effect. The intention is for guests to book directly with hosts—think Airbnb without the fees. The site compares prices for the same property on Airbnb and Houfy and claims to show how much people can save by avoiding Airbnb’s fees.

Houfy has received a notice from New York City about the new rule and is “reviewing how to comply with their rules,” Thijs Aaftink, CEO of Houfy, tells WIRED. Aaftink says Houfy, unlike Airbnb and other rental sites, does not take commissions on transactions between hosts and guests, and argues the company “is therefore not part of the transaction.” He says hosts are responsible for complying with local laws when listing properties.

After the rule change, Airbnb is shifting attention away from New York, which was once its biggest market. Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky has recently said the company is exploring longer rentals, as well as car rentals and dining pop-ups. And it has got its eyes on Paris, its largest market and home to the 2024 Summer Olympics.

“I was always hopeful that New York City would lead the way—that we would find a solution in New York, and people would say, ‘If they can make it in New York, they can make it anywhere,’” Chesky said during an event in September hosted by Skift, a travel industry news site. “I think, unfortunately, New York is no longer leading the way—it’s probably a cautionary tale.”

[piosplayhouse]

After wei wuxian dies , jin guangshan lists the demon slaughtering cave as a destination Airbnb to try and make a quick buck but of course he doesn't want to actually do any work so he makes meng yao manage all of his properties with the promise that some day meng yao will get a 10% cut of the profits (he will not). Meng yao hates managing the cave because it's a hassle to get to and none of the guests follow his elaborate clean up and check out guidelines, also there's always a weird guy squatting there (xue yang) that he doesn't want to deal with, so he makes a deal with xue yang that he'll waive all fees and rent out the cave to him permanently* so long as xue yang helps him kill a bunch of people (via Airbnb? Not sure rn). Eventually when jin guangyao perishes so does the massive jin Airbnb monopoly. Hallelujah !

*with conditions ofc. Xue yang violates all of these within a month

[slipperygaloshes]

A vent lays below

This is like a nonissue and really just an internal hurt feelings thing, but I need to get it out so I don’t blow up.

I’m not generally someone who makes a big deal of my birthday. Honestly it’s always made me kind of anxious, which probably stems back to having a very jealous sibling growing up and knowing the day would somehow become about them. But either way, I’m not big on attention so whatever, fine.

Generally, my friends have known this about me. This year though, my actual day falls on a Saturday and I was kind of…excited for it? Bit of a foreign feeling for me (see above). I made like a very vague, tentative plan in my mind about a low key but fun activity I’ve wanted to check out which falls on Saturdays. I also put a few non birthday specific items into the friend gc to see what anyone would be interested in. One such idea was Memorial Day weekend in Canada.

One of my friends co-opted this attempt to gage interest, and said she wants to go away for her spring break (she teaches). She set up a video meeting of anyone who said they might be interested in her vague plan. And decided we’ll leave the day of my birthday on a night flight because it’s slightly cheaper, and will also fly into a city that’s of no interest to me. I brought up how I thought that was kinda silly to miss a whole day and to come back with little recovery time (at that point I was under the impression that I would be going and didn’t want to spend my day waiting in the airport/on a plane).

Whatever, I mentioned in the meeting that I wasn’t sure when my PTO would start at this new job and would need to check in the new year.

Fast forward to new year. My coworker beats me to it and manages to request that very week as soon as PTO becomes available. I can’t go.

Now I’m a little bitter. And maybe have a bit of lingering annoyance at this friend bc she somehow quietly gets her way, despite it all. And she’s so stubborn once she’s led to believe something (aka won’t go to Costa Rica or Mexico bc someone she vaguely knows got a stomachache).

Just noticed the Venmo request for airbnb for the week and got in my feelings about it. I have to calm it down and I will. I have to renew my passport anyway, so timing would not have worked for then. Hopefully I have nice plans (and will likely block/mute any of the social users that week so I don’t get fomo).

And on the plus side, at least I got her to shift gears from the coastal road-trip I was more interested in but would have been out of season for the week, so I can potentially still do that with them. Getting harder to find parts of the world no one in the group has explored yet, though, which is a bummer.

I’m debating trying to do a solo trip maybe to Switzerland to visit family friends who I’ve said are at the top of my list for years (but also I’m scared and $$$$).

[hubba1892]

List 5 things that make you happy, then put this in the askbox for the last 10 people who reblogged something from you! get to know your mutuals and followers ♡

oh I haven't gotten one of these in a long time! (also hi @khalaris I followed you because of Tatort Wien and I'm enjoying the text/writing posts in case you were wondering :D)

the made up scenarios about fictional people of course aka the only part of writing I'm currently engaging in

hugs

seeing fairylights everywhere atm

my aunt's dog

that I managed to find the scent they used in the Airbnb in Wien, so now I can us it whenever I need a Wien moment

[faofinn]

30. Patient 0

They’d booked an Airbnb, the whole family. Fao, Finn, Hars, Ely, Jess and Tai, as well as all the kids. They’d found this place in the Cotswolds, away from the hustle and bustle of London, and it was perfect. Loads of room, a cosy fireplace, all the essentials. They’d not been a able to get their Christmas work patterns sorted to spend it together, so they’d agreed on a week off together now the kids had broken up to enjoy being with the family. 

But Christmas time meant coughs and colds were rife, especially with young kids, and they’d quickly spread through the group, decimating their plans and soon reducing them to the Sick and the Well. Luckily the house they’d booked was big enough, and they were able to claim a part of it as a spot for those who had gotten sick to stay and be miserable whilst the others stayed busy trying to enjoy themselves. 

Of course Harrison was the first to succumb to it, far from surprising as a grizzly Levi had refused to be anywhere but his hip. With his immunosuppressants, any illness was so much worse, but it was also Harrison - a cold would be the end of the world, but pneumonia was just another day to work. 

Keeping a close eye on everything (and in contact with his consultant), he was happy enough to curl on the sofa with snacks and Disney films. 

Fao was next to join him, bringing Kieran along, just proof that Levi definitely was not sneaking into his brothers' room. Harrison felt beyond miserable, and couldn't help but grin as Fao joined him. The two curled up on the sofa together, the kids squished up with them. Harrison had his head in Fao's lap, pestering the other man to play with his hair - Fao couldn't lie down with his chest, so Harrison was simply making the best of a bad situation, was his excuse. He also drew the short straw with Harrison being the first one to fall and now in charge of the remote. 

Aristocats was the first film, of course it was, every song earning a rendition from Harrison, much to the kids' delight. It wasn't that unusual to hear Hars sing now, happy and content and stable for the first in a long while. It had been his favourite film as a child, the VHS one of his only possessions, and one he still had. Things were easily lost and stolen during all the moves and upheaval, but by sheer determination, he managed to keep it safe. 

Once he'd moved in with Steve, its place on the top of the list had only become more solidified, Steve coincidentally buying him a small stuffed cat. Of course with Harrison's history, Steve quickly joked he was O'Malley the Alley Cat, scrappy and street smart, willing to do whatever he needed to get what he wanted. And Fao ran with it, taking Hars to get his O'Malley tattoo on his 18th birthday. Somehow it had survived all the injuries and operations and scars, and he absently rubbed his hand across the ink. 

It was easy to forget where he'd come from, especially when he was feeling so rough and miserable, but he wouldn't change it for the world. Kieran had dozed off on top of him, and Harrison carefully stretched out for his phone and swiped his arm. 8.7. He knew he didn't need to check, not really, but since he'd been so unwell, he just couldn't help himself; he needed to make sure they were okay. 

Levi was curled into Fao, his hand curled around the loose fabric of his hoodie and snoring through a snotty nose. He sighed, settling back into Fao, happy both his kids were fine. 

"I'm sorry you got sick." He murmured to Fao. 

Fao hummed, his hand returning to Harrison’s hair. “Mm, it’s okay. Was bound to happen.” He said softly. “Doubt we’ll be the last, either.”

"We definitely won't be." He said softly, making a content noise at Fao's fingers in his hair. "God, that's nice."

Fao laughed, though it threatened to turn into a cough. “Careful, you’re married now.” He teased. “Kieran’s sugars okay?”

"Tai can have Ely." He brushed it off. "Yeah, he's doing well with them."

“Mm, good.”

"I feel fucking rotten." He admitted, voice a whisper. 

“I bet.” He murmured. “Can I get you anything?”

"You're meant to be sick too, not looking after me."

“I’m sick but I’m not dead, and I’m not immunocompromised either.”

He hummed. "I'm happy enough here, you’re helping."

“Mm, okay.” Fao murmured. “Who do you think is gonna be next? Finn?”

"Alfie. The three keep swapping beds. Finns been kicked out of yours so he should be safe." He joked. "Or maybe Jess, just for five minutes peace from him."

Fao laughed, setting off a cough. When he recovered, he sniffed. “So the germs came from your house, eh? I think it’ll be Finn or one of my kids, and if it’s Arthur then Ely won’t be long behind.”

"Levi was fine when we left." He protested weakly, though there was a flicker of mischief. "And I'm immunocompromised. I'm always gonna get ill. How can you be so mean to me?"

“I was gonna say it’s not my fault you’re immunocompromised, but it actually is.” Fao said lightly. 

Harrison stretched out. "Oh, yeah. All your fault."

“So rude of me.”

"How dare you save my life."

“Shocking behaviour. You’re just as much to blame for my chest sounding as shit as it does, though.”

"Sure, sure -" Harrison broke off coughing, finally stopping with a groan. He took a few moments to breath, his chest heaving. "Fuck's sake. I can't do this."

Fao frowned, reaching out for Hars. “Hey. You alright?”

Harrison nodded slowly, pushing himself more upright. "Yeah, yeah. I'm fine. Just need to not be ill."

Fao rested a hand on his shoulder. “Careful.”

"I love the kids, I do, but they can keep their germs." He tried to joke.

“I know, as if it wasn’t bad enough working in a hospital.”

"Yeah, that's true." His frown faded as Levi stirred, his heart melting at his sleepy yawn. "Hey, Leaf. You okay?"

He rubbed his eyes with a closed fist and then his face on Fao's hoodie. "'m tired."

"I bet. Did daddy wake you up?"

He nodded, shuffling about again. "All the coughing."

"Oh, I'm sorry, kid. I didn't mean to."

Fao stroked a hand over his godson’s hair. “Go on, back to sleep, kid. We’ll try not to wake you up again, hmm?”

"Is daddy okay?" He stretched out, worry on his face.

“Your Daddy’s fine. He just had a bit of a cough.”

"We've all got coughs. And snotty noses." He nodded. "And sleepy."

“Cos we’re all poorly.” Fao said. “You have a snooze again.”

He settled back down. "Okay. Love you." 

Harrison grinned. "Love you too, Leaf."

“Sweet dreams, little one.”

"Oh, bless him." Harrison murmured. "I hate when they're ill, but he's so cute when he's snuggly."

“I know, until they won’t leave me alone. Beth would live in my pocket when she’s ill.”

"She might end up joining us by the end of the week."

“She probably will.”

"It does make me laugh."

“What does?”

"We come away on holiday, finally all have the time off together, and now we've been split up with patient zero over here." He shook his head. "So much for a big family gathering."

“God, I know. It’s sod’s law.”

"Not to sound like a stroppy kid, but it's not fair."

“You always sound like a stroppy kid, and then complain when yours are.” Fao teased. 

"Don't be rude to me, I'm sick."

“So am I.”

Harrison moved to settle against Fao again. "So be nice to me."

“Mm, no.”

"Ouch!"

“You love it really.”

He grinned up at him. "Yeah."

“Can’t complain.”

"Watch me."

Fao snorted. “Makes a change, not.”

"Don't laugh at me!" He protested with a laugh.

“Nope.”

There was a knock on the door, drawing both men's attention. Finn stood in the doorway, wrapped in an oversized hoodie and a blanket, and looking particularly miserable. 

"Shove over, let me join yous."

Fao grinned. “Welcome to quarantine.” He joked. “It’s got you too. Must be man flu, the girls are immune. Come join, Hars put Disney on, just don’t wake Levi or he’ll get mad.”

"It's not man flu, I'm dying." Finn said dramatically. "There's no room for me on the sofa." 

"Snooze you lose." Harrison laughed. "It's definitely man flu. Even the kids are boys."

[storiesofsvu]

Journey to the Past Ch 22

Bryan Kneef x reader Sorry this one took so damn long to get out. I kept getting stuck with it and working out the logistics of everything for this chapter. plus like... life... am i right? ANYWAYS, here ya go. enjoy this chapter. we enter the final plot arc now.

“Bryan!” Your shriek turned into a giggle as the man wrapped around your waist from behind, pulling you flush to him, his lips burying into your neck as they made home against your skin.

“What?” He chuckled, teeth scraping into you and you let out a soft moan, followed by a laugh as your hand tugged into his hair, pulling him off you.

“I have to go!”

“Oh come on.” He nearly whined, “it’s just a girl’s night.”

“And we spent half the morning fucking.” You laughed, turning in his arms to press a gentle kiss to his lips. “I’ve barely seen Kim this month. Besides…” you kissed him once more, “it’ll give me a chance to go through my apartment, see what I’m moving in versus what I’ll give away.”

“Fine.” He grinned, cupping your chin in his hand with a wicked grin, “I’ll accept that.”

“Thought you might.” With a grin you popped up on your toes to kiss him again before squeezing at his arm, “I love you.”

“I love you too.” He left a kiss on the tip of your nose that you let out a giggle at before you were finally able to turn from the apartment and disappear down the hallway to embark on your evening plans.

*

You managed to get to your place with enough time to spare, ordering some take out that would get there shortly after Kim would and cracking a bottle of wine that you poured a glass out of to drink in the meantime. You meandered into the bedroom, starting to make sure all of your personal belongings were removed, sorting through the clothes you’d left to either take home or be donated. It wasn’t long after that that you heard the knock on the door, followed by Kim’s voice and you called out to let her know you were in the bedroom.

“What’s…. going on?” She asked with a raised brow as she perched in your bedroom doorway, eyeing the piles of clothes and belongings strewn across the bed.

“Figured I should take some time to clean my shit out and you could probably help with that.” You gestured to the bottle of wine and empty glass, “grab some wine.”

“Oh fuck, I haven’t eaten since breakfast, I should probably wait for dinner first.”

“Raid the fridge?”  You suggested, “grab a non booze drink or some snacks?”

“You’re an angel.” She shot you a grin before darting off down the hallway, returning with a sparkling water and a power bar, settling at the foot of your bed, “So… you just get the urge to clean out or?”

“Well…” You grinned at her, pausing for a sip of wine, “I’m trying to downsize a bit, not really with the clothes but more with the other shit. And to figure out what I own that are super personal versus stuff I’d be okay with strangers being around on a regular basis.”

“What are you talking about?” She laughed and you felt a brief heat sink into your cheeks.

“I’m moving into Bry’s place.”

“Are you serious!?”

“Oh don’t sound so shocked!” You laughed.

“I just didn’t ever see you selling this place!”

“I’m not, at least not yet.” You laughed, tossing another pair of pants into a suitcase, “I still kinda want my own space, I figured I’ll list it on Airbnb, that way I can control who and when stay here and when I’ll be able to have time on my own, or if we wanna have a super drunk weekend or something.”

“I mean… that’s probably the smartest choice, you can make bank with that shit.”

“Exactly.”

“He really asked you to move in?” Kim took a sip of her drink, casting you a knowing look and you rolled your eyes.

“Are you judging?” You suddenly stalled, “oh god. Do you think it’s a bad idea?”

“No!” She shot back, “I think it’s a fucking great idea. Have you guys talked about any more of a future yet or is that like, on the back burner?”

“A bit of both.” You laughed, your head shooting down the hall as a loud knock echoed through your apartment, “I guess the rest of this will have to wait.” You tossed down a pair of pants, “movie and dinner?”

“Always.” Kim shot you a grin, following you down the hall and picking up what you’d need from the kitchen for dinner before making herself at home on the couch and picking out a movie while you paid for the take out.

You brought the bag to the coffee table and started to scoop things out onto plates, the two of you splitting things up as evenly as you could before settling into the movie Kim had picked. Conversation flowed easily between the two of you, commentary on the movie while you complimented the food, digging into takeout containers for more. You fell into the usual routine, laughter taking over when you weren’t paying full attention to the movie. It was a few hours later, the movie over, you were on your second glass of wine, about to offer Kim one when you noticed.

“You still nursing that Perrier?”

“It’s been a weird week.” She laughed, practically avoiding your gaze and you smacked at her leg.

“What is going on?” You asked and she took a heavy breath, letting it out slowly.

“Something that I really don’t want to do but I need your help with.”

“Okay?” You raised a brow in her direction and she huffed, her shoulders sagging before looking up at you in defeat, “do we need to immediately rephase into attorney client privilege or is it something else?”

“I think I’m late…”

“Like your period?”

“Yeah.” She huffed, “I forgot to track last month’s so I’m not sure when this one’s supposed to come and I’ve lost track of time and have no clue anymore. Plus the guy I’m seeing… it’s just super casual, he doesn’t want anything past a casual relationship and I’m fine with that, but this would throw a loop into things…”

“Okay, well you don’t have to really worry about things yet.” You assured her, squeezing at her hand, “either give it another week and wait for your period, or we can run down to the store and get a test for you to take now.”

“I’ve already got one…” She admitted, glancing up to you with a sheepish look on her face, “I think I’m just way too up in my head and freaked out to want to do it.”

“You could wait the week?”

“And send my stress levels through the roof?” She laughed, “I don’t think that’s ideal.”

“Okay, then…You know where the bathroom is.”

“Yeah, but they only sell these things in multiple packs and I’m trying not to freak out, don’t make me be the only one, please….so what do you say?”

“That you’re being ridiculous, but you’re lucky I have two bathrooms.”

“Oh thank fucking god.” Kim let out a heavy breath, “I just like, didn’t know what to do and then this tik tok trend popped up where groups of friends all take—”

“Babe… do you seriously think I have enough time to engage in tik tok?”

“You’re right.” She barked out a laugh, moving from the couch to dig through her purse. She pulled out the box, ripping it open and handing you a wrapped test.

“Take the hallway bathroom, we’ll set a timer, I’m sure it’s fine.” You gave her arm a squeeze and shot her a reassuring smile before you made your way into the bedroom and crossed through to the en suite.

This certainly wasn’t the first time a friend had come to you freaking out about something like this, or even asking you about your own experience. So with someone like Kim, you weren’t about to tell her no, she was your best friend and you finally knew why she had been acting so weird all week. You didn’t take long, popping the top off the test and quickly doing what you needed to do before putting the cap back on and wandering back out to the main part of the apartment to be the emotional support you knew would be needed. Wondering if Kim would finally be wanting wine or if it would be a night of non alcoholic fun. You placed your test down on the island, letting out a soft sigh as you refilled your wine glass, picking up your phone to kill the time. You smiled at a couple of texts from Bryan, shooting off a couple of replies to him, a few about how you couldn’t wait to come home to him daily, and it didn’t take long after that for things to get dirty.

“Sorry.” Kim’s voice nearly made you jump, her own test sliding onto the counter across the sink from yours, “I may or may not have freaked out again.”

“You’ve got nothing to worry about.” You assured her, squeezing at her arm, “besides, this is just step one, you never know what’s going to happen after this and there are always a million ways things can go.”

“I guess.” She let out a huff, taking a swig of her soda right before the alarm on your phone went off and she nearly jumped, looking to you, “fuck, do I really have to?”

“Just flip it over.” You let out a chuckle.

“Fine.”  Kim shot you a glare before doing so, her eyes settling on the small stick before she let out a heavy sigh of relief, “oh thank fucking god!”

“See! You’re fine!” You swatted at her arm, handing her a glass of wine and she laughed, glancing toward your unturned test.

“Are you gonna look?”

“I don’t see why.” You laughed, but you turned back to it, flipping it over and it suddenly felt like your entire world stilled at the sight of a little pink plus sign staring back at you. You felt absolutely frozen, pure shock taking over your entire system as your eyes widened briefly before you finally felt like you could breathe again. You blinked a couple of times, making sure you weren’t seeing something before you finally spoke, Kim’s relief not even realizing your awkwardness. “Are you sure yours was on that side of the sink?”

“What?” She glanced up over the rim of her wine glass, her eyes widening over the panic written across your face.

“Did you put your test down on that side of the sink or did you move around afterwards?”

“I… I don’t think so. I came in, put it down and waited.. I think?” She winced, “why?” You let out a heavy breath, running a hand over your face.

“Because this one’s positive.” You flipped the test over to face her and she let out a small gasp.

“Oh fuck.”

“Where did you get these?”

“CVS.”

“So like, not the dollar store?”

“No.” She laughed, “but I’ve heard they’re all the same accuracy…”

“This has to be a false positive.” You murmured, “fuck, oh fuck… you said these came in packs, right?”

“Yeah…” Kim replied cautiously, placing her wine glass down on the island, “you think we should do a round two?”

“Well considering this says that one of us is pregnant, yeah, I do.”

“I’m like ninety eight percent sure that I put mine down on this side.” She gestured to the island, “like you said, it’s probably a false positive, I mean, when was your last period?”

“I don’t keep track.” You admitted with a huff.

“Are you serious?”

“Kim! I’ve got shitty ovaries, or a uterus or whatever, my periods have been all over the place for like, ten years. I miss them regularly; it’s never been a concern.”

“Are you and Bryan using condoms?”

“No.” You groaned, “why would we?! Once we said we were exclusive it went out the window.” You let out a weary sigh, “what the fuck?”

“Hey, hey…” Kim grabbed at your arm, “you’re lucky these things come in packs…” she rustled through her bag for a minute, pulling out the box once again, “round two.”

“Christ…” You muttered, taking one of the tests from her before you both retreated back to the bathrooms you’d been in prior.

This time when you returned to the kitchen, the air was much more tense, only a few words exchanged between the two of you as you waited for the timer to go off. When it did you both let out a low breath, flipping over the very separated tests to make sure you knew whose was whose.

“Oh my god…” You whispered, a hand coming up to your mouth as the bright plus sign stared back at you, “this… I think this is actually real…” Kim’s hand came up to yours, gently taking the test from you as she flipped it to look at it.

“Oh shit….” She muttered, “you’re pregnant…”

“Yeah…” You glanced up at her, “I really didn’t think it was ever possible…. I mean they told me it wasn’t…”

“Maybe it’s a fluke… like you said.” She squeezed at you hand, “call your doctor, let’s not get ahead of ourselves.”

“Oh I know.” You huffed out a breath, a million thoughts swirling around in your brain, going a mile a minute, “it just seems so fucking surreal.”

“Does Bryan want kids?” She asked and you were suddenly sent crashing back to reality, remembering it wasn’t just your future you were thinking of.

“Oh god… I… I don’t even know. We very briefly talked about it, he seemed wary…. But maybe?”

“Okay, forget I asked.” She grabbed your arm, tugging you away from the tests and back toward the couch, “we’re gonna forget all of this, you’re going to make a doctor’s appointment and we’re going to finish this take out and watch the rest of this movie, okay?”

“Okay…” you let out a soft sigh, dropping down onto the couch beside her, letting yourself get distracted with the media in front of you rather than dwell on your thoughts and worries.

*

Bryan was in the kitchen, packing up his own dinner into Tupperware and doing a couple of dishes, rinsing out the bowl while he tried to decide if he was having another glass of wine or was going to swap to scotch. The noise from the front door pulled his attention, glancing up, his brow furrowing as you appeared around the corner, dropping a duffle bag onto the floor with a little sigh.

“I didn’t expect you home tonight.” He greeted with a warm smile, crossing through the space to kiss you softly.

“Guess I just missed you.” You replied with a soft smile, pecking him gently before moving through the room slowly.

“Wine?” He asked, crossing back to the island and lifting the bottle in your direction, causing you to stall, shaking your head.

“No, thank you.” You gave him your best smile, “I’m not feeling great.”

Bryan’s head shot up to look at you, watching the way you dropped against the arm of the couch, letting out a gentle sigh and he crossed the room to you a hand gently cupping at your cheek, “you okay sweetheart?”

“Yeah.” You smiled, leaning into the embrace, “just tired.”

“Alright.” He leant in, kissing you tenderly and you hummed against his lips, tugging him back for a second.

“Can…. can I ask you something?”

“Of course.” His thumb stroked across your cheek; his eyes soft as he gazed across at you.

“You want a future here, right?” You glanced up to him, your heart beating a million miles a minute as you did your best not to hold your breath.

“Are you fucking with me?” Bryan laughed, “of course I do. You’re all I ever wanted….”

“Okay.” You let out a shaky breath, smiling at the way he squeezed at your hand, “I just… fuck, Bry,” you let out a small laugh, sinking further into the arm of the couch as Bryan moved forward, his hand continuing to stroke at your cheek. “I don’t want to freak you out or anything, and I know it’s fast and kinda weird, we haven’t technically been together that long..”

“But time doesn’t really mean anything?” He murmured with a raised brow and you laughed softly.

“No, no it doesn’t.” You let out a breath, the wheels in your head spinning as you tried to put your words together. Considering how he’d reacted to a minor inconvenience before you were serious when you said you didn’t want to freak him out, and something like this might send him running for the hills. Kim was right, you should wait until after going to the doctor to bother bringing it up, there was still a decent chance it was false, you sighed, glancing back up at Bryan and you could feel the adoration pouring from his eyes onto you, “I guess what I’m trying to say is that I love you, and I love you more than anyone ever. I don’t need you to say the same back right now but there is no one else in the world I would rather spend the rest of my life with.”

Bryan let out a soft chuckle, nuzzling against you softly, “if you want me to buy you a ring, I will.” His lips hit yours softly, “because you are, without a doubt, the absolute love of my life, and I would give everything to spend my life with you.”

“I don’t need a ring.” You laughed softly, your hand coming up to catch his cheek, redirecting his next kiss to your lips, “but how about some cuddles? I honestly am fucking exhausted.”

“Whatever my girl wants, she gets.” Bryan smiled, kissing you gently before helping you up and guiding you down the hallway.

You couldn’t help but smile at the way he helped you out of your clothes, shifting you into comfortable pyjamas, making sure you were okay, a bottle of water by your bedside before he changed himself. He then wrapped you in his arms, pressing a soft kiss to your head, his hands ghosting over your body until they settled in a very affectionate manner. You weren’t totally sure, but you thought that you might have fully broken into Bryan Kneef’s soft side, one that wasn’t going to be reserved for just you anymore.

As you finally drifted off to sleep your thoughts shifted from whether Bryan would be as receptive to this news as you were or if he would go against his word and disappear out of your lives to ones of a long happy future with him. He had you tucked so tightly in his arms, nuzzling you deeper into the embrace with each breath, lips gently brushing against the top of your head, you felt safe, protected and most importantly, loved. And exactly where you needed to be.

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